April 2018

Facebook tries to clarify how it collects data when you're not on Facebook

Facebook outlined its data collection practices. According to Product Management Director David Baser, some third-party websites and apps send data about their users to Facebook, regardless of whether those users have Facebook profiles. In return for that information, Facebook helps those websites serve up relevant ads or receive analytics that help them understand how people use their services. The company gets this data from websites and apps that let people share or like posts using Facebook plugins, or log into the website with their Facebook accounts.

Will Europe Force the US to Move Faster on Privacy Reform?

On April 12th, the Irish High Court elevated a series of questions to the European Court of Justice (ECJ, the Supreme Court of the European Union) regarding the validity of key legal instruments used by American tech companies to process Europeans’ personal data. Judge Caroline Costello of the Irish High Court is concerned about the national surveillance practices of the United States and the level of privacy rights observed there.

Europe to Follow US Lead in Sharing Data to Fight Crime

The United States and the European Union are aligning rules to help crime-fighters access suspects’ emails, text messages, photos and other data, despite simmering trans-Atlantic tensions.