The US economy grew more slowly than initially expected in the second quarter, while a separate report revealed that job creation is slowing. The slew of disappointing economic data raised the probability that the federal reserve will press the pause button in its efforts to rein inflation.

Weak US data fuels speculation of Fed rate pause

The European Union on Wednesday proposed injecting more competition into the payments sector, giving legal backing to a digital euro, and preserving the role of cash as fewer people use coins and notes.

The package of European Commission reforms, which update decade-old rules, seek to prise open a payments market long dominated by banks and U.S. duo Visa and Mastercard that are now being challenged by 'fintechs' offering rival services.

"In practice, this proposal will lead to more innovative financial products and services for users and it will stimulate competition in the financial sector," the Commission said in a statement.

EU states and the European Parliament have the final say on the package, with some changes likely.

The reforms aim to make it harder for banks to stop fintechs from opening an account with them, and give fintechs access to payments infrastructure in the same way as banks.

"We are going to clearly identify the obstacles that the fintechs should never have been encountering," an EU official said.

Electronic payments in the EU has grown from 184.2 trillion euros ($201.7 trillion) in 2017 to 240 trillion euros in 2021, accelerated by COVID-19.

Protections on data would be strengthened to encourage consumers to use rival services, with redress for unauthorised transactions such as "spoofing" or fraudsters pretending to be a customer's bank.

The legal basis for banks and other payment firms to share information without falling foul of EU data protection rules is also being made clearer to reinforce the sector's collective capacity to tackle scams, the EU official said.

The European Central Bank is due in October to decide whether to push ahead with a digital euro. The rules proposed on Wednesday would make it legal tender, meaning it would have to be accepted as a form of payment.

As more consumers switch to contactless forms of payments, Wednesday's package also proposes to formally make euro notes and coins legal tender in a bid to avoid people without bank accounts or having difficulty making electronic payments being excluded. 
 
&nbsp;

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The European Union on Wednesday proposed injecting more competition into the payments sector, giving legal backing to a digital euro, and preserving the role of cash as fewer people use coins and notes.

The European Union on Wednesday proposed injecting more competition into the payments sector, giving legal backing to a digital euro, and preserving the role of cash as fewer people use coins and notes. The package of European Commission reforms, which update decade-old rules, seek to prise open a payments market long dominated by banks and U.S. duo Visa and Mastercard that are now being challenged by 'fintechs' offering rival services. "In practice, this proposal will lead to more innovative financial products and services for users and it will stimulate competition in the financial sector," the Commission said in a statement. EU states and the European Parliament have the final say on the package, with some changes likely. The reforms aim to make it harder for banks to stop fintechs from opening an account with them, and give fintechs access to payments infrastructure in the same way as banks. "We are going to clearly identify the obstacles that the fintechs should never have been encountering," an EU official said. Electronic payments in the EU has grown from 184.2 trillion euros ($201.7 trillion) in 2017 to 240 trillion euros in 2021, accelerated by COVID-19. Protections on data would be strengthened to encourage consumers to use rival services, with redress for unauthorised transactions such as "spoofing" or fraudsters pretending to be a customer's bank. The legal basis for banks and other payment firms to share information without falling foul of EU data protection rules is also being made clearer to reinforce the sector's collective capacity to tackle scams, the EU official said. The European Central Bank is due in October to decide whether to push ahead with a digital euro. The rules proposed on Wednesday would make it legal tender, meaning it would have to be accepted as a form of payment. As more consumers switch to contactless forms of payments, Wednesday's package also proposes to formally make euro notes and coins legal tender in a bid to avoid people without bank accounts or having difficulty making electronic payments being excluded. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

EU proposes payments sector shake-up, legal backing for digital euro

Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) on Thursday slapped an additional fine of $5.95 million on Meta's WhatsApp for breaches of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).&nbsp;Ireland-based media outlet The Journal reported that DPC further announced that WhatsApp Ireland has six months to bring its data processing operations into compliance.&nbsp;

Two weeks ago, the tech giant was fined 390 million euros when Instagram and Facebook were found to have flouted the same EU rules.

