As people and businesses adjust to a new (and very online) normal, the Digital Lab is hard at work investigating technology’s profound impact on our lives.
Here’s a look at what we’ve been working on:
- Millions of people depend on videoconferencing during the ongoing pandemic, and the Digital Lab has been taking a close look at these companies’ privacy practices. After our report in March, Zoom took a lot of heat for having a vague and confusing privacy policy (they’ve since improved it). We followed up with a deep dive on the policies for Cisco’s Webex, Google’s Meet, Duo, and Hangouts, and Microsoft’s Skype and Teams. CR sent a letter urging these companies to tighten up their policies, and Cisco took steps to increase transparency. Our work was covered by The Verge, Fortune, and The Washington Post.
- CR is launching a study to see if people in California can actually exercise their new Do Not Sell rights. We’re calling on volunteers to help us understand whether and how registered data brokers are complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). If you’re in California, sign up to pitch in on the study — it’s quick and easy, and you’ll learn how to ask companies to stop selling your private data. You can read more about our goals for the study on Medium.
- Meanwhile, CR is co-sponsoring legislation introduced in the California State Assembly to further strengthen the CCPA. It’s supported by fifteen organizations. CR is also supporting CA legislation to ensure the privacy of data collected during at-home healthcare testing.
ICYMI News, Stories and Updates
- ICANN Rejects the Controversial Sale of the .ORG Domain
- How Consumer Data Is Being Used to Track the Coronavirus
- Libraries and Schools Are Bridging the Digital Divide During the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Videoconferencing security tips in the time of COVID-19
- Consumer Reports testifies before the California legislature in support of anti-robocalls bill
Please continue sending us your tips, ideas or questions.
-Ben
