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UK privacy watchdog warns Meta over plan to keep denying Brits a choice over its ad tracking on August 2, 2023 at 4:42 pm

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The UK’s data protection watchdog has responded to Meta’s announcement yesterday that it intends to offer (other) Europeans a free choice to deny its tracking-for-ad-targeting but won’t be asking UK users for their consent to its surveillance — with some, er, pointed remarks.

Take it away Stephen Almond, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)’s executive director of regulatory risk, with this “ICO statement on Meta“:

As a digital regulator, we pay close attention to how companies operate internationally and how people’s rights are respected.

We’re aware of Meta’s plans to seek consent from users for behavioural advertising in the EU, to the exclusion of the UK. This follows related findings by the Court of Justice of the European Union, Irish Data Protection Commission and Norwegian Data Protection Authority.

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We are assessing what this means for information rights of people in the UK and considering an appropriate response.

Almond’s carefully worded remarks (“close attention”; “assessing what this means for information rights of people in the UK”, “considering an appropriate response”) suggest the regulator is not best pleased that the adtech giant formerly known as Facebook isn’t intending to give UK users the same level of respect for their data rights as people in the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland are, apparently, set to get soon.

Simply put it looks very awkward indeed for the ICO, and terrible news for UK users stuck in their post-Brexit not-so-sunny-uplands, that Meta has calculated it doesn’t have to offer the same degree of respect for their information as it must for Europeans living elsewhere in the region.

Especially since Meta is doing this at a time when UK data protection law is still based on the pan-EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). (I mean, the UK government’s plan to water down the domestic privacy regime, via touted post-Brexit data “reforms”, hasn’t even made it onto the statute books yet! So, on paper, the privacy regime is the same as it was when the UK was in the EU.)

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The specific issue the ICO is facing up to here is that defence of domestic data protection rules now falls squarely on its shoulders — with no protective shielding from the Court of Justice of the EU handing down the last word on how the law must be enforced. Since January 31 2020, when Brexit was fully enacted by the UK government, rulings made by the CJEU don’t apply in UK law. And, notably, Meta has only been moved to — finally — announce its intention to give Europeans a choice to deny its tracking-for-ads in the wake of a major CJEU ruling last month.

That also followed a significant January 2023 GDPR enforcement by EU data protection regulators. And an emergency intervention by Norway last month banning Meta’s behavioral ads locally over the legal basis issue — rather than waiting for Ireland, Meta’s lead regulator, to do it across the whole EU.

The cumulative impact of all these EU procedures has left the tech giant with no lawful basis left to claim under EU law for the data processing it carries out to “personalize” ads — except consent. So there is now momentum behind GDPR enforcement that is having a tangible impact on reforming privacy-hostile business models. But, sadly for people in the UK, it sits outside the EU’s implementation of GDPR. And so… no Meta consent intent for Brits!

The bloc also hasn’t stood still on lawmaking since the UK upped and left. It’s actually been highly active on digital regulations. Including undertaking a major piece of ex ante competition reform, called the Digital Markets Act — which also appears to be giving Meta pause for thought on its ads data processing.

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The company’s blog post update yesterday announcing its intention to switch to consent for ads data processing in the EU referenced “a number of evolving and emerging regulatory requirements in the region, notably how our lead data protection regulator in the EU, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), is now interpreting GDPR in light of recent legal rulings, as well as anticipating the entry into force of the Digital Markets Act (DMA)” as informing its decision.

And, well, the DMA doesn’t apply in the UK either. Just as the Irish DPC’s GDPR enforcement and the CJEU’s interpretation of how to apply the GDPR don’t.

Meta switched UK users’ data from falling under its Irish subsidiary to its US entity earlier this year, taking UK users firmly out of EU jurisdiction. That’s Brexit folks!  (A ‘Made in the UK’ digital ex ante competition reform also hasn’t made it into domestic law after facing delays as a result of political turmoil in the governing Conservative party in the wake of, er, Brexit… So there’s no UK equivalent to the DMA yet either.)

The even more particular problem for the ICO is it has systematically failed to act on similar complaints about adtech tracking lacking a proper lawful basis for — literally — years.

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It was actually sued for inaction back in 2020 over just such a complaint. And even paused its investigation into adtech entirely during the pandemic, saying it didn’t want to saddle the industry with “undue pressure” at such a difficult time.

