Test and trace programme breaks GDPR laws, government admits July 20, 2020 The NHS Test and Trace scheme that collects contact details of those who have been in close proximity to Covid-19 breaks data protection laws, the Department for Health and Social Care has admitted. Campaigners from the Open Rights Group (ORG) earlier this month threatened legal action against the department over claims the NHS programme has [...]
Contact tracing is a legal minefield for businesses July 17, 2020 In the age of Big Data, where the always-on digital assistant and ever more intrusive geo-tracking technology reign, it is perhaps inevitable that our efforts to control Covid-19 seem to depend on developing technology to monitor individuals’ movements. Every wave of innovation that has birthed these technologies has brought with it fresh regulatory concern. The [...]
UK data watchdog opens joint probe of controversial tech startup Clearview AI July 9, 2020 The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office today launched a joint investigation with the Australian data watchdog of Clearview AI, a facial recognition startup. The ICO said the probe will focus on the data handling practices of Clearview AI, which scrapes data and biometrics of individuals from photos uploaded onto sites such as Facebook. Clearview AI describes [...]
Tiktok to transfer data control to UK arm ahead of Brexit June 29, 2020 Tiktok has said it will be moving ownership of its users’ data in Europe to local subsidiaries, in a boost to its British arm as it prepares for new post-Brexit regulations. The social media app’s US parent Tiktok Inc will no longer manage and safeguard data for users based in the UK and the European [...]
Easyjet woes grow after it is hit with massive group action claim over data breach May 22, 2020 Struggling budget airline Easyjet suffered another blow today after it was hit with a massive group action claim following its data breach which was announced earlier this month. Law firm PGMBM today said it had issued the group action claim in the High Court on behalf of customers whose details were exposed in the breach. [...]
Hackers steal 9m Easyjet customers’ data in cyber attack May 19, 2020 Low-cost airline Easyjet said this morning that hackers had obtained the email and travel details of 9m customers, and the credit card details of a further 2,000. In a statement, the firm said: “There is no evidence that any personal information of any nature has been misused. “However, we are communicating with the approximately 9m [...]
Online scams and home working April 1, 2020 Suddenly, we’re all in the same boat – focused on little apart from protecting ourselves, our loved ones, friends, incomes and businesses.Tony Neate, CEO of cybersecurity advice provider Get Safe Online, has advice for employers and individuals facing home working for the first time. For most of us, in whatever sector we work or run [...]
Facebook sued by Australian data watchdog over Cambridge Analytica scandal March 9, 2020 The Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is suing Facebook over alleged privacy breaches related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. In a case filed with the Federal Court today, the watchdog alleged that the personal data of more than 300,000 Australian Facebook users had been exposed to be sold and used for purposes including political profiling. The [...]
Virgin Media data breach hits 900,000 customers March 6, 2020 Virgin Media last night admitted that a data breach had seen the personal details of around 900,000 people left unsecured and accessible online for 10 months. The company said that it had not been hacked, but that the breach had been caused because the database was incorrectly configured. It stressed that the database did not [...]
Cathay Pacific fined £500,000 over data protection breach March 4, 2020 Cathay Pacific has been fined £500,000 by the data watchdog for failing to secure its customers’ personal information. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) today said the airline’s computer systems lacked appropriate security measures to protect customers’ personal details. As a result, roughly 9.4m passengers’ data was exposed between 2014 and 2018, 111,578 of whom were [...]