Policy Observatory

Google agrees privacy policy changes with data protection watchdog

Fri 30 Jan 2015, 15:40

Google has agreed to rewrite its privacy policy after pressure from the UK Information Commissioner's Office. The firm must make it easier for users to find out how their data is collected and what it is used for and submit to a two-year review. The deal follows an investigation by the regulator. Similar reviews are continuing elsewhere in Europe. It is understood that Google will seek to strike a similar deal with other European regulators. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found that Google was "too vague when describing how it uses personal data gathered from its web services and products".

Tags: privacy policy, UK Information Commissioner's Office, data protection, investigation, privacy

EU data protection authorities investigate Facebook's new privacy policy

Wed 4 Feb 2015, 16:20

The European Union’s data protection authorities are getting serious about issues with Facebook’s new privacy policy. They have formed a task force which will deal with part of the policy that could very well violate EU privacy laws.

The task force was formed on Tuesday during a meeting of European data protection authorities and will be led by Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and perhaps Italy, said the spokeswoman for Bart Tommelein, Belgium’s state secretary for privacy. The data protection authorities (DPAs) for instance take issue with Facebook’s practice of following its users off site, collecting information when they use third-party websites and apps that use a Facebook “like” button, a Facebook log-in or Facebook’s measurement and advertising services. What’s more, the authorities don’t like Facebook claiming the right to use information and photos from user profiles for commercial purposes and take issue with Facebook sharing personal user data with third parties, she said.

Tags: Data Protection Authority, task force, social network, privacy policy, investigation

No evidence of NSA and GCHQ Sim card hack, says allegedly compromised firm

Wed 25 Feb 2015, 22:40

The alleged hack was revealed by documents from the NSA files provided by Edward Snowden, which detailed attacks on Gemalto – the world’s largest Sim card manufacturer – which allegedly saw them steal encryption keys that allowed them to secretly monitor voice calls and data from billions of mobile phones around the world.

But after an investigation, the Dutch security company, which supplies Sim cards to all of the major UK mobile phone networks and 450 operators globally, has said that no evidence of a theft of Sim card security details has been found.

“No breaches were found in the infrastructure running our SIM activity or in other parts of the secure network which manage our other products such as banking cards, ID cards or electronic passports,” said the company. “Each of these networks is isolated from one another and they are not connected to external networks.”

Tags: documents, Snowden, investigation, tracking, monitoring, GCHQ, NSA, sim cards hack

Dutch data protection authority asks Facebook to postpone new privacy conditions

Tue 16 Dec 2014, 21:23

Dutch privacy watchdog CBP is launching an investigation into Facebook and is asking the company to postpone its new privacy policy.

Tags: Data Protection Authority, privacy, investigation, privacy policy, social media, data protection

Belgian Data Protection Authority's first recommendation on Facebook's privacy policy

Fri 15 May 2015, 18:20

Following the introduction of new worldwide terms of use by Facebook, a number of European privacy commissions started investigations. Facebook did not accept that it was bound by the national privacy legislation of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and it rejected their competence.

On 13 May the Belgian Privacy Commission adopted a first recommendation on Facebook. The document establishes that the Belgian Privacy Commission is competent and that Facebook disregards European and Belgian privacy legislation in several ways.

Tags: Belgium, recommendation, report, investigation, jurisdiction, privacy policy, European law, social media, Data Protection Authority, privacy, Internet

CNIL monitoring program 2015

Mon 25 May 2015, 12:13

In 2015, CNIL plans to pursue 550 controls on new technologies or newly established procedures which are part of the daily life of French citizens. For comparison, in 2014 a total of 421 checks were made. The top priority areas include the treatment of personal data in the framework of managing psycho-social risks in companies, Binding Corporate Rules, the national database for driving licenses set up by the Ministry of Interior and others.

Tags: investigation, control, France, privacy, data protection, CNIL

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