In a statement, the watchdog said that in its new decision, the tech company was found to be "in breach of its obligations in relation to transparency".&nbsp;

The DPC added that Meta was relying on an incorrect legal basis "for its processing of personal data for the purposes of service improvement and security".&nbsp;

The Irish regulator has taken strict action when it comes to security issues. For failures in handling the data of minors, Meta was fined 405 million euros in September. Meanwhile, it was fined 265 million euros in November for not sufficiently protecting users' data.&nbsp;

GDPR was adopted in 2016 and its aim is to enhance control and rights to users' personal data. The regulation came into force on 25 May 2018.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) on Thursday slapped an additional fine of $5.95 million on Meta's WhatsApp for breaches of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) on Thursday slapped an additional fine of $5.95 million on Meta's WhatsApp for breaches of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Ireland-based media outlet The Journal reported that DPC further announced that WhatsApp Ireland has six months to bring its data processing operations into compliance. Two weeks ago, the tech giant was fined 390 million euros when Instagram and Facebook were found to have flouted the same EU rules. In a statement, the watchdog said that in its new decision, the tech company was found to be "in breach of its obligations in relation to transparency". The DPC added that Meta was relying on an incorrect legal basis "for its processing of personal data for the purposes of service improvement and security". The Irish regulator has taken strict action when it comes to security issues. For failures in handling the data of minors, Meta was fined 405 million euros in September. Meanwhile, it was fined 265 million euros in November for not sufficiently protecting users' data. GDPR was adopted in 2016 and its aim is to enhance control and rights to users' personal data. The regulation came into force on 25 May 2018. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta fined $5.9 million for violating EU data protection regulations

In November, the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released its Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022. The bill had been put up by the country’s Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, for public consultation till December 17, however, the deadline has recently been extended to January 2, 2023.&nbsp;

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, of 2022, is legislation, on one hand, outlines the rights and duties of the citizen and on the other hand, the obligations to use collected data lawfully of the data fiduciary.&nbsp;

What happened to the previous drafts?

This bill was proposed after nearly four to five years of delays and changes and&nbsp;will reportedly be the Indian government’s fourth&nbsp;attempt to present a bill on data protection. In 2017, the country’s Supreme Court declared that privacy was a fundamental right under the Indian constitution, which led to the apex court asking the government to create a set of data protection rules, in line with this decision.&nbsp;

Subsequently, the government set up a committee of experts headed by retired Supreme Court judge, BN Srikrishna. A year later, the committee along with its report submitted a draft of the Data Protection Bill after which the Ministry of Electronics and IT said that they would use the ideas from the Srikrishna committee and create a fresh draft.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-a-first-india-uses-she-and-her-to-refer-to-all-genders-in-a-draft-data-protection-bill-535612">In a first, India uses ‘she’ and ‘her’ to refer to all genders in a draft data protection bill</a>

In late 2019, a modified version of that Bill, the Personal Data Protection Bill (PDP Bill), 2019 was introduced by the government. This draft was then referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JCP) which was headed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister, Meenakshi Lekhi, at the time.

The JCP after its analysis sought an extension for presenting its report in 2021 which was later granted. Meanwhile, BJP MP, PP Chaudhary had taken over the chairpersonship of the JCP after Lekhi was appointed as the Minister of State for External Affairs and was granted another extension.&nbsp;

However, after the proposed and recommended changes, in August last year, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar told the parliament, “The government has today withdrawn the Personal Data Protection Bill that was formulated in 2018 and re-written by the JCP in 2021.” He added, that new legislation by the government will be tabled in the parliament “very quickly”.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/new-data-protection-bill-calls-for-consent-privacy-penalties-to-bring-more-accountability-in-digital-economy-155209">New data protection bill calls for consent, privacy, penalties, to bring more accountability in digital economy</a> 
 
Not to mention, the PDP Bill also reportedly faced massive pushback from a range of stakeholders including big tech companies like Facebook and Google for the bill’s provision of data localisation which would prohibit them from exporting undefined personal user data and had to keep a copy of certain sensitive information within the country.

Additionally, the JCP&nbsp;after 78 sittings, over 184 hours, and multiple extensions, the committee proposed 81 amendments (in a 99-section bill) and 12 recommendations. Meanwhile, reports suggest that&nbsp;privacy and civil society activists criticised the delays in the bill since one of the highest consumers and producers of data per capita among the countries across the world did not have a basic framework to protect the privacy of internet users.&nbsp;

They also raised concerns about the provision which allowed the government and its agencies to access data and exempt from most&nbsp;of the provisions of the bill reportedly saying that the measures favoured the government as opposed to safeguarding privacy.&nbsp;

What about the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022?

Released on November 18, earlier this year, the bill was first proposed in Lok Sabha (lower house) in December 2019. This time around, the proposed legislation has been reduced to only 30 clauses from the over 90 in the previous draft. It is also focused on personal data and also seemingly accounts for the big tech companies’ protests against the previous draft and eased the rules on cross-border data flow.&nbsp;

“The purpose of this Bill is to provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises the right of individuals to protect their personal data, the need to process personal data for lawful purposes and for other incidental purposes,” said the draft bill’s explanatory note.&nbsp;

The proposed legislation&nbsp;is up for public consultation, where the government has sought comments from a range of stakeholders the deadline was which was recently extended to January 2, 2023. The move was made, “in response to the requests received from several stakeholders”, said the IT ministry in a statement.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/why-tiktok-is-a-threat-to-national-security-if-left-unchecked-300976">Why TikTok is a threat to national security if left unchecked</a> 
 
