*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 worst data breach in Facebook's history was likely done by spammers, not a foreign state, according to a report. Whether that's any comfort to the tens of millions of people whose personal information ー including names, emails, religious affiliations, and locations ー was accessed in the wide-ranging attack remains to be seen.
Michael Pachter, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, isn't buying into the Netflix hype even after the good Q3 earnings.
Discord, initially a popular app for in-game messaging, is launching a store with hundreds of games users can access for a monthly fee. Jason Citron, co-founder and CEO of Discord, said the company's growth is a "side effect" of gaming becoming more social.
MedMen, which just completed the largest pot-related acquisition to date in America, is preparing for the day when American drug laws catch up, said spokesman Daniel Yi.
Atari, the popular French gaming company, is now open to investments from U.S. investors through its new affiliation with with Nasdaq International. Frederic Chesnais, CEO of Atari, told Cheddar about the partnership.
Loren Padelford, Shopify vice president and general manager, had spent Wednesday morning monitoring the cannabis transactions taking place on Canadian Shopify-powered sites and said the demand was outpacing even his company's bullish forecasts.
Canada legalized recreational marijuana use on Wednesday, making it the second country to do so. Netflix stock is surging after the streaming giant added a record number of subscribers in the third quarter. Plus, Anthony Atamanuik and Adam Pally from Comedy Central's 'The President Show' join Cheddar to talk about their new special 'The Fall Of Donald Trump.'
Auction house Christie's will put up its first-ever painting created entirely by artificial intelligence. Lindsay Griffith, a specialist at Christie's, said the painting is likely to fetch as much as $10,000.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and venture capital firm Initialized Capital, has partnered with 1850 Brand Coffee for the "Bold Pioneer" content where people pitch their ideas to win $18,500 to jump-start their business plan. Ohanian said he's looking for entrepreneurs who are thinking outside the box and making investors "a little uncomfortable."
