Privacy newsletter - Oct. 27, 2020

Welcome to the latest edition of the Privacy Insider Newsletter. Each week, we send you the latest and smartest news in the world of data privacy.

Here are the top stories from last week you might have missed:

1. Experian to appeal ICO enforcement action
   Credit-monitoring company Experian said Tuesday it will appeal an enforcement action handed down by the U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office. The ICO conducted a two-year investigation and found the company was “trading, enriching and enhancing people’s personal data without their knowledge.” This week, the ICO ordered the company to “make fundamental changes to how it handles the data,” Reuters reports. 
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2. Google removes children’s apps for violating privacy 
   Google has removed three apps from its Google Play Store for violating its policies on children’s data privacy, Consumer Affairs reports. The violations were revealed by research conducted by the International Digital Accountability Council, which said of the apps’ removal, “We applaud Google for taking steps to enforce on these apps and the third-party data practices within these apps.” 
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3. Japan to deploy facial recognition technology at Tokyo Olympics 
   Japan will use facial recognition technology in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2021, The Japan Times reports. The technology will be used to surveil spectators’ body temperatures and whether they’re wearing masks to “help prevent cluster infections in case an individual at a game is discovered to be infected later,” the report states. 
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4. Forrester: 2021 will be the year U.S. passes federal privacy legislation
   In its 2021 predictions on the privacy landscape, Forrester research said it expects federal privacy legislation to pass in the U.S. It also predicts regulatory action related to employee privacy to increase by 100%, Information Age reports, and anticipates that chief privacy officers will increasingly report to the CEO.
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5. Clearview AI case to be heard in state court
   Bloomberg Law reports on the ongoing legal woes for biometric firm Clearview AI. A U.S. District Court Judge has ruled a suit over Clearview’s facial recognition technology must be heard in an Illinois state court.
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6. U.S. states put privacy on the ballot
   MIT Technology Review reports on “Three places where data is on the ballot this November.” Notably, California’s Proposition 24 — aimed at expanding the California Consumer Privacy Act — is an issue to watch. But voters will also decide on consumer data privacy questions in Massachusetts and Michigan.
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7. Facebook says "important progress" made on privacy
   Following its settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in 2019 over privacy violations, Facebook’s chief privacy officers say the company has made “important progress” regarding its privacy practices. The order required the company to submit quarterly and annual compliance reports to the FTC as well as reviews by an independent assessor. CPO Erin Egan said,  "It’s never been more important and more challenging to help the world understand that people’s privacy and the personalized experiences that we create for people don’t have to be at odds with each other." But WIRED reports critics remain skeptical of the company's progress.
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8. Uber drivers file a second legal challenge against 'robo-sacking'
   In the U.K., Uber drivers have filed a legal challenge against Uber in the District Court of Amsterdam, alleging the company's automated decision-making on terminating drivers violates the EU General Data Protection Regulation. This is the second filing in the case, filed by a union representing four terminated employees. "In essence, these are robo-sackings without proper review or right of appeal. As such, that is a violation of the law under GDPR," said Worker Info Exchange Director James Farrar in Venture Beat.
   

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