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Hello all, and happy Thursday!
I’m beyond pleased to share some very exciting news with you all—Osano has acquired WireWheel, a fellow privacy tech vendor.
What does this acquisition mean for you? For both Osano and WireWheel customers alike, there won’t be any disruption. Rather, this acquisition means Osano will be better able to serve businesses of all sizes and at all stages of their compliance journey.
WireWheel’s technology serves as an excellent addition to Osano’s own platform and delivers major advantages for our customers, especially those at the enterprise level.
One of the reasons why we chose WireWheel is because of how our product suites complement one another. We’ve always been conscious of how challenging it can be to deploy and use disconnected privacy technologies. This acquisition enables us to continue to provide a seamless data privacy management experience through the Osano platform that’s easy to implement and scale.
We’re not stopping here, either; we’re rigorously evaluating other potential acquisitions that align with our strategy and enhance the value we deliver. Excited to have you along for the journey!
Best,
Arlo
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Top Privacy Stories of the Week
Osano Acquires WireWheel
In the last year, there has been little movement in the privacy technology vendor marketplace. One company that is seemingly bucking the current trend is Osano, an Austin-based data privacy and compliance solutions developer. On top of securing USD25 million in Series B funding in August, Osano made another investment wave in the vendor space on December 5th by acquiring fellow vendor WireWheel for an undisclosed sum.
CPPA Board Meeting This Friday: Cybersecurity Audits and Risk Assessments
The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) issued and discussed draft regulations on Cybersecurity Audits and Risk Assessments late in the summer. Now, the board plans to discuss associated draft regulations this Friday, December 8th, during a public meeting.
23andMe Confirms Hackers Stole Ancestry Data on 6.9 million Users
Genetic testing company 23andMe recently disclosed that hackers had accessed the personal data of about 14k individuals in early October. By accessing this data, the company also said that the hackers were able to access profile information about “other users’” ancestry. As it turns out, those “other users” numbered in the millions, bringing the affected victims of the breach to 6.9 million individuals.
Automakers’ Data Privacy Practices “Are Unacceptable,” says US Senator
On Friday, US Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) wrote to 14 car companies with a variety of questions about data privacy policies, urging them to do better. In September, the Mozilla Foundation published a scathing report on the subject of data privacy and automakers, finding that most automakers collect too much personal data and are too eager to sell or share it with third parties. The report’s findings were cited in Sen. Markey’s letters, which were sent to BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Stellantis, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen.
Parliament of Queensland, Australia, Introduces Proposed Privacy Bill
Queensland Parliament introduced proposed changes to strengthen Queensland’s information privacy laws. These changes would apply to Queensland government departments and agencies, and how they handle personal information, including a new, mandatory data breach notification scheme. Through contracts, these changes may also impact businesses that service those Queensland departments and agencies. If passed, the changes will likely take effect in mid-2025.
Osano Blog: 9 Dark Pattern Examples to Look Out For
Dark patterns are, in essence, design tricks that manipulate users into making choices they otherwise wouldn’t. Businesses and consumers alike need to be aware of these patterns—especially when it comes to data privacy regulations, many of which forbid the use of dark patterns. Knowing how to recognize dark patterns means you’re far less likely to fall victim to one or to unintentionally introduce one in your own organization’s website or app.
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