Online privacy

Apparently, the Federal Trade Commission has finalized a settlement with Google in its investigation into YouTube for violating federal data privacy laws for children. The settlement — backed by the agency’s three Republicans and opposed by its two Democrats — finds that Google inadequately protected kids who used its video-streaming service and improperly collected their data in breach of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, which prohibits the tracking and targeting of users younger than 13, the people said.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) organized a coalition letter to Sens Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), urging them to work with consumer and privacy groups in the newly formed Senate Judiciary tech task force. July 18, Sen Blackburn held a closed-door session with representatives from tech companies, including Snap and Mozilla.

Some experts are arguing that digital services by their very nature represent interstate commerce and therefore are best dealt with by Congress. In order to avoid the fragmentation of state-centered markets, it is necessary to have uniform standards, not state or local statutes. Given the current composition of the US Supreme Court, a majority of justices could endorse that interpretation of the interstate commerce clause and sharply limits the ability of state and local governments to impose rules on digital services or technology innovation.

In light of continued rapid changes in technology, the Federal Trade Commission is seeking comment on the effectiveness of the amendments the agency made to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) in 2013 and whether additional changes are needed.

The growth of digital government services and internet-connected devices scattered across urban landscapes is giving city officials access to ever-increasing amounts of data on their constituents. But while that data can be used to drive policy decisions, cities must first develop trust with their residents who are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the new technologies.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht LLP filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of AT&T customers in CA to stop the telecommunication company and two data location aggregators from allowing numerous entities—including bounty hunters, car dealerships, landlords, and stalkers—to access wireless customers’ real-time locations without authorization. An investigation by Motherboard earlier in 2019 revealed that any cellphone user’s precise, real-time location could be bought for just $300.

When Apple CEO Tim Cook privately hosted six Democratic lawmakers at the company’s space-age headquarters spring 2019, he opened the conversation with a plea — for Congress to finally draft privacy legislation after years of federal inaction. But a number of privacy advocates and lawmakers say Apple has not put enough muscle behind any federal effort to tighten privacy laws.

Apparently, the Federal Trade Commission voted to approve a roughly $5 billion settlement with Facebook over a long-running probe into the company’s privacy missteps. The 3-2 vote by FTC commissioners broke along party lines, with the Republican majority lining up to support the pact while Democratic commissioners objected. The matter has been moved to the Justice Department’s civil division and it is unclear how long it will take to finalize. Justice Department reviews are part of the FTC’s procedure but typically don’t change the outcome of an FTC decision.

Beyond the circus-like atmosphere of the White House social media summit, the conference had serious implications for Silicon Valley. It highlighted how President Donald Trump's attacks on Big Tech are creating more political jeopardy for the tech companies in Washington:

Data generated in the classroom is becoming a heated front in the battle over digital privacy, but privacy experts say the issue is more complicated than it might seem. Many school districts have hundreds, if not thousands, of vendors that collect data through apps or online curricula and most are just now beginning to catch up to the proliferation of new tech tools. The digital data kept on students can help learning by improving the effectiveness of the software and hel