Top News: Nevada passes SB260 bill, TikTok to collect biometric data, and more

UK’s Conservative Party fined £10,000 by ICO

UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) imposed a £10,000 fine on the ruling Conservative Party for sending marketing emails to unwilling recipients. The penalty was issued in violation of Regulation 22 of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), which prohibits sending direct marketing emails unless the recipient has given their consent. Read the full story here.

Canada Post breach impacts 950,000 parcel recipients

Canada Post faced a data breach as a result of a malware attack targeting its key supplier, Commport Communications. Canada Post notified the breach to 44 of its large business customers through a press release, informing them that data belonging to more than 950,000 customers has been compromised.

Google will make it harder for Android apps to track users after opting out

Following Apple’s rollout of its ATT framework, Google is bringing in new protections for Android users who opt-out of sharing the unique device identifiers that let companies track users across apps. In its email to Play Store developers, Google announced that it is cutting off access to these “Advertising IDs” after a user opts out and will display a “string of zeros” to developers. Read the full story here.

Nevada Legislature passes SB260 bill

Nevada Legislature passed the SB260 bill, which aims to allow Nevada residents with a broader right to opt-out of sales. The bill will now be sent to the Governor for approval or veto. Upon approval, the law will broaden the definition of "sale" and force companies to reassess if they fall under the amended law. Read more about the law here.

Amazon to launch Sidewalk that will share your internet connection

Amazon is set to launch Sidewalk, a program that will enroll owners of its devices to share their internet connection with their neighbors. As per the company, Sidewalk will use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the 900MHz spectrum, and other frequencies “to simplify new device setup, extend the low-bandwidth working range of devices, and help devices stay online and up-to-date even if they are outside the range of home Wi-Fi”.

TikTok’s new privacy policy allows it to collect biometric data

TikTok has introduced a new privacy policy that says the app “may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information” from its users’ content that will include faceprints and voiceprints. TechCrunch reported that the language could allow the company the ability to collect most US users' biometric data without explicitly asking for it as only a few states have laws restricting companies from collecting such data.