TOP NEWS | North Korean Hacker Indicted for Cyberattacks on US and Global Entities; Meta Settles Texas Biometric Privacy Lawsuit for $1.4 Billion and more.

U.S. Senate Passes Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act

The U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act on July 30 with a 91-3 vote, merging the Kids Online Safety Act, Children and Teen's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), and Filter Bubble Transparency Act. COPPA 2.0 updates protections for minors under 17, banning targeted ads and nonconsensual data collection. KOSA sets privacy-by-default standards and parental controls for children under 13. The Filter Bubble Transparency Act requires large platforms using AI to disclose content display methods. The package now awaits a House vote, with the potential to significantly impact online safety and privacy for minors. Read more

Meta Settles Texas Biometric Privacy Lawsuit for $1.4 Billion

Meta Platforms has agreed to pay $1.4 billion to Texas to settle a lawsuit accusing it of using facial-recognition technology to collect biometric data of millions of Texans without their consent. The lawsuit, filed in 2022, was the first major case under Texas' 2009 biometric privacy law, which allows up to $25,000 in damages per violation. Texas alleged that Facebook captured biometric information billions of times through its "Tag Suggestions" feature. Meta denies wrongdoing but is pleased to resolve the matter. This is the largest settlement ever by a single state. Read more

DoJ Accuses TikTok of Transferring Sensitive US Data to China

The US Department of Justice accused TikTok of collecting sensitive opinions from US users and transferring them to China via an internal tool called "Lark." The DoJ also alleged TikTok censored content at the Chinese government's request. These allegations are part of TikTok's ongoing legal challenge against a potential US ban. TikTok claims the ban would violate First Amendment rights and remains confident in winning the legal battle. The ban would force TikTok to cut ties with its parent company ByteDance by January 2025. Read more

Senators Urge FTC to Investigate Automakers for Selling Driver Data

Senators Ron Wyden and Edward J. Markey have urged the FTC to investigate General Motors, Hyundai, and Honda for selling driver data to insurance companies. The data included information on acceleration, braking, and speeding habits. The senators expressed concern over the low prices automakers received for the data, with Honda selling four years of data from 97,000 cars for $25,920 (26 cents per car) and Hyundai selling six years of data for $1 million (61 cents per car). Reports indicate that GM sold data from 8 million cars for "low millions of dollars." Although Hyundai collected data from any connected vehicle, GM and Honda required drivers to opt-in, which the senators claim was deceptive. Read more

North Korean Hacker Indicted for Cyberattacks on US and Global Entities

Rim Jong Hyok, a North Korean military intelligence operative, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, for hacking into various American and global entities including NASA and military bases. Hyok is charged with stealing sensitive information, deploying ransomware, and laundering money through a Chinese bank to fund further cyberattacks. The attacks disrupted patient treatment in US hospitals and extracted over 17GB of unclassified data. The indictment claims Hyok, along with the Andariel Unit (APT45), targeted 17 entities across 11 US states, impacting defense companies and air force bases. A $10 million reward is offered for information leading to Hyok's capture. Read more