---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <20180616175655.GA27242@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2018 13:56:55 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: California Privacy Proposal Draws Tech Company Opposition By Daniel Golightly A new proposal called the California Consumer Privacy Act appears to be spurring some pretty sizeable opposing contributions from some of the United States' biggest technology companies, including Google, Facebook, and Amazon. As many as half of the eighteen financial contributions against the proposal in excess of $5,000 come from big names in the tech industry. The proposed California legislation would effectively require that companies that collect data disclose what data they are collecting and how that data is being used. For example, a company like Facebook would need to tell its users which types of information they are collecting and that the information will be used for targeted advertising. Beyond that, companies would also be required to allow consumers to completely opt out of having their data collected and sold. The initiative was first started back in 2014 by a real estate developer Alastair Mactaggart and currently has 600,000 unverified signatures which are being sorted through to verify whether or not the required 366,000 valid signatures are included. Meanwhile, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon have all donated in excess of $190,000 to campaigns against the measure. In fact, with the exception of Microsoft and Amazon, which donated $195,000 each, every other company has donated a full $200,000. Smaller contributions were made by Cox Communications and Uber at $50,000. The appearance of those companies on the list shouldn't be all that surprising since each company listed draws a reasonable portion of its income from advertising. In the case of Google and Facebook, in particular, ads make up the overwhelming majority of incoming assets. The companies' contributions are directed toward a group known as the Committee to Protect California Jobs. The committee has argued that the proposal is flawed, while individual companies have taken it, in turn, to point out how the proposal might harm business models or outright threaten businesses. https://www.androidheadlines.com/2018/06/california-privacy-proposal-draws-tech-company-opposition.html -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20180616175254.GA27203@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2018 13:52:54 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: The fight for net neutrality isn't just for consumers. It's a fight for California BY THE SACRAMENTO BEE EDITORIAL BOARD As you might have heard by now, the fight to save net neutrality isn't over. So it's worth understanding exactly what consumers - particu- larly those of us who live in California - will be fighting for in the days, weeks and months ahead. Here's a hint: It won't be as noble as the current narrative suggests. http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article213135914.html -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20180616174507.GA27165@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2018 13:45:07 -0400 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: Verizon users vie to keep "Zombie Cookies" suit alive Verizon Users Vie To Keep "Zombie Cookies" Suit Alive By Sean Forbes Law360 (June 15, 2018, 9:57 PM EDT) -- Verizon subscribers have urged a California federal court to let them move forward with their proposed class action alleging online marketer Turn Inc. used "zombie cookies" to track their mobile device browsing habits, saying that the company's technology violated their privacy rights. https://www.law360.com/articles/1053882/verizon-users-vie-to-keep-zombie-cookies-suit-alive -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ ********************************************* End of telecom Digest Wed, 20 Jun 2018