Rappler's latest stories on data privacy
Makabayan bloc seeks House probe into StaySafe's data privacy issues
'From the process of selection, effectivity, and data privacy, the interests of the Filipino people are put to great risk,' say progressive lawmakers pushing for the investigation

Unauthorized disclosure of COVID-19 patients’ identities continues
Privacy breaches are committed by health workers, local government units, ordinary citizens, says the National Privacy Commission, which is investigating cases

[OPINYON] App, app, and away!
Naniniwala akong kahit anong warning ng mga eksperto, hangga’t hindi inabuso ang data natin, hangga’t malayo sa ating bituka, tuloy-tuloy ang paglipana at pagtangkilik sa mga app na ito

Google loses appeal against 50-million-euro French fine
The Council of State, a French government body that is also the court of last resort for matters of administrative justice, confirms a 2019 ruling by the CNIL, the French data watchdog

[OPINYON] Hindi ito ang panahon para bumitaw ka sa Facebook
Kung may kalokohang gagawin o ipo-post ang kapangalan mo, mabuting active ang iyong tunay na account. Madaling maipapakita sa sinumang praning na awtoridad na may bukod-tangi at pumipintig kang account. Buhay na buhay.

Task force orders StaySafe developer to give users' data to DOH
IATF-EID warns it will revoke StaySafe's official status if the developer does not comply with new directives. Yet it was the task force itself that endorsed the app before it went through technical vetting.

StaySafe developer says Rio accusations 'unfair'
But Multisys CEO David Almirol Jr admits technical and privacy assessments were not yet completed when the government adopted and promoted StaySafe

Will Facebook dummy account probe look at govt too? DOJ says 'all angles'
The DOJ promises it will not misuse user data that will be submitted to them in the course of an investigation
U.P. Cebu confirms data breach on its Student Evaluation on Teaching system
The names and passwords to access a site used to let students rate the performance of their lecturers and professors are made public in the breach

Qatar tracing app flaw exposed 1M users' data – Amnesty International
Data exposed in the flaw includes users' ID numbers, location and infection status, vulnerable to hackers
Canada fines Facebook over misleading privacy claims
Canada's competition watchdog says Facebook made Canadians believe that they were in control of their data while the company allowed data to be shared with 3rd party developers
Data privacy musts while working from home
Brought to you by ePLDT Data Privacy Consulting

Lessening data privacy risks in the work-from-home era according to an expert
Kevin Shepherdson, CEO of data privacy platform solutions provider Straits Interactive, shares his advice for employers and employees on creating a safe working-from-home environment during the coronavirus crisis
Zoom under scrutiny in U.S. over privacy, porn hacks
Some sessions are being 'Zoom-bombed' by porn, hate images, and threatening language
Things to know before sharing others' personal info amid coronavirus outbreak
The health department must continue performing its role and make that crucial call on what information is necessary to release to the public, says the National Privacy Commission

Asia deploys innovative, if invasive, tech to curb virus
Countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore make use of high-tech solutions to track the coronavirus
Google and Tinder probed over use of data in EU
Regulators check if the companies have a 'valid legal basis for processing' user data
NPC suspends Grab's selfie, audio, video recording systems
The National Privacy Commission says Grab 'did not sufficiently identify and assess the risks posed by these systems on the rights and freedoms' of its passengers

China slams Xiaomi, tech giants for app privacy violations
China, which amasses its own collection of personal data, has recently tightened its scrutiny of companies that gather data from consumers
Facebook says investigating data exposure of 267M users
A website called Comparitech reports that the database was made available for download last week on an online hacker forum that apparently belonged to a crime group
Facebook says ready for new California privacy law
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) will give internet users the right to see what data big tech companies collect about them and with whom it is shared
TikTok sued in U.S. over alleged China data transfer
A class-action lawsuit claims the app secretly vacuumed up and transferred private data to China in vast quantities
DLSU pioneers masters program on data protection in 2020
The program will be for data protection officers and compliance, legal, and information security professionals, says De La Salle University

Documents show Facebook controlling competitors with user data – report
The documents show, for example, how Amazon received special data access after purchasing advertising on Facebook while an app called MessageMe was denied data after growing so large it became a competitor
California says Facebook impeding privacy probe
Facebook has failed to provide subpoenaed documents, says California's attorney general
Snowden warns of Web giants' 'irresistible power'
'The problem is not data protection, it's data collection' and the blind faith that internet users must have in the internet's masters, says whistleblower Ed Snowden
Privacy group finds alleged vulnerabilities in MyPhone MyA2
Cheap phones may be undermining your privacy, Britain's Privacy International says in new case study

Millions of patient medical records freely accessible online
Some 16 million records are available 'unprotected on the internet and available to anyone with basic computer expertise,' reports say
Almost entire population of Ecuador has online data leaked
The breach exposes citizens' full names, dates and places of birth, education levels, phone numbers and national identity card numbers
Fintech firms adopt code of conduct after spate of online shaming incidents
Financial technology trade association FinTechAlliance.ph seeks to rub out abusive collection practices and excessive disbursement of loans which result in heavy debt
Pia Wurtzbach greeted me a happy birthday, and it was scarier than you think
Are targeted ads and algorithms getting too close for comfort? One writer's run-in with Miss Universe just might convince you.

Online lending execs face charges for shaming users, data privacy violations
The National Privacy Commission says these lending firms targeted 'the privacy of persons, practically making a profit out of people's fear of losing face and dignity'
Facial recognition becomes opt-in feature at Facebook
With the change, people will not get automatic tagging suggestions unless a user turns on face recognition on the platform
Facebook launches tool to let users control data flow
Facebook's new tool allows users to control data that it receives from other apps and websites about their online activity
Why Facebook’s new ‘privacy cop’ is doomed to fail
Facebook is required to have an 'outside assessor' to monitor the handling of user data, but one professor says this 'privacy cop' faces an uphill battle to actually be effective
FAST FACTS: FaceApp data privacy concerns
An app that makes users look older creates some privacy concerns as it stores selfies on its server, and because of its origin

$5B U.S. fine set for Facebook on privacy probe – report
The report says that the deal would be the largest penalty ever imposed by the FTC for privacy violations, though it still needs approval from the Justice Department before it is finalized.
How much is your data worth to tech companies?
The United States' DASHBOARD Act hopes to develop a way to find out the worth of personal data. A researcher says it's a more complicated task than it seems
French consumer group launches class action lawsuit against Google
The UFC-Que Choisir group says the goal of its class action suit is to 'end the insidious exploitation of users' personal data, particularly those using Android devices with a Google account, and compensate them for up to 1,000 euros'

Facebook says CEO did not ignore personal data issues
'We have fully cooperated with the FTC's investigation to date and provided tens of thousands of documents, emails and files,' says a Facebook spokesperson.
Some news sites unintentionally collecting info for third parties – study
A study published by the Center for International Media Assistance says that 15% of website cookies in the global south have no identifiable ownership

WATCH: International Grand Committee hearing on big data, privacy, and democracy
Watch the stream live on Rappler

International committee begins talks on data privacy, disinformation
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg do not attend the International Grand Committee on Big Data, Privacy, and Democracy despite being summoned by the Canadian Parliament

Google will soon let users auto-delete app activity, location and web history
The new feature lets Google Account holders choose how long they want their data to be saved – either saved and deleted manually, or automatically deleted if older than 3 or 18 months

Filipinos urged to protect data, be safe online during Holy Week
(UPDATED) To prevent data breaches during the long break, the National Privacy Commission issues reminders to offices as well as people on vacation

Data privacy 101: How does one manage data breaches and security incidents?
When does a data breach need to be reported by a company? Privacy experts explain
[OPINION | Dash of SAS] Porn in your pocket: What the law says about your naked selfies and sex videos
What does the law say about that naked selfie that, in the throes of virtual passion you sent to your paramour? There are existing Philippine laws that protect your right to privacy, but there is big but.

FOI website data leak? Privacy commission investigating
The government and the National Privacy Commission are looking into the issue of identification documents seemingly getting indexed on search engines

Facebook faces criminal probe of data deals – report
A grand jury in New York is looking to get testimonies or evidence from at least 2 major smartphone makers regarding data sharing practices with Facebook
UK Parliament calls Facebook 'digital gangsters' which violated privacy laws
(UPDATED) British lawmakers' 18-month investigation into disinformation and 'fake news' also accuses Facebook of failing to faithfully fight Russia's alleged attempts to influence elections
