California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigation Wednesday into xAI over allegations that its artificial intelligence model Grok is being used to create nonconsensual sexually explicit images of women and children on a large scale, marking the latest escalation in regulatory efforts to address AI-generated deepfakes. The California investigation focuses on Grok’s “spicy mode,”…
Category: california
california, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Exploits, Global Security News, Ransomware, Threats
University of Pennsylvania joins growing pool of Oracle customers impacted by Clop attacks
The University of Pennsylvania joined the steadily growing number of victim organizations impacted by the widespread data theft and extortion campaign involving a notorious ransomware group’s exploitation of a zero-day vulnerability and other defects in Oracle E-Business Suite earlier this year. The university filed a data breach notification in Maine Monday, confirming nearly 1,500 Maine…
california, Global Security News, Government, privacy
Three states team up in investigative sweep of companies flouting data opt-out laws
A joint investigative sweep across three states kicked off this week aimed at identifying companies that aren’t following opt-out laws for collecting consumer data. The efforts, led by the state attorneys general, the California Privacy Protection Agency and other state regulators, will involve contacting businesses across all three states who may not be processing opt-out…
california, Global Security News, Government, privacy
Hundreds of registered data brokers ignore user requests around personal data
There are few laws at the state or federal level to constrain data brokerage, the process by which companies collect and sell bulk data on people they’ve never met or done business with. States at the forefront of regulating the industry, like California, currently require hundreds of companies to register with the government and provide…
california, Climate, electric vehicles, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Transportation, U.S. Senate, zero emissions
California prepares to sue feds after Senate revokes the state’s EV rule
The state was to require increasing sales of zero-emissions cars and passenger trucks starting in 2026.
california, Climate, electric vehicles, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Transportation, U.S. Senate, zero emissions
Senate votes to revoke California’s ability to set air pollution standards
The state was to require increasing sales of zero-emissions cars and passenger trucks starting in 2026.
california, Cybersecurity, data breach, Global Security News, health insurance, Security
Blue Shield of California shared the private health data of millions with Google for years
The health insurance giant is notifying at least 4.7 million patients of the security lapse.
AI, autonomous vehicles, california, Global IT News, Global Security News, robotaxi, TC, Tesla, Transportation
What Tesla can and can’t do in California with its new passenger transportation permit
Tesla received a permit Tuesday from the California Public Utilities Commission to operate a transportation service in the state, the beginning of a long regulatory road that could eventually lead to the company getting the OK to operate a robotaxi service there. The permit, which Tesla applied for in November 2024, doesn’t cover autonomous vehicle…
california, Data Privacy, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Global Security News, North America, privacy
California’s legal push on geolocation data collection must take aim at the right targets, privacy experts say
The attorney general for California announced this week a wide-ranging investigation into the way companies collect, process and use consumer location data. The investigation will include scrutiny of advertising networks, mobile app providers and data brokers whose practices may violate the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), one of the strictest state privacy laws in the…
AI, Apps, california, Global IT News, Global Security News, Judge, law, NetChoice, Social
Judge allows California’s ban on addictive feeds for minors to go into effect
Late Tuesday evening, a federal judge blocked tech lobbying group NetChoice’s challenge to California’s recently enacted law, SB 976, which prohibits companies from serving “addictive feeds” to minors. The effect of this decision is that beginning Wednesday, companies will be prohibited from serving an addictive feed to a California-based user they know to be a…
california, Global Security News, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, North America, NSO Group, pegasus, privacy, Spyware, U.S. courts, WhatsApp
Judge grants ruling in favor of WhatsApp against spyware firm NSO Group
A federal judge has dealt the first major legal blow against spyware maker NSO Group, ruling in favor of WhatsApp in a five-year-old lawsuit against the Israeli firm over allegations that it hacked the chat service. Northern California District Court Judge Phyllis Hamilton made her ruling on Friday as a summary judgment, thus not requiring…
california, Climate, epa, Global IT News, Global Security News, Transportation, zero emissions
California can ban new gas cars starting in 2035, EPA says
California’s phase out would begin in 2026, when the state will require 35% of automakers’ sales to be zero emissions vehicles. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.