*By Mike Teich*
A sweeping data privacy bill has been approved in California, but it may be too late for internet users to protect their information, said former National Counterterrorism Center officer Dave White.
"You have to consider yourself compromised," he said. "You’ve already given your data away."
Experts are calling it the nation's most far-reaching law to give consumers more control over their personal data. Under the law, customers can request what personal data companies have collected and what third parties have received it.
The passing of the historical bill didn't come without criticism. The ACLU of Northern California said the legislation falls "woefully short" in defending individuals' rights.
"It's a great first step," White said. However, “it doesn’t go far enough."
Companies that collect user data, from Amazon to Microsoft to Uber, lobbied aggressively against the law, pouring millions into a [opposition campaigns](https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/15/17468292/amazon-microsoft-uber-california-consumer-privacy-act).
But consumer advocates called it a milestone victory. "Today was a [huge win](http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/28/technology/california-consumer-privacy-act/index.html) and gives consumer privacy advocates a blueprint for success," James P. Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media. "We look forward to working together with lawmakers across the nation to ensure robust data privacy protections for all Americans."
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/california-passes-historic-privacy-bill).
The New York Times published a bombshell report Wednesday evening detailing how Facebook has navigated public scandals and attacked its critics over the past few years. The stock moved lower Thursday on the news.
With an increasing number of mobility options, putting an end to distracted driving is more urgent than ever. Ryan Luckey, assistant vice president of brand marketing at AT&T, told Cheddar about AT&T's partnership with e-scooter company Bird to keep distracted drivers ー and scooter riders ー off the roads.
The FDA is moving forward with its proposal to restrict sales of most flavored e-cigarettes including popular brand Juul.
Uber released financial statements on Wednesday showing slowed growth and greater losses while the company continues to invest in food delivery, freight, and electric bikes.
Ford and Walmart envision a world in which products are delivered straight to customers' doors ー no driver required. The two titans of industry are teaming up along with Postmates to explore delivery via self-driving cars in Miami-Dade County, Fla.
The former president of Pinterest has a new mission to curb tech addiction. Tim Kendall left his perch as the top business chief of the $12 billion company one year ago and is now the CEO of Moment, a mobile app that aims to teach people how to reduce their phone use.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) spoke with Cheddar's J.D. Durkin about Amazon's move to Crystal City and what it means for the people of Virginia. "This is both going to be an economic driver and, frankly, put this region more on the map as a tech headquarters," Warner told Cheddar.
Qualtrics CEO Ryan Smith rang the closing bell alongside SAP CEO Bill McDermott to celebrate his company's last minute buyout by SAP. Smith and McDermott talk to Cheddar about Qualtrics' planned expansion, their goals for enterprise technology and why they think the $8 billion acquisition makes so much sense. "Our mission is bigger than everything. We want XM, or experience management, all over the world, and this is by far the best way to do it," Smith told Cheddar.
NASA is partnering with an unlikely organization for one of its newest experiments ー The Michael J. Fox Foundation. NASA is planning on growing crystals out of the proteins that are likely connected to Parkinson's disease. Sarah Lewin, associate editor at Space.com, told Cheddar that growing the crystals in space will give scientists more information on the proteins and hopefully lead to a breakthrough in curing Parkinson's.
The burgeoning sport of drone racing is about to go autonomous. The professional Drone Racing League is preparing to launch a circuit for A.I. drones to compete against one another ー and, eventually, against human-controlled drones. Nicholas Horbaczewski, the founder and CEO of the DRL, previewed the new circuit in an interview on Cheddar Wednesday.
