ABCs of Tech – Tech News Roundup for September 4, 2024

Today’s Tech News Roundup:

• AI: Clearview AI hit with GDPR fine
• Big Tech: NVIDIA’s antitrust investigation continues
• Cybersecurity: Halliburton was a cyberattack victim

Facial Recognition Company Clearview AI Fined €30.5M for GDPR Violations

Clearview AI is a private company with a facial recognition database comprising over 50 billion facial images. This database is marketed to government and law enforcement agencies to assist in public safety, criminal investigations, and security and defense. The company claims all images are sourced from the public internet, including newspapers, social media, and other sources. The Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) has fined the company €30.5 million for violating the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in two ways: first, for collecting the photos without consent, and second, for lack of transparency, as EU citizens cannot determine what data Clearview AI may have.

Why it matters: This is not the first time Clearview AI has been fined for violating the GDPR. France, Greece, and Italy have also recently fined the company, bringing the total fines to €90.5 million. As technology makes our world smaller, more companies are failing to comply with global regulations.

Further reading:  The Next WebOpens a new window ; EngadgetOpens a new window ; Bleeping ComputerOpens a new window ; Full text of the General Protection Data RegulationOpens a new window

US DOJ Investigating NVIDIA in Antitrust Probe

NVIDIA has become a Wall Street darling thanks to the company’s dominance in the AI chip market. It even briefly became the world’s most valuable company in June. But the US Department of Justice is investigating whether the company violated antitrust laws, and sent subpoenas requesting more information about the company’s practices. According to Bloomberg, the DOJ is looking for evidence that the company makes it difficult to switch vendors and penalizes customers that use AI chips from other manufacturers.

Why it matters: As the chip sector struggled to rebound after COVID-19, NVIDIA jumped ahead of companies like Intel and AMD to release chips explicitly built for powering artificial intelligence. It’s estimated that NVIDIA has 80-95% of the market share of AI chips. The company’s dominance in AI could stifle competition.

Further reading: BloombergOpens a new window ; The VergeOpens a new window ; ReutersOpens a new window

Halliburton Confirms Data Breach from August Cyberattack

In August, US oil and gas company Halliburton reported that a cyber incident disrupted its operations. At the time, the company provided few details in the 8-K filing. On September 3, 2024, the company filed another 8-K report, stating, “The Company believes the unauthorized third party accessed and exfiltrated information from the Company’s systems.” Halliburton is continuing to investigate the nature and scope of the incident.

Why it matters: Disruptions to critical infrastructure—oil and gas, utilities, healthcare, and the food supply—can have severe consequences on society. This makes them a prime target for hackers, and the embarrassment of a shutdown may lead organizations to pay the ransom.

Further reading: TechCrunchOpens a new window ; US NewsOpens a new window ; DarkReadingOpens a new window ; Halliburton’s 8-K filingOpens a new window