*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).
These are the headlines you Need2Know for Thursday.
Tesla posted a bigger than expected loss, but CEO Elon Musk promises that by next quarter, the electric carmaker will turn a profit. Musk also apologized for his rude behavior during the first quarter earnings call, and investors seemed to accept his apology, as shared jumped after his comments.
Citibank is exploring various crypto products that it could offer retail customers, Cheddar has learned. Juliana Berger, a senior vice president of product in Citi’s mobile bank division, is overseeing the secretive initiative.
Mike Sievert, President and COO of T-Mobile U.S., joins Cheddar after the company's earnings report. He says that if the proposed merger with Sprint goes through, the combined companies will have seven times the wireless capacity they do individually and could actually increase competition in the field.
The electric automaker said most factories would hit a run rate of 10,000 of the mass-market vehicles a week by the end of the year, suggesting the company could be on the path to achieving profitability. The company did still report a wider loss than expected for the current quarter, but it said it burned through less cash than in the first quarter.
Ed Sclater and Farhad Farahbakhshian, co-founders of Naked Labs, sat down with Cheddar on Wednesday to discuss the company's latest $14 million in Series A funding and the launch of its newest product, the industry's first at-home body scanner.
The home speaker company makes its debut on the Nasdaq Thursday, but with plenty of competition and what's largely considered to be just one true productーnot to mention the threat of a trade warーSonos faces plenty of challenges in its IPO.
Facebook announced this week it removed 32 pages and accounts suspected of midterm election tampering. But New York Times reporter Kevin Roose tells Cheddar there's still not a lot of information about who's behind the meddling.
Walmart's tech incubator, Store No. 8, is entering the virtual- reality market. Katie Finnegan, CEO and co-founder of virtual reality start-up Spatialand and founding principal of Store No. 8, discussed the future of VR shopping on Cheddar Wednesday.
Apple seems to have avoided the fate that sent many tech stocks plunging last week, with its earnings report sending shares to all-time highs and bringing the company oh-so-close to the $1 trillion mark. Mike Murphy, Quartz Reporter, tells Cheddar how the company will eliminate lingering fears of a slowdown on iPhone sales.
Load More