Good morning, it’s almost the end of the week. Let’s get stuck into the tech news.
1. Queensland passes data breach laws
itNews is reporting that the Queensland government has passed a law that will force state agencies to disclose if a data breach has occurred. The new law comes the same week that New South Wales’ similar scheme came into effect. “The mandatory data breach notification scheme is significant and will enhance public confidence in Queensland’s privacy laws,” Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said. The new law will come into effect from mid-2025.
2. Privacy watchdog won’t investigate employer that allegedly accessed employee emails
The Guardian is reporting that the Australian information commissioner won’t investigate an employer that allegedly accessed employee emails, noting that the information was accessed on a work laptop. The employee made a complaint to the information commissioner in 2019, alleging that his employer accessed his iCloud and personal email accounts. “The [employer] does not require your consent to access or use the equipment that it issued to you to perform your employment duties. As the computer was a tool the respondent provided to you to carry out your employment duties, it remains the property of the respondent,” a delegate of the information commissioner said to the plaintiff.
3. New laws fighting broken EV chargers
Drive is reporting (by way of The Driven) that new rules are set to be introduced for government-funded EV charges from next year. To receive federal or state funding for EV chargers, the new rules specifically require EV chargers to have an uptime of 98 per cent, in an attempt to crack down on out-of-order charging stations. It’s set to bring Australia in line with other countries with similar laws, such as the UK and the U.S.. Charging locations above 150kW speeds will also need at least one ‘drive through’ bay for larger vehicles.
4. Google caves in fight with Canada
Google has reached a deal with the Canadian government over a controversial new law that will force tech companies to pay news publishers when their content is shared on online platforms. Google and Meta previously threatened to block links to news content in Canada altogether in response to the law. The deal is the first sign of compromise between Canada and Silicon Valley. If it works out, it could set a precedent for similar laws across the globe.
5. Tech giants to testify in January
Reuters is reporting that CEOs from Meta, TikTok, Snap, Discord, and Twitter (now X) will be forced to testify at a U.S. Senate hearing on child exploitation material in January. Discord and X had originally refused a subpoena, but are now working with the panel. “Now that all five companies are cooperating, we look forward to hearing from their CEOs,” two Senators on the joint panel said in a statement. “Big Tech’s failure to police itself at the expense of our kids cannot go unanswered.”
BONUS ITEM: Look at how they massacred my boy.
Microsoft Paint jumps on the generative AI bandwagon, with DALL-E taking the fancy-footed horses’ reins.
— PC Gamer (@pcgamer) November 29, 2023
Full story: https://t.co/VyojiPUcdx pic.twitter.com/k6goAV7UnB
Have a wonderful day.