Privacy Digest 08/25
OpenAI is building a social network
ChatGPT versus X plus data collection.
theverge.com
Google Hit With Lawsuit Over Data Collection on School Kids
A proposed class action filed in California federal court accuses Google of unlawfully collecting data on K-12 students through its widely used "Workspace for Education" suite. The lawsuit claims Google gathers extensive personal data without parental consent, relying instead on schools’ approval, which the plaintiffs argue is legally insufficient. It alleges Google secretly embeds tracking tech in Chrome to create digital fingerprints of children, even when privacy tools are enabled. The data is allegedly used for commercial purposes or sold to third parties. Google denies the claims, asserting student data is protected and not used for personalized ads. Plaintiffs seek nationwide class certification.
news.bloomberglaw.com
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes the stand in historic antitrust trial
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified on the opening day of a landmark antitrust trial, defending the company against claims that it unlawfully monopolized the social media industry. The outcome of the case could compel the tech giant to divest Instagram and WhatsApp—platforms it acquired over a decade ago that have since become major players in the social media landscape.
apnews.com
Waymo may use interior camera data to train generative AI models, but riders will be able to opt out
Waymo is preparing to use data from its robotaxis, including video from interior cameras tied to rider identities, to train generative AI models, according to an unreleased version of its privacy policy found by researcher Jane Manchun Wong, raising fresh questions about how much of a rider’s behavior inside autonomous vehicles could be repurposed for AI training.
techcrunch.com