In its explanatory note, the bill says that there are 760 million active internet users in India the number for which is expected to be 1.2 billion in upcoming years. “That is why laws and rulemaking for the internet have to be around the basic foundational principles and expectations of our citizens of openness, safety, and trust and accountability,” said the government.&nbsp;

According to the note, the bill has been based on seven principles around the data economy. The first and second principles call for organisations to be more transparent with users’ personal data in a way that is lawful and fair to individuals as well as “purpose limitation” which is using the data for which it is collected.&nbsp;

Furthermore, it also calls for “data minimisation” which is collecting those items of personal data only for what is needed. The fourth principle is about the accuracy of personal data and that a “reasonable effort” is made that the individual’s personal data is “accurate and kept up to date”.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-indias-achievements-75-506581">Gravitas Plus: India’s achievements @75</a>

Subsequently, the fifth one calls for a “storage limitation” so that personal data is not being “stored perpetually by default”. It added, “The storage should be limited to such duration as is necessary for the stated purpose for which personal data was collected.”&nbsp;

The last two principles call for “reasonable safeguards” to prevent data breaches and ensure there is no unauthorised collection or processing of personal data and the person who is in charge of such processing should be&nbsp;held accountable for it.&nbsp;

“These principles have been used as the basis for personal data protection laws in various jurisdictions,” said the explanatory note. It added, “The actual implementation of such laws has allowed the emergence of a more nuanced understanding of personal data protection wherein individual rights, public interest and ease of doing business especially for startups are balanced.”&nbsp;

Furthermore, companies which handle large amounts of data should appoint an independent data auditor to ensure compliance with the provisions, said the Indian government.&nbsp;The proposed bill also says that the government will establish a Data Protection Board which will address user complaints and ensure compliance.&nbsp;

New Delhi will also choose a list of countries to which the companies can transfer personal data and will only allow platforms to send user data to servers in countries on that list. The aforementioned board can also levy fines and penalties in case of failure to adhere to the laws.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-court-raises-serious-concerns-on-youth-accessing-banned-video-games-getting-addicted-525191">India: Court raises serious concerns on youth accessing banned video games, getting addicted</a>

Additionally, companies could be fined up to $30.6 million for not ensuring reasonable safeguards to prevent a data breach. Companies would also have to stop retaining data if it no longer serves the purpose for which it was collected.&nbsp;

They will also not be allowed to process personal data which might harm children or use target advertising for children. Additionally, before processing the personal data of any child the platform would have to take parental consent. The users will also have the right to correct or erase their personal data.&nbsp;

Concerns raised

Across the range of reports, one of the key concerns raised by experts is that the Indian government and state agencies have several exemptions from the proposed law in the interest of national security. The decision was justified by saying, “national and public interest is at times greater than the interest of an individual, a clear grounds-based description of exemptions has been incorporated in the Bill,” in the explanatory note.&nbsp;

Referring to Section 18 outlines the exemptions of the draft bill and talks about how the government can process personal data without the users’ consent, “in the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, maintenance of public order or preventing incitement to any cognizable offence relating to any of these”, states the Section 18(2)(a).&nbsp;

Meanwhile, government agencies can also under certain circumstances indefinitely store personal data, said reports. Therefore, the Delhi-based, Internet Freedom Foundation said, “If the law is not applied to government instrumentalities, data collection and processing in the absence of any data protection standards could result in mass surveillance.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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In November, the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released its Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022. The bill had been put up by the country’s Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, for public consultation till December 17, however, the deadline has recently been extended to January 2, 2023.

