TOP NEWS | Google Introduces Confidential Matching for Enhanced Data Privacy in Ads; FCC Fines AT&T $13 Million for Data Breach Over Cloud Security Failures and more.

Growing Privacy Concerns Over Genetic Data Use and Legal Developments

The Human Genome Project's completion has fueled growth in health services and innovation. Genomic data now powers precision medicine, ancestry tracing, vaccine development, and more. However, privacy laws have not kept pace with the expansion of genetic testing services, leading to increased regulatory efforts. States like California, Utah, and Illinois have enacted genetic privacy laws, while the FTC has pursued enforcement actions against companies mishandling genetic data. International regulators, such as France's CNIL and Canada’s privacy commissioner, have also increased oversight due to concerns over data breaches and improper use of genetic data. Read more

Legal Challenges Arise with Generative AI in Relation to Section 230 and DMCA

The increasing use of generative AI on the internet raises complex legal issues, especially concerning Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Section 230 provides liability protection to service providers for user-generated content, but its applicability to AI-generated content remains unclear. Section 512 offers safe harbors for service providers against copyright infringement, though it’s uncertain how it applies to AI models. Ongoing litigation may further define how these laws interact with generative AI outputs and copyright protections. Read more

FCC Fines AT&T $13 Million for Data Breach Over Cloud Security Failures

The FCC fined AT&T $13 million following a 2023 data breach that exposed customer information due to a third-party vendor's security failure. The FCC found AT&T responsible for not ensuring the vendor destroyed or secured the data. As part of the settlement, AT&T will enhance its data governance practices. The breach did not leak sensitive financial data but affected customer phone line details. AT&T has faced multiple data breaches in recent years, prompting lawsuits and additional security measures. Read more

Temu Denies Allegations of Data Breach as Hacker Claims to Sell Customer Records

A hacker named 'smokinthashit' claimed to have stolen over 87 million Temu customer records and posted the alleged database for sale on BreachForums. The sample included personal information like usernames, addresses, and hashed passwords. However, Temu denied the breach, stating their investigation found no match between the claimed data and their transaction records. The company reaffirmed its commitment to data protection and cybersecurity, emphasizing that the claims are false. The situation has sparked concerns over the potential impact on consumer trust. Read more

Google Introduces Confidential Matching for Enhanced Data Privacy in Ads

Google has launched confidential matching, using confidential computing to securely connect first-party data for ads measurement and audience solutions. This technology employs Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) to isolate business data during processing, ensuring no access by third parties, including Google. Confidential matching is now the default for customer match data connections. Google plans to expand this privacy-enhancing technology across more advertising solutions in the coming months. Advertisers can also encrypt their data before sending it to Google for added protection. Read more