*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).
As Via celebrates five years since its founding in New York, the rideshare service that started as a "glorified bus," in the words of its own CEO, is looking to new mobility solutions for its next phase of growth.
The Twitter Esports Business Summit ran from Oct. 1-3, and it held its focus on the growing market of esports and how Twitter fits into the business. Rishi Chadha, head of gaming content partnerships at Twitter, said the company is focusing on the communities that foster players and fans, as well as publishers and developers of different platforms.
Upwork, whose stock debuted on the Nasdaq Wednesday, helps connect freelancers in smaller markets who might be at a disadvantage to those in New York or San Francisco. CEO Stephane Kasriel said that by 2027, as much as 50 percent of the workforce could be doing some sort of freelance work.
After Facebook said that 50 million accounts were compromised in the latest privacy breach of the social network, users are starting to wise up about what they share with the company, said Mark Scott, chief technology correspondent at Politico.
Microsoft's fall Surface event on Tuesday came with a surprise: headphones. The company's newly announced Surface Headphones represent the first audio device in the Surface lineup. Hope King got a chance to try them out firsthand.
Honda is making a big investment in autonomous cars, with $2.75 billion going to GM's self-driving car company Cruise over the next 12 years. Kyle Vogt, CEO of Cruise, said this investment propels the technology forward and makes autonomous vehicles a possibility much sooner.
Dipayan Ghosh, fellow at the Shorenstein Center and a former adviser to both Facebook and the Obama White House, said that big tech has been ignoring "the little guy" for a long time and putting tech users and their privacy at risk.
The team became the first in the NBA to introduce GIFs for the Facebook platform. Sandro Gasparro, director of social media for the Los Angeles Clippers, told Cheddar it's not just another way to promote engagement, but can also connect fans to players on a more personal level.
Cargo, a start-up that lets rideshare drivers sell convenience store items to passengers from their vehicles, recently raised $22 million after closing an exclusive partnership with Uber. Jeff Cripe, founder and CEO of Cargo, said the deal with Uber doesn't preclude drivers from using the service if they drive for Lyft, Via, or others.
On Tuesday, Amazon announced that it will be raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour. The news comes after months of criticism and even proposed legislation spearheaded by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). The "Stop BEZOS" Act introduced in the Senate in September would require corporations like Amazon to contribute to the cost of social services for its employees. Khanna was sponsoring a version in the House. He said he commends Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and believes this move will propel other corporations in the same direction.
