BIGtoken’s Top 10 Privacy and Crypto Headlines From March

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–$FPVD–BIGtoken, Inc., the first privacy focused, opt-in data marketplace where people can own and monetize their data, publishes a monthly report on the top 10 stories in data and crypto privacy.

Throughout March, Oklahoma and Florida reached new milestones in passing their own state data privacy bill, which helped further push the federal government to officially propose legislation concerning data privacy rules and security.

1. “Florida Data Privacy Bill,” The National Law Review – March 2, 2021

• The Florida Data Privacy Bill would establish consumer rights for Florida citizens. If passed, covered businesses will be required to share data collection and selling practices with consumers.

2. “Oklahoma House Passes Data Privacy Bill,” Tulsaworld – March 5, 2021

• Following Virginia, Oklahoma passed their own data privacy legislation. The bill includes an “opt-in” provision, which would require social media and telecommunications companies to obtain explicit agreement from consumers before collecting their personal information.

3. “Proposed Data Privacy Bill Creates Federal Data Standard, Empowers FTC,” HealthITSecurity – March 11, 2021

• A national consumer data privacy bill was introduced to Congress this month. The proposed bill would create federal data privacy standards and eliminate inconsistencies in various enacted state laws to establish a strong, uniform, and easily understood law that protects sensitive personal information from abuse.

Two major court hearings against Facebook and Google took place where both judges ruled in favor of the claimants who took action against the big tech companies for privacy violations. Although it’s not looking good for the two companies, both maintain they were not in the wrong or violating any terms of service agreements.

4. “After Final Approval In $650 mm Biometric Data Privacy Suit, Facebook Seeks Arbitration For Instagram,” Biometric Update – March 1, 2021

• On Monday, Judge James Donato approved a $650 million settlement giving each claimant a $345 award. The agreement also includes the face recognition feature as an opt-in option, and includes the deletion of some stored face biometric templates. However, Facebook is seeking arbitration for Instagram, claiming that users in Illinois had to agree to the app’s terms of service three different times that all included arbitration agreements.

5. “Judge Upholds Privacy Lawsuit Against Google,” Infosecurity – March 15, 2021

• A California judge ruled that the lawsuit accusing Google of collecting user data on those who are browsing in “incognito mode” can move forward despite Google’s attempts to dismiss the case. The court found that the users were not properly notified that Google continues to collect data even when in private browsing mode.

Big tech companies continue to battle one another over data protection and security. While the acrimony between big tech corporations will persist, other companies are implementing new protocols to comply with new rules and regulations that utilize robust blockchain technology to improve security and data privacy.

6. “Why Facebook and Apple Are Fighting Over Your iPhone,” USA Today – March 11, 2021

• As new rules and regulations and company policies are enacted, the market is going to see a lot of change in their technology applications. While Apple is going to require users to specifically authorize Facebook to collect information, Facebook is expected to counter with a policy directly to its users rather than leave privacy decisions in Apple’s hands. Both accuse each other of acting solely for the purpose of profits rather than focusing on implementing truly effective data privacy policies.

7. “DuckDuckGo Shames Google For ‘Spying’ On iPhone Users,” BGR – March 19, 2021

• Search engine company DuckDuckGo recently called Google out on the staggering amount of personal data it collects. Contrary to Google’s act of “spying” on its users, DuckDuckGo’s private browser engine does not collect data linked to a specific person enabling a user to maintain privacy.

8. “Blockchain Could Be The Answer To Online Privacy Concerns,” CPO Magazine – March 23, 2021

• Now that consumers and internet users are more aware of the importance of data rights and security, companies are encouraged to provide quality privacy and data controls by implementing built-in technology blockchain solutions.

As the cryptocurrency market matures, investors are expressing more concern over possible breaches with crypto transactions, creating a higher demand for more blockchain technology that will provide strong privacy and security as the market continues to grow and crypto spending starts becoming accepted by payment services.

9. “Where Does Crypto Stand When It Comes To Privacy,” Nasdaq – March 18, 2021

• Cryptocurrency traders are concerned that transactions continue to take place over centralized systems which are vulnerable to data and privacy breaches. The crypto community is focused on building-out direct communication lines within a decentralized financial model to ensure the integrity of transactions.

10. “Mina’s Mainnet Launch Marks A New Era For Internet Privacy And Data Security,” YahooFinance – March 23, 2021

• Mina, a blockchain development company, is creating a private gateway enabling users’ direct access to cryptocurrency opportunities without compromising data integrity that would occur if the users were forced to continue to utilize internet based applications which are more vulnerable to data compromises.

About BIGtoken

BIGtoken is the first privacy focused, opt-in data marketplace where people can own and monetize their data. Through a transparent platform and consumer reward system, BIG offers users choice, transparency, and compensation for their anonymized data. Participating consumers earn rewards and advertisers and media companies get access to insights from compliant first-party data for marketing and media activation. BIGtoken believes that data privacy is a human right. For more information on BIGtoken, visit bigtoken.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate to future, not past, events and may often be identified by words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Specific risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include risks inherent in our business, and our need for future capital. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in BIGtoken’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contacts

Natalie Santos

ir@bigtoken.com