U.S. efforts to implement Privacy Shield are welcome but issues remain, the European Data Protection Board reported Thursday on the trans-Atlantic personal data transfer system. EDPB noted improvements in oversight and enforcement actions and the appointment of the remaining members of the U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board and a permanent ombudsperson. Concerns include lack of "substantial compliance checks with the substance of" PS principles, and application of requirements to onward data transfers, human resources data and processors. Review team members "would benefit from broader access to non-public information, concerning commercial aspects and ongoing investigations." It urged PCLOB independently assess surveillance programs conducted outside U.S. territory while data is being transferred from the EU to the U.S. The EDPB isn't convinced the ombudsperson has strong enough powers to access information and remedy noncompliance. The FTC remains committed to "robust Privacy Shield enforcement," a spokesperson emailed. The agency's committed "to working with the Department of Commerce and our European colleagues to protect privacy and facilitate data flows," she added. The department didn't comment.
Rural Wireless Association General Counsel Carri Bennet raised concerns (see 1911080017) about a proposed national security order (see 1910300036) to ban equipment from Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE from networks funded by the USF, meeting with an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai. “RWA members would like to understand whether maintenance or support would expand to areas not related to payments to Huawei and ZTE,” she said in docket 18-89, posted Wednesday.
CTA is reviewing iFlytek, which CNET reported was on the list to attend CES 2020, the group said about Chinese surveillance companies flagged for human rights violations. “It’s something we’re continuing to look into,” CES Executive Vice President Karen Chupka told us Thursday. The association didn't comment on Hikvision’s Ezviz, which CNET also singled out. Chupka also reviewed other CES 2020 plans (see 1911080045).
DOJ is pursuing criminal charges against Aventura Technologies for selling Chinese-origin goods falsely labeled U.S.-origin, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York announced. Seven current and former employees were named. "Aventura imported networked security products from [Chinese] manufacturers with known cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and resold them to U.S. military and other government installations while claiming that they were American-made," DOJ alleged Thursday. "The government intercepted and covertly marked numerous" such shipments, it alleged. Some apparently were "pre-marked with Aventura’s logo and the phrase 'Made in USA,' accompanied by an American flag." DOJ said the company "made upwards of $88 million, including over $20 million in federal government contracts" over a decade, "while claiming that it was manufacturing its products at its headquarters in Commack," New York. The company didn't comment.
CTA will announce at CES it's working with the World Bank on how to use technology to solve global problems. CTA CEO Gary Shapiro said the association is working with the group to focus on global problems involving health, gender barriers, climate change, emergency preparedness, cybersecurity and other challenges. CTA officials also spoke Thursday about other CES 2020 plans (see 1911080045).
The FTC sued a Nevada data storage services company over allegations it falsely claimed certified participation in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, the agency announced Thursday. RagingWire Data Centers allegedly claimed it participated in the framework January 2017-October 2018, despite its certification lapsing in January 2018. The company didn’t comment.
Satellite operators should operate under a "leave no trace" model to ensure long-term sustainability of space, Astroscale representatives told an aide to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, per a docket 18-313 posting Wednesday. It said companies focusing on debris mitigation could be incentivized by lower insurance premiums someday, but currently collision risk isn't adequately priced into third-party liability insurance. The company said the satellite industry needs to adhere to a 95 percent or better post-mission disposal reliability rate.
Public safety groups from the U.S., the EU, the U.K. and Canada signed a “first-of-its-kind agreement” Tuesday to work together on improving emergency communications. APCO Canada, the European Emergency Number Association, the British Association of Public Safety Communications Officials and the U.S. National Emergency Number Association signed the agreement “pledging to promote, support and improve emergency communications services utilizing the most current and commonly accepted technologies, standards, and best practices,” said a news release: The groups committed “to promote Next Generation emergency communications, services, networks and systems such as the i3 standard for NG9-1-1 in North America and the NG1-1-2 standard in Europe.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., welcomed reports Friday the U.S. government is investigating TikTok-owner ByteDance’s buy of Musical.ly for “potential national security risks” (see 1910240077). “This new investigation is validation of our concern that apps like TikTok -- that store massive amounts of personal data accessible to foreign governments -- may pose serious risks to millions of Americans and deserve greater scrutiny,” he said. ByteDance didn't comment.
Worldwide smartphone shipments reached 360.1 million in Q3, up 1.2 percent, ending a five-quarter streak of declines, reported IHS Markit Thursday. Huawei’s 66.8 million were its most ever, rising 28 percent year on year. Samsung held top rank, up 10 percent to 78 million. Huawei’s share fell globally due to U.S. sanctions (see 1903070041). It's prohibited from including Google Mobile Services on new smartphones, noted IHS analyst Jusy Hong. Launch of Mate 30 smartphones was the first sign of Huawei devices without Google services, and Huawei “will face increasing difficulties in some markets,” the analyst said. Huawei’s existing devices can still launch with Google, he noted. Its domestic sales in China, up 65 percent, “more than compensated for its overseas sales, which fell,” said Hong. Apple’s 45.9 million iPhones were a 2.1 percent decline, its fourth consecutive down quarter. Its share rose 2 points sequentially to 13 percent. Motorola, ranked eighth with 3 percent at 9.7 million. LG, at ninth, had shipments drop 28 percent to 8.3 million for 2 percent share.