In this week's Privacy Tracker global legislative roundup, read about Australia’s proposed changes to the Privacy Act that would increase penalties and funding. Egypt approves a draft law proposed by the government to protect personal data that aims to implement articles of the country’s constitution regarding the protection of privacy. In Utah, legislators pass legislation in support of new privacy laws that would protect electronic data stored with third parties from government access.
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Australian Attorney-General Christian Porter and Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield said the Coalition government will increase the penalties within the Privacy Act, but consultation on the draft legislation will only begin in the second half of 2019, ZDNet reports.
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Egypt's Communications Committee of the House of Representatives approved a draft law proposed by the government to protect personal data, Egypt Independent reports.
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The Indiana Supreme Court will hear arguments next month in a case involving a woman who refused to unlock her cellphone for police in a stalking investigation, according to U.S. News and World Report.
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Utah legislators voted unanimously to pass landmark legislation in support of a new privacy law that will protect private electronic data stored with third parties from free-range government access, Wired reports.
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ICYMI
In this post for Privacy Tracker, University of São Paulo's Bruno Bioni takes a look at the privacy and personal data protection issues facing Brazil.
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Graham Blyth, CIPP/US, recaps the European Data Protection Board's first overview of the implementation and enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation and the roles and means of the national supervisory authorities in this post for Privacy Tracker.
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With the U.K. expected to leave the EU imminently, the IAPP has created an infographic to assist privacy pros unsure of their obligations to learn more about where to focus efforts and resources in the case of a “no-deal” Brexit.
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Redtail Media's Kate Kaye looks at House Resolution 153 that proposed 10 guidelines for ethical AI in this post for Privacy Tech.
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ASIA-PACIFIC
Australian Human Services and Digital Transformation Minister Michael Keenan has released interim guidance for federal agencies from the Office of the National Data Commissioner, the Mandarin reports.
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The High Court of State of Karnataka in India reminded the press that covering of matrimonial court proceedings does not serve public at large but intrudes personal space of individuals, and such information should not be published or telecast.
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According to The Japan Times, the country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party questioned a Google executive over the company’s data practices and is expected to question Facebook, continuing its pursuit of tightening data protection regulations on big information technology companies.
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Malaysiakini reports the Personal Data Protection Department of Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Ministry is reviewing the country’s Personal Data Protection Act, which places further responsibilities and requirements on businesses as it relates to the personal data of their employees, suppliers and customers.
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The Executive Committee of the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners joined New Zealand Privacy Commissioner John Edwards in expressing concern around live streaming of violent acts and the need for online platforms to do more to protect the privacy and dignity of users.
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Sidley Austin Partner Yuet Ming Tham reports on important changes to Singapore’s Data Privacy Regime.
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Thailand's Secretary-General Suthipon Thaveechaiyagarn said the Office of the Insurance Commission is monitoring details of the Personal Data Protection Act and explained there are certain aspects that will require further clarification, the Bangkok Post reports.
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CANADA
Following sexual harassment claims against Concordia University professors, Quebec's Education Ministry will uphold a provision in Bill 151 that prohibits accusers from learning the outcome of investigations into the allegations due to privacy and confidentiality considerations, CBC News reports.
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EUROPE
The European Data Protection Board released a statement on the use of personal data for political campaigns.
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In reply to a request by the Belgian Data Protection Authority, the European Data Protection Board offered an opinion on the cooperation between the ePrivacy Directive and the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
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EDPB published a statement March 13 encouraging EU member states to finalize their positions on the proposed ePrivacy Regulation so that negotiations with the European Parliament can begin as soon as possible.
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European authorities fined Google $1.7 billion for antitrust violations, The New York Times reports.
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Computer Weekly reports the European Union has adopted the EU Law Enforcement Emergency Response Protocol as part of the existing blueprint for coordinated response to large-scale cross-border cybersecurity incidents and crises.
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The Norwegian Consumer Council called for binding minimum requirements to be established for internet-connected devices following a survey that found 75 percent of citizens have concerns over the cybersecurity and privacy of connected devices, Telecompaper reports.
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US
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission released its 2018 “Privacy and Data Security Update” report.
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U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joe Simons told senators the agency will launch a review of large tech companies data practices, Politico reports.
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The U.S. Supreme Court referred the Frank v. Gaos case back to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Reuters reports. The appeals court approved an $8.5 million cy pres settlement in the case, where plaintiffs claim Google violated the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
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State attorneys general warn tech companies they plan to continue their efforts to bring enforcement actions over their data practices, The Washington Post reports.
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The White House launched a website created to share artificial intelligence initiatives from within the federal government, VentureBeat reports.
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In court papers filed to the Northern District of California, Facebook has called for the dismissal of lawsuits stemming from the Cambridge Analytica revelations, alleging users did not suffer “an actual or imminent real-world injury,” MarketWatch reports.
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Adoptees are pressing Connecticut lawmakers for access to their original birth certificates, The Associated Press reports.
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District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine released a proposal to expand the city’s data breach notification law to cover taxpayer identification numbers, genetic information, DNA profiles, military identification data and other types of information, Bloomberg Law reports.
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In Nevada, legislation that would allow police to test for cellphone use at the scene of a car accident is raising privacy concerns for some, The Washington Post reports.
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A New Jersey–based company may be the first to violate Vermont’s data broker law after it was discovered the entity failed to disclose its possession of data on minors, Philly.com reports.
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North Dakota’s legislature passed a bill to study personal internet data issues, with senators endorsing the Bill 43-2, Valley News Live reports.
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