Latest Worldwide Developments on Personal Data


European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection each approved the proposed Artificial Intelligence Act. "We are on the verge of building a real landmark legislation for the digital landscape, not only for Europe but also for the entire world," Italian Member of European Parliament and AI Act co-rapporteur Brando Benifei said. The proposal is scheduled for a final debate in Parliament 13 June and will head to trilogue negotiations following a vote.


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In a letter to nearly 24 data brokers, a group of 10 lawmakers asked a series of questions about the companies' privacy practices, including whether they collect data on consumers' health, locations, purchase history or application use, MediaPost reports. The lawmakers said "existing laws do not sufficiently protect Americans' data from misuse" and enacting a national privacy law is a "top priority."


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As impending artificial intelligence regulations develop, achieving trust through "Responsible AI" uses will be a business imperative, Simply Privacy Principal Frith Tweedie writes for the New Zealand Institute of Directors. Tweedie said responsible AI framework includes a top-down message from senior management driving "responsible AI engagement," a comprehensive AI strategy and responsible governance.


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Following reporter visits to abortion clinics in California and Florida, The Washington Post found Google did not delete location data "in any consistent way," despite promises it would "proactively delete" such sensitive user data. Reporters also discovered Google did not delete search histories related to abortions and kept location data tied to that specific search. In other instances there was not any discernable pattern to what data Google kept and what it did not, such as only listing the clinic’s location as the name of the neighborhood.


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In a blog post, U.K. Information Commissioner's Office Deputy Commissioner for Regulatory Policy Emily Keaney addressed challenges law enforcement agencies face when using personal data during investigations. Keaney said agencies should consider whether the information sharing is necessary and proportionate, and its effect on others. By doing so, she said, "police can make informed decisions about how to respect people's data protection rights during fast-moving and high-profile investigations while still getting the job done."


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Spain's data protection authority, the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos, published a guide for cryptographic systems as a data protection security measure in partnership with the Spanish Association for the Promotion of Information Security and Spanish Professional Association for Privacy. The guide states "encryption will be an adequate security measure for data protection as long as its implementation is adjusted to the characteristics and impact of the treatment on the rights and freedoms of those affected."


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France's data protection authority, the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés, announced Clearview AI is required to pay a 5.2 million euro penalty for delayed compliance with a prior order from the regulator. Clearview received a 20 million euro fine over EU General Data Protection Regulation violations from the CNIL in October 2022. The initial order stated Clearview had two months to comply and would pay 100,000 euros per day after the compliance deadline. The CNIL said the company "did not send any proof of compliance."


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A WhatsApp user posted on Twitter that the encrypted messaging app allegedly accessed his cellphone's microphone while he was sleeping, the Daily Mail reports. The publication reviewed posts on customer service boards and Reddit, in which users complained WhatsApp accessed their microphones, going back five years. In response, a spokesperson from WhatsApp parent company Meta claimed the user experienced a bug within the Android operating system. Google did not respond to a request for comment.



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Google will soon unveil the next generation of its search engine with an artificial intelligence chat feature, CNN reports. The new feature allows users to enter a query into the main search bar and receive an AI-generated response in a pop-up, along with traditional search results. The new Google Search will first launch in the U.S. to a limited number of users who will be granted access in the coming weeks, the company said.


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The EU proposed "chat controls" regulation that would require encrypted messaging services to screen accounts for child abuse content may not be lawful, according to leaked legal documents obtained by the Guardian. The documents contain "internal EU legal advice" circulated among member states' diplomats that "raises significant doubts about the lawfulness of the regulation unveiled by the European Commission" last year. The documents cite prior Court of Justice of the European Union decisions ruling the screening of communication meta data is "proportionate only for the purpose of safeguarding national security."

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