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☆ FTC investigating TikTok over privacy and security
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Brian Fung | Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok for its data and security practices, two sources told CNN on the condition of anonymity. The agency is also investigating whether TikTok violated a portion of the FTC Act, which prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce,” the sources said. The FTC could bring a suit against TikTok in the coming weeks, according to the sources. The FTC probe comes as TikTok faces an existential threat in the US. The short-form video company, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has denied assertions that its app poses a national security threat to US citizens.

Persons: TikTok, Public Affairs Douglas Farrar, “, ” TikTok, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, TikTok, Politico, Public Affairs, Senate Locations: China

☆ How to stop your internet-connected car from sharing and maybe even selling your driving data
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

"The amount of personal and car information that car companies collect, share and sometimes sell is beyond what is necessary to get someone from Point A to Point B safely. But there are growing privacy concerns as reports proliferate about car companies sharing driver data with insurers, and as car companies get into the insurance business themselves. To be sure, there can be valid reasons to collect driver and car data for safety and functionality purposes, and some essential services, such as emergency and security-related data sharing, may be difficult or impossible to opt out of. Ford, for example, said it provides customers with a choice regarding any sharing of connected vehicle data. The government is looking at car privacy regulationsThere are various regulatory efforts afoot to understand carmakers' data-sharing practices and reign in potential privacy violations.

Persons: Jen Caltrider, There's, That's, James Hodgson, Parv Sharma, Caltrider, Cobun Zweifel, Mo Al, Keegan, Edward J, Markey, Eric Goldman, Hodgson, It's Organizations: Mozilla Foundation, Mozilla, ABI Research, McKinsey, Counterpoint Technology Market Research, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, BMW, Keegan, International Association of Privacy, SBD Automotive, Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission, Zweifel, Senate Commerce, Science, Transportation, Santa Clara University School of Law, Apple Locations: U.S, California , Colorado, Connecticut, California

Here are some tips on staying safe, communicating and setting limits on social media — for kids as well as their parents. “There is not necessarily a magical age,” said Christine Elgersma, a social media expert at the nonprofit Common Sense Media. Some tech executives, celebrities such as Jennifer Garner and parents from all walks of life have resorted to banning their kids from social media altogether. Watch a documentary like “The Social Dilemma” that explores algorithms, dark patterns and dopamine feedback cycles of social media. Social media platforms that cater to children have added an ever-growing array of parental controls as they face increasing scrutiny over child safety.

Persons: it’s, —, ’, ”, Christine Elgersma, Elgersma, Jennifer Garner, Jean Rogers, “ That’s, ” Rogers, Rogers, “, Meta, Instagram, Vivek Murthy Organizations: Republican, Democratic, IF, LAW, Companies, “, Facebook, U.S

Utah became the latest state to regulate bathroom access for transgender people after Republican Gov. Opponents noted not all states allow people to change their birth certificates and that many trans people don’t want to have surgery. West Virginia’s Legislature is considering a transgender bathroom bill for students this year. “Nobody I know cares if a transgender woman comes into their bathroom, uses it for its intended purpose and walks out,” Birkeland said. Equality Utah, a nonprofit organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, advocated for the amendment but still opposed the bill.

Persons: Spencer Cox, ” Cox, Tennessee —, Kera Birkeland, ” Birkeland Organizations: Republican Gov, West, Republican, American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, Senate, Equality Locations: Utah, — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida , Idaho , Iowa , Kansas , Kentucky, North Dakota , Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia’s, Salt Lake County, Equality Utah

Learn moreThis excellent NordVPN deal has been a regular highlight of the super busy sales season towards the end of the year, so we're stoked to see it still going strong. NordVPN is one of the best VPNs money can buy and our top pick of all the best VPN deals we've been rounding up lately. Below, we'll list the total and lowest monthly US prices for all available NordVPN plans. NordVPN plans and pricing explainedYou'll find quite a few options when browsing NordVPN plans. The 2-year Standard plan costs $80.73 upfront, which is $2.99 per month over the life of the subscription.

