The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner is investigating the data safety practices of HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, which sustained a data breach in May 2023. The office may require remediation or civil penalties depending on the severity of the findings.Full story
Signal Messenger introduced a phone number privacy setting that allows users to share a private username instead of their phone numbers when messaging other users. Signal's new usernames are not searchable through a directory and instead will function as a "quick way to connect without sharing a phone number."Full story
The Future of Privacy Forum announced the winners of the Privacy Papers for Policymakers Awards. The award aims to recognize influential privacy papers that are "relevant to policymakers in the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and international data protection authorities."Full story
Under Chile's draft personal data protection law, there is uncertainty if consumers will be able to object to having their financial information used in automated data processing for consumer reporting companies using predictive models to determine credit scores, Uber Technologies Regional Product and Commercial Counsel Javier Mena Letelier, CIPP/E, writes.
The European Commission launched a formal inquiry into a possible violation of the Digital Services Act by TikTok following an analysis of its September 2023 risk assessment report and responses to requests for information.
European users of Meta's platforms are waiting to see a decision by EU data protection authorities on the "pay or OK" model that has users pay to eliminate personalized ads. IAPP Staff Writer Lexie White recapped the idea of paying to protect personal data and EU General Data Protection Regulation implications of "pay or OK" outlined during an IAPP LinkedIn Live 15 Feb.Full story
The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology released a resource guide on how to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Security Rule. The guide includes a list of publications on the topic and a map of the rule's standards and implementation specifics.Full story
South Korea's Personal Information Protection Committee began evaluating personal information processing policies under the country's revised privacy protection law. The PIPC's review will include how much and what kinds of personal information are processed, whether a company has the right to process that data and what penalties, if needed, will be assigned.Full story
Norway's data protection authority, Datatilsynet, wrote about the decision by Denmark's DPA to stop schools from passing student data onto Google via Chromebooks. Legal Adviser Kristin Skolt said the ruling creates an opportunity for Norway to insist on its own stronger protections for personal data collection in schools.Full story
Google's Privacy Sandbox imposes six major challenges on digital advertisers, IAB Tech Lab Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Shailley Singh writes in an op-ed in AdExchanger.