Privacy
UK ICO Asks AI Agent Builders 30 Data Protection Questions by November 20
ICO opens a call for evidence on how AI agents handle personal data, with responses due November 20 and guidance plus a statutory code to follow.
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UK ICO Opens 30-Question Call for Evidence on AI Agents and Personal Data
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office opened a call for evidence on October 8, 2026, seeking input on 30 specific points about how AI agents handle personal information, with responses closing at the end of November 20, 2026. The questions spread across six themes: data security (5), transparency (8), accountability (5), automated decision-making (5), fairness and purpose limitation (3) and lawful processing (4). The ICO says the evidence will shape its guidance and a statutory code of practice on AI and automated decision-making. It warns that because an agent can retrieve information externally and update an internal database without step-by-step approval, security failures or malicious instructions could spread across connected systems and data sources. A seven-question survey also asks about adoption and deployment barriers.
UK ICO puts 30 questions to AI agent builders before November 20 →
Postal Service Ran Covert Online Surveillance of Protests, EFF Records Show
The U.S. Postal Service used its internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP) to monitor and circulate information about protests across the political spectrum in 2020 and 2021, according to government records disclosed to the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other requesters under the Freedom of Information Act. EFF sued in 2021 after Yahoo News revealed the program. The bulletins covered a planned Million MAGA March, a gun-rights event and counter-protest in Virginia, a nationwide Save the Post Office Saturday protest, and protests outside then-Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s home. Some referenced potential violence while acknowledging no intelligence suggested specific threats. After disclosure, the agency renamed iCOP and said it stopped issuing bulletins; the documents do not say the surveillance stopped.
UK Parliament Weighs Restrictions on Smart Glasses Over Privacy Concerns
Members of the U.K. Parliament are considering measures to restrict where smart glasses can be used and who can buy them. In a debate, MP Satvir Kaur said the benefits of smart glasses must be weighed against the harms they can cause, and that the government is already looking into options to restrict them in certain settings and restrict sales to certain users. MP Anna Sabine said smart glasses could erode safety and privacy in public spaces and raise questions about consent. Hamburg has imposed bans on smart glasses in public spaces, with bans also appearing in private venues such as pubs, cruise liners and clubs. New York has banned them in courts, and U.S. senators recently raised concerns with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over its smart glasses and data collection.
Smart Glasses Could See Major Bans in the UK →
Topics: Smart devices privacy