What about UK users’ rights not to be unlawfully creeped on by advertisers during Covid? The ICO evidently didn’t feel it should press the industry to care about such details back then — or, well, ever since really. So it’s a bit rich for the ICO to suddenly square up to Meta with implicit concerns that Brits’ info rights aren’t being properly respected. Unless this is the regulator’s Damascene conversion moment — on the need to actually enforce against adtech abuses it has been publicly critical of for years.

Previously the UK regulator has considered an “appropriate response” to rampant law-breaking by the adtech industry to mean convening a few roundtables where advertising execs were seemingly able to fill the room with hot air about respect for compliance while being allowed to continue lucrative data-mining business as usual as the ICO continued ‘investigating’.

So it’s not clear what action the UK regulator might deem “appropriate” to take against Meta if it keeps trampling local users’ rights to deny its tracking. Hopefully we’re not going to see another open-ended/neverending investigation.

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Technically the UK GDPR allows for penalties for confirmed breaches that can reach as high as 4% of global annual turnover — which, in Meta’s case, could sum to a few billion pounds. But the ICO hasn’t strayed anywhere near the theoretical maximums in the GDPR enforcements it has chalked up to date. So the adtech giant may have decided there’s minimum regulatory risk on UK turf — and set the level of respect for local users’ data accordingly. Ergo: No consent for you, you’re British.

We reached out to the ICO with questions about its historical lack of enforce against adtech’s tracking and profiling, and to ask what specific responses it may consider if Meta continues to provide UK users with a lesser level of data protection than other people in European, but the regulator told us it had nothing more to add beyond Almond’s public remarks.

Meta also declined comment on the ICO’s statement. But its spokesman pointed us back to the section of its blog post we quoted above — where it says its intention to switch to consent in the EU and EEA was taken in response to a number of enforcement decisions by the region’s regulators and courts. So, basically, Meta is making the salient point that its looming switch of lawful basis tracks enforcement action. No enforcement, no switch. Simples!

Of course this also means the ICO does have the power to change how UK users’ rights are treated by Meta or any other adtech entities operating on UK soil. I.e. by actually enforcing UK law on the adtech industry as privacy campaigners have been calling for it to do for years.

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Michael Veale, a lecturer in digital rights at the University College London, who was one of the individuals behind the aforementioned complaint about adtech industry practices to the ICO back in 2018 — and who also subsequently took legal action after the regulator closed the complaint a couple of years later without taking a decision — urged the ICO to seize the opportunity it now has to act on its stated concerns for UK users’ rights by regulating adtech giants like Meta directly.

“Since Meta moved its relevant headquarters for UK users from Ireland to the US, the UK is now obliged to regulate the tech firm for itself, not to wait for Ireland. This would be a great time [for the ICO] to show it is ready for these significant new responsibilities,” he told TechCrunch.

“The text of the relevant law applying to Meta is in all relevant ways identical in the EU and the UK. Meta’s choice not to extend the same rights to UK users is it making a calculated decision that privacy enforcement in the UK is weak enough to ignore,” Veale added. “Some of the court judgements do apply to the EU and not the UK, as they were handed down after the end of 2020. But that does not mean that the regulator cannot take clear action using the information provided in the course of these judgements, and on the solid reasoning within them.”

Meta says it will offer Europeans a free choice to deny tracking

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​ The UK’s data protection watchdog has responded to Meta’s announcement yesterday that it intends to offer (other) Europeans a free choice to deny its tracking-for-ad-targeting but won’t be asking UK users for their consent to its surveillance — with some, er, pointed remarks. Take it away Stephen Almond, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)’s executive director 

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The Cities Bracing for Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

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In the wake of Donald Trump’s recent election victory and his promise of “the largest deportation operation in American history,” several major U.S. cities are bracing for potentially seismic shifts in their economic and social landscapes. As the nation grapples with the implications of this proposed policy, urban centers that have long been havens for immigrant communities find themselves at the epicenter of a looming storm.

Los Angeles, often dubbed the “City of Angels,” stands to lose more than its celestial nickname suggests. As a primary gateway for immigrants, the city’s vibrant tapestry of cultures and its economic engine could face significant disruption. From the bustling streets of Koreatown to the sun-drenched orchards of the Central Valley, the absence of undocumented workers could leave gaping holes in the city’s workforce and cultural identity.