In November, the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released its Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022. The bill had been put up by the country’s Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, for public consultation till December 17, however, the deadline has recently been extended to January 2, 2023. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, of 2022, is legislation, on one hand, outlines the rights and duties of the citizen and on the other hand, the obligations to use collected data lawfully of the data fiduciary. What happened to the previous drafts? This bill was proposed after nearly four to five years of delays and changes and will reportedly be the Indian government’s fourth attempt to present a bill on data protection. In 2017, the country’s Supreme Court declared that privacy was a fundamental right under the Indian constitution, which led to the apex court asking the government to create a set of data protection rules, in line with this decision. Subsequently, the government set up a committee of experts headed by retired Supreme Court judge, BN Srikrishna. A year later, the committee along with its report submitted a draft of the Data Protection Bill after which the Ministry of Electronics and IT said that they would use the ideas from the Srikrishna committee and create a fresh draft. ALSO READ | In a first, India uses ‘she’ and ‘her’ to refer to all genders in a draft data protection bill In late 2019, a modified version of that Bill, the Personal Data Protection Bill (PDP Bill), 2019 was introduced by the government. This draft was then referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JCP) which was headed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister, Meenakshi Lekhi, at the time. The JCP after its analysis sought an extension for presenting its report in 2021 which was later granted. Meanwhile, BJP MP, PP Chaudhary had taken over the chairpersonship of the JCP after Lekhi was appointed as the Minister of State for External Affairs and was granted another extension. However, after the proposed and recommended changes, in August last year, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar told the parliament, “The government has today withdrawn the Personal Data Protection Bill that was formulated in 2018 and re-written by the JCP in 2021.” He added, that new legislation by the government will be tabled in the parliament “very quickly”. ALSO READ | New data protection bill calls for consent, privacy, penalties, to bring more accountability in digital economy Not to mention, the PDP Bill also reportedly faced massive pushback from a range of stakeholders including big tech companies like Facebook and Google for the bill’s provision of data localisation which would prohibit them from exporting undefined personal user data and had to keep a copy of certain sensitive information within the country. Additionally, the JCP after 78 sittings, over 184 hours, and multiple extensions, the committee proposed 81 amendments (in a 99-section bill) and 12 recommendations. Meanwhile, reports suggest that privacy and civil society activists criticised the delays in the bill since one of the highest consumers and producers of data per capita among the countries across the world did not have a basic framework to protect the privacy of internet users. They also raised concerns about the provision which allowed the government and its agencies to access data and exempt from most of the provisions of the bill reportedly saying that the measures favoured the government as opposed to safeguarding privacy. What about the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022? Released on November 18, earlier this year, the bill was first proposed in Lok Sabha (lower house) in December 2019. This time around, the proposed legislation has been reduced to only 30 clauses from the over 90 in the previous draft. It is also focused on personal data and also seemingly accounts for the big tech companies’ protests against the previous draft and eased the rules on cross-border data flow. “The purpose of this Bill is to provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises the right of individuals to protect their personal data, the need to process personal data for lawful purposes and for other incidental purposes,” said the draft bill’s explanatory note. The proposed legislation is up for public consultation, where the government has sought comments from a range of stakeholders the deadline was which was recently extended to January 2, 2023. The move was made, “in response to the requests received from several stakeholders”, said the IT ministry in a statement. ALSO READ | Why TikTok is a threat to national security if left unchecked In its explanatory note, the bill says that there are 760 million active internet users in India the number for which is expected to be 1.2 billion in upcoming years. “That is why laws and rulemaking for the internet have to be around the basic foundational principles and expectations of our citizens of openness, safety, and trust and accountability,” said the government. According to the note, the bill has been based on seven principles around the data economy. The first and second principles call for organisations to be more transparent with users’ personal data in a way that is lawful and fair to individuals as well as “purpose limitation” which is using the data for which it is collected. Furthermore, it also calls for “data minimisation” which is collecting those items of personal data only for what is needed. The fourth principle is about the accuracy of personal data and that a “reasonable effort” is made that the individual’s personal data is “accurate and kept up to date”. ALSO WATCH | Gravitas Plus: India’s achievements @75 Subsequently, the fifth one calls for a “storage limitation” so that personal data is not being “stored perpetually by default”. It added, “The storage should be limited to such duration as is necessary for the stated purpose for which personal data was collected.” The last two principles call for “reasonable safeguards” to prevent data breaches and ensure there is no unauthorised collection or processing of personal data and the person who is in charge of such processing should be held accountable for it. “These principles have been used as the basis for personal data protection laws in various jurisdictions,” said the explanatory note. It added, “The actual implementation of such laws has allowed the emergence of a more nuanced understanding of personal data protection wherein individual rights, public interest and ease of doing business especially for startups are balanced.” Furthermore, companies which handle large amounts of data should appoint an independent data auditor to ensure compliance with the provisions, said the Indian government. The proposed bill also says that the government will establish a Data Protection Board which will address user complaints and ensure compliance. New Delhi will also choose a list of countries to which the companies can transfer personal data and will only allow platforms to send user data to servers in countries on that list. The aforementioned board can also levy fines and penalties in case of failure to adhere to the laws. ALSO READ | India: Court raises serious concerns on youth accessing banned video games, getting addicted Additionally, companies could be fined up to $30.6 million for not ensuring reasonable safeguards to prevent a data breach. Companies would also have to stop retaining data if it no longer serves the purpose for which it was collected. They will also not be allowed to process personal data which might harm children or use target advertising for children. Additionally, before processing the personal data of any child the platform would have to take parental consent. The users will also have the right to correct or erase their personal data. Concerns raised Across the range of reports, one of the key concerns raised by experts is that the Indian government and state agencies have several exemptions from the proposed law in the interest of national security. The decision was justified by saying, “national and public interest is at times greater than the interest of an individual, a clear grounds-based description of exemptions has been incorporated in the Bill,” in the explanatory note. Referring to Section 18 outlines the exemptions of the draft bill and talks about how the government can process personal data without the users’ consent, “in the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, maintenance of public order or preventing incitement to any cognizable offence relating to any of these”, states the Section 18(2)(a). Meanwhile, government agencies can also under certain circumstances indefinitely store personal data, said reports. Therefore, the Delhi-based, Internet Freedom Foundation said, “If the law is not applied to government instrumentalities, data collection and processing in the absence of any data protection standards could result in mass surveillance.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained: What is India’s Digital Data Protection Bill, 2022 all about?

