Privacy
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FTC Settles with Match and OkCupid Over Clandestine 2014 Transfer of 3 Million User Photos to Facial Recognition Firm Clarifai
The Federal Trade Commission's March 30 consent order would permanently prohibit OkCupid and Match Group from misrepresenting their data practices after sharing nearly 3 million user photos with facial recognition firm Clarifai in 2014, but levies no civil penalty and no privacy program obligations.
Congress Faces Deadline Showdown Over Section 702 Surveillance Authority as April 20 Expiration Looms
The warrantless surveillance program authorized under FISA Section 702 is set to expire on April 20, with Congress divided between a clean reauthorization backed by the White House and reform proposals that would require warrants for searches of Americans' communications.
Spain's MiDNI Digital ID Achieves Full Legal Parity with Physical Identity Card as EU Races Toward December Wallet Deadline
Spain's MiDNI app gained mandatory legal acceptance on April 2, positioning the country among the first EU member states with a fully operational national digital ID as the bloc's December 2026 EUDI wallet deadline approaches with uneven progress.
Neural Data Privacy Bills Sweep Across US States as Consumer Brain-Reading Devices Outpace Federal Regulation
At least nine bills across six states have been introduced in 2026 to regulate the collection of brain and nervous system data, as consumer neurotechnology devices proliferate and the federal MIND Act awaits action in Congress.
Tennessee Grandmother Jailed 168 Days After Facial Recognition Error as State Police Weigh Adopting the Same Technology
Angela Lipps spent nearly six months in jail after Clearview AI flagged her for bank fraud in a state she had never visited, even as Tennessee Highway Patrol considers a million-dollar contract with the same company.
DHS Surveillance Spending Surges Past 190 Billion Dollars as AI Tools Proliferate and Privacy Oversight Collapses
Internal documents reveal DHS has deployed over 200 AI use cases across immigration enforcement while privacy assessments have dropped to zero in 2026, alarming civil liberties groups and a federal judge who found ICE violated 96 court orders in one month.
Bipartisan Bill Seeks Warrant Requirements for Section 702 Searches as FISA Surveillance Authority Nears April Expiration
Senators Lee and Wyden introduce the Government Surveillance Reform Act to close warrantless search loopholes and ban government data broker purchases, with Section 702 set to expire on April 20, 2026.
FTC Relaxes COPPA Enforcement on Age Verification as April Deadline Looms for the Biggest Overhaul of Children's Privacy Rules in a Decade
The FTC will not enforce COPPA against companies collecting children's data solely for age verification, even as sweeping new rules on biometrics, data retention, and parental consent take effect April 22.
EU Parliament Votes to End Untargeted Mass Scanning of Private Messages in Historic Chat Control Decision
The European Parliament voted 458 to 103 on March 11 to restrict scanning of private communications to judicially authorized, targeted investigations, rejecting years of pressure for blanket surveillance of encrypted messaging platforms.
EU Privacy Regulators and Civil Society Push Back as Digital Omnibus Moves to Weaken GDPR and Delay AI Act Protections
The EU Commission's Digital Omnibus proposes narrowing GDPR's personal data definition and delaying AI Act high-risk rules by 16 months. Official data protection authorities and privacy groups are opposing the changes.
Discord Goes Teen-by-Default Worldwide, Will Require Face Scans or ID for Full Adult Access Starting in March
Discord will default all users to a teen-appropriate experience in early March, gating adult features behind facial age estimation or government ID verification.