Across the country, New York City, with its iconic skyline and melting pot reputation, faces its own reckoning. The Big Apple’s 5.9 million immigrants, many of whom are undocumented, form the backbone of industries ranging from construction to healthcare. The potential exodus could transform neighborhoods like Jackson Heights and Flushing, altering the very essence of what makes New York a global city.In the Sunshine State, Miami’s tropical allure belies the turbulent times ahead. Home to 2.5 million immigrants, the city’s economy relies heavily on sectors like tourism and hospitality – industries where undocumented workers often fill crucial roles. The potential deportation of these workers could send shockwaves through Miami’s economic ecosystem, from South Beach’s glitzy hotels to the agricultural heartlands of South Florida.

Chicago, the “City of Big Shoulders,” may find those shoulders significantly weakened. With 1.7 million immigrants in its metropolitan area, the Windy City’s diverse neighborhoods and industries face an uncertain future. From the meatpacking plants to the tech startups, Chicago’s economic resilience could be tested like never before.

In the Lone Star State, Houston and Dallas stand as twin testaments to the complexities of immigration policy. These Texas titans, each home to large immigrant populations, could see their booming economies stumble. The construction sites that dot their ever-expanding skylines and the service industries that keep these cities humming could face unprecedented labor shortages.

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Out West, the San Francisco Bay Area’s reputation as a bastion of innovation and progress could be challenged. The region’s tech industry, often reliant on immigrant talent, might find itself grappling with a new reality. From Silicon Valley’s coding campuses to the agricultural expanses of the Central Valley, California’s economic powerhouse could face a reckoning. Phoenix, rising from the Sonoran Desert, could see its growth trajectory altered. As Arizona’s urban center, it stands at the forefront of the immigration debate, potentially facing not just economic impacts but social and political upheaval as well.

These cities, along with others like San Diego and Las Vegas, are not just facing potential economic disruptions. They are staring down the barrel of profound social change. Family separations, community fragmentation, and the erosion of cultural enclaves built over generations are all possible consequences of mass deportations. Moreover, the fiscal implications are staggering. Undocumented immigrants contribute billions in taxes annually, often without receiving the full benefits of their contributions. Their sudden absence could leave gaping holes in city budgets, potentially affecting public services and infrastructure projects.

As these urban centers brace for impact, the debate rages on. Supporters of stricter immigration policies argue for the need to enforce laws and protect American jobs. Critics warn of economic devastation and the unraveling of America’s urban fabric. What’s clear is that America’s cities stand at a crossroads. The coming months and years will likely reshape urban landscapes in ways both visible and invisible. From the foods we eat to the services we rely on, from the neighborhoods we call home to the very character of our cities, the impacts of this proposed immigration crackdown could be far-reaching and long-lasting. As the nation watches and waits, these cities – vibrant, diverse, and economically vital – find themselves on the front lines of a policy that could redefine what it means to be an American city in the 21st century.

Bolanle Media is excited to announce our partnership with The Newbie Film Academy to offer comprehensive courses designed specifically for aspiring filmmakers. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to enhance your skills, our resources will provide you with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in the competitive world of screenwriting. Join us today to unlock your creative potential and take your first steps toward crafting compelling stories that resonate with audiences. Let’s turn your ideas into impactful scripts together!

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How Trump’s Deportation Plans Could Reshape Major Cities

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In the wake of Donald Trump’s recent election victory, his ambitious plans for mass deportations have thrust America’s urban centers into the spotlight. As the nation grapples with the potential implications of what Trump calls “the largest deportation operation in American history,” cities across the country are bracing for significant changes that could reshape their economic, social, and cultural landscapes.

The stakes are particularly high for metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, and Miami, which host the largest populations of unauthorized immigrants. These cities, along with other major urban hubs such as Chicago, Washington D.C., and San Francisco, stand at the forefront of a looming transformation that could reverberate throughout the nation.

Economic Tremors

Economists warn that the proposed deportations could send shockwaves through urban economies. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s, cautions that businesses would face “significant challenges” if a substantial number of immigrants were removed. Industries such as construction, hospitality, and healthcare—pillars of urban economies—could face severe labor shortages.

Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, emphasizes the potential ripple effects: “The native-born workforce cannot meet current labor demands.” This labor gap could lead to increased wages, potentially rekindling inflation—a concern that looms large over city planners and policymakers alike.

Community Fabric Under Strain

Beyond economic considerations, the social fabric of cities hangs in the balance. Elena, a Nicaraguan immigrant in Houston, voices a fear echoed in immigrant communities across the nation: “I’m scared… This is my home.” The threat of family separations, particularly in mixed-status households, casts a long shadow over urban neighborhoods.

