Eagle Alpha Legal Wrap

Eagle Alpha rounds up some of the most relevant legal and compliance articles surrounding the alternative data space over the past month.

United States:

Following the introduction of Apple’s iOS 14.5 update, a study has shown that US users are choosing to opt-in to tracking 6% of the time. App data from Flurry Analytics showed the daily opt-in rates as well as the percentage of users with ‘restricted’ app tracking for the first three weeks since the launch. You can view the study here.

Google has announced that it will be introducing updates to the Google Play Store in Q2 2022. The updates will require app developers to disclose information regarding their apps’ data collection, app usage, data sharing and security practices, as well as providing privacy policies. You can view the article here.

China:

The second draft of China’s Data Security Law was released on the 29th of April and will be under review until 28th May. This law will help clarify state-level ‘important data’, provide more details on the cross-border transfer rules and any penalties for breaching the law. You can view the article here.

The Cyberspace Administration of China also published draft rules detailing the ban of unapproved overseas transfer of Chinese road traffic and vehicle positioning data. Additionally, the ban would include images and other information gathered by onboard cameras and sensors. You can view the article here

In China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology removed 90 apps from app stores over the “irregular collection of personal information”. These apps included Tuniu, China’s biggest LinkedIn rival, as well as a number of other popular consumer apps. These decisions were made after China updated its laws surrounding the over-collection of app data. You can view the article here.

Europe:

Germany’s regulator for Facebook has stated that it is illegal for WhatsApp to share any data with Facebook following WhatsApp’s required opt-in update for users to be allowed to continue using the platform. The regulator has submitted a case to the European Data Protection Committee, stating that the decision was concerning data privacy as well as to avoid any influence of voters running to Germany’s September elections. You can view the article here.