At the Global Technology Summit, WION speaks to European Union's Ralf Sauer on how to take big tech accountable. Ralf Sauer says that 'firms need compliance culture, data protection officers'. Watch the video to know more.

Exclusive: The best way to hold big tech accountable? Ralf Sauer speaks to WION

Facebook has yet again come under scrutiny for its violation of privacy guidelines. Data of more than 500 million Facebook users have been leaked.

Facebook privacy controversy heats up

Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morison said that if Facebook wants to conduct business, it needs to work according to the data laws of the country. This statement comes after Facebook banned news content from Australia. UK's foreign secretary said 'there is need for sensible conversations between governments and technology giants'

'If FB wants to do business, needs to follow rules': Australian PM

An Australian regulator has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-unveils-quantum-computer-breakthrough-critics-say-wait-a-qubit-257805">Google</a>, accusing it of misleading smartphone users about how it collected and used personal location data, advancing a global crackdown on the world's biggest tech firms.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission&nbsp;said the local Google unit did not tell users of its Android operating system for almost two years that they needed to switch off two settings - not one - if they did not want the company to keep their information.

"Google's conduct caused users to understand that personal data about their location was not being obtained ... by Google when in fact personal data was being obtained," the ACCC wrote in a Federal Court filing on Tuesday, which it published on its website.

"The misleading information provided by Google meant that users were not able to make an informed choice."

The lawsuit is the first of several the ACCC said it would pursue against the local arms of global technology companies like Google and social media firm <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/facebooks-news-tab-seeks-to-reboot-its-role-within-media-258245">Facebook Inc</a>&nbsp;when it called for tougher laws concerning privacy and content-sharing.

Already European Union countries have seized on the bloc's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules to rein in big technology companies. In January, a French regulator fined Google 50 million euros&nbsp;for breaches of privacy laws.

Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner is also investigating Google over a complaint alleging breach of privacy laws, while Facebook agreed in July to a record-breaking $5 billion fine in the United States to resolve privacy concerns dating back to its use of people's data in the 2016 presidential election.

The Australian lawsuit against Google is seeking unspecified penalties and orders requiring the publication of corrective notices by Google, the ACCC said.

The Australian regulator said in its lawsuit that Google failed to make clear that people should turn off two location-based settings, "Location History" and "Web &amp; App Activity", to stop the company collecting and using data from either.

Google further misled consumers - and breached Australian consumer law - by telling them the only way to prevent the company from collecting their location data was to stop using its main services like Google Search and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-offers-incognito-mode-for-maps-in-privacy-push-253314">Google Maps</a>, the regulator said.

"As a result of these on-screen representations, Google has collected, kept and used highly sensitive and valuable personal information about consumers' location without them making an informed choice," ACCC Chair Rod Sims said in a statement.

"Many consumers make a conscious decision to turn off settings to stop the collection of their location data, but we allege that Google's conduct may have prevented consumers from making that choice."

A representative for Google in Australia did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

The matter is scheduled for a case management hearing on November&nbsp;14, according to the Federal Court website.

An Australian regulator has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet Inc's Google, accusing it of misleading smartphone users about how it collected and used personal location data, advancing a global crackdown on the world's biggest tech firms.

