Top News: WhatsApp fined €225m, Illinois’s Protecting Household Privacy Act, and more

WhatsApp fined €225m by Irish DPC

WhatsApp invites a fine of €225m (£193m) from the Irish Data Protection Commission, the second-highest fine under the GDPR. The penalty was imposed regarding the company’s policies in 2018 and whether it complied with EU data rules about transparency. WhatsApp claimed the fine was "entirely disproportionate" and it would appeal the decision. Read More

Illinois enacts the Protecting Household Privacy Act

The state of Illinois enacted the Protecting Household Privacy Act into law that will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. The law prohibits law enforcement agencies from obtaining electronic data from devices within a household without a court order based on probable cause or unless voluntarily provided by the homeowner. Read More

Angry Birds developers sued over children’s privacy law

The developers of the Angry Birds game have invited a federal lawsuit from the New Mexico Attorney General over its collection of kids’ data. The suit will allege that the game makers, ROVIO, violated the federal children’s privacy by knowingly collecting and selling kids' data to third-party advertisers without parental consent. Read More

Apple’s Siri faces class-action lawsuit

Apple’s Siri is the latest to come under fire for allegedly collecting users’ voice data without their consent. A U.S. District Judge confirmed that the company would face a class-action lawsuit that accuses it of secretly listening to private conversations and sharing the same with advertisers. Read More

China may ban overseas IPOs for tech firms with data concerns

China is drafting policies to ban internet firms whose data poses potential security risks from listing outside the country, including in the US. All internet companies would be asked to voluntarily apply for reviews with the powerful Cybersecurity Administration of China (CAC) if they aim to list their shares outside China. Read More