Persons: NordVPN, VPNs, You'll, you'll

☆ Can an AI chatbot be convicted of an illegal wiretap? A case against Gap's Old Navy may answer that
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Ellen Sheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The suit also alleges that Old Navy unlawfully shares consumer data with third parties without informing consumers or seeking consent. Old Navy, through its parent company Gap, declined to comment. Old Navy isn't the only one to face similar charges. For now, states have different privacy rules, but there is no unifying federal-level regulation about online privacy. With no comprehensive federal online privacy legislation, companies are free to charge ahead without having to put privacy protections in place.

Persons: Irina Raicu, Raicu, It's, Ari Lightman Organizations: Navy, Central District of, Old, Home Depot, General Motors, Ford, JCPenney, Markkula Center, Applied, Santa Clara University . Companies, Companies, JPMorgan, Verizon, Old Navy, Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College Locations: Central District, Central District of California, California, U.S, Europe, Canada, Europe . Colorado , Connecticut , Utah, Virginia, Delaware, Florida, Iowa

☆ In Congress and in class: Rep. Don Beyer works toward master's degree in AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Emily Wilkins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va. Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty ImagesWASHINGTON — Don Beyer isn't the average student at George Mason University. So he enrolled, starting with the prerequisite classes that will ultimately lead him to a master's degree in machine learning. Beyer is part of almost every group of House lawmakers working on AI. He was also a member of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's working group on AI, which could be resurrected under Speaker Mike Johnson. Obernolte, who has a masters degree in artificial intelligence, said there's no shortage of smart lawmakers on AI, including Beyer.

Persons: Don Beyer, Bill Clark, Getty Images WASHINGTON — Don Beyer isn't, Beyer, Kevin McCarthy's, Mike Johnson, he's, Sam Altman, Jay Obernolte, Johnson, Obernolte, Don Organizations: CQ, Inc, Getty Images WASHINGTON, George Mason University, He's, The, The Virginia Democrat, CNBC, Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus, The New Democrat Coalition Locations: The Virginia

☆ Elon Musk says his kids' safety is at risk unless a Texas judge restricts access to his custody battle with Grimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk filed new documents in Texas court asking a judge to restrict access to his custody battle. Attorneys for Musk want a judge to issue a protective order before he agrees to sit for a deposition. Musk also asked a judge to suspend public access to documents in the case, arguing the potential risk to his children outweighs any public interest in the high-profile custody battle. AdvertisementMusk was first to strike, however, quietly suing Grimes in Texas court in September to establish a "parent-child" relationship with the kids. AdvertisementA protective order would guarantee the information Musk reveals during a deposition remains private and inaccessible to the public, Melcher added.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Grimes, Musk, Claire Boucher, X, Grimes didn't, Christopher Melcher, Walzer Melcher, Melcher, Elon, Chesnot, Frazer Harrison, countersued, CHANDAN KHANNA, Jack Sweeney, Sweeney, he'd, Bob Iger Organizations: Musk, Service, Business, Tau, BI, Elon, Getty, Circuit, SpaceX, Twitter, Sweeney, Summit, Disney Locations: Texas, California, Americas, Austin , Texas, Ukraine

We'll list the total and lowest monthly US prices for all available NordVPN plans below. NordVPN plans and pricing explainedYou'll find quite a few options when browsing NordVPN plans. The 2-year Standard plan costs $80.73 upfront, which is $2.99 per month over the life of the subscription. The 1-year Standard plan costs $67.35 upfront, or $4.49 per month . You'll save 45% in total.

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☆ Meta collected children’s data from Instagram accounts, unsealed court document alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The federal complaint calls for court orders prohibiting Meta from the practices the attorneys general allege violate the law. Civil penalties could add up to hundreds of millions of dollars, as Meta allegedly hosts millions of users who are teens and children. However, despite the company’s internal research confirming concerns with social comparison on its platforms, the lawsuit alleges Meta refused to change its algorithm. Eight additional attorneys general sued Meta last month in various state courts, making similar claims to the massive multistate federal lawsuit. Florida sued Meta in its own separate federal lawsuit, alleging the company misled users about potential health risks of its products.

