Privacy Digest 19/25
Same Edge, same experience: Ghostery brings Edge Ad Blocking from Desktop to iPhone and Android
Mobile browsing on Edge has never been this private. With Ghostery, you now get the same trusted tracker and ad blocking tooling on Android and iPhone that you already know from desktop.
ghostery.com
Italy privacy watchdog halts facial recognition at Milan airport
Italy’s privacy authority has suspended the “Faceboarding” system at Linate airport, citing insufficient safeguards to protect non-participants. The decision, linked to an ongoing data protection probe, reflects wider concerns over biometric use in air travel. Airport operator SEA, which advertises the service as safe and efficient, stressed it is voluntary for adults and said it complies with regulations. SEA is working with regulators to clarify data practices and aims to restart the program soon.
reuters.com
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Google wasn't against this privacy bill, officially. Behind the scenes, it orchestrated opposition
California's Assembly Bill, AB 566, would require browsers to let users automatically tell websites not to share their personal information with third parties. While Google stayed quiet on the bill publicly, records show the tech giant secretly led the charge against it, rallying lobbyists and business groups to protect its ad business, The Markup reports.
themarkup.org
Meta inflated ad performance and bypassed Apple’s privacy rules, tribunal hears
Former Meta product manager Samujjal Purkayastha told a UK tribunal that Meta inflated the performance of its “Shops Ads” by up to 19% and secretly bypassed Apple’s iPhone privacy rules to protect revenues hit by Apple’s 2021 tracking restrictions. He alleged Meta misled advertisers by reporting gross instead of net sales. Purkayastha, dismissed in February this year, said his firing followed repeated internal warnings. Meta denies wrongdoing, citing commercial practices and performance issues. The tribunal allowed his unfair dismissal case to proceed, with a full hearing expected next year.
ft.com
Google facing $425.7 million in damages for nearly a decade of improper smartphone snooping
A federal jury ruled that Google violated California privacy laws by tracking 98 million smartphones despite privacy settings. The $425.7 million award stems from data used to boost ad sales, with Google planning to appeal the decision. The payout equals just about $4 per device.
apnews.com