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Sweden issues first GDPR fine, against a high school that used facial recognition to check attendance
A Swedish municipality has been fined for trialing facial recognition in a high school to track student attendance, in Sweden’s first fine under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) data privacy rules, according to BBC News. The Skelleftea municipality in northern Sweden was fined 200,000 Swedish Krona, or about £16,800, for violating privacy laws. The […]
Facebook has won an appeal against a German agency’s restrictions on data collection
A regional court in Germany has ruled in favor of Facebook’s appeal against a February order by the nation’s antitrust watchdog, preventing the social media giant from combining user data collected from its various platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. An order from the Federal Cartel Office (FCO) in February had accused Facebook of abusing […]
In a world first, a solar farm is directly powering a UK railway
A UK rail line is now the first in the world to be powered directly by a solar farm, after a trackside 30 kilowatt installation went online Friday near Aldershot, powering signals and lights on Network Rail’s Wessex route, according to The Guardian. If the pilot program is successful, a larger solar farm could be built to […]
Berlin-based hospitality startup Cosi raises €5 million in pre-launch seed funding
The new Berlin-based hospitality startup Cosi has raised €5 million in pre-launch seed funding, drawing participation from big names in world of travel, real estate, and hospitality. The company aims to compete with boutique hotels by offering uniquely designed apartments for short-term stays and a streamlined digital service to facilitate the guest experience. Cosi’s CEO, […]
Facebook unveils ‘Clear History’ feature, giving users more control over data
Facebook is rolling out a “Clear History” feature that will allow users to disconnect their accounts from data collected from third-party websites and apps, according to The Verge. The move comes following several delays, more than a year after CEO Mark Zuckerberg first announced plans for the feature at Facebook’s 2018 developer conference, in the wake […]
Three and EE dispute advert claim as 5G competition escalates
UK telecom operator EE has filed a complaint against rival company Three, over its 5G advertising campaign claiming “If it’s not Three, it’s not real 5G,” according to The Guardian. The dispute comes after Three switched on a portion of its 5G network in London, and as more UK telecom companies begin to compete over the next […]
Already lagging in tech, Germany’s central bank warns of looming recession
Germany’s central bank has warned that a recession is likely, thanks to a dip in exports and industrial production that has led the economy to shrink for a second quarter in a row, according to the Financial Times. The downturn threatens an already lagging technology sector in the world’s fourth largest economy. Authorities are considering options to […]
US legislator joins international inquiry into disinformation on social media
An international effort to investigate disinformation through social media platforms and tech giants has gained its first US legislator as a member, adding weight to requests for US-based tech executives to appear as witnesses before the committee, according to Tech Crunch. The next meeting of the International Grand Committee on Disinformation and ‘Fake News’ is set to […]
UK privacy advocates describe “epidemic” of facial recognition, as government opens investigation
The use of facial recognition technology in Britain’s public spaces is reaching “epidemic” proportions, according to an investigation by the UK privacy group Big Brother Watch (BBW). Their findings were published a day after news that the government’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is investigating the use of facial recognition surveillance in a major new shopping development in […]
British Airways to offer VR headsets for first-class passengers
British Airways has announced plans to offer virtual reality (VR) headsets for first-class passengers on select flights between London and New York, starting immediately and continuing until the end of this year, according to The Verge. The pilot program will offer passengers conventional 2D and 3D video, as well as 360-degree movies and shows formatted specifically […]