Persons: Meta, “ Meta’s, ” Meta, Antigone Davis, “ We’ve, ”, Instagram, Adam Mosseri, “ Meta, Letitia James, ” James, Frances Haugen, Brian Fung Organizations: CNN, Meta, COPPA, Facebook, “, “ Social Locations: New York, Florida

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Learn moreWhether you're picking one up for the first time or are jumping ship to a new provider to get a better rate, these Black Friday VPN deals will most certainly have a suitable match. These VPN deals come with at least a 30-day money-back guarantee for added peace of mind. Black Friday VPN deals quick listTop 4 Black Friday VPN deals in detailRare Deal NordVPN 24-month plan $80.73 $223.83 Save 64% NordVPN is one of the top VPN services in the business and offers excellent value with a strong selection of features paired with a low monthly price. Better yet, you'll get an extra three months free on our favorite VPN that leads the way in security and streaming capabilities. Check out our roundup of the best streaming services and Black Friday streaming deals if you're looking for something to watch.

Persons: we've, you'll, Pick, Stan Organizations: Netflix, NFL, Max Locations: There's, Australia

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Persons: we're, we've, We've, you'll, Casper Organizations: AirPods, Hulu, ABC, Fox, Walmart, Amazon, Samsung, Casper, E2, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, Gaming Locations: There's

U.S. oversight of Big Tech financial services is fragmented. The CFPB rule would toughen up supervision, requiring Big Tech to comply with its rules on privacy protections, executives' conduct and unfair and deceptive practices. Without regulatory scrutiny, they could leverage their growing dominance of consumer payments to capture other services like lending and card issuing, analysts said. 'LEG UP'Representatives for Big Tech have accused the CFPB of trying to protect traditional lenders. While Big Tech companies have deep pockets and plenty of resources to handle the new scrutiny, the rule could limit how they use and protect consumer data.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rohit Chopra, Todd Phillips, Dodd, Frank, It's, Paige Pidano Paridon, Chopra, John Coleman, Hannah Lang, Stephen Nellis, Michelle Price, Richard Chang Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Wall, Big Tech, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Google, Georgia State University, PayPal, Federal, McKinsey, Bank, BPI, Banks, Representatives, Big, Herrington, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

☆ Meta is begging the government for new rules on age verification. But is it really trying to stick it to TikTok?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Meta published a blog inviting legislation that would require parental approval to download apps. But preventing teens from getting apps would likely hurt TikTok more than it would Meta. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . For starters, making it harder for 13-to-16 year olds to download social apps would probably hurt TikTok far more than it would Meta. Although Meta's apps are somewhat rebounding, the chokehold TikTok has on younger kids compared to Meta is stark.

Persons: Meta, —, Mark Zuckerberg's, Antigone Davis, TikTok, Meta's, Mark Zuckerberg, it's, We've, Faith Eischen, we're, Danny Weiss, Weiss Organizations: Meta, Service, Facebook, Google, Apple, Media Locations: China, New York, California, Massachusetts

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The top U.S. consumer financial watchdog on Tuesday proposed to regulate tech giants' digital payments and smartphone wallet services, saying they rival traditional payment methods in scale and scope but lack consumer safeguards. In a statement on Tuesday, Chopra said the tech sector had expanded into financial services traditionally provided by the closely regulated banking sector. "Today's rule would crack down on one avenue for regulatory arbitrage by ensuring large technology firms and other nonbank payments companies are subjected to appropriate oversight," he said. Representatives of Big Tech companies have previously highlighted their efforts to protect consumer data. The agency said the rule would also foster competition by ensuring that both traditional financial players and the tech sector were equally subject to the same oversight.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Block's, CashApp, Rohit Chopra, Chopra, CFPB, Lindsey Johnson, Douglas Gillison, Hannah Lang, Chris Prentice, Matthew Lewis, Mark Potter, David Gregorio Our Organizations: PayPal, REUTERS, Rights, Consumer, Apple, Big Tech, Consumer Bankers Association, Electronic Transactions Association, Thomson Locations: Washington, New York

☆ Ken Griffin vs. the IRS
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The former VP goes out as a politician who put his country first. Meanwhile, Biden's spending is now Mike Johnson's problem. Images: Zuma Press Composite: Mark KellyKen Griffin isn’t giving up on his fight to improve the Internal Revenue Service’s privacy protections, and all American taxpayers could benefit if the Citadel CEO wins. Late last week Mr. Griffin filed an amended version of his lawsuit against the tax agency for the “unlawful disclosure” of his confidential tax information. The hedge fund operator is one of the thousands of wealthy Americans whose private tax data was stolen from the IRS, then leaked and published by the left-leaning ProPublica website.

