Global Data & Privacy Update - 18 December 2014

Google faces fines throughout Europe

Data Protection Agencies (DPAs) in six European countries, including the UK and the Netherlands, have opened investigations into Google for its handling of user data since the introduction of company guidelines two years ago. The Dutch DPA has reportedly ordered Google to start seeking consent or face fines of up to €15 million. Meanwhile, Google's French subsidiary has been ordered by the Paris Tribunal de Grande Instance to pay daily fines of €1,000 unless links to a defamatory article are removed from the parent company's entire global network, based on the "right to be forgotten".

Cyber-attack causes massive damage to German steel plant

The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has revealed that there was a damaging cyber-attack on a German steel plant's ICS and furnace. The BSI reported that the hackers first attacked the office network and from there the production networks. These attacks caused the failure of the numerous control components which affected the regulation of the blast furnace and led to "massive damage to machinery".

Technology companies continue to leave Russia as internet restrictions bite

Following Adobe System's decision to shut down its Russian office, Google is the latest company to announce that it is existing Russia due to growing restrictions on internet freedoms. One such restriction is a law to come into effect next year, which requires foreign firms to store Russian users' personal data on servers located in Russia. While the Russian authorities say it will improve data protection, critics claim that it is designed to make it harder for US companies to operate in the country.

US Congress passes four cyber-security bills

Following a series of votes in the House and Senate last week, the US Congress approved four cyber-security bills, largely focused on the structures and procedures of the federal agencies that supervise national cyber-security. One...