Page 7 - Threat Intelligence 11-5-2019

Regulatory and

Privacy News

The Cybersecurity 202: Facebook spyware lawsuit opens a new front in encryption battle. Facebook
launched a new front in the battle over encryption yesterday by suing the Israeli spyware firm NSO Group for
allegedly hacking WhatsApp, its encrypted messaging service, and helping government customers snoop on
about 1,400 victims. The targets included at least 100 journalists, political dissidents and human rights activists
across 20 countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Mexico, WhatsApp head Will Cathcart
said in a Post op-ed. The lawsuit marks the first time a messaging service has sued a spyware company for
undermining its encryption and it could prompt a slew of suits against companies that have developed
encryption workarounds bolstering governments' ability to spy on their citizens.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-cybersecurity-
202/2019/10/30/the-cybersecurity-202-facebook-spyware-lawsuit-opens-a-new-front-in-encryption-
battle/5db8548f602ff10cf14f985c/

Uber sues LA in bid to protect scooter riders’ geolocation data. Los Angeles wants to know exactly when you
hop on an Uber scooter or bike, when you hop off, and where you go, promising that such location data is
“respectful of user privacy” because it’s not asking for personally identifiable information (PII) about users –
well, at least not directly. Uber’s response: Nope. Geolocation data is clearly PII, and LA’s requirements that
companies like Uber and Lyft share scooter-sharing data could compromise user privacy, as well as the
companies’ own trade secrets. Uber, better known for its ride-hailing car service, on Monday filed a lawsuit
after months of refusing to give the LA Department of Transportation (LADOT) what the city’s after, CNET
reports.

Source: https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2019/10/30/uber-sues-la-in-bid-to-protect-scooter-riders-
geolocation-data/

Australia sues Google for allegedly misleading Android users about location data collection. Google’s
Australian arm is under fire from local watchdogs over its data collection practices on Android devices –
specifically, the counterintuitive nature of location data settings. On Tuesday, October 29, the Australian
Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Google
Australia Pty Ltd., alleging “they engaged in misleading conduct and made false or misleading representations
to consumers about the personal location data Google collects, keeps and uses.” The case focuses on two
Google Account settings that, only when switched off together, prevent Google from collecting data about
Android users’ location. The settings are labelled ‘Location History’ and ‘Web & App Activity’.

Source: https://hotforsecurity.bitdefender.com/blog/australia-sues-google-for-allegedly-misleading-
android-users-about-location-data-collection-21702.html

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