Tag: Consumer Privacy

  • Google Ad Topics: Another Cog in the Surveillance Advertising Machine

    After falling behind its competitors and facing criticism for previous plans to phase out third-party cookies, Google now touts Ad Topics for its benefits to user privacy and transparency. But Google’s new tool is far from a perfect solution to the harms of surveillance advertising.

    • Competition and Privacy

    • Consumer Privacy

    • Analysis

  • EPIC Urges DOJ, FTC to Consider Data Protection and Consumer Privacy in Merger Guidelines

    Mergers frequently involve the consolidation of data sets, which as EPIC explained “can entrench a firm’s dominant market position, raise barriers to entry for new and smaller firms, and exacerbate the effects of harmful consumer data practices.”

    • Competition and Privacy

    • Consumer Privacy

    • Cybersecurity

    • Data Protection

    • Data Security

    • Updates

  • EPIC Commends FTC Rulemaking to Expand Health Breach Notification Rule, Urges Expansion

    In comments to the Federal Trade Commission, EPIC applauded the proposed modifications to the Health Breach Notification Rule (HBNR).

    • Cybersecurity

    • Data Protection

    • Data Security

    • Health Privacy

    • Updates

  • Data Minimization: Bolstering The FTC’s Health Data Privacy Authority

    Among the categories of personal data collected seemingly without restriction in the United States, consumer health data is both particularly sensitive and particularly lucrative. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in telehealth, health and fitness apps, and other online health products, resulting in an enormous volume of health data collection and abuse that falls outside of the narrow protections of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

    • Consumer Privacy

    • Data Protection

    • Enforcement of Privacy Laws

    • Health Privacy

    • Analysis

  • EPIC Recommends Focusing on Harms and Regulation in National AI Strategy

    EPIC called on the administration "to center risks, rights, and responsibilities in its approach to AI rather than prioritizing aggressive adoption of automated decision-making technologies."

    • AI in the Criminal Justice System

    • AI Policy

    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

    • Commercial AI Use

    • Government AI Use

    • Screening & Scoring

    • Updates

  • FTC Announces $25 Million Fine Against Amazon for Kids Privacy Violations

    Today the Federal Trade Commission announced a major enforcement action against Amazon, moving to fine the tech and retail giant $25 million and requiring updated data deletion practices.

    • Big Data

    • Children's Privacy

    • Consumer Privacy

    • Data Protection

    • Enforcement of Privacy Laws

    • Privacy Laws

    • U.S. Privacy Laws

    • Updates

  • FTC Finds Amazon Ring Cameras Responsible for “Egregious Violations of Users’ Privacy,” Requires Data Deletion

    An FTC order found that Amazon had allowed employees access to sensitive videos from indoor Ring cameras and failed to implement cybersecurity practices to prevent known breaches.

    • Consumer Privacy

    • Cybersecurity

    • Data Security

    • Updates

  • New EPIC Report Sheds Light on Generative A.I. Harms 

    EPIC has just released a new report detailing the wide variety of harms that new generative A.I. tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and DALL-E pose! While many of these tools have been lauded for their capability to produce new and believable text, images, audio, and videos, the rapid integration of generative AI technology into consumer-facing products has undermined years-long efforts to make AI development transparent and accountable.

    • AI Policy

    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

    • Big Data

    • Commercial AI Use

    • Competition and Privacy

    • Consumer Privacy

    • Democracy & Free Speech

    • Online Harassment

    • Privacy & Racial Justice

    • Updates

  • Data Minimization: Limiting the Scope of Permissible Data Uses to Protect Consumers

    This is the second in a series of blog posts about EPIC’s proposal for a data minimization standard to limit commercial surveillance and protect consumer privacy.

    • Consumer Privacy

    • Data Brokers

    • Data Protection

    • Enforcement of Privacy Laws

    • Analysis

  • Data Minimization: Centering Reasonable Consumer Expectation in the FTC’s Commercial Surveillance Rulemaking

    We face a data privacy crisis in the United States. Unrestricted data collection has eroded consumer privacy.

    • Consumer Privacy

    • Data Brokers

    • Enforcement of Privacy Laws

    • Analysis