Google updates Privacy Policy ahead of GDPR
San Francisco, May 11: As the European Union (EU) prepares to introduce the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on May 25 to harmonise data privacy laws, Google has updated the company's Privacy Policy to comply with it across all of the services the tech giant provides in the region.
The company laid out a new Privacy Policy in a blog post on Friday detailing exactly how and why Google collects the data that powers its various products.
"We have been working on our compliance efforts for over 18 months and ahead of the new law coming into effect we are updating our current Privacy Policy to make it easier to understand what information we collect and why we collect it," William Malcolm, Director, Privacy Legal EMEA at Google, wrote in the post.
After four years of debate, the GDPR was finally approved by the EU Parliament on April 14, 2016. Organisations that fail to comply with the new regulation may face hefty fines.
"We've explained our practices in more detail and with clearer language and added more detail about the options you have to manage, export and delete data from our services. The policy now also includes explanatory videos and illustrations, because a visual description can be easier to understand than text alone. And we've made it easier to jump to your privacy settings directly from the policy, helping you make choices about your privacy," the executive wrote.
Users would continue to have granular control over the data they share with the company when they use its services, but with clearer explanations.
"My Account", the central hub that brings together all the different ways users could review Google security, privacy and ad settings, has been improved.
With "Activity Controls", users can choose what activity is saved to their Google Account. They could view or delete data, including search history, location history, browsing history from the company's services.
Users can also take a "Security Checkup or Privacy Checkup" to reassure that their account is secure and that their privacy settings work for them.
"Manage or mute the ads you see on Google, on websites and in apps using the recently upgraded 'Ads Settings' tool and 'Mute This Ad control'," Malcolm said.
The users could get a clear overview of all the Google products that they use -- and the data associated with them -- via "Google Dashboard".
Under the new rules, companies must get consent from parents to process their children's data in certain circumstances.
For this Google is rolling out "Family Link" through which parents could create a Google Account for their child and are required to provide consent for certain processing of their child's data.
"Family Link" also allows parents to set certain digital ground rules on their child's Android device like approving or blocking apps, keeping an eye on screen time, or remotely locking their child's device.
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US President Biden assures peaceful transfer of power in January
Washington, Nov 7: Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Thursday vowed to ensure a peaceful and orderly transfer of power to President-elect Donald Trump in January and appealed to the people to accept the election results for the White House.
Biden made the comments during an address to the nation a day after Trump, 78, was re-elected as the 47th president of the US after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party's nominee.
Biden said he spoke with Trump and also with Vice President Harris, who he said ran an inspiring campaign.
Trump, who had lost the 2020 elections to President Biden, won this time both in terms of popular votes and electoral college votes.
“Yesterday, I spoke with President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his victory. I assured him that I would direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition," Biden said in his address from the Rose Garden of the White House.
"That's what the American people deserve,” he added.
"For over 200 years, America has carried on the greatest experiment in self-government in the history of the world," he said, adding that the people vote and choose their leaders and do it peacefully.
"In a democracy, the will of the people always prevails," said Biden in his address attended by members of his Cabinet and senior administration officials.
Biden said he hoped the election could also lay to rest the question about the integrity of the American electoral system.
“It is honest, it is fair, and it is transparent. It can be trusted, win or lose. I also hope we can restore the respect for all our election workers who busted their necks and took risks at the outset,” he said.
“As they did their duty as citizens, I will do my duty as president. I'll fulfill my oath and I will honour the Constitution. On January 20th, we'll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America,” Biden said.
Rebutting criticism of his economic policy, Biden said his administration is leaving behind the strongest economy in the world.
Biden said he also spoke with Vice President Harris.
"She's been a partner and a public servant. She ran an inspiring campaign, and everyone got to see something that I learned early on to respect so much: her character... She has great character, true character,” he said.
Biden added that Harris -- who took after Biden withdrew in July-- gave her "whole heart and effort" to her presidential campaign.
"I know for some people, it's a time for victory, to state the obvious. For others, it's a time of loss," he said.
Adding that campaigns are contests of competing visions and the country chooses one or the other, Biden said, "We accept the choice the country made."
"You can't love your country only when you win. You can't love your neighbour only when you agree,” Biden said.
His remarks are seen as an attempt to heal a country that appeared divided into two groups after the results of the bitterly contested presidential election were out.
"I know people are still hurting, but things are changing rapidly. Together, we've changed America for the better. Now we have 74 days to finish our term. Let's make every day count. That's the responsibility we have to the American people,” he said.
Noting that setbacks are unavoidable, he said that giving up is "unforgivable".
"We all get knocked down. But the measure of our character, as my dad would say, is how quickly we get back up. Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up,” he said.
“That's the story of America for over 240 years and counting. It's a story for all of us, not just some of us," he said, adding that the American experiment endures.
"We're going to be okay, but we need to stay engaged. We need to keep going. Above all, we need to keep the faith,” Biden said.