Immigrant advocacy groups like FIEL are mobilizing, advising clients to prepare for “anything that can happen.” This atmosphere of uncertainty could lead to decreased community engagement and cooperation with local authorities, potentially impacting public safety and community cohesion.

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Cities at a Crossroads

As the debate intensifies, cities find themselves at a crossroads. Some, like New York and Los Angeles, have historically positioned themselves as “sanctuary cities,” often at odds with federal immigration enforcement. The impending clash between federal policy and local governance promises to be a defining feature of this new political landscape.

Meanwhile, the logistical challenges of implementing such a massive deportation operation remain daunting. Questions abound regarding detention facilities, transportation networks, and the sheer manpower required to carry out Trump’s vision.

Looking Ahead

As America’s urban centers brace for potential change, the full impact of Trump’s deportation plans remains to be seen. Legal challenges are all but certain, and the resilience of America’s cities will be put to the test.

What is clear is that the coming months and years will be pivotal for urban America. As Jason Miller, a senior Trump adviser, puts it, the plan is to “immediately reinstate” immigration policies from Trump’s first term. For America’s cities, this could mean a period of unprecedented change, challenge, and, potentially, transformation.

As the nation watches and waits, the story of America’s cities in the face of this ambitious deportation plan is just beginning to unfold. The outcome will undoubtedly shape the future of urban life in America for years to come.

Bolanle Media is excited to announce our partnership with The Newbie Film Academy to offer comprehensive courses designed specifically for aspiring screenwriters. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to enhance your skills, our resources will provide you with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in the competitive world of screenwriting. Join us today to unlock your creative potential and take your first steps toward crafting compelling stories that resonate with audiences. Let’s turn your ideas into impactful scripts together!

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Donald Trump Wins 2024 USA Election

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Based on the election results, Donald Trump has indeed won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. Here’s an analysis of the key statistics and implications:

Electoral College Victory

Donald Trump has secured the presidency by winning crucial battleground states and flipping some key states that were previously held by Democrats. The final Electoral College tally is still being determined, but Trump has surpassed the 270 electoral votes needed to win.

Battleground State Performance

Trump’s victory was largely secured by winning several critical swing states:

  • Wisconsin: Trump’s win here was pivotal in securing his path to victory.
  • Pennsylvania: This state flipped back to Republican control.
  • Georgia: Another key state that Trump managed to win back.
  • Michigan: Trump successfully flipped this traditionally Democratic stronghold.

While the final popular vote tally is still being calculated, exit polls provide insight into voter priorities:

Congressional Control

The election results extend beyond the presidency:

Media Implications

The outcome of this election could be seen as a challenge to mainstream media narratives for several reasons:

  1. Polling Discrepancies: Many pre-election polls suggested a tight race or even a slight Harris advantage in key states. Trump’s victory, particularly in battleground states, may indicate that polls underestimated his support.
  2. Narrative Shifts: Throughout the campaign, much of the mainstream media focused on Trump’s legal challenges and controversies. His victory suggests that these issues may not have resonated with voters as much as economic and policy concerns.
  3. Voter Priorities: The emphasis on issues like the economy and immigration in voter decision-making may indicate a disconnect between media focus and voter concerns.
  4. Electoral Predictions: Many mainstream outlets were cautious about predicting a Trump victory, even as results began to favor him. This hesitancy could be seen as a reflection of broader media skepticism about Trump’s chances.
  5. Underestimation of Trump’s Base: The results suggest that Trump’s core support remained strong and potentially grew, despite negative coverage in much of the mainstream media.

It’s important to note that while the election outcome may challenge some media narratives, it doesn’t necessarily invalidate all mainstream reporting. The complex factors influencing voter behavior and the challenges of accurate political forecasting remain subjects of ongoing analysis and debate.

As the dust settles on this historic election, both the media and political analysts will likely engage in extensive reflection on the factors that led to Trump’s victory and the implications for future political coverage and analysis.

Bolanle Media is excited to announce our partnership with The Newbie Film Academy to offer comprehensive courses designed specifically for aspiring screenwriters. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to enhance your skills, our resources will provide you with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in the competitive world of screenwriting. Join us today to unlock your creative potential and take your first steps toward crafting compelling stories that resonate with audiences. Let’s turn your ideas into impactful scripts together!

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