*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).
A culture shift at the company has pushed Microsoft to stop competing with Apple and work with them instead. "That's just a natural thing for us to do," says Chris Capossela, Chief Marketing Officer at Microsoft.
A total of 72,000 gamers qualified for the 17-week long video game competition, and only 102 -- "the elite of the elite" -- made the final cut, says Brendan Donohue, managing director of the League.
The former Miss Universe says her social media content has been stolen in the past. "You have to be really careful," Culpo told Cheddar.
The company provides accountants with tools to automate a lot of processes so they can focus on a "much higher value activity," says Mark Huffman, COO of the software company.
Facebook released new details Tuesday regarding how it patrols content posted on its platform. In the 8,500-word document, Facebook disclosed what content it deems appropriate and what it considers offensive, covering everything from sex to drug use to hate speech. The social media company is also changing the way it handles cases of potentially offensive content.
We also dig into the latest quarterly earnings report from Google's parent company, Alphabet. The company beat expectations on earnings and revenue, thanks to strong ad growth. It's Alphabet's best earnings report since 2009.
And Cheddar's Hope King sits down with fashion icon Rachel Zoe at Suiteworld 18 in Las Vegas. Zoe talks about how she's grown her businesses over the years and how important social media is to her brand. Zoe is best known for her clothing line and Instagram series, "Real Life With Rachel Zoe."
Kristen Scholer and Tim Stenovec unpack Google's strong earnings report. Alphabet, Google's parent company, beat expectations on earnings and revenue. It was the company's best quarterly earnings report since 2009.
Facebook released detailed information on Tuesday regarding how it polices content on the site. The comprehensive new guidelines outline what users should and shouldn't post, covering topics from drug use to hate speech to sex. Facebook is also changing the way it responds to cases of potentially offensive content.
Despite a strong earnings report, Alphabet's stock dropped on Tuesday, as investors worry about looming privacy regulations. But actual regulation may not ultimately have any significant impact on the company, say two analysts.
The Farmers Business Network allows the agriculture industry to share data on everything from the price of fertilizer to which seeds grow best, says CEO Amol Deshpande.
The head of Unity Technologies said in an interview with Cheddar that the video game development company is "strong enough financially" to go public. Unity's tools are most widely used by game developers, but the company has been branching out into science, architecture, and other industries.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launched an investigation into more than a dozen major Bitcoin exchanges. But this is very much "part of the evolution" of digital money, says Lynn Martin, the president and chief operating officer of ICE Data Services.
