The government of Quebec published a draft regulation for "respecting the anonymization of personal information" under Law 25 in the Quebec Gazette. The draft law, published 20 Dec. 2023, would require public bodies and applicable private entities to adequately anonymize all personally identifiable information it collects and spells out the criteria under which such anonymized information can be used for processing purposes.
Gizmodo reports on how a new Facebook feature giving users the ability to save the links they have visited on the company's platform provides some privacy agency but is still used to help the company create targeted advertisements. Users can opt-out of the "Link History" option, which is turned on by default. Facebook says it will only store links it has saved for 90 days.Full story
Technology companies and privacy advocates are lining up against a proposed amendment to the U.K. Investigatory Powers Act, Politico reports.
The Montana Attorney General's Office said it will appeal a U.S. federal judge's decision to strike down a state law that banned residents from using TikTok, Reuters reports. Proponents of the ban say it is meant to protect users' privacy, but U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy ruled last year that such an action was unconstitutional. The case now goes to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.Full story
OpenAI switched the location of its European data controller to Ireland and will handle its data according to the EU General Data Protection Regulation starting 15 Feb., TechCrunch reports.
In an op-ed for the Guardian, Senior Tech Reporter Johana Bhuiyan explores whether parents can post their children online while still keeping their children's digital footprint safe. Bhuiyan said parents should identify potential risks while also exploring options such as posting only during children's milestones or waiting until a child is old enough to make the decision of being posted online. Full story
Malware groups claimed they can access expired Google OAuth cookies, gaining access to accounts even when the user logs out or changes their password, BleepingComputer reports. Using a Google "MultiLogin" endpoint, hackers claim it can restore expired authentication codes, gaining repeated access to accounts.Full story
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to update its Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Rule arrived as calls to address children's online privacy in the U.S. have never been greater. The proposed updates will add fresh requirements on the collection and use of children's data while also addressing how those data practices contribute to perceived "screen addiction" among children.
Google agreed to an undisclosed settlement in a U.S. lawsuit that alleged it collected personal information from users browsing with Chrome's "incognito" mode, NPR reports. The class-action lawsuit was originally filed in 2020 and sought USD5 billion in damages.
The California Privacy Protection Agency Board plans to discuss its strategic plan, legislative priorities and a budget update for the year during a 12 Jan. meeting. The meeting will also include closed-door discussions of two lawsuits involving the CPPA. Both concern the agency's ability to enforce regulations under the California Privacy Rights Act.Full story