The FTC will coordinate with Asia Pacific law enforcement partners on privacy and data security-related investigations, the agency said Wednesday as it signed the Global Cooperation Arrangement for Privacy Enforcement (Global Cape). The agreement supplements the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Cross-border Privacy Rules (APEC CBPR), which “facilitates cooperation and assistance in privacy and data security investigations among APEC’s Asian Pacific countries,” the FTC said. The new agreement allows coordination with countries outside the immediate region, it said. Nine countries have signed the APEC CBPR: U.S., Mexico, Japan, Canada, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Chinese Taipei and the Philippines.

Comments are due March 11 on the FTC’s proposed changes to children's privacy rules, according to a notice for Thursday's Federal Register (see 2312200050).

Data brokers don’t have a “free license” to sell sensitive location data, FTC Chair Lina Khan said Tuesday, announcing the agency’s first ban on selling location data. The agency announced a nonmonetary settlement with Virginia-based X-Mode Social and Outlogic, its successor. Until May, the company lacked policies "to remove sensitive locations from the raw location data it sold,” the FTC said. X-Mode/Outlogic didn’t “implement reasonable or appropriate safeguards against downstream use of the precise location data it sells, putting consumers’ sensitive personal information at risk,” it added. The commission approved a consent order 3-0 with the company. X-Mode now faces fines of up to $50,120 per violation for future infractions. X-Mode must implement a program with continuous review of its data sets and prevent disclosure of sensitive location data. In addition, it must delete all location data it previously collected. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., applauded the agency for “taking tough action to hold this shady location data broker responsible.” He said that in 2020, he “discovered that the company had sold Americans' location data to U.S. military customers through defense contractors.” The FTC action is “encouraging,” but Congress needs to pass legislation allowing regulators to hold data brokers more accountable, Wyden said. An attorney for X-Mode didn’t comment Tuesday.

An AI computing center will be built in upstate New York as part of a $400 million plan to bring jobs to the region, increase tech sector innovation and promote AI for the public good, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced Monday. Seven founding entities will lead the Empire AI consortium: Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the State University of New York, the City University of New York and the Simons Foundation. The state will contribute $275 million in funding, and the founding and private partners will contribute $125 million.

Maryland will establish a government committee to develop a comprehensive plan for AI and agencies’ use of the technology, Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced with an executive order Monday. The AI subcabinet will establish guardrails for government use of AI, his office said. Moore also announced creation of the Maryland Cybersecurity Task Force. The task force will bring together officials from the state's Department of Information Technology, the Military Department and Department of Emergency Management for coordination with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security to establish cross-agency objectives on cybersecurity.