Author: Tyler King

The Future Of Privacy Forum (FPF) has released a checklist to help organizations take control of the way their employees use AI. This checklist allows organizations to look at how AI can be used safely and responsibly within their mission. While this checklist is not all-inclusive, it is a fantastic tool for organizations to start their own discussions on the internal use of generative AI.

In this age of technology in the workplace, there is a never-before-seen risk of cyber attacks. This compromises the data privacy of customers and employees alike.  It is important for organizations to take a serious look at the tools that they are using in the office or on their employee’s devices so that they reduce the risk of having data exposed. Some tools are better to use than others in that regard. Organizations should be actively evaluating the tools that they use, in order to decrease the risk of data leaks. Full story 

Ransomware is a type of software that encrypts data on a computer so that the owner of the computer can no longer use it without paying the attacker. This can be done to a personal computer like a laptop, or it can be done to hundreds of servers, bringing an organization’s operation to a screeching halt. Hackers use this type of software to attack organizations and hold data for ransom (as the name ransomware implies). Institutions of higher education are major targets for these types of attacks. There are now multiple groups who have been using the Ransomware as a…

Technology plays an important role in the way business is conducted today. Consumers and business owners are constantly under threat from bad actors looking to profit off of poor cyber hygiene. This can lead to consumer data and business data being stolen, sold, and/or used for further attacks. It is therefore important that businesses have a firm understanding of the type of consumer data they possess, as well as finding a way to protect that data. Full story

ChatGPT has taken the world by storm. Its easy-to-use, non-technical interface has put the power of generative AI into the hands of students, faculty, and staff in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) around the world. It also made that same technology accessible to those with malintent

The popular gaming platform Xbox has been found to unlawfully collect and share data belonging to children under 13 years old, without the knowledge or consent of the child’s parent. This divergence from COPPA regulation has earned Microsoft, the owner of Xbox, a $20 million fine, as well as required changes to the company’s policies. Cases like these are small steps along the road toward better data privacy. Each of these cases set a precedent that can later be used to fight against large tech companies and their data privacy practices. Full story

Keeping up with the complex, ever-changing, labyrinth of US data privacy laws can be extremely difficult. Without an overarching federal data privacy regulation, states have taken the lead by creating their own data privacy laws. While this is good for the residents of said states, it has become increasingly difficult, for small businesses and large companies alike, to maintain compliance while operating across the nation. With that being said, some publications make compliance easier by listing all of the changes in the data privacy landscape as they occur. Reading these publications allows one to get a better understanding of how…

The benchmark EU General Data Protection Regulation, known more commonly as the GDPR, has been in effect for five years. This regulation has influenced the policies and procedures implemented by large tech companies operating within Europe. Below is a graphic that breaks down some interesting statistics about the legislation.

Google will pay the state of Washington $40 million for collecting and retaining user location data without proper notification and means of user control. This is yet another crackdown on data collection by large technology companies. Google will have to change its policy regarding informing Washington state users about location data collection and use. While this policy will only pertain to users from Washington state, it sets a precedent for data privacy rights nationwide. This is yet another argument for federal data privacy legislation. Full story

The EU has led the world in data privacy regulation with its GDPR. Now, the EU Parliament has set its sight on AI development. In the process of being drafted, a new AI Act will clearly define what AI is and provide rules for its development and implementation. This Act would also define best practices for AI technology and limit its use in high-risk situations, such as facial recognition, for use in law enforcement, and social scoring algorithms. This Act will play a key role in clarifying some major questions regarding AI development. It is legislation such as this that…