privacy4 articles
Dutch Regulators Hit Uber With €825 Million GDPR Fine Over Automated Driver Bans
Dutch data protection authorities fined Uber €825 million ($964 million) for violating the EU's General Data Protection Regulation by using automated software to suspend driver accounts — sometimes permanently — without human review or adequate notification to drivers. The violations occurred between 2018 and 2022, and this marks the fourth time Uber has been fined by the authority. Uber denied wrongdoing, stating the practices had since been discontinued, and announced it would appeal the decision.
Anti-Flock Vandal Forgot About All The Other Cameras Watching Him
Marcus Bee, a 40-year-old Californian, was arrested and jailed after allegedly destroying three Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras in Monterey County, causing thousands of dollars in damage — only to be caught on other nearby surveillance cameras he failed to disable. The arrest is part of a broader trend of Americans targeting Flock cameras across the country, driven by concerns over privacy, potential immigration enforcement use, and alleged constitutional violations. While law enforcement defends the cameras as vital investigative tools, critics including the ACLU raise concerns about mass data collection, and there have been documented cases of officers misusing the technology to stalk individuals.
Zuckerberg Defends Employee Keystroke Monitoring in Leaked Audio: 'Smart People Using Computers'
In a leaked audio recording, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly defended the company's practice of monitoring employees' keystrokes, mouse clicks, and screenshots, arguing the data is needed to train Meta's AI models and give the company a competitive edge over rivals. He claimed the surveillance tool, called the Model Capability Initiative, is not used for performance tracking or employee oversight, but solely to teach AI systems how skilled engineers use computers. Meta is not alone in this approach, as Microsoft and xAI are also reportedly using their own workforces to generate AI training data.
Google Is Quietly Forcing Old 'Free Forever' G Suite Users Onto Paid Plans
Google is cracking down on long-standing G Suite Legacy accounts, warning users that their accounts have been flagged for "commercial use" and that they must either pay for a Google Workspace subscription or face suspension of services like Gmail, Drive, and Calendar within 45 days. Affected users insist their accounts are used solely for personal family domains with no commercial activity, and many report that the appeals process is opaque and inconsistent — with some accounts reinstated only after filing GDPR data requests. Google has not clarified what triggers the commercial-use classification, though some users suspect links to business listings or Google Business profiles may be a factor.