The Register: Big Tech extracts retirement-scale wealth from UK internet users, research shows. “A new white paper [PDF] from the Web3 Foundation, a Swiss nonprofit pushing blockchain-based alternatives to today’s platform-dominated internet, claims that the average person in the UK and across Europe generates $1,604 a year in commercial value for the data-hungry machinery of the modern […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/27/the-register-big-tech-extracts-retirement-scale-wealth-from-uk-internet-users-research-shows/

TechCrunch: Trump Mobile confirms it exposed customers’ personal data, including phone numbers and home addresses. “Phone provider Trump Mobile has confirmed that it was exposing customers’ names, email addresses, mailing addresses, cell numbers, and order identifiers to the open internet.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/26/techcrunch-trump-mobile-confirms-it-exposed-customers-personal-data-including-phone-numbers-and-home-addresses/

Japan's House of Representatives passed a bill to revise the personal information protection law that includes introducing fines for businesses that repeatedly commit violations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/05/26/japan/politics/lower-house-personal-law/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #lowerhouse #ldp #nipponishinnokai #dpp #personalinformation #ai #privacy

PetaPixel: Lawmakers Reintroduce ‘No Fake Acts’ to Restrict AI Deepfakes with Backing from Getty. “A bill aimed at regulating unauthorized AI deepfakes of a person’s likeness has been reintroduced in Congress, this time with support from Getty Images.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/23/petapixel-lawmakers-reintroduce-no-fake-acts-to-restrict-ai-deepfakes-with-backing-from-getty/

Northeastern University: Workers’ information shared with third-party companies, new research reveals. “Companies are sharing workers’ identifiable information and online activity to third-party companies, including Microsoft, Google and Facebook, using employee monitoring software known as ‘bossware,’ new Northeastern University research has revealed.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/22/northeastern-university-workers-information-shared-with-third-party-companies-new-research-reveals/

Ars Technica: FBI seeks US-wide access to license plate cameras, wants “data in near real time”. “The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced plans to buy nationwide access to a network of license plate readers, saying it will award contracts to one or more vendors that can offer ‘near real time’ information from cameras across the US. The proposed contract is for the FBI Directorate of […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/21/ars-technica-fbi-seeks-us-wide-access-to-license-plate-cameras-wants-data-in-near-real-time/

TechCrunch: NYC Health + Hospitals says hackers stole medical data and fingerprints during breach affecting at least 1.8 million people. “New York public health provider NYC Health + Hospitals says a months-long data breach that allowed hackers to steal personal data, medical records, and fingerprints scans affects at least 1.8 million people.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/21/techcrunch-nyc-health-hospitals-says-hackers-stole-medical-data-and-fingerprints-during-breach-affecting-at-least-1-8-million-people/

Harvard Business Review: How Stronger Privacy Laws Convinced Consumers to Share More Data. “Companies often fear that stronger privacy regulations will mean they’ll have less access to valuable consumer data. But an analysis of 16,000 U.S. customers using an engagement app found that after 2023 privacy laws took effect in California and Virginia, users in those two states divulged more data […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/20/harvard-business-review-how-stronger-privacy-laws-convinced-consumers-to-share-more-data/

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has called on Japan's government to consider making My Number personal identification card ownership mandatory. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/05/20/japan/my-number-cards-acquisition/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #ldp #mynumber #personalinformation

Bloomberg: Musk’s xAI promised staff $420 for their tax returns, hasn’t paid. “Elon Musk’s xAI asked employees earlier this year to offer up their own tax returns as training data for the company’s Grok chatbot, promising a $420 payment as incentive for doing so. Two months later, those payments still haven’t materialized.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/19/bloomberg-musks-xai-promised-staff-420-for-their-tax-returns-hasnt-paid/