by Yadi Younse Chinese state media painted the U.S. Federal Government’s threats to ban TikTok if it is not sold to an American company as a “smash and grab” – and they weren’t wrong. While the U.S. government alleged that…
Category: Social Media
An Award: Worst State Anti-Privacy Bill of the Year – Senate Bill 690
Update 7/1/25: Senate Bill 690 was parked for the year. While we like to focus on the positive, sometimes we gotta call out the shenanigans. Every year in the State Legislature, one proposal among the 3,000 that get offered stands…
2024 State Legislature Wrap-up
It is now past the end of the road for the 2024 state legislative year, so we wanted to report back to you on what happened, what OP did, and what new laws are coming your way. It was the…
The Saga of AB 1463 and Other Sacto Tales
The 2023 legislative season in CA’s state capital has come to a close. Oakland Privacy intervened on your behalf on over 65 bills (a world record), piping up in support, opposition or demanding changes. Our final batting average in sign/veto…
So You Never Wanted To Be A Porn Star?
by J.P. Massar Well, now you may be, like it or not. Algorithms and processing have advanced to the point where your face may be substituted, digitally, seamlessly, and essentially undetectably (aka “deepfakes”), for that of a porn star, keeping…
Concerns About Facebook Currency
A coalition of privacy, civil rights and public interest groups sent a letter of concern about Facebook’s plan to introduce a digital currency. The groups say Facebook’s new cryptocurrency raises “profound questions about national sovereignty, corporate power, consumer protection, competition…