An Australian regulator has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet Inc's Google, accusing it of misleading smartphone users about how it collected and used personal location data, advancing a global crackdown on the world's biggest tech firms. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said the local Google unit did not tell users of its Android operating system for almost two years that they needed to switch off two settings - not one - if they did not want the company to keep their information. "Google's conduct caused users to understand that personal data about their location was not being obtained ... by Google when in fact personal data was being obtained," the ACCC wrote in a Federal Court filing on Tuesday, which it published on its website. "The misleading information provided by Google meant that users were not able to make an informed choice." The lawsuit is the first of several the ACCC said it would pursue against the local arms of global technology companies like Google and social media firm Facebook Inc when it called for tougher laws concerning privacy and content-sharing. Already European Union countries have seized on the bloc's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules to rein in big technology companies. In January, a French regulator fined Google 50 million euros for breaches of privacy laws. Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner is also investigating Google over a complaint alleging breach of privacy laws, while Facebook agreed in July to a record-breaking $5 billion fine in the United States to resolve privacy concerns dating back to its use of people's data in the 2016 presidential election. The Australian lawsuit against Google is seeking unspecified penalties and orders requiring the publication of corrective notices by Google, the ACCC said. The Australian regulator said in its lawsuit that Google failed to make clear that people should turn off two location-based settings, "Location History" and "Web & App Activity", to stop the company collecting and using data from either. Google further misled consumers - and breached Australian consumer law - by telling them the only way to prevent the company from collecting their location data was to stop using its main services like Google Search and Google Maps, the regulator said. "As a result of these on-screen representations, Google has collected, kept and used highly sensitive and valuable personal information about consumers' location without them making an informed choice," ACCC Chair Rod Sims said in a statement. "Many consumers make a conscious decision to turn off settings to stop the collection of their location data, but we allege that Google's conduct may have prevented consumers from making that choice." A representative for Google in Australia did not respond to an emailed request for comment. The matter is scheduled for a case management hearing on November 14, according to the Federal Court website.

Australian regulator files privacy suit against Google alleging location data misuse

Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019, with Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserting that the incumbent government will soon bring a comprehensive law on the data protection.

"We will bring a comprehensive data protection law. Data sovereignty is integral to us and it will never be compromised," Prasad said.

The union minister said that the architecture of Aadhaar was not touched and just the concerned law was changed.

Prasad also contended that people like Bill Gates and Thomas Friedman appreciate Aadhaar.

The Bill seeks to amend the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

It allows voluntary use of Aadhaar as proof of identity for opening a bank account and procuring a mobile phone.

The Upper House has been adjourned till 11 am tomorrow (July 9).

Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019, with Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserting that the incumbent government will soon bring a comprehensive law on the data protection.

Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019, with Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserting that the incumbent government will soon bring a comprehensive law on the data protection. "We will bring a comprehensive data protection law. Data sovereignty is integral to us and it will never be compromised," Prasad said. The union minister said that the architecture of Aadhaar was not touched and just the concerned law was changed. Prasad also contended that people like Bill Gates and Thomas Friedman appreciate Aadhaar. The Bill seeks to amend the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. It allows voluntary use of Aadhaar as proof of identity for opening a bank account and procuring a mobile phone. The Upper House has been adjourned till 11 am tomorrow (July 9).

Rajya Sabha passes Aadhaar Bill, government says will bring comprehensive law on data protection

Russia has drawn up draft legislation aimed at stopping leaks of personal information from state agencies, a step that follows publication of details of Russians allegedly involved in clandestine intelligence operations abroad.

The bill, produced by Russia's communications ministry, bars unauthorised people from creating and publishing databases of personal data drawn from official sources, and fines anyone violating that rule.

It also requires that state agencies setting up systems for handling personal data consult with the Federal Security Service, Russia's main domestic intelligence agency.

The communications ministry did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

The bill, published late on Thursday, says it is in response to a 2017 instruction from President Vladimir Putin and makes no mention of the spate of leaks.

However, Russian authorities have been embarrassed by leaks about two men Britain alleges were Russian intelligence agents who used a nerve agent to poison former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Russia denies involvement.

The two men told Russian television they were innocent tourists who went to the English city of Salisbury, where Skripal was living, to view its cathedral.

But the Bellingcat investigative journalism website, drawing on leaked passport information, identified the two as officers with Russia's GRU military intelligence agency.

In a separate case, a Russian accused in a US&nbsp;indictment of conducting cyber attacks around the world was traced, via leaked official databases, to an address in Moscow that Washington says is a base for Russian military intelligence.

The legislation, comprising two draft laws and a draft government resolution, has been published for a 30-day period of public consultation, after which it will be submitted to parliament and the government for approval.

Russia has an active black market in illegal databases compiled using confidential information stolen from state-run registries. The data includes passport details, addresses, car registrations, flight manifests and even tax returns.

Releasing personal data in this way is already illegal under existing legislation, but Russian authorities have struggled to stamp out the practice. Many of the databases are openly available on the Internet.

Russia has drawn up draft legislation aimed at stopping leaks of personal information from state agencies, a step that follows publication of details of Russians allegedly involved in clandestine intelligence operations abroad.

