Future of Age Verification
Age checks are becoming law worldwide, with over 30 age assurance laws in force, and platforms are turning to facial age estimation as a viable method, but concerns over biometric data collection and breaches are growing.
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Age checks are becoming law worldwide, with over 30 age assurance laws in force, and platforms are turning to facial age estimation as a viable method, but concerns over biometric data collection and breaches are growing.
A recent Supreme Court ruling on cell phone location history searches may impact the use of automated license plate readers, with some experts arguing that ALPR searches may require a warrant.
The European Parliament has voted to revive a law allowing big tech to scan users' messages for child sexual abuse material, sparking privacy concerns.
WhatsApp rolls out usernames to help users hide their phone numbers from people not in their contact list, enhancing privacy for over 3 billion users worldwide.
The Supreme Court has ruled that police use of location history data from cellphones requires a warrant, protecting individuals' Fourth Amendment rights.
The ATF canceled a contract with Penlink that used ad-surveillance technologies to track the location of Americans, after concerns over privacy and legality.
Google is rolling out new privacy controls for Search services and Google Play, giving users more control over saved history and personalized recommendations.
A federal court has ruled that the Trump administration's national voter database violates federal privacy laws and must be dismantled.
A bipartisan kids online safety bill has been unveiled by House leaders, but it omits a key provision that would have mandated online platforms to take reasonable measures to prevent harms such as suicidal ideation and cyberbullying.
John Edwards, the UK's Information Commissioner, has resigned due to an investigation into his conduct, citing 'inappropriate humour' as the reason for his departure.
The NO FAKES Act, approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, seeks to prevent unauthorized deepfakes of American artists, performers, and public figures, but raises concerns about free speech and parody.
Google will start using IP addresses for ad measurement and personalization in the EU, UK, and Switzerland on or after August 3, 2026, requiring user consent under UK and EU law.
The UK will require ID or face scans for new social media accounts to enforce an under-16 ban, with regulations due before Christmas and taking effect in spring 2027.
The UK plans to ban social media access for children under 16, with the ban applying to platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, and restrictions on AI chatbots and livestreaming.
The FTC is considering modifying or setting aside a $150 million privacy penalty against X, formerly Twitter, for using account security data to support targeted advertising.
The Supreme Court is considering a case that could reshape how law enforcement uses technology to identify suspects, with implications for digital privacy and the Fourth Amendment.
Meta has agreed to settle a lawsuit with a Kentucky school district over alleged addictive design practices that harmed students' mental health.
Major tech firms, including Snapchat and Meta, have promised to make changes to their platforms to better protect children from harmful content and grooming.
UK regulator Ofcom will require tech firms to remove non-consensual intimate images and curb deepfakes, with new rules taking effect this autumn.
Experts warn that connecting financial accounts to AI chatbots like ChatGPT poses significant privacy risks, despite promises of secure data handling.
Apple and Meta are opposing Canada's Bill C-22, warning it could force tech companies to build encryption backdoors or install government spyware on their systems.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pushes for a new law to delay social media access for teenagers, citing concerns over addictive design features and online safety.
The Trump administration released a memo justifying its nationwide voter data collection efforts, citing federal laws and statutes to support its position.
European surveillance technology companies have sold spyware and similar intrusion tools to countries with documented human rights abuses, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.
A House Energy and Commerce Committee lawmaker is investigating whether 25 food retailers use surveillance pricing to charge customers based on their personal data.
Texas is suing Netflix for allegedly collecting and sharing subscriber data with advertisers and data brokers without user consent, creating 'surveillance machinery'.
Rep. Summer Lee is pressing the Commerce Department for a briefing on the government's use of commercial spyware, including NSO Group's technology.
General Motors has agreed to pay $12.75 million to settle charges it violated millions of consumers' privacy by collecting and selling driving data without consent.
European lawmakers have reached a tentative agreement to simplify the EU's AI Act, including a ban on AI nudification tools and delayed implementation of key provisions.
Germany's federal cabinet has advanced legislation to expand law enforcement use of surveillance technology, including automated biometric image matching against publicly available internet data.
The Federal Trade Commission has banned data broker Kochava from selling sensitive location information without consumers' explicit consent.
Congress extended Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for 45 days, allowing warrantless surveillance of foreign targets to continue.
A 19-year-old woman is suing the makers of the Meete dating app, alleging they used her TikTok video without consent to target men in her dormitory.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced a bill that would bar artificial intelligence companies from letting children use AI companions, citing concerns over child safety and exploitation.
U.S. states levied $3.45 billion in privacy-related fines against companies in 2025 — more than the previous five years combined — driven by aggressive enforcement of laws like California's CCPA and a new multi-state regulatory coalition.
Oral arguments in Chatrie v. United States suggest a majority of justices will rule that police geofence searches of cell phone location data constitute Fourth Amendment searches requiring a warrant.
Justices from across the ideological spectrum pressed attorneys on both sides during a two-hour session in Chatrie v. United States, a case that could reshape how law enforcement collects Americans' location data.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced plans to introduce legislation banning children under 16 from social media before the end of the year, placing responsibility for age verification on tech companies.
House Speaker Mike Johnson introduced a three-year Section 702 reauthorization bill, but civil liberties advocates and conservative privacy groups say its reforms amount to little more than window dressing.
The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in Chatrie v. The United States, the first major Fourth Amendment digital privacy case since 2018, centering on whether geofence warrants violate constitutional protections against unreasonable searches.
House Republicans introduced the Secure Data Act on Wednesday, a comprehensive federal privacy bill giving consumers opt-out rights over targeted advertising and data sales while drawing swift criticism from Democrats and advocacy groups.
The UK's online safety regulator has launched formal investigations into Telegram, Chat Avenue, and Teen Chat over allegations of child sexual abuse material and grooming facilitation.
Italy's data protection authority has fined Poste Italiane SpA and its digital payments subsidiary Postepay SpA a combined €12.5 million ($14.7 million) for unlawfully processing millions of users' personal data through invasive mobile app monitoring.
The House approved a stopgap 10-day extension of the warrantless surveillance authority under FISA Section 702, after the Trump administration's push for a clean 18-month reauthorization collapsed amid Republican divisions.
A new audit by privacy organization webXray found that 194 online advertising services ignore legally defined opt-out signals under California law, with Google allegedly non-compliant 86% of the time.
A new survey reveals 61% of Australian children aged 12–15 continue using social media despite a ban enacted in December, raising doubts about whether similar measures would work elsewhere.
Claims that LinkedIn is running mass corporate espionage by scanning users' browser extensions have gone viral, but security researchers say the reality is far more mundane — and the real concern may be the extensions themselves.
Google has made Gmail end-to-end encryption available on Android and iOS for enterprise users, allowing encrypted messages to be composed and read natively in the mobile app. The feature is powered by client-side encryption and is available now for eligible Google Workspace plans.
Data privacy labels on major app stores were meant to empower consumers, but experts say inconsistent standards, inaccuracies, and poor design leave users no better protected than before.
The UK government has proposed a criminal amendment that could imprison tech executives who fail to remove nonconsensual intimate images from their platforms, escalating earlier pledges of fines and service blocks.
Google has expanded Gmail's end-to-end encryption to all Android and iOS devices, letting enterprise users compose and read encrypted emails natively without extra apps or web portals.
The European Union is tightening its data privacy framework with new regulations that go beyond GDPR. Here is what businesses operating in or serving EU markets need to understand about the latest compliance requirements.