Wednesday☕️

Earth Intelligence

03 Apr 2024 — 4 min read

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Taiwan Earthquake
Google Privacy Settlement

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Taiwan Earthquake:

On Wednesday, Taiwan experienced a powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake, its most intense in 25 years, resulting in four fatalities, dozens of injuries, and causing structural damage, including the collapse of at least 26 buildings. The earthquake's epicenter was near Hualien on the eastern coast, leading to significant disruptions and trapping about 20 people amidst ongoing rescue efforts. Japan and the Philippines initially issued tsunami warnings, which were later withdrawn as the threat subsided, although small tsunami waves touched parts of southern Japan.
The quake, occurring just offshore of Hualien early in the morning, prompted immediate responses across the region, including evacuations and safety checks. In Taiwan, over 87,000 households faced power outages, though critical infrastructure like nuclear power stations remained unaffected. Transport services, including Taipei's MRT and the high-speed rail, resumed after brief interruptions for safety inspections. Major companies like TSMC initiated evacuations but reported their safety systems were functioning normally.
This event marks the largest seismic activity on the island since a 7.6 magnitude quake in 1999 caused widespread destruction and loss of life. Despite the scale of the quake, Taiwan managed to avoid significant damage from a potential tsunami, but the incident underscores the region's vulnerability to natural disasters and the importance of preparedness and response strategies.

Google Privacy Settlement:

Google has committed to eliminating or anonymizing extensive amounts of web browsing data collected under its Incognito mode, as part of a class action lawsuit settlement proposal. This settlement, which emerged from a lawsuit filed in 2020 by Google users alleging unauthorized tracking in Incognito mode, could impact around 136 million users if sanctioned by a California judge. Google will enhance its transparency regarding data collection in Incognito mode and impose restrictions on future data collection as per the settlement terms, valued at $5 billion based on the significance of the data to be destroyed or foregone.
Under the settlement, Google is tasked with handling data gathered during private browsing sessions up to December 2023, either by deleting it or making it anonymous. This move is seen as a victory for internet privacy, with the plaintiffs highlighting the importance of holding the tech giant accountable. Google, while agreeing to the settlement, insists that the lawsuit lacked merit and emphasizes that the collected data was never linked to individual users or utilized for personalizing content.
The agreement mandates Google to adjust its privacy disclosures, particularly concerning Incognito mode's limitations, and introduce settings to block third-party cookies in Incognito sessions for five years, aiming to prevent Google from tracking user activities on third-party sites. Although the settlement doesn't provide direct damages to the class, it opens a window for individuals to pursue claims in California state court, with some already taking action. This settlement marks a critical step in enhancing user privacy protections on the internet.

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