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"AI is one of the most profound technologies humans will ever work on."
— Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai
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Welcome back to Snippets and the first day of May! Here's what's been happening at the intersection of privacy and tech:
- Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai testified against the Department of Justice's proposed remedies in the Google antitrust trial.
- Meta announced plans to bring AI features to its encrypted messaging app, WhatsApp.
- A gun owners group is speaking out against their personal data being used for political purposes.
- And so much more!
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Alphabet CEO responds to DOJ data sharing proposal
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Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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On Wednesday, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai testified that the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) proposal that Google share its immense trove of search data—part of a broader list of potential remedies in the search engine’s ongoing antitrust trial—would effectively be a “de facto divestiture" of the company’s core technology.
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- Pichai argued that requiring Google to share its search data, especially with competitors, was “extraordinary” and “far-reaching,” and would prevent meaningful future innovation.
- Alongside data sharing, the DOJ is also looking to ban Google’s exclusive contracts with device makers like Samsung and Apple, as well as force a split off of the Chrome browser.
- Though the case was originally filed in 2020, this portion of the trial has focused significantly on Google's AI development, particularly the Gemini chatbot, which the DOJ claims reinforces Google’s search monopoly through a self-reinforcing cycle.
- The DOJ wrapped their case on Tuesday afternoon, while Google’s attorneys will continue to call witnesses through the end of next week. The presiding judge, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, is expected to make a decision by August.
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ZoomInfo achieves agile, scalable data privacy with Transcend ⚡
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With thousands of data subject requests (DSRs) coming in each week, ZoomInfo needed a privacy partner that could not only efficiently handle a high DSR volume but also scale effortlessly as the business expanded into new data governance use cases.
Transcend's scalable, flexible platform, combined with white-glove, engineering-led support, helped ZoomInfo streamline its privacy operations, reduce costs, enhance its reputation as a trusted data steward, and future-proof privacy operations.
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Meta announces plans to bring AI to WhatsApp
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Photograph: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/Getty Images
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WhatsApp’s new AI feature, Private Processing, aims to add tools like message summarization while preserving end-to-end encryption—but experts warn it could undermine user privacy and increase security risks.
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- Though designed to keep data isolated and inaccessible to Meta, Private Processing still sends user inputs off-device, making it a potential target for hackers and surveillance.
- Critics argue that expanding AI features may lead to a gradual erosion of encryption standards, while security researchers caution that introducing cloud-based AI could weaken WhatsApp’s core privacy protections.
- Despite concerns, Meta insists the system is secure and transparent—with WhatsApp developers already opening parts of the system to third-party audits, as well as promising inclusion in the Meta bug bounty program.
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Gun owners’ group calls for federal probe into personal data misuse
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Illustration by Joan Wong for ProPublica
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Gun Owners for Safety, a firearm owners advocacy group, is urging federal agencies to investigate the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) for secretly using gun buyers’ personal data for political purposes.
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- Citing a ProPublica investigation, the group claims the NSSF collected sensitive data from gun manufacturers and shared it with political operatives without customer consent.
- The data, which included personal details like income, religious affiliation, and even underwear sizes, was used to support pro-gun candidates, including during Trump’s 2016 campaign.
- Privacy experts say the NSSF and participating companies may have violated consumer protection laws by not disclosing how customer data would be used.
- Gun owners, including conservatives and long-time gun enthusiasts, expressed outrage at the revelations, warning that such covert data use undermines trust and exposes users to significant risk.
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- WhatsApp users can now block chat history export.
- DeFi tax-reporting obligations may be permanently defunct.
- Top privacy officials accused of using EU funds for personal travel.
- Eight states have formed a privacy enforcement consortium.
- South Korea lifts DeepSeek suspension.
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Altman urges patience amidst regulatory scrutiny of biometric project
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At last week's IAPP Global Privacy Summit, ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman defended Tools for Humanity’s biometric project, World Network—arguing that public concern reflects the natural tension between innovation and privacy.
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- Altman and co-founder Alex Blania said collecting biometric data, like iris scans, is essential for verifying human identity online as AI systems grow more advanced.
- World Network has faced global scrutiny, fines, and demands to delete data, but Blania claims its cryptographic design ensures user anonymity and privacy.
- Both leaders stressed the need for collaboration with regulators, as well as better technical expertise within regulatory bodies to responsibly advance such technologies.
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Government hackers leading the use of zero-day attacks
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Image Credits:Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch
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According to an analysis by Google’s Threat Intelligence Group, nearly one-third of all successful zero-day exploits in 2024 were carried out by government-backed hackers.
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- While the overall number of attacks dropped to 75 in 2024, down from 98 the previous year, at least 23 of the 2024 attacks were traced to state-backed hackers.
- Ten of those groups worked directly with their respective governments, with China and North Korea being the principal offenders—each claiming five exploits.
- Eight attacks were traced to spyware makers like NSO Group, who mainly sells to government clientele.
- Though many spyware makers have been driven out of business by legal action, new makers have sprung up in their place—with the report projecting the industry will only continue to grow as vendors get better at avoiding detection.
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Transcend welcomes our first CISO in Residence, Aimee Cardwell!
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We're thrilled to share news of the appointment of Aimee Cardwell—former Executive Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at UnitedHealth Group—as Transcend’s first CISO in Residence (CISO-IR).
This first-of-its-kind position embeds executive security leadership within the privacy sphere, providing Transcend’s community with unparalleled ‘security-meets-privacy’ expertise while integrating Aimee's perspective within the company's ongoing strategy and product evolution.
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