Russia has drawn up draft legislation aimed at stopping leaks of personal information from state agencies, a step that follows publication of details of Russians allegedly involved in clandestine intelligence operations abroad. The bill, produced by Russia's communications ministry, bars unauthorised people from creating and publishing databases of personal data drawn from official sources, and fines anyone violating that rule. It also requires that state agencies setting up systems for handling personal data consult with the Federal Security Service, Russia's main domestic intelligence agency. The communications ministry did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The bill, published late on Thursday, says it is in response to a 2017 instruction from President Vladimir Putin and makes no mention of the spate of leaks. However, Russian authorities have been embarrassed by leaks about two men Britain alleges were Russian intelligence agents who used a nerve agent to poison former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Russia denies involvement. The two men told Russian television they were innocent tourists who went to the English city of Salisbury, where Skripal was living, to view its cathedral. But the Bellingcat investigative journalism website, drawing on leaked passport information, identified the two as officers with Russia's GRU military intelligence agency. In a separate case, a Russian accused in a US indictment of conducting cyber attacks around the world was traced, via leaked official databases, to an address in Moscow that Washington says is a base for Russian military intelligence. The legislation, comprising two draft laws and a draft government resolution, has been published for a 30-day period of public consultation, after which it will be submitted to parliament and the government for approval. Russia has an active black market in illegal databases compiled using confidential information stolen from state-run registries. The data includes passport details, addresses, car registrations, flight manifests and even tax returns. Releasing personal data in this way is already illegal under existing legislation, but Russian authorities have struggled to stamp out the practice. Many of the databases are openly available on the Internet.

Russia, stung by intelligence leaks, plans to tighten data protection

Does digital-space invade private space? Does India need a data ombudsman to keep a check on all instances of data infringement?

Many might disagree with it due to India&rsquo;s dependability on export technologies. However, the online state of affairs is troubling in the age of Big Data. We have to seriously consider how a data protection law could protect the fundamentals of individual privacy.

There are many ambiguities as well questions that the committee of experts led by Justice B.N. Srikrishna needs to look into as they set about&nbsp;to craft an Indian&nbsp;data protection law.&nbsp;

India, as the largest producer of online data and as an emerging digital economy, needs to espouse a balanced data protection law to prevent misuse of personal data of its citizens and to protect its appetite for the digital economy. Here are four pointers in this regards.

First &ndash; definition &ndash; the law needs to distinguish a line between personal data and non-personal data so that the non-personal data could flow free for&nbsp;innovations. India&rsquo;s data protection law should be Indian in nature and not a replication of a stringent law like the EU data protection regulation.

Second &ndash; accessibility- the creation of data centres needs to be treated under the jurisdiction of India Law. These data centres would facilitate Indian law enforcement and investigative agencies to address diverse online and offline crime issues. The classic example is the Blackberry data turf war in 2010 due to the limitation of Mutual Legal Assistant Treaty.

Third &ndash; data flow- These data centres would enable indigenous start-ups to mushroom and give better data-driven services to the end user. Currently, the EU&rsquo;s GDPR is a strict data protection law of the digital world that keeps internet industries at bay, creating a negative effect on disruptive innovations and digital economy. However, recent talks in the EU mentioned that for free flow for digital innovations, there would be policy to leave aside &lsquo;non-personal data&rsquo;. New Delhi can learn from EU&rsquo;s mistakes.

Fourth - regulations &ndash; a strong data protection law would curb the misuse of personal data. Government of India should look into the issues of &lsquo;passive data collection&rsquo; which is often hidden in the applications. Second, it would create a trust between the user, service providers and governments. If the individual is not the owner of the data, then it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the protection of such data.

Combination of all these four factors- definition, accessibility, data flow and regulations - would open up unprecedented opportunities for India&rsquo;s $ 1 trillion digital economy.

Recently, Microsoft, Amazon and Google have opened up cloud data centres in India to provide better services to world&rsquo;s second largest internet users. This indicates that India could be a potential data hub for the South Asian countries.

In addition, estimations also suggested that by 2020 India would be a marketplace of $ 4.1 billion in cloud space industry.&nbsp;

Justice Brandeis warned against &ldquo;the progress of science in furnishing the government with means of espionage&rdquo;, which is why most&nbsp;tech-researchers&nbsp;are a bit suspicious about government&#39;s role in both India and abroad.

At the advent of the digital age, privacy and data protection have become two sides of the same coin. Meanwhile, the concept of privacy is socially constructed and naturally influenced by the history, culture, traditions and values of a nation.&nbsp;To address issues of different value clusters of societies, as well as, for protection of personal data, does India need a data gatekeeper? The answer to this is, yes!

