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Privacy Beat, July 25, 2019
French and U.K. data-privacy regulators release guidance on consent and use of personal data
In France and in the United Kingdom, data-privacy regulators released guidance on when users of personal data have to have permission to collect it. . . Writing in the journal Nature Communications, British and Belgium computer scientists said July 24 they have figured out how to re-identify personal information that has been anonymized to a degree previously thought to be secure — and have posted their software for doing so in public . . . Google’s announced decision to obscure the use of “incognito” privacy mode in next week’s release of its Chrome 76 browser update is going to force new decisions on publishers using metered paywalls to control content access . . . Swapping consumer data among loyalty, rewards, premium feature, discount or club programs may require user consent under a proposed amendment to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), attorneys say. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, July 18, 2019
Data mapping and compliance vendor lands $200M investment as market for privacy services appears to heat up
Investment in data-privacy tech and compliance companies is heating as evidenced by a $1.3 billion valuation for Atlanta-based OneTrust . . . The Washington Post is marketing technology that can help publishers survive in a world without third-party cookies . . . Between Aug. 12 and Sept. 12 look for one more push by tech ad platforms to get relief from CCPA . . . Congress goes on recess in August, and they don’t seem any closer to passing data privacy legislation. Politico reported that Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) called the situation “embarrassing”. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, July 12, 2019
Internet Association launches PR website asking Calif. residents to support “ad fix” to the CCPA
We wrapup news about a competitive war underway among titans of the ad-tech industry — and at least one scrappy startup — over who will emerge in control as the era of third-party cookie matching is squelched by tough European and U.S.-based privacy regulation . . . In Scaramento, Calif., privacy advocates think they won at least a temporary victory over the tech industry’s effort to water-down the California Consumer Privacy Act . . . and British regulators articulate a get-touch strategy around the use of third-party cookies. Their message — you better bend over backwards to get user consent. These stories and more in Privacy Beat this week. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, July 4, 2019
Internet Association launches PR website asking Calif. residents to support “ad fix” to the CCPA
The Internet Association, a trade group that counts Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon and eBay among its membership, has posted a website in a lobbying effort to propose an unspecified “ad fix” to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) before it takes effect Jan. 1. The site, with the headline “Keep the Internet Free” asserts that as it stands the CCPA will inhibit the sale of advertising which helps support free internet services. To emphasize the claim, the site includes a continuously rising “pay meter” off to one side. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, June 27, 2019
Facebook quietly releases new privacy settings after Sandberg talk at Cannes
LaSt week at Cannes, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said the company needed to be clearer on how users data is being used. Almost in sync, in a move toward transparency, Facebook began promoting a data-privacy educational campaign of sorts through the Axios newsletter . . . IAB willing to talk about TCF modifications Reaction to last week’s 35-page report by Britain’s top digital privacy watchdog is highlighting the GDPR’s challenge to the incumbent Real-Time Bidding service that has dominated web advertising for about a decade. The clear implication of the report and reactions from the IAB and its protagonist, the browser maker Brave, is that personal data sent around ultimately has to become much less personal to be legal in Europe. And the public is becoming aware. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, June 20, 2019
Same tune, different players, all suggesting ad-tech as we know it can’t continue
A lawyer, a browser maker, a Britsh-based EU regulator and a representative of big U.S. publishers are all singing a similar tune — the way ad-tech, including Google, is seeking to comply with the GDPR isn’t going to pass muster. In the meantime, however, Facebook and Google are big winners in Europe, says a Wall Street Journal article, Digital Content Next says “the sky won’t fall” if ad-tech has to pivot away from Real Time Bidding, which browser make Brave says effectively “broadcasts” private user attributes billions of times day to thousands of obscure web services. Will this help — two ex-Apple engieneers are offering a data-privacy certificate regime for mobile apps. All this and more in Privacy Beat. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, June 13, 2019
