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Report Shows How Loophole in Privacy Law Makes Opting Out of Facebook Data Sharing Difficult; Global Opt Out Law Needed, Consumer Watchdog Says

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LOS ANGELES, July 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A new report from Consumer Watchdog shows how thousands of companies share your data with Facebook, including financial companies and health care providers, and how a loophole in California’s premier privacy law makes opting out difficult and time consuming.

The report details how the big three web browsers do not offer a global opt out signal to make companies halt the sale and sharing of personal information easy, but pending legislation in California will make the global opt out signal mandatory. 

“In order to exercise your rights and tell a business to stop sharing or selling your data, you need to have the time and sanity to visit thousands of websites,” said Justin Kloczko, tech and privacy advocate for Consumer Watchdog. “This is an access issue, and we need better tools. The legislature must pass Assembly Bill 3048 (Lowenthal) and the governor should sign it.”

Read the report, “No Opt Out,” here.

Watch a consumer alert on the issue here.

The same tech companies that collect lots of data also own the most popular web browsers—Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge—but they don’t let us tell all businesses our privacy choices because it’s not in their financial interest to do so, said the nonprofit advocacy group.

Although businesses must accept a global opt out under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), most browsers don’t offer such a signal unless a plug-in is installed. Even then, not all browsers accept it.

Using Facebook as an example, Kloczko tried to take control of his data, but discovered how time-consuming and confusing opting out can be. He learned Facebook knows about over 2,500 companies that he’s visited online, including his credit card company and health insurer, since opening his account nearly 20 years ago. The list also contains major data brokers like Experian and Live Ramp that he didn’t interact with directly.

“Data brokers keep a low profile but traffic in our most personal details. They know what we eat, watch, read, and purchase,” said Kloczko.

And despite deactivating his Facebook account for a year, meaning his account was not visible to other accounts, the sharing between Facebook and companies Kloczko visited continued, said the nonprofit. According to the data, Facebook and advertisers still knew about 671 businesses Kloczko interacted with online, including his health insurer, credit card company, and bank.

“If I want to put a stop to this data sharing, I must navigate a confusing, seemingly endless labyrinth of privacy options obscured in legalese,” said Kloczko. “It’s a tedious undertaking that fatigues people from exercising their options.”

Separately, it’s not even clear that Facebook is complying with the CCPA because even though Facebook says it does not share or sell your data, advertisers still pay for access to it.

Recent polling says that while most Californians are concerned about the sharing and selling of personal information, they lack understanding of their privacy rights.

The good news is there is pending state legislation to strengthen rights, as well as laws being implemented right now that will make exercising privacy rights easier for Californians, said the nonprofit.

If passed and signed by the governor, AB 3048 will make California the first state in the country to allow users to opt out in one step by requiring browsers to offer a global opt-out preference signal that opts out of the sale/sharing of personal information and its use for targeted advertising.

And in 2026, Californians will be able to tell data brokers, who collect data from other parties, to delete all personal information in one step, thanks to an amendment to the CCPA called the Delete Act, or Senate Bill 362 (Becker). Currently under the law, data brokers are required to enter a state registry and disclose if they collect information on geolocation, minors, and health data.

The average person using the Internet spends almost seven hours a day in front of a screen. That’s roughly 17 years spent checking the Internet. We check our phones on average of 144 times a day. This generates a lot of data. People are surveilled as they book doctor appointments, shop for food, and dial suicide hotlines. Our every search, scroll and tap is monetized as part of a personal data industry that is worth billions of dollars. Each person has about 3,000 data points. And based on that data algorithms and artificial intelligence are deciding jobs, health care, finances, down to the very way we receive information.

“There has never been a greater need for a universal opt-out,” said Kloczko. “By casting a privacy net over businesses, Californians will be better equipped to protect their personal information and fight discrimination.”

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SOURCE Consumer Watchdog

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ZINZINO AB (PUBL.): ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE DIP FINANCING TO ZURVITA INITIATING CHAPTER 11 PROCESS

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December 22, 2024

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GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Dec. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Zinzino has in a press release dated 20240617 announced that a letter of intent to acquire 100% of the shares in the North American direct selling company Zurvita Inc. “Zurvita or the Company” was signed. Since then, Zinzino has negotiated with the owners of Zurvita Inc. and instead concluded that the purchase of Zurvita’s assets in a Chapter 11 proceeding for the Company is in Zinzino’s best interest.

