*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).
"We have a really strong conviction that VR is the most incredible social entertainment platform there could be," says Hugo Barra, Vice President of Virtual Reality at the social media giant. The new Oculus Go lets users watch movies, sports games, or concerts together, and even "hang out" and play board games, Barra tells Cheddar's Alex Heath.
Facebook said it will resume its process of reviewing third-party apps using new, tighter controls after the Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed holes in the social network's data privacy protocols.
Telecom giant Verizon has been angling to get a bigger slice of the digital content industry, because these days people are leap-frogging cable networks altogether and going straight to internet streaming, says Chris Carey, Chief Strategy Officer for Verizon Digital Media Services. "This year, and in the next three to four years, all the technology has been solved for, so essentially all of the television distribution services are no longer necessary," he tells Cheddar.
The film and TV studio known for the "Hunger Games" has invested heavily in acquiring game developers and esports franchises. "I think the hardest thing to do in media, and probably the most expensive thing to do, is to launch a globally successful video game," says Peter Levin, President of Interactive Ventures, a unit of the studio.
The platform recently surpassed five million home and apartment listings with plans to keep growing that space, says Gillian Tans, CEO of the unit.
Apple and Snap reported earnings today. By in large, Apple beat across the board while Snap came up short. Earnings per share and revenue reports below:
Snap
EPS: adjusted -$0.17 vs. -$0.17
Revenue: $230.7 million vs. $244.48 million
Apple
EPS: $2.73 vs. estimate $2.67
Revenue: $61.1 billion vs. estimate $60.84 billion
In the last few years, Philips has invested in transforming itself from an electronics company to a pioneer in digital health. The company wants to "give you back control of your own health" with its innovative medical devices and AI, says Joroen Tas, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at the Dutch company.
The tech giant showed that even weaker-than-expected iPhone sales can't slow the technology giant down. The company reported strong second-quarter earnings Tuesday, with more than $61 billion in revenue.
The social media company couldn't recover from the backlash over its redesign, posting a miss on both revenue and user growth.
A federal judge heard closing arguments this week about the merger and its potential impact on consumers. If the two companies are given the green light to join forces, it could smooth the way for other mergers, including the Sprint/T-Mobile partnership, said Dan Primack, business editor at Axios.