Multiple Perspectives on How a More Privacy-focused Future will Take Shape
The stringent requirements of the California Consumer Privacy Act have the big-data tech companies trying to get something less burdensome out of Congress. But this week we feature an analysis that suggests CCPA could continue to govern Internet privacy even if a federal law attempts to pre-empt it. Meanwhile, privacy promises don’t mean much if you can’t read them, and a New York Times story found most of them are unreadable. And they also aren’t much use if antitrust law isn’t enforced, claimed some witnesses at a Capitol Hill hearing. Regulation aside, there is evidence a business-case for privacy technology is emerging, and Omidyar Network is pushing on that. One investing area — technologies that help to “de-identify” personal data. And should that anonymized data be controlled by a nonprofit? All that plus a quote and tidbits, in Privacy Beat. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, June 6, 2019
Multiple States Moving New Privacy Legislation Forward
While Congress holds a few hearings and focuses on antitrust law, states are trying out innovative ideas on the privacy front (New York) and enacting “opt-out” laws (Nevada). And the picture is becoming pretty clear — big tech is determined to beat back any efforts to give individual citizens the right to sue for their privacy rights. You can follow the action — The National Conference of State Legislatures keeps track of state laws related to internet privacy. Not to be outdone by lawmakers, both Apple and Mozilla took steps to make life harder for Google and Facebook to track users. Details, in Privacy Beat, this week. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, May 30, 2019
Rounding Out Our First Month of Privacy Beat
We are one month in and there has been a lot happening in the world of data privacy. This week we are continuing to follow updates to CCPA, Apple’s 3rd-party tracking crackdown in Safari, new research on the monetary value of cookies in advertising (or lack thereof), data privacy violations in mobile apps, and new calls from the ad industry for a Data Protection Bureau within the FTC. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, May 23, 2019
GDPR turns 1!
Key AdTech Inventor Says Consumers Need Protection As Senate Panel Probes Privacy and Competition
The infant hit its first birthday this week, and how is its world changing? A year ago the European General Data Protection Regulation took effect. This week you can learn that the U.S. Senate is paying attention to baby GDPR, and states like Massachusetts and California are readying siblings. Big companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft are watching and responding to the infant warily and regulators in Ireland are starting to test the baby’s strength. This week, on the Privacy Beat. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, May 16, 2019
Times Are a Changin’ When It Comes to Data Privacy
Two developments over the last week are escalating concern for publishers, tech companies and perhaps advertisers over how their businesses are shifting. The ongoing forcing function is the California Consumer Privacy Act, which will take effect in some form on Jan. 1. The problem is — what form? California’s attorney general is now concerned he may not have enough staff to enforce it. Meanwhile, Google continues to find a middle ground between its dominant ad business and taking privacy-enhancing actions that could punish competitors and invite anti-trust scrutiny. It’s using its control over the Chrome browser in this effort. Meanwhile, scrappy search engine DuckDuckGo thinks it can ride privacy and contextual advertising to greater success. All this week in Privacy Beat. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, May 9, 2019
Privacy taking center stage?
The executive suites at Google, Facebook and Apple, like it or not, are now talking publicly about privacy and their products. Browser software is being adjusted to listen better to consumer privacy preferences — and deprecate the excesses of third-party cookies. The FTC is considering a multi-billion-dollar fine against Facebook. And stories are emerging that Congress might be able to forge a bipartisan consensus on digital privacy. We’re trying to keep you up to date on these trends weekly with Privacy Beat. Here’s this week’s edition. READ MORE
Privacy Beat, May 2, 2019
Welcome to a free trial issue of Privacy Beat, the subscription-based newsletter from ITEGA.
When you subscribe, you will receive five curated articles each week highlighting the most recent legislation, proposals and technology innovations in privacy that are relevant to news media, and to business challenges around identity, advertising and information commerce. You will get early notice of ITEGA convenings and projects, as well as free advanced copies of white papers and research. READ MORE