Zinzino is providing a debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing to Zurvita, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings on the 20th December 2024. By entering as a financier in Zurvita’s Chapter 11 with loans totaling USD 4.5 million, Zinzino simultaneously makes an offer to acquire the company’s assets via a so-called stalking horse bid. If the bid is accepted, the DIP loan will be converted into part of a debt-settled purchase price, which will be determined after Zurvita has completed the sale process that is subject to higher and better offers in accordance with the applicable terms of Chapter 11. Other bidders have the right to submit bids for Zurvita during the process and if another bid is accepted, Zinzino’s loan will be repaid and certain of its costs associated with the process will be reimbursed. 

Zurvita is a direct selling health company with operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The brand portfolio offers a range of innovative health and wellness products. The business has total annual sales of approximately USD 30 million with good gross margins. A potential transaction with Zinzino is expected to add growth through the synergies arising from the joint networks, combined with Zinzino’s test-based product concept. The profitability of the Company will thus be able to develop well by utilizing Zinzino’s existing technical platform and organization.

A visionary mindset, tech first perspective, test-based nutrition at the cellular level and a strong position to capitalize on current trends will form the basis of the new partnership. Following the acquisitions of VMA Life in 2020, Enhanzz in 2022, the strategic partnership with ACN and the recently completed asset acquisition of Xelliss, Zinzino has been looking for further strong investments to maintain its sustainable, profitable growth, strengthen its distribution power, expand into new markets and leverage the product portfolio in new consumer areas.

– “Individualized advice and tailored solutions are the future, and not just in health and wellness,” says Dag Bergheim Pettersen, CEO of Zinzino. “Together, we have years of combined industry experience and everything it takes to drive the modern, personalized shopping experience through direct sales”. Jay Shafer, CEO and co-founder of Zurvita, states “After considering multiple options for the company and under the guidance of our attorneys and third-party advisors, we feel this presents the best opportunity to continue Zurvita’s mission, deliver the highest quality products, and provide continuity for our staff and consultants. We are excited to see what the future holds for Zurvita.” 

For more information:
Dag Bergheim Pettersen CEO Zinzino +47 (0) 932 25 700, www.zinzino.com

Pictures for publication free of charge:
marketing@zinzino.com

Certified Adviser:
Carnegie Investment Bank AB (publ.)

Zinzino AB (publ.) is obliged to publish this information in compliance with current EU regulations governing market abuse. The information was provided by the above contact person for publication at 20.00 on the 21st of December 2024.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/zinzino/r/zinzino-ab–publ–enters-into-agreement-to-provide-dip-financing-to-zurvita-initiating-chapter-11-pr,c4086040

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/zinzino-ab-publ-enters-into-agreement-to-provide-dip-financing-to-zurvita-initiating-chapter-11-process-302337945.html

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Meet With Culture: Exquisite Craftsmanship of Traditional Chinese Architecture

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2 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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BEIJING, Dec. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Temple of Agriculture in Beijing played a significant role during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Over nearly 600 years, 25 emperors personally visited or sent ministers to perform spring farming ceremonies and offer sacrifices to Shennong, the god of agriculture.

 

Built in 1420 during the Yongle reign, the temple’s predecessor was the Temple of Mountains and Rivers in Nanjing. When Emperor Zhu Di moved the Ming capital to Beijing, he constructed a larger temple inspired by the Nanjing temple, which gradually evolved into the Temple of Agriculture.

The Taisui Hall, the largest building complex in the temple, now serves as a major exhibition hall of the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum, showcasing models of classical Chinese buildings and demonstrating the solemnity of royal architecture.

Ancient Chinese architecture is predominantly wooden-structured, chosen for its availability, versatility, and earthquake resistance. Artisans developed sophisticated techniques in material selection and construction. The wooden framework consists of columns, beams, girders, and purlins, with innovative structural forms like lifting-beam and piercing-bracket structures.

A unique architectural element is the dougong (bracket sets), which supports weight and connects beam frames with column walls. Mortise-tenon joints were invented to create elastic frameworks by connecting different components.

While discussing the Temple of Agriculture, it’s worth noting another remarkable example of architectural hierarchy which could be found in the Temple of Heaven. The hierarchy of architectural designs reflected social stratification, with eave structures like the triple-layered eaves of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest representing the highest-level architectural design.

