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Our World in Data
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- 1Irish watchdog fines Google €403 million over GDPR breaches●Irish data protection watchdog fines Google €403M over GDPR breaches
Google has been fined €403 million by Ireland's Data Protection Commission for breaches of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation. The Irish Times reports the decision by the regulator, which oversees many major US tech firms because of their European headquarters in Ireland. The penalty is one of the largest GDPR fines issued to date, underlining continued EU scrutiny of how large technology companies handle users' personal data.
- 2Jury finds Facebook liable in Cambridge Analytica deception case●Jury finds Facebook liable for deceiving users in Cambridge Analytica case
A jury has found Facebook liable for deceiving users in the long-running Cambridge Analytica case, stemming from the scandal in which data from millions of users' profiles was harvested without proper consent and used for political targeting. The verdict marks a rare courtroom setback for Meta over its privacy practices. Observers are watching closely for the penalties the company now faces.
- 3Google to Test AI Chips in Space with Project Suncatcher●Google Plans First Test of AI Chips in Space under Project Suncatcher
Google has announced Project Suncatcher, an initiative to test its AI chips in space for the first time. The plan points to putting data-processing hardware aboard satellites, a step that could eventually move parts of AI computing off Earth. The announcement is drawing attention across the tech and semiconductor world, with observers weighing the engineering challenges of running chips in orbit and what it could mean for the future of data centers.
- 4US Immigration in Historical Perspective Examined●How high is current immigration to the United States in historical perspective?
New analysis from Our World in Data examines how current immigration levels to the United States compare with earlier periods in the country's history. The piece places recent flows in long-term context, looking at foreign-born population shares over time and prompting debate about whether today's numbers are historically unprecedented or within past norms.
- 5Midcentury raises $15 million seed to tackle robotics data bottleneck●Midcentury emerged from stealth with a $15 million seed round to address the data bottleneck in robotics. Source: Ventur
Robotics startup Midcentury has come out of stealth with a $15 million seed round aimed at solving one of the field's biggest constraints: the shortage of usable training data for physical AI systems. The funding, reported by Ventureburn, positions the young company among a growing wave of startups betting that better data infrastructure will unlock progress in real-world robotics.