data privacy

As Utah’s porn law kicks in, adult site blocks access in the state

Legislation requiring adult websites to verify users’ ages every time they visit took effect this week, an effort that advocacy groups said is flawed and ambiguous.

  • By Chris Teale

Amazon Sidewalk promises secure, wide-ranging IoT network

But critics warned of potential privacy issues with the network, which is switched on for consumers by default and could collect personal data.

  • By Chris Teale

Banning TikTok could weaken personal cybersecurity

TikTok restrictions could lead to individuals engaging in risky digital behavior to circumvent mobile app bans, potentially exposing their networks and data to bad actors, an expert warns.

  • By Robert Olson, The Conversation

Social media age verification faces practicality, privacy challenges

Utah recently approved legislation designed to restrict minors’ use of the platforms, but critics say the effort is unworkable and could leave personal information vulnerable to hackers.

  • By Chris Teale

States want to see some digital ID before you visit that porn site

Louisiana requires age verification software to prevent minors viewing adult content. Even as the law has inspired copycat legislation, critics are raising privacy and free speech concerns.

  • By Chris Teale

Protecting the data that makes cities smart

Ensuring the security and privacy of data generated by residents and internet-connected devices will allow cities to reap the benefits of innovation.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

ChatGPT is a data privacy nightmare. If you’ve ever posted online, you ought to be concerned

As generative artificial intelligence tools gain popularity, one expert warns these models could be trained on personal data collected without the user's knowledge.

  • By Uri Gal, The Conversation

When data science shortcuts are a bad idea

Auto-ML can help non-data scientists write programs, but the resulting applications may be flawed, biased or useless, an expert says. Still, agencies can minimize risk and optimize the use of citizen data scientists.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

Dozens of US schools, universities move to ban TikTok

The social media platform is falling out of favor among school officials as the app becomes increasingly dangerous for cyberattacks and students' physical and mental health.

  • By Nir Kshetri, The Conversation

U.S. Senate votes to bar TikTok from government devices as state bans multiply

The states that have announced bans in the past two weeks include Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, New Hampshire and Tennessee. 

  • By Jacob Fischler, Idaho Capital Sun

Gov. Greg Abbott bans TikTok on state phones and computers, citing cybersecurity risks

Following the lead of several other states, Texas' governor banned the social media platform from government-issued equipment and called for a plan to address TikTok's use on employees' personal devices.

  • By William Melhado, The Texas Tribune

Do’s and don’ts of data de-identification

Data use standards and purpose-built software can help agencies protect individuals’ privacy while allowing for meaningful statistical analysis, NIST says.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson
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