PRIVACY RULES AUSTRALIA
Australia's new biometric rule for Indian visa applicants: Who will have to comply? High Commission clarifies
Australian High Commission in India has exclusively mentioned that Australia’s expanded biometric requirements will cover most temporary and permanent visa applicants in India, including visitor, student, skilled-worker and permanent-migration applicants, while the requirement will be determined by individual circumstances; Indian officials travelling on official business are exempt.
EssilorLuxottica's smart glasses boom runs into tougher regulatory scrutiny
Smart glasses that resemble ordinary eyewear are under increased scrutiny from European regulators and advocacy groups, leaving investors questioning whether sales can keep booming as Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica
From Rome to Washington, why governments are pulling DeepSeek off official systems
At least eight governments, now including the US, have restricted the Chinese AI company's products. Most cite the same concern – user data stored in China, where the law gives the state wide powers to access it.
China AI developers publish safety tests for just 3.6% of model releases, report finds
Only a fraction of the 857 AI models released by Chinese companies have undergone safety testing, with merely 3.6% revealing published evaluation results, according to SemiAnalysis. Amidst rising global concerns regarding the dangers of autonomous AI systems, China's current safety governance framework highlights various risks but fails to impose compulsory standards on developers. This contrasts sharply with US firms, which have provided more thorough safety reports for their AI products.
WhatsApp rolls out new parental controls for teenagers: Here's everything you need to know
WhatsApp has introduced enhanced parental controls to assist parents in monitoring their teenage children's app activity. These new features empower parents to adjust privacy settings and approve new group chats, which strengthens online safety. Despite these changes, messaging and calling remain encrypted, prioritizing teens' privacy. This initiative aims to alleviate concerns surrounding minors' safety online, though the implementation may vary regionally as it rolls out.
AI agents take over online shopping: Ecommerce firms rethink pricing, verification
India’s ecommerce and digital platforms are preparing for a surge in personal AI agents that could increasingly make shopping decisions and transactions for consumers, forcing companies to rethink pricing, customer engagement and bot verification.
IRDAI proposal hits insurance stocks; FSSAI vs ecomm giants
The insurance regulator has proposed new limits on commissions as part of a wider overhaul. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
ETtech Explainer: Decoding EU’s move to dismantle addictive technology for children
The proposed KIDS Act would set different access rules by age, bring AI companions and conversational chatbots under the bloc’s child-safety framework and require platforms to build safeguards into their services. The proposal comes as governments in several countries consider tighter restrictions on children’s access to social media and other online services.
EU chief to unveil social media, gaming curbs for under-15s
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will on Wednesday unveil long-awaited plans to protect children from online harm by curbing access to social media, video-sharing platforms, games and AI chatbots for under-15s. Von der Leyen will use her annual keynote speech to the European Parliament to outline new EU legislation, which according to a draft document will set strict limits on access to social media, AI chatbots and online gaming for under-15s.
Regulatory measures: Governments race to rein in AI tools
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) such as Microsoft-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT are complicating governments' efforts to agree laws governing the use of the technology.
Australia may inadvertently fuel cyber crime, says data theft victim organisation
IDCare said by raising the threat of massive fines, Australia would force companies to choose whether to pay A$1 million, the typical cost of a ransom demand, or notify the authorities and risk a fine of up to A$50 million.
Singtel's second unit faces cyber attack weeks after Optus data breach
The breach at Optus, Australia's second-largest mobile operator, late last month compromised data of up to 10 million customers, triggering an overhaul of consumer privacy rules to facilitate targeted data sharing between telecommunication firms and banks.
Australia plans to force parental consent for minors on social media
Social media companies, which include anonymous forums like Reddit and smartphone dating apps like Bumble, would also be required to take all reasonable steps to determine users' ages and prioritise children's interests when collecting data
Traceability vs Privacy: The real issue is of collective security
Collective security is essential to make people feel safe & allow them to enjoy privacy protections. The new IT Rules seek to achieve this larger social good
IT Rules 2021: Govt should not weaken fundamental right to privacy in the name of security
Governments argue that messaging platforms can be used for terrorism, crime and child abuse. But this is like arguing that since a car can be used to run over people, they need to have weak wheels and soft fenders.
"Apprehension that we are going Chinese way": Ex-Infy CFO Balakrishnan on IT rules
"India is one of the large social media ecosystem in the world which is free till now and the apprehension is that we are going the Chinese way", he said.
India’s new social media rules seen echoing globally
India's new social media rules come at a time when the US, the UK and Australia are pushing Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram and their ilk to take responsibility for content on their platforms.
Australian watchdog accuses Google of privacy breaches
The commission alleges the California-based company misled millions of Australians to obtain their consent and expand the scope of personal information that Google collects about users' internet activity to target advertising.
Facebook, Google face steeper privacy fines under Australia plan
Australia’s government will introduce measures to increase fines for breaches, strengthen disclosure policies and embolden its privacy regulator.
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