Natasha Lomas
TechCrunch
Philippines
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Recent articles by Natasha:
EU-US Privacy Shield legal showdown now set for July 9 –
A legal challenge to a data transfer mechanism that’s used by thousands of companies to authorize taking European citizens’ personal data to the US for processing has been delayed. As we reported last month, the General Court of the EU had set a date of July 1 and 2 to hear the complaint brought by […] → Read More
Facebook makes another push to shape and define its own oversight –
Facebook’s head of global spin and policy, former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, will give a speech later today providing more detail of the company’s plan to set up an ‘independent’ external oversight board to which people can appeal content decisions so that Facebook itself is not the sole entity making such decisions. In […] → Read More
eBay and Facebook told to tackle trade in fake reviews –
Facebook and eBay have been warned by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to do more to tackle the sale of fake reviews on their platforms. Fake reviews are illegal under UK consumer protection law. The CMA said today it has found “trouble evidence” of a “thriving marketplace for fake and misleading online reviews”. Though […] → Read More
Behavioural advertising is out of control, warns UK watchdog –
The online behavioural advertising industry is illegally profiling Internet users. That’s the damning assessment of the UK’s data protection regulator in an update report published today, in which it sets out major concerns about the programmatic advertising process known as real-time bidding (RTB) which makes up a large chunk of online advertising. In what sounds […] → Read More
UK age checks for online porn delayed after bureaucratic cock-up –
The UK government has delayed the introduction of mandatory age verification for accessing online pornography — blaming an administrative cock-up. The controversial scheme had been due to launch on July 15, after an earlier implementation date also came and went. Although in this instance it does not appear the policy has been derailed by the […] → Read More
Where is the EU going on tech and competition policy? –
Huge technology policy questions are looming for whoever takes the top jobs at the European Union in the coming months. Decisions that could radically reshape tech business models, reconfigure the competitive landscape and change the relationship between Internet users and the content and services they consume. In short, the entire future of the tech industry […] → Read More
Privacy policies are still too horrible to read in full –
A year on from Europe’s flagship update to the pan-EU data protection framework the Commission has warned that too many privacy policies are still too hard to read and has urged tech companies to declutter and clarify their T&Cs. (So full marks to Twitter for the timing of this announcement.) Announcing the results of a […] → Read More
Zava bags $32M to expand its AI-free telehealth service in Europe –
More money is being injected into the telehealth space in Europe. Zava, a long-time player that bills its online service as offering a “discreet and convenient” alternative to an in-person doctor visit, has just announced a $32 million Series A round, led by growth equity firm HPE Growth. Zava relies on patients filling in an […] → Read More
LaLiga fined $280k for soccer app’s privacy violating spy mode –
Spanish soccer’s premier league, LaLiga, has netted itself a €250,000 (~$280k) fine for privacy violations of Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) related to its official app. As we reported a year ago, users of the LaLiga app were outraged to discover the smartphone software does rather more than show minute-by-minute commentary of football matches […] → Read More
Liberty’s challenge to UK state surveillance powers reveals shocking failures –
A legal challenge to the UK’s controversial mass surveillance regime has revealed shocking failures by the main state intelligence agency, which has broad powers to hack computers and phones and intercept digital communications, in handling people’s information. The challenge, by rights group Liberty, led last month to an initial finding that MI5 had systematically breached […] → Read More
Europe publishes common drone rules, giving operators a year to prepare –
Europe has today published common rules for the use of drones. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) says the regulations, which will apply universally across the region, are intended to help drone operators of all stripes have a clear understanding of what is and is not allowed. Having a common set of rules will […] → Read More
UK carriers warn over ongoing Huawei 5G uncertainty: Report –
UK mobile network operators have drafted a letter urging the government for greater clarity on Chinese tech giant Huawei’s involvement in domestic 5G infrastructure, according to a report by the BBC. Huawei remains under a cloud of security suspicion attached to its relationship with the Chinese state, which in 2017 passed legislation that gives authorities […] → Read More
Revolut adds Apple Pay support in 16 markets –
Fintech startup Revolut has expanded its support for Apple Pay, confirming that from today the payment option is available for users in 16 European markets. The list of supported markets is: UK, France, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Press reports last month suggested the UK […] → Read More
Have I Been Pwned is looking for a new owner –
Troy Hunt has revealed he’s looking for an acquirer for the breach notification service he set up more than five years ago — aka: Have I Been Pwned. In a blog post discussing the future of the service, Hunt details how traffic to the site has exploded since January when he uploaded a massive 773M […] → Read More
Twitter’s updated T&Cs look clearer — yet it still can’t say no to nazis –
Twitter has taken a pair of shears to its user rules, shaving almost 2,000 words off of its T&Cs — with the stated aim of making it clearer for users what is not acceptable behaviour on its platform. It says the rules have shrunk from 2,500 words to just 600 — with each of the […] → Read More
Google appeals $1.7BN EU AdSense antitrust fine –
Like clockwork, Google has filed a legal appeal against the €1.49 billion ($1.7BN) antitrust penalty the European Commission slapped on its search ad brokering business three months ago. The Telegraph reported late yesterday that the appeal had been lodged in the General Court of the European Union in Brussels. A Google spokesperson confirmed the appeal […] → Read More
Facebook fails to stop Europe’s top court weighing in on EU-US data transfers –
Facebook has failed in its last ditch attempt to block a referral by Ireland’s High Court of questions over the legality of EU-US data transfer mechanisms to the region’s top court. Ireland’s Supreme Court unanimously refused its request to appeal the decision Friday, via Reuters. Irish law does not include a provision to appeal against […] → Read More
Facebook can be told to cast a wider net to find illegal content, says EU court advisor –
How much of an obligation should social media platforms be under to hunt down illegal content? An influential advisor to Europe’s top court has taken the view that social media platforms like Facebook can be required to seek out and identify posts that are equivalent to content that an EU court has deemed illegal — […] → Read More
Aptoide, a Play Store rival, cries antitrust foul over Google hiding its app –
As US regulators gear up to launch another antitrust probe of Google’s business, an alternative Android app store is dialling up its long time complaint of anti-competitive behavior against the search and smartphone OS giant. Portugal-based Aptoide is launching a campaign website to press its case and call for Google to “Play Fair” — accusing […] → Read More
Twitter bags deep learning talent behind London startup, Fabula AI –
Twitter has just announced it has picked up London-based Fabula AI. The deep learning startup has been developing technology to try to identify online disinformation by looking at patterns in how fake stuff vs genuine news spreads online — making it an obvious fit for the rumor-riled social network. Social media giants remain under increasing […] → Read More