NEW YORK: At least two US states and two European Union member states are investigating a breach at Alphabet’s Google that may have exposed private profile data of at least 500,000 users to hundreds of external developers.
The investigations follow Google’s announcement on Monday that it would shut down the consumer version of its social network Google+ and tighten its data-sharing policies after a “bug” potentially exposed user data that included names, email addresses, occupations, genders and ages.
“We are aware of public reporting on this matter and are currently undertaking efforts to gain an understanding of the nature and cause of the intrusion, whether sensitive information was exposed, and what steps are being taken or called for to prevent similar intrusions in the future,” Jaclyn Severance, a spokeswoman for Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen, said.
The New York Attorney General’s office also said it was looking into the breach.
Google said the issue was discovered and patched in March as part of a review of how Google shares data with other applications. No developer exploited the vulnerability or misused data, the company’s review found.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Google opted not to disclose the security issue due to fears of regulatory scrutiny, citing unidentified sources and a memo prepared by Google’s legal and policy staff for senior executives.
On Tuesday, Ireland’s data protection regulator said it would seek more information from Google regarding the breach.
“The Data Protection Commission was not aware of this issue and we now need to better understand the details of the breach, including the nature, impact and risk to individuals and we will be seeking information on these issues from Google,” it said.
In Germany, the data protection regulator in Hamburg, the city-state where Google has its country office, is also examining the incident.
It was doing so because the incident occurred before an EU-wide data privacy law took effect in May, creating a “one-stop shop” oversight regime under which Ireland became the lead regulator for Google.
“We have sent a series of questions to Google,” said spokesman Martin Schemm. The Hamburg regulator wants to find out to what extent German users of Google+ were affected, he added. Under Germany’s old data protection law, Google would face a maximum fine of €300,000 ($345,000).
Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which took effect on May 25, maximum fines run to 4 percent of a company’s annual global turnover, meaning that penalties against the biggest Silicon Valley players could in theory run into billions of dollars.
Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
US, European regulators investigating Google glitch
US, European regulators investigating Google glitch
- A breach at Google may have exposed private profile data of at least 500,000 users
- The issue was discovered and patched in March as part of a review of how Google shares data with other applications
UAE non-oil business growth at 1-year high in February: PMI report
RIYADH: The growth of the non-oil private sector in the UAE ticked up to a 12-month high in February, driven by rapid increases in business activity and new work orders, an economic tracker showed.
In its latest Purchasing Managers’ Index report, S&P Global revealed that the UAE’s PMI rose to 55 in February from 54.9 in January.
Any PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 reflects contraction.
The upturn of the non-oil private sector in the UAE aligns with the broader trend observed in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, where countries, including Saudi Arabia, are pursuing economic diversification efforts to reduce reliance on crude revenues.
In January, the Kingdom’s PMI stood at 56.3, the highest in the region, while Kuwait recorded a reading of 54.5.
“The UAE PMI signalled the strongest growth in non-oil business conditions for a year in February, with output increasing rapidly in response to strong inflows of new work. So far, the data points to an encouraging picture for the domestic economy in the first quarter of this year,” said David Owen, senior economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
According to the report, stronger output among non-oil sectors was driven by higher demand, successful contract wins, and growth in key sectors including construction, real estate, logistics, and technology.
Additional factors that contributed to this growth include rising tourist arrivals, the expansion of e-commerce channels, and growing demand for AI-related products.
While international orders also contributed to the expansion of the non-oil sector, the increase in export sales remained modest, suggesting that sales growth was mainly driven by domestic demand.
The analysis highlighted that employment numbers rose modestly in February, marking the largest uplift since last November.
UAE non-oil businesses successfully increased their inventories of purchased inputs for the second month running, supported by another rapid improvement in supplier delivery times.
Regarding the future outlook, non-oil firms in the UAE expressed optimism, although the level of confidence declined from the recent high in January.
“The outlook is positive, as demand has continued to pressure business capacity, suggesting additional expansions in output and employment may be necessary,” added Owen.
In the same report, S&P Global revealed that Dubai’s PMI slipped to 54.6 in February from 55.9 observed in January.
Rates of output and new order growth lost momentum, but remained sharp overall, with firms highlighting increased opportunities and new projects.
The release highlighted that demand was also lifted by various factors, including marketing activities, AI adoption, population growth and increased tourism.
