Articles about Privacy

Privacy bill aims to protect health data on apps and websites in Washington state

Consumers in Washington state will gain new privacy protections over their health data if lawmakers pass proposed legislation called the… Read More

Amazon and Microsoft deny using Flickr pics for facial recognition, as suits test limits of privacy law

Facing a pair of related lawsuits, Amazon and Microsoft both acknowledge that people working on their respective facial-recognition technologies downloaded… Read More

Lawsuit alleges Amazon uses Alexa interactions for ad targeting without users’ knowledge or consent

Amazon’s Alexa is the target of a new lawsuit alleging that the company is using information gathered from users of… Read More

Industry-backed digital privacy bill sees head-spinning changes in Washington state

[Editor’s Note: A version of this story originally appeared in journalist Eli Sanders’ “Wild West” newsletter, which covers internet-related legal issues. Subscribe… Read More

Rep. DelBene introduces federal privacy bill in latest effort to avoid ‘patchwork’ of state laws

U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wa, introduced new federal privacy legislation, warning that efforts by states to enact their own privacy… Read More

Amazon adding AI-equipped cameras to delivery vans to monitor safety, sparking privacy concerns

Amazon delivery drivers keeping their eyes on the road will have Amazon keeping an eye on them as the company… Read More

Why Washington state could finally pass data privacy laws with a bill backed by the tech industry

Washington state will once again try to pass data privacy regulations akin to Europe and California’s laws this year —… Read More

Q&A: Rep. DelBene on data privacy, rural broadband and the Biden administration’s tech agenda

When President-elect Joe Biden and the incoming Congress take the helm this January, they will face several unresolved tech policy… Read More

Amazon Sidewalk rollout shows the future of ‘forced opt-in,’ taking lessons from Xfinity Wifi

How would you feel if you were a homeowner and woke up one morning to find people on a new… Read More

Amazon gives customers a way to immediately delete Alexa voice recordings — here’s how to do it

Privacy was front-and-center for Amazon at the company’s big devices and services event this week. The most noteworthy privacy-related announcement… Read More

Seattle startup Integris acquired by data privacy giant OneTrust

OneTrust, an Atlanta-based privacy software company valued at nearly $3 billion, has acquired Seattle startup Integris Software. Founded in 2016,… Read More

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella warns of fallout without ‘strong national law’ on facial recognition

Decisions by Microsoft and Amazon to refrain from sales of facial recognition software to law enforcement agencies could have negative… Read More

Seattle will order police to turn on body cameras during protests despite privacy concerns

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan plans to issue an executive order Monday requiring police to turn on their body cameras during… Read More

Sen. Maria Cantwell co-sponsors bill to shield privacy in COVID-19 contact tracing

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., is one of the sponsors of bipartisan legislation aimed at ensuring that coronavirus tracing apps protect… Read More

Privacy advocates alarmed after Seattle-area police launch online tool to report illegal gatherings

Police in Bellevue, Wash., are asking residents to report violations of the state’s “stay home” order online in an effort… Read More

Rep. DelBene and other lawmakers voice privacy concerns over virus-tracking plans

Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and two other members of Congress are sounding an alarm over the prospect of using location… Read More

Data privacy regulations fail in Washington state legislature

A bill that would have enacted data privacy regulations in Washington state failed to pass the state legislature before the… Read More

T-Mobile faces steepest fines of top 4 wireless carriers for sharing customer location data

The Federal Communications Commission proposed fines totaling more than $200 million on the nation’s largest wireless carriers Friday for selling… Read More

House lawmakers question Ring about partnerships with police

Federal lawmakers are asking Amazon to provide details on Ring’s partnerships with local police dating back to 2013. The U.S.… Read More

Washington state data privacy bill passes in Senate

A bill that would give Washington state consumers new data privacy rights and establish regulations on companies developing facial recognition… Read More

Washington state’s attempt at data privacy regulation passes key milestone

Legislation that would give Washington state residents new data privacy rights is moving forward. Two companion bills in the Washington… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Nintendo president speaks; D&D for a good cause; and more

— Nintendo is on a roll. Though its current console, the Nintendo Switch, doesn’t boast the same type of processing… Read More

Washington state wants to regulate artificial intelligence, as Microsoft lobbies for new rules

Washington state could become a pioneer in regulating artificial intelligence if lawmakers and Microsoft get their way. A series of… Read More

Washington state lawmakers debut legislation for consumer privacy and facial recognition

Washington state legislators introduced two draft bills on Monday intended to regulate personal consumer data privacy and the use of… Read More

Amazon confirms Ring fired employees for attempting to access customer video data

Amazon confirmed Thursday that its subsidiary Ring fired employees for attempting to access customer video data beyond the scope of… Read More

Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff on ‘productizing’ privacy and staying the course amid controversy

Jamie Siminoff won’t be deterred. The Ring CEO told GeekWire as much at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas… Read More

Privacy is front and center at CES as execs from Apple, Facebook, others debate key tech issues

The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is viewed by many as the pulse of the technology industry. The… Read More

Ring customers with cameras breached by hackers sue Amazon in proposed class action lawsuit

An 8-year-old in Mississippi, a Georgia woman lying in bed, a Michigan family watching TV, and dozens of other Ring… Read More

A new era for data privacy: How California’s law is impacting companies in Seattle and beyond

California’s new data privacy law took effect Jan. 1, marking the first time many American tech companies must provide users… Read More

Tech’s extraordinary decade: What mattered most in the past 10 years of innovation

What were the top tech stories of the past decade? I’ve been discussing this topic with others recently on LinkedIn,… Read More