*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).
Bjørn Kjos, CEO of Norwegian Air, said the demographic is the most important customer the company has. The company just reported 13 percent growth in traffic in July.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg are testifying in front of the Senate. Dana Wollman, acting Editor-in-Chief of Engadget, tells Cheddar what these executives have to say to satisfy both lawmakers and investors.
Sascha Segan, mobile analyst at PC Mag, spoke with Cheddar about Samsung's plans to debut a "foldable" phone, as well as to unveil improvements to other mid-tier devices.
Samsung announcing that consumer will be seeing a flexible phone by the end of this year. Sascha Segan, lead mobile analyst at PC Mag, joins Cheddar to discuss what this innovation means and why the company is looking to improve the technology of its mid-tier phones.
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will testify before the Senate on Wednesday. Tony Romm, technology reporter at The Washington Post, explains what to expect and weighs in on what the absence of a Google executive could mean. Meanwhile, President Trump's Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh faces lawmakers Tuesday as his confirmation hearings begin. And Samsung is looking to unveil a foldable phone by the end of this year.
The DC Universe is getting its own streaming service starting Sept. 15. Alan Wolk, co-founder of TV{R}ev, believes niche services will continue to grow as cord-cutting proliferates and customers build their own bespoke bundles.
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will face the Senate Intelligence Committee Wednesday on Capitol Hill to discuss a variety of topics like hate speech and election interference. Tony Romm, Technology Reporter for the Washington Post, says Google's refusal to send a high-level exec could result in "huge PR hits" for the company.
To finish out August, Elon Musk changed his mind about taking his company private, sending shares down 6.5 percent this week. Reports also emerged that investor BlackRock voted to remove Musk as chairman.
Yext allows companies to control the information being sent to systems such as Apple's Siri or Amazon's Alexa, and manage that content just as they would their own websites, said CEO Howard Lerman. Yext shares rose Friday after it posted a smaller loss than expected for the latest quarter. The stock has about doubled since the company went public in April 2017.
Skip was one of two scooter companies chosen for San Francisco's pilot program for dockless rentals. While larger competitor Lime, whose application was rejected, criticized the decision, Skip CEO Sanjay Dastoor said his company actually has more experience than Lime and alluded to the slew of complaints levied against his rival.
