The European Data Protection Supervisor asked the Court of Justice of the European Union to annul two provisions of the Europol Regulation that "have an impact on data operations" and "undermine legal certainty of individual's personal data." EDPS Wojciech Wiewiórowski noted in June that amendments made to the regulation and its data collection provisions would weaken data protection rights.
A growing bloc of EU Parliament members support a total ban on facial recognition technology, Politico reports. Renew, the third largest group in EU Parliament, signed on with Greens and Socialists and Democrats to back an initiative that would ban technology “that scans crowds indiscriminately and in real-time.” Opponents of facial recognition claim the tech is a tool for authoritarian governments to persecute dissidents and minorities, while being prone to demonstrate bias against people of color.
Germany’s Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information welcomed the Court of Justice of the European Union's ruling on data retention.
The Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information issued a 525,000 euro fine to a Berlin-based retailer for violation of data protection officer requirements under the EU General Data Protection Regulation. An investigation found an alleged conflict of interest concerning the DPO's employment status and decision-making responsibilities that violated Article 38(6) of the GDPR. The company received a warning from the regulator in 2021.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission published the agenda for its Oct. 19 workshop covering children's protections against digital marketing practices. The workshop aims to outline the current landscape for digital advertising, children's abilities to comprehend ads at various ages and whether the current regulatory landscape is equipped to address ongoing issues.
In a company blog post, Microsoft announced it was expanding its "commitments and contributions to the Christchurch Call." The company pledged $500,000 to the Christchurch Call Initiative on Algorithmic Outcomes. The initiative is a “multistakeholder” effort to combat “terrorist and violent extremist content online” launched in wake of the of attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced a $35 million settlement with multinational financial services provider Morgan Stanley Smith and Barney's wealth and asset management division related to alleged insufficient data protection measures for approximately 15 million customers over a five-year period. The SEC claims various data deletion issues, including those occurring via a contracted third-party moving and storage company "with no experience or expertise in data destruction services" and by MSSB itself.
Registration is open for the 2023 Helsinki Information Law Moot, a competition aimed to help students dig deeper into information law. Individuals and students from around the world gather to explore data protection, government surveillance and more. During the competition, students solve a legal problem, enter written submissions and compete in oral rounds. The problem for the 2023 competition has been released and Nov. 6 is the deadline for clarification requests. Registration closes Oct.
The Washington Post will moderate a conversation Sept. 29 between U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chair Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., regarding the proposed American Data Privacy and Protection Act. Pallone and Rodgers will discuss "the prospects for a bipartisan bill and the future of tech regulation" in the wake of stymieing opposition to the ADPPA from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and the California delegation that necessitates negotiations for an updated framework.
Denmark's data protection authority, Datatilsynet, became the latest EU authority to order a halt on the use of Google Analytics for data transfers to the U.S. without supplementary measures.