Over centuries, the Temple of Agriculture has transformed from an imperial garden to a public park and a museum for historical architecture, now standing as a significant cultural landmark that symbolizes China’s agricultural civilization and architectural heritage along Beijing’s Central Axis.

Quickly join Alexandre to study and explore the traditional Chinese architecture.
https://youtu.be/YpA03WiZ9Wc

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/meet-with-culture-exquisite-craftsmanship-of-traditional-chinese-architecture-302337935.html

SOURCE China International Communications Group

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Second Opinion Expert Announces Filing of U.S. Patent for Method of Generating Medical Opinions Using Artificial Intelligence

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2 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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Patent leverages AI technology to improve patient outcomes and reduce cost of care

DANA POINT, Calif., Dec. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — SecondOpinionExpert, Inc. (SOE), a leading healthcare technology company, announced today that it has filed patent application 133902-0002UT01 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office entitled “Method and Apparatus for Generating Automated Medical Opinions Using Artificial Intelligence.” The patent covers the company’s proprietary system that communicates a medical opinion to a user based on a trained model that uses artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML).

“In the near future, we’ll launch our free app, enabling users to access high-quality medical opinions. This innovative app empowers individuals with insightful medical guidance that improves health and saves lives,” said Steve Krause, President of SecondOpinionExpert, Inc.”

Medical second opinions have traditionally been obtained by seeking out another healthcare professional who reviews the patient’s medical records, diagnoses, and tests. However, the rapidly increasing complexity of medical information, the demand for faster turnaround times, and the limitations of human expert availability have created a need for automated systems that utilize AI to generate both first and second medical opinions.

Artificial intelligence has made significant strides in medical diagnostics, including image recognition, predictive modeling, and natural language processing (NLP). These advancements present an opportunity to augment traditional second opinion systems by automatically processing patient medical records, diagnostic tests, and clinical data to generate high-quality first and second medical opinions.

SecondOpinionExpert’s technology increases the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery, improves healthcare access and empowers doctors and patients to make better informed medical decisions. The HIPAA-compliant patented platform leverages recent advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning and electronic medical record systems enabling the company to provide fast, reliable and secure online medical opinions. The system provides patients greater peace of mind by leveraging the power of AI and ML.

“Our patent-pending AI enabled technology platform provides a cost-effective choice that improves patient care,” said Steve Krause, President, SecondOpinionExpert, Inc. “In the near future, we look forward to launching our user-friendly app that will be initially free of charge. People using our platform will be able to quickly obtain high quality medical opinions while avoiding unnecessary travel time and expense, knowing that they will be getting insightful medical guidance that improves health and saves lives.”

About SecondOpinionExpert

SOE’s mission is to provide innovative medical technology solutions to improve healthcare while reducing costs.

Our patented HIPAA-compliant platform leverages recent advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning and electronic medical record systems, enabling the company to provide fast, reliable and secure online medical opinions to inform both diagnosis and treatment planning. We empower patients, providers and payors to work together to make the best possible medical decisions, leading to better health outcomes and greater peace of mind for patients. SOE’s panel of 400+ board-certified medical specialists are available to render expert opinions informed as needed by AI and genomics.

SOE also owns and/or manages a rapidly growing network of facilities for post-acute care and substance treatment. Our proprietary platform for Electronic Medical Records (EMR) empowers best practices in administration and medical services.

Our proprietary TeleMedics Mobile Platform empowers and chronicles on-site visits from qualified medics or nurses. Mobile staff provide the human connection, capturing vitals and doing diagnostics and therapeutics, with the patient’s doctor participating as needed through live video. We work with our affiliate Intra Care, Inc. to provide superior home health and hospice care. We provide Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) delivered through a strategic relationship with KangarooHealth, in-home respirators delivered and monitored by SOE affiliate Momentum Equipment and Pandemic Response through our MaxVax solution.

Additional information can be found at SOE.CARE

Media Contact

Jay Kilberg, Second Opinion Expert, Inc., 1 917.543.6285, jay.kilberg@soe.care, https://soe.care

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View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/second-opinion-expert-announces-filing-of-us-patent-for-method-of-generating-medical-opinions-using-artificial-intelligence-302337240.html

SOURCE Second Opinion Expert, Inc.

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