PrivacySignal
GDPR / Intl

To Audition for the Role of