Efforts to enact new data privacy regulations in Washington state failed this week as legislators and tech titans Amazon and Microsoft failed to reach a compromise before the deadline. The… Read More
Consumer and civil rights advocates are up in arms over the status of a data privacy bill in Washington state. The bill would give Washington residents more control over the… Read More
Behind Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa are thousands of humans reviewing some of the millions of utterances people make to their smart speakers, according to a new report from Bloomberg. These… Read More
Back in 2016, a Seattle startup called Integris came out of stealth mode with a modest $3 million in funding and a vision to help companies manage customer data with… Read More
This week, Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Democrat from Washington state, reintroduced a bill that would enact federal data privacy protections for Americans. “As a former tech entrepreneur with experience in… Read More
As Apple unveiled its new Apple Card at a big media event Monday, the company touted what it sees as one of the credit card’s biggest selling points: a “unique… Read More
Washington is poised to become the second state in the nation to enact data privacy regulations, following the lead of California and the European Union. But the American Civil Liberties… Read More
After a year of privacy scandals, consumers are beginning to realize that the volume of data tech companies collect on them exceeds what they could have imagined. What’s more, their… Read More
It’s been a year since news broke of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which political operatives improperly took advantage of Facebook user data to influence elections in the U.S. and… Read More
Microsoft, the tech powerhouse once maligned as the “evil empire,” is engaged in a radical shift, taking on the mantle of corporate responsibility and civic leadership. While its actions ring… Read More
Two of the top companies developing facial recognition software are in Washington state, where a bill that would regulate the technology is working its way through the legislature. Because Amazon… Read More
The founders of Seattle startup Tenta Browser want to help banish your digital doppelganger. Or least take control of it. People’s behavior online these days “is not just about sharing your… Read More
Microsoft will press the Washington state legislature to prioritize privacy legislation and infrastructure improvements this year, according to a blog post penned by Brad Smith, the company’s president and legal chief.… Read More
As part of a growing push to let patients own their medical history, digital health startup Vyrty recently launched a mobile app called Sync.MD that lets users store and share medical records… Read More
Privacy advocates are celebrating an agreement reached between U.S. attorneys, a federal court in Seattle, and the local newspaper The Stranger over digital surveillance. The U.S. District Court for the… Read More
While many big tech companies are reticent about the seemingly inevitable tide of privacy regulations headed our way, Microsoft has made a point of inviting them. On Tuesday, the software… Read More
Lawmakers in Washington state are pushing for a new privacy law that would attempt to give consumers more control over the information that big tech companies and data brokers collect about… Read More
Microsoft appears to be testing a tool that would allow internet users the manage the data websites and apps collect about them. A website for the project, codenamed Bali, was… Read More
Lawmakers in Washington D.C. are debating how to regulate the tech industry, but the other Washington may beat them to the punch. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he expects the… Read More
Shorter lines at the stadium and buying beer without a wallet — it’s now possible for Seattle sports fans who are willing to hand over a few fingerprints. CLEAR, the New… Read More
Editor’s note: Alex Alben is the Chief Privacy Officer for the State of Washington. He discussed privacy, data, and smart cities on this panel at the 2018 GeekWire Summit. COMMENTARY:… Read More
Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, introduced a privacy bill Thursday that would level hefty penalties against technology companies that misuse consumer data. The Consumer Data Protection Act would… Read More
If you want to see how a public library adopts technology at scale, consider heading to New York City. There, the New York Public Library has 92 locations and more… Read More
A Seattle-area startup is aiming to take on giants such as Google and change the way we do email with a new physical personal email server. Helm today unveiled its… Read More
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) is adding her voice to a growing chorus of U.S. lawmakers calling for stronger consumer protections online. Just before the last Congressional session ended, she introduced a… Read More
Hackers were able to access nearly 50 million Facebook accounts by exploiting a security vulnerability, the company said Friday. In response, Facebook logged about 90 million users out of their… Read More
Editor’s note: Alex Alben is the Chief Privacy Officer for the State of Washington. He will be speaking at the GeekWire Summit, Oct. 2-3. COMMENTARY: Privacy is in the news… Read More
Uber will pay Washington state $5.79 million as part of a massive $148 million settlement reached with attorneys general in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Uber settled… Read More
Amazon and other tech titans have accepted the reality that a federal data privacy law is on the horizon. To help shape what the regulations look like, Amazon, Apple, AT&T,… Read More
When I first saw Google’s new Duplex technology, it was simultaneously thrilling and horrifying. It’s the kind of technological evolution that you initially see as furthering humanity and having the… Read More