Lawyers and privacy advocates are raising questions about a key proposal in the European Commission's digital omnibus package that aims to reform the GDPR by allowing legitimate interests as a legal basis for processing personal data for AI models.
AI Privacy
AI privacy concerns are growing as copyrighted works and personal data are used to train, optimize and operate machine learning systems. From facial recognition to inference risks, AI applications often test the limits of existing privacy laws. Regulators worldwide are developing safeguards to govern data use, bias, transparency and consent in AI development. This page tracks legislation, regulatory frameworks and enforcement actions at the intersection of AI and data protection.
New York state should sign into law a bill requiring warning labels on social networks about their mental health risks, a group of parents urged Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in a letter released Tuesday by Common Sense Media.
Washington state should balance efforts to foster AI with protecting residents' privacy and other rights, Attorney General Nick Brown (D) said in a Tuesday news release. The Washington State AI Task Force released an interim report Monday, Brown’s office said.
New Zealand must revamp its data protection law to reflect the modern world, Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster said Monday.
French privacy regulator CNIL and public financial institution Deposits and Consignments Fund (Caisse des Depots) announced an agreement Monday to boost cooperation on the responsible use of personal data protection and AI within the Caisse.
The European Commission's proposed digital omnibus, including possible changes to the GDPR, is on the European Data Protection Board's plenary agenda for Wednesday. The discussion will focus on the proposal itself and the board's contribution to it.
Industry and consumer advocates have weighed in on nearly 20 kids privacy and safety bills set for a subcommittee hearing Tuesday in the House Commerce Committee (see 2511250080). In written testimony posted over the weekend, some witnesses additionally warned the lawmakers against inadvertently weakening privacy protections in an effort to promote online safety.
The California attorney general’s $1.4 million settlement with mobile games company Jam City demonstrates that enforcers are focused on making opt-outs easy for consumers and that companies’ handling of teenagers’ data is important, said privacy lawyers in interviews and recent blog posts. It also shows that mobile apps -- not just websites -- are in regulators’ crosshairs, they said.
Parents shouldn't post photos and videos of children on social media ("sharenting"), French DPA CNIL and Italian watchdog Garante said this week.
Election year 2026 could drive more headline-grabbing state privacy enforcement, said Womble Bond privacy attorney Tyler Bridegan in an interview with Privacy Daily. In general, state privacy enforcement seems to be at the "very beginning of the bell curve,” said Bridegan, who was recently director of privacy and tech enforcement for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). Also, Bridegan praised Ryan Baasch, another alumnus of the Texas AG's office, who's expected to be nominated as an FTC commissioner by President Donald Trump.