Privacy

On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a ban on social media for kids under 16 and lawmakers introduced new legislation that would let 14- and 15-year-olds access social media with a parent’s consent. The ban would still apply to children 13 and under.

After lengthy contract talks, the city will keep the gunshot detection system in place through September. But critics say it disproportionately harms people of color and some attorneys argue it shouldn’t be used in court cases.

The bill would bar people under 16 from setting up accounts on most social media platforms. House Speaker Paul Renner and Gov. Ron DeSantis are collaborating to address the latter’s concerns, which include protecting parental rights.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board worked with the Nevada Office of the Chief Information Officer to move its website to a new platform, after a cyber incident in late January. An investigation found no personal information was accessed.

The Chelan County Public Utility District, which serves around 50,000 customers, said the incident kept a nationwide vendor from mailing and emailing statements last week. It’s unclear whether personal information was compromised.

The Kettering Police Department, outside Dayton, Ohio, will dramatically increase its use of automated license plate readers this year. Capacity is expected to rise by 300 percent.

As we head into the rest of 2024 and the buzz around artificial intelligence continues unabated, here's advice on how government can make practical use of the new tech — and ensure it remains secure in the process.

A plan to limit police use of facial recognition technology is likely to pass in this year’s session of the General Assembly. The bill would allow police to use the tools to investigate violent crimes and serious offenses.

A human error reportedly exposed thousands of U.S. Internet’s customer email addresses online. The company said Thursday that the problem has been resolved, and it's assessing how much data may have been accessed.

A new feature being tested with a small user group would allow ChatGPT to memorize information and data about its users. The software would recall personal preferences to customize the user experience, company officials say.

A new report from U.S. News reveals that around 61 percent of survey respondents had their personal data breached at some point. Another 44 percent reported that they had this happen multiple times.

California’s largest state employee union fell victim to a ransomware attack last month that likely exposed Social Security numbers, home addresses, birth dates and other sensitive information.

A proposal to create a cyberstalking task force is before state lawmakers for the third year in a row. The task force would be charged with developing best practices for preventing online harassment and for treating victims.

The nonprofit Internet Safety Labs found that exposure to trackers and behavioral ads on school devices vary by race and income, and often the source of the problem is the school’s own official website.

A June 2023 hack of the city of Fort Worth’s website may have leaked more information than initially thought. A review by an outside firm revealed hackers may have accessed driver’s license numbers, dates of birth and more.

More invasive devices have prompted new debates about privacy and freedom. But it’s important to keep in mind that other technologies already sense and shape our thoughts, a neuroethicist argues.

Lawmakers in the state are considering legislation that would make the unauthorized use of tracking technology, like surveillance software and GPS devices, a felony.

Senators on both sides of the aisle criticized the heads of large social media companies during a Washington, D.C., hearing on Wednesday for failing to adequately protect childrens' safety online.