Persons: Mike Johnson's, Mark Kelly Ken Griffin isn’t, Griffin Organizations: Citadel

casey newtonAnd this caused a big sort of emotional reaction that said, wow, that feels like really, really icky. It’s just really, really awful. How do I get really, really good at this? But we have that explosion at the beginning, which is really, really exciting. I’m still interested in smartphones because I think they’re really, really advanced pieces of tech.

Persons: kevin roose, Kevin Roose, ” casey newton, Casey Newton, ” kevin roose, casey newton Oh, casey newton, ” kevin roose You’re, kevin roose That’s, kevin roose I’m Kevin Russo, Marques Brownlee, a.k.a, We’ve, don’t, casey newton Well, Meta, It’s, casey newton Right, casey newton It’s, kevin roose Totally, I’ve, you’re, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, They’re, that’s, kevin roose Casey, Hansel, Gretel, let’s, they’re, casey newton Jewel, ”, Juul, Meta didn’t, we’ve, “ We’re, There’s, Al Capone, They’ve, —, Kevin, casey newton I’ve, casey newton That’s, Marquez Brownlee, Casey, He’s, Marquez, he’s, Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai, you’ll, marquez brownlee, casey newton I’m, You’ve, casey newton Let’s, you’ve, it’s, I’m, he’ll, kevin roose Marquez, PewDiePie, marquez brownlee I’ll, they’ve, Ralph, That’s, kevin roose It’s, you’d, we’re, I’d, casey newton Libraries ! marquez brownlee, everyone’s, Samantha, Davis, Fancy, Bard, DALL, Midjourney, ChatGPT, Bing, who’s, it’ll, OpenAI, Pope, kevin roose Pope, — casey newton, casey newton Ah, Mickey Mouse, Eli Lilly, barbecuing, bro, Fabio, Getty, Greg Rutkowski, kevin roose Really, Greg, there’s, Ben Zhao, casey newton We’re, Bob Ross Organizations: The New York Times, YouTube, Meta, pharma, AGs, Netflix, COPPA, Facebook, Congress, Digital Services, Federal Communications Commission, ABC, CBS, FCC, Samsung, casey newton Libraries, VR, Apple, ChatGPT, Enterprise, DALL, Disney, Twitter, Getty, “ MIT Tech, University of Chicago, Adobe Locations: California, Colorado, what’s, you’re, Europe, United States, China, earbuds

☆ Meta sued by 42 attorneys general for addictive features targeting kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general is suing Meta over addictive features aimed at kids and teens, the AGs announced Tuesday. The support from so many state AGs of different political backgrounds indicates a significant legal challenge to Meta's business. Besides New York, the states that filed the federal suit include California, Colorado, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin. It's also not the first time a broad coalition of state AGs have teamed up to go after Meta. Meta was well aware of the negative effects its design could have on its young users, the AGs allege.

Persons: Letitia James, It's, Meta, James, –, Frances Haugen, Instagram, Haugen, Brian Schwalb, Schwalb, Andy Stone, We're, Joe Biden, Jim Cramer Organizations: AGs, Meta, Northern District of, New York, Federal Trade Commission, Facebook, Street, CNBC, State Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California, New York, California , Colorado , Louisiana , Nebraska, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin, America

Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its social media platforms,” the complaint says. Almost all teens ages 13 to 17 in the U.S. report using a social media platform, with about a third saying they use social media “almost constantly,” according to the Pew Research Center. Other measures social platforms have taken to address concerns about children’s mental health are also easily circumvented. TikTok, Snapchat and other social platforms that have also been blamed for contributing to the youth mental health crisis are not part of Tuesday’s lawsuit. “They’re the worst of the worst when it comes to using technology to addict teenagers to social media, all in the furtherance of putting profits over people.”In May, U.S.

