The US House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including provisions to prohibit the Pentagon from using Chinese-made humanoid robots due to national security and data privacy concerns, while commercial sales remain unaffected.
BrewDog founder James Watt faces complaints to the UK's data privacy watchdog, ICO, regarding his unexpected bid to buy back the company. Shareholders claim Watt contacted them without clear consent, raising GDPR concerns after their shares were rendered worthless in an earlier sale to Tilray.
Beijing-based ModelBest, a key player in on-device AI, secured over 5 billion yuan (US$738 million) in funding this year, pushing its valuation to 20 billion yuan after its latest C+ Series round. This milestone highlights growing investor confidence in China's local AI sector.
Bobby Kotick, former Activision Blizzard CEO, considers buying TikTok as a US ban looms. A bipartisan bill, backed by President Biden, demands ByteDance sell TikTok within six months. Kotick discussed the acquisition with OpenAI's Sam Altman.
Ireland, set to assume the EU presidency on July 1st, faces intense scrutiny over its alleged capture by big tech, with critics urging its recusal from digital sovereignty negotiations due to a history of lax data regulation enforcement and economic dependency on tech giants.
Meta has paused its Model Capability Initiative, which tracked employee computer activity for AI training, following a petition from over 1,600 staff citing privacy concerns and a report of data accessibility within the company. The company is investigating the matter.
Senator Rick Scott highlighted China's control over US supply chains, particularly in pharmaceuticals, during a Senate hearing. He warned of the risks to older Americans' health, finances, and security due to this dependence.
Hong Kong's privacy watchdog has launched the Hong Kong International Data Privacy Academy to train privacy professionals and align with the city's goal of becoming an international talent hub. The academy will offer seminars, workshops, and expert dialogues, addressing AI and new technology challenges.
X (formerly Twitter) is petitioning the FTC to end a 20-year data privacy order. Critics and commenters urge the FTC to deny the petition, citing Musk's track record and recent data breaches, arguing the oversight is still necessary.
Meta Platforms has started laying off employees globally, with Singapore workers receiving termination emails early Wednesday. The company aims for a flatter structure and is prioritizing AI, reassigning 7,000 employees to AI teams.
Decision made to grant US tech firm ‘unlimited access’ to data in project to build integrated platform, according to reportsUK politics live – latest updatesMPs have warned that an NHS decision to grant Palantir access to identifiable patient information in its plan to use AI to improve the health service is “dangerous” and will fuel public fears that data privacy is not being prioritised.NHS England has allowed staff from the US tech firm and other contractors access to patient data before it has been pseudonymised, despite internal fears of a “risk of loss of public confidence”, the Financial Times reported. Continue reading...
The UK government is expanding the use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology across police forces to identify suspects in real-time. While authorities view it as a major crime-fighting tool, critics raise concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and potential bias.
Chris Gray, who sold his Shark Tank-backed scholarship search startup Scholly to Sallie Mae in 2023, is suing the student loan giant for wrongful termination. Gray alleges Sallie Mae laid off his co-founders, fired him after he raised concerns about data privacy, and is selling user data—including personal info on minors—through a subsidiary called SLM Education Services (Sallie.com). Gray claims he believed Sallie Mae, as a federally regulated bank, would be prohibited from selling user data. Sallie Mae called the allegations 'without merit.'
John Edwards says he is fully cooperating with ICO’s independent inquiry into ‘HR matters’The UK’s information commissioner has stepped back from his job after the data protection regulator launched an independent workplace investigation into unspecified “HR matters”.John Edwards, the national watchdog for information rights, data privacy and transparency among public bodies, said he was cooperating with the investigation in a post on his LinkedIn account. Continue reading...
Congress is once again attempting to pass a national data privacy law. But while it would introduce new protections in some states, it would weaken privacy rights in others - and it's missing several elements that privacy advocates deem necessary. The SECURE Data Act is the product of a Republican data privacy working group led […]
Two Republican-backed data privacy bills set for introduction would create a national standard for how tech and finance companies handle user data, preempting nearly two dozen state laws. The SECURE Data Act targets technology companies while the GUARD Financial Data Act focuses on financial services. Both bills allow users to access, correct, delete data and opt out of targeted ads, but notably do not allow private lawsuits for violations.
