Data regulator pushes for a wider remit in tech giant audits February 14, 2019 Future regulation on the world’s biggest tech companies must include the UK’s data watchdog, information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said today. Speaking at the Institute for Government, Denham described MPs’ calls for regulation of tech giants as a “knee-jerk reaction” that, if excessive, could impinge on freedom of expression. Her comments came as platforms such as [...]
Revolut’s Valentine’s Day advert caused a social media storm – and shows the pitfalls of using comedy in marketing February 11, 2019 Roses are red, violets are blue, there’s a company in hot water and it’s called Revolut. The fintech challenger bank, which offers a mobile-based banking service, recently launched a new ad campaign of Tube posters that joked about the spending habits of its customers. One of the four adverts read: “To the 11,867 people who [...]
Fine social media sites that fail to protect children, Labour says February 6, 2019 Social media companies could face hefty fines if they fail to protect children and young people on their platforms under strict new rules proposed by Labour. The party’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, will today give a speech saying the digital market has been “distorted” and outlining plans to ensure sites have a legal duty of [...]
European companies suffer 60,000 data breaches in eight months February 5, 2019 More than 59,000 data breaches have been reported across Europe since data protection laws were brought in last year, new figures have revealed. The Netherlands, Germany and the UK topped the list of the most reported breaches in the eight months since new GDPR laws came into force, according to law firm DLA Piper. Read [...]
Google’s GDPR fine may cost it more than just €50m – it will impact the tech industry too January 31, 2019 Back in December, I wrote an article asking why, six months after the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) had come into force, we had not yet seen any major fines or punishments for firms that had misused or mishandled personal data. The lack of sanctions, I argued, made the new regulatory powers toothless. [...]
Google and IAB hit with fresh complaints over ‘intimate’ user profiling for adverts January 28, 2019 New evidence emerged today outlining the extent of Google’s collection of ‘intimate’ user data amid a pan-European legal complaint against the tech giant. Mental health, infertility, sexual orientation and religious beliefs are among the categories attached by Google to internet browsers to be used in real-time ad auctions. Read more: Google hit with €50m fine by [...]
Google hit with €50m fine by French data regulator in GDPR battle January 21, 2019 Google has been served with a €50m (£44.1m) fine by the French data regulator for breaching the EU's rules on consumer data protection. CNIL's restricted committee laid down the judgement this afternoon, finding Google responsible for a "lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent regarding ads personalisation" under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) [...]
Monica Vinader-backer Beringea leads £6.5m round for data startup Exonar January 21, 2019 London-based venture capital firm Beringea has led a £6.5m funding round into UK data privacy and cybersecurity startup Exonar. The round was completed by Beringea alongside Downing Ventures, and existing investors Amadeus Capital Partners and Winton Ventures. Exonar aims to help firms comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and other legislation by creating an overview [...]
Tech giants accused of data protection breaches by Austrian activist January 19, 2019 Tech giants Apple and Amazon have been named in a complaint filed by Noyb, claiming they are still failing to comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The company, chaired by data privacy activist and lawyer Max Schrems, filed a complaint in Austria also naming Netflix, Spotify and Youtube after it tested the [...]
Google should be allowed to limit ‘right to be forgotten’, says EU court January 10, 2019 Search engines such as Google should be allowed to limit user requests to delete outdated or irrelevant search results to just those existing within the European Union, a preliminary opinion in the European Court of Justice found today. Established in 2014, the so-called right to be forgotten requires Google and others in Europe to accept and review [...]