Online privacy

Apparently, a federal investigation into Facebook’s sharing of data with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica has broadened to focus on the actions and statements of the tech giant and involves three agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission. Representatives for the FBI, the SEC and the Federal Trade Commission have joined the Justice Department in its inquiries about the two companies and the sharing of personal information of 71 million Americans, suggesting the wide-ranging nature of the investigation, apparently.

Google said in 2017 it would stop its computers from scanning the inboxes of Gmail users for information to personalize advertisements, saying it wanted users to “remain confident that Google will keep privacy and security paramount.” But the internet giant continues to let hundreds of outside software developers scan the inboxes of millions of Gmail users who signed up for email-based services offering shopping price comparisons, automated travel-itinerary planners or other tools.

Facebook says more than 800,000 users may have been affected by a bug that unblocked people they previously had blocked. The company said that the bug was active between May 29 and June 5. While the person who was unblocked by this bug could not see content users shared with their friends, they could have seen things that were posted to a wider audience. Facebook says the problem has been fixed. It’s the second software bug in less than a month that the company has notified users about.

Rep Debbie Dingell (D-MI) continued to urge the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether consumers’ viewing and other personal information was improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica. Rep Dingell followed-up with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and FTC Commissioner Joseph Simmons to stress the importance of protecting consumers privacy amongst news that Cambridge Analytica improperly collected and shared information from set-top cable boxes.

[Commentary] While opinions may differ on the soundness of the European approach, it is difficult to dispute that the European Union is currently leading the charge on protecting consumers’ personal information online. Its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which went into effect in May, is setting the standard for data protection. The US only has a small window to get back in the game and influence the shape of global digital privacy norms.

Initially, Tim Berners-Lee’s innovation was intended to help scientists share data across a then-obscure platform called the Internet, a version of which the US government had been using since the 1960s. But owing to his decision to release the source code for free—to make the Web an open and democratic platform for all—his brainchild quickly took on a life of its own. Berners-Lee’s life changed irrevocably, too.

Facebook shared user information with 52 hardware and software makers, including some based in China, under agreements designed to make its social media platform work more effectively on smartphones and other devices. The list of these partners includes major American tech brands such as Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, along with South Korean tech giant Samsung and China-based companies Huawei and Alibaba.

CA legislators adopted sweeping new rules that restrict the data-harvesting practices of Amazon.com, Facebook, Google and Uber, a move that soon could spur other states and Congress to take aim at the tech industry. The California Consumer Privacy Act is one of the toughest U.S. regulations targeting Silicon Valley, where recent privacy mishaps — many involving Facebook — have left consumers clamoring for greater protections online.