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

To address issues of different value cluster of societies India needs a ?data Ombudsman? to address personal data protection issues of all Indians home and abroad

Does digital-space invade private space? Does India need a data ombudsman to keep a check on all instances of data infringement? Many might disagree with it due to India’s dependability on export technologies. However, the online state of affairs is troubling in the age of Big Data. We have to seriously consider how a data protection law could protect the fundamentals of individual privacy. There are many ambiguities as well questions that the committee of experts led by Justice B.N. Srikrishna needs to look into as they set about to craft an Indian data protection law. India, as the largest producer of online data and as an emerging digital economy, needs to espouse a balanced data protection law to prevent misuse of personal data of its citizens and to protect its appetite for the digital economy. Here are four pointers in this regards. First – definition – the law needs to distinguish a line between personal data and non-personal data so that the non-personal data could flow free for innovations. India’s data protection law should be Indian in nature and not a replication of a stringent law like the EU data protection regulation. Second – accessibility- the creation of data centres needs to be treated under the jurisdiction of India Law. These data centres would facilitate Indian law enforcement and investigative agencies to address diverse online and offline crime issues. The classic example is the Blackberry data turf war in 2010 due to the limitation of Mutual Legal Assistant Treaty. Third – data flow- These data centres would enable indigenous start-ups to mushroom and give better data-driven services to the end user. Currently, the EU’s GDPR is a strict data protection law of the digital world that keeps internet industries at bay, creating a negative effect on disruptive innovations and digital economy. However, recent talks in the EU mentioned that for free flow for digital innovations, there would be policy to leave aside ‘non-personal data’. New Delhi can learn from EU’s mistakes. Fourth - regulations – a strong data protection law would curb the misuse of personal data. Government of India should look into the issues of ‘passive data collection’ which is often hidden in the applications. Second, it would create a trust between the user, service providers and governments. If the individual is not the owner of the data, then it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the protection of such data. Combination of all these four factors- definition, accessibility, data flow and regulations - would open up unprecedented opportunities for India’s $ 1 trillion digital economy. Recently, Microsoft, Amazon and Google have opened up cloud data centres in India to provide better services to world’s second largest internet users. This indicates that India could be a potential data hub for the South Asian countries. In addition, estimations also suggested that by 2020 India would be a marketplace of $ 4.1 billion in cloud space industry. Justice Brandeis warned against “the progress of science in furnishing the government with means of espionage”, which is why most tech-researchers are a bit suspicious about government's role in both India and abroad. At the advent of the digital age, privacy and data protection have become two sides of the same coin. Meanwhile, the concept of privacy is socially constructed and naturally influenced by the history, culture, traditions and values of a nation. To address issues of different value clusters of societies, as well as, for protection of personal data, does India need a data gatekeeper? The answer to this is, yes! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Personal data is vulnerable. How to protect it.

Italy&#39;s data privacy regulator said today that Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google had met its requests to change the way it treats and stores user data to bring practices into line with Italian rules. 
 
Two years ago, the watchdog told Google its disclosure to users on how their data was being treated was inadequate, giving it 18 months to comply fully and indicating a series of measures that needed to be carried out. 
 
The move was one of several privacy challenges against the US Internet giant in the European Union (EU), highlighting the bloc&#39;s desire to ensure its citizens data is treated according to EU law, even when held in foreign jurisdictions. 
 
In a note, the watchdog said it was pleased with the agreement but added the monitoring of Google would continue. 
 
&quot;We will continue with checks, in tandem also with other European regulators, so that users data are increasingly protected and their rights recognised by web giants,&quot; watchdog president Antonello Soro said. 
 
Under the changes agreed, Google will have to make clear to users how their data is used and will not be allowed to use data to profile users without their prior consent. Users will be able to withhold or grant partial consent. 
 
Google will also need to improve how it stores data and guarantee its deletion within a specified timeframe. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re pleased that the Garante (watchdog) has acknowledged the steps we have taken to ensure compliance with Italian law and improve user control,&quot; a Google spokesperson said. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Two years ago, Italy's data privacy regulator told Google that its disclosure to users on how their data was being treated was inadequate

Italy's data privacy regulator said today that Alphabet Inc's Google had met its requests to change the way it treats and stores user data to bring practices into line with Italian rules. Two years ago, the watchdog told Google its disclosure to users on how their data was being treated was inadequate, giving it 18 months to comply fully and indicating a series of measures that needed to be carried out. The move was one of several privacy challenges against the US Internet giant in the European Union (EU), highlighting the bloc's desire to ensure its citizens data is treated according to EU law, even when held in foreign jurisdictions. In a note, the watchdog said it was pleased with the agreement but added the monitoring of Google would continue. "We will continue with checks, in tandem also with other European regulators, so that users data are increasingly protected and their rights recognised by web giants," watchdog president Antonello Soro said. Under the changes agreed, Google will have to make clear to users how their data is used and will not be allowed to use data to profile users without their prior consent. Users will be able to withhold or grant partial consent. Google will also need to improve how it stores data and guarantee its deletion within a specified timeframe. "We're pleased that the Garante (watchdog) has acknowledged the steps we have taken to ensure compliance with Italian law and improve user control," a Google spokesperson said. (Reuters)

Google meets Italy's demands on data use practices

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