Penny Dean and Your Rights

A federal judge has rejected a class action lawsuit against Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, and General Motors, alleging violations of Washington state’s privacy laws. The lawsuit claimed the car manufacturers used on-board infotainment systems to record customers’ text messages and mobile phone call logs.

The FBI is investigating a data breach where cybercriminals stole patients' records from a Las Vegas plastic surgeon's office and posted the details online, including nude photos.

In February, cybercriminals gained access to Hankins & Sohn's network in Henderson and Las Vegas, downloading patient information. The practice notified patients in March and April, acknowledging the breach and stating they are working with law enforcement.

In a dispute over a repair law, Subaru and Kia have disabled wireless car features in Massachusetts, impacting car buyers who lose access to features such as automatic emergency calls and remote start. This action stems from a state law allowing car owners to share wireless repair information with any service shop, not just authorized dealers. The article highlights the broader issue of manufacturers retaining control over devices, such as cars, once they are wirelessly connected, affecting privacy and ownership.

In an unprecedented incident, the state of Maine has reported a ransomware attack that compromised the data of approximately 1.3 million residents. The attack exploited a software vulnerability in the third-party file transfer tool MOVEit, commonly used worldwide. Cybercriminals, believed to be associated with the Clop group, weaponized the exploit between May 28 and May 29, gaining unauthorized access to multiple state government agencies.

In 2006, a tragic and shocking incident occurred when Ryan Waller and his girlfriend Heather Quan were victims of a violent break-in at their Phoenix apartment. The assailants, Ritchie Carver and his father Larry Carver, broke in while a roommate was absent. When Ryan answered the doorbell and realized trouble was brewing, he tried to shut the door, but Ritchie shot him in the head twice. Ritchie then went on to shoot Heather dead on the couch.

All 25 car brands the foundation reviewed collected more personal data than necessary and used that information for a reason other than to operate the vehicle.

• Most car brands (84%) share or sell personal data, and 19 (76%) say they can sell your personal data.
• A surprising number (56%) also say they can share your information with the government or law enforcement in response to a "request."
• Most (92%) car brands give drivers little to no control over their personal data.
• The foundation could not confirm whether any of the car brands meet its minimum security standards.
• 17 (68%) of the car brands have a bad track record of security and privacy lapses.

Source: https://www.techdirt.com/2023/09/11/fbi-federal-judge-agree-fighting-bot...

The FBI has been granted a warrant to remotely install software on computers anywhere in the United States in order to disrupt botnets. This means that the FBI could potentially install software on your computer without your knowledge or consent.

According to Mashable, on September 8, 2023, some Wyze users reported seeing the feeds and camera logs of other users. Wyze confirmed that the merged feeds stemmed from "a web caching issue" that only affected desktop users during a 30-minute time period. However, many users expressed deeper privacy worries with the home camera system, given that this is not the first time Wyze has been criticized for its lax security measures.

In a significant move to address the escalating gun violence in New Mexico, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared a public health emergency and issued a 30-day suspension on the public carry of firearms in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. The suspension applies to both open and concealed carry laws, with exceptions for law enforcement officers and licensed security guards.

An outraged parent and gun rights groups are speaking out against an Alabama elementary school that suspended a first-grader, reportedly for making a finger gun.

Jerrod Belcher, whose six-year-old son J.B. attends Bagley Elementary School in Jefferson County, Alabama, says the school over-reacted to a game of "cops and robbers." A notice of suspension shared with Fox News Digital states that Belcher's son committed a "Class III" infraction on September 1 by "using his fingers to shoot at another student."