Category: Data protection

TikTok Fined $15.9 Million in the UK

A British data watchdog imposed a fine of £12.7 million ($15.9 million) on the video-sharing application TikTok on Tuesday over an alleged breach of data protection law. The accusation was, among others, that TikTok processed the data of children under the age of 13 without their parents’ consent. UK data-protection law says that organizations that use…


Indonesia’s Criminalisation of Sex Outside of Marriage: A Threat to ‘Privacy’?

Commentary Indonesian tourist organisations are concerned about the consequences of the unanimous adoption by the Indonesian House of Representatives of a new criminal code that outlaws premarital and extramarital sex and prohibits cohabitation before marriage. The law provides for penalties of up to one year in jail for those who breach the law and is applicable…


Tweak Your Tech Settings to Protect Your Privacy

So much of our sensitive personal data is being tracked and sold that trying to protect our privacy can seem like a pointless exercise. We can disable the location tracking on phone apps only to find new apps stalking us the next time we check. We can turn off personalized advertising and still get bombarded…


5 Ransomware Protection Tips for Your Small Business—From a Hacker

By Tor Constantino Ransomware attacks are on the rise and continue to be the primary method of cyber infiltration by hackers. Experts estimate that this year alone, every 11 seconds there will be a ransomware attack against an unsuspecting business. In fact, the total global number so far this year exceeds the same period in…


Irish Watchdog Fines WhatsApp $266 Million for ‘Severe’ Breaches of Privacy Law

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has imposed a record 225-million-euro ($266 million) fine on WhatsApp Ireland for infringements of data protection rules on Sept. 2. It follows an inquiry into the messaging app’s transparency around sharing personal data with other Facebook companies. The sanction on the messaging service, which is owned by Facebook, is the largest fine ever…


German Privacy Body Probes German Lab’s Use of Chinese Prenatal Tests

FRANKFURT—One of Germany’s regional data protection regulators on Wednesday said it was probing lab operator Eluthia GmbH’s use of Chinese gene company BGI Group’s prenatal blood tests and services on suspicion of breaches of data protection rules. The regulator on data privacy and freedom of information in the German state of Hesse (HBDI), where Eluthia…