Persons: Meta, ”, Letitia James, “ Meta, ” “ We’re, Instagram, Frances Haugen, Rob Bonta, TikTok, Brian Schwalb, they’re, “, Vivek Murthy, Press Writers Michael Casey, Michael Goldberg, Susan Haigh, Maysoon Khan, Ashraf Khalil Organizations: Meta Platforms Inc, Facebook, Meta, D.C, “, New, The Wall Street, Associated Press, Pew Research Center, Washington D.C, U.S, Press Writers Locations: California, New York, Washington, California , Florida , Kentucky , Massachusetts , Nebraska , New Jersey , Tennessee, Vermont, British, U.S

☆ Billboards in Israel were briefly hacked to display pro-Hamas messages as cyberwar ramps up
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Israel supporters hold flags as they protest, following Hamas' biggest attack on Israel in years, in Bogota, Colombia October 9, 2023. Cybersecurity threats in Israel are mounting amid the Israel-Hamas war, including two hijacked smart billboards that briefly showed pro-Hamas content, and a cyberattack on a college that published hundreds of thousands of personal records. More than 40 groups are currently attempting, or say they're attempting, cyberattacks, Messing said, adding these threats aren't uncommon. The motivation is more about creating fear and discomfort, not so much about creating damage that is significant." The biggest cyberattack so far this week involved Ono Academic College near Tel Aviv, Messing said.

Persons: Israel, Gil Messing, Messing Organizations: Software Technologies, CNBC, CTV Media Israel, Ono Locations: Israel, Bogota, Colombia, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Jordan

“Our children are in crisis, and it is up to us to save them,” Hochul said, comparing social media algorithms to cigarettes and alcohol. Those who opt out would receive chronological feeds instead, like in the early days of social media. Federal lawmakers have introduced a similar bill that would ban kids under 13 from using social media altogether. And numerous lawsuits against social media platforms have accused the companies of harming users’ mental health. Mulgrew called the New York legislation necessary in part due to a lack of action by the federal government to protect kids.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, Letitia James, Michael Mulgrew, Andrew Gounardes, Nily, “, ” Hochul, ” James, hasn’t, ”, TikTok, Mulgrew, ” Mulgrew Organizations: CNN, New York Gov, New York, United Federation of Teachers Manhattan, New, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tech, York Child Data, US Department of Health, Human Services, Social Media, Mental Health Locations: New York, States, Arkansas , Louisiana, Utah, York, United States

The former TV anchor has already lost two trials that challenged her loss to Democratic Gov. Initially, Lake’s challenge focused on problems with ballot printers at some polling places in Maricopa County. They also alleged the county ultimately accepted thousands of ballots that had been rejected earlier by workers for having mismatched signatures. They also said disclosing early ballot envelopes wouldn’t promote the best interest of the state, and would invite voter fraud and put the public at risk of identity theft. Lake’s lawyer has argued that the ballot envelopes aren’t entitled to privacy protections simply because they contain signatures and that the denial of records prevents Lake from monitoring election activity.

Persons: — Kari Lake, Katie Hobbs, Lake, Donald Trump’s, haven’t Organizations: PHOENIX, Republican, Democratic Gov, U.S . Senate, Appeals, Arizona Supreme Locations: Arizona, Maricopa County, Phoenix

☆ How to get your share of the $245 million Fortnite settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday said it has begun notifying more than 37 million people that they may be entitled to compensation from a settlement with game maker Epic Games. The FTC alleged late last year that Epic Games used deceptive design tactics to get players to make unwanted purchases. In total, Epic agreed to pay $245 million to consumers to settle the FTC complaint, in an agreement finalized in March. It will also pay a $275 million penalty to settle allegations it violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Rule. WATCH: Apple's fight with Epic Games is part of a larger antitrust battle

Persons: Jan, It's Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Epic, FTC

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