An online transcription service that records users during meetings and interviews also utilizes these voice recordings and other data to train its AI models without consent, alleges a class-action lawsuit filed last week in the U.S. District Court for Northern California against Otter.ai.
AI Privacy
AI privacy concerns are growing as copyrighted works and personal data are used to train, optimize and operate machine learning systems. From facial recognition to inference risks, AI applications often test the limits of existing privacy laws. Regulators worldwide are developing safeguards to govern data use, bias, transparency and consent in AI development. This page tracks legislation, regulatory frameworks and enforcement actions at the intersection of AI and data protection.
The California Senate Appropriations Committee agreed Monday to add bills on workplace surveillance (AB-1331) and age-verification signals (AB-1043) to the “suspense file,” a category for bills deemed to be costly, setting them up for a vote at later meetings. In addition, it moved various other privacy and AI bills to suspense earlier in the hearing (see 2508180051).
A California AI bill on algorithmic discrimination would drive costs for businesses, said more than 20 state and national associations for tech and other industries in a joint letter to the state’s Senate Appropriations Committee last week. One of the groups, the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA), released the letter Tuesday.
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Femtech offers groundbreaking innovations in women's health but also poses serious privacy threats, data protection lawyers said. Even the EU, with its General Data Protection Regulation and AI Act, and the U.K., with its version of the GDPR, may not always provide adequate protection for the highly sensitive personal data that femtech apps collect and use, they added.
TikTok exploits children by using addictive design features, and in turn profits off their time on the social media app, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) alleged in a lawsuit filed Tuesday. These are deceptive and unfair business practices that violate state consumer protection laws, he added.
Colorado lawmakers will consider four proposals to amend or repeal the state’s comprehensive AI law during a special session starting Thursday, according to the Colorado General Assembly’s agenda.
California fiscal hawks added multiple privacy bills to the Senate Appropriations Committee’s suspense file during a livestreamed meeting Monday. A state finance official raised red flags on measures involving data-driven pricing and AI chatbots.
Amid rising regulatory scrutiny over AI-based therapy, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) opened a probe into Meta, Character.AI and other chatbot platforms “for potentially engaging in deceptive trade practices and misleadingly marketing themselves as mental health tools,” the AG’s office said Monday.
New Zealand agencies must comply with New Zealand data protection laws, not those from overseas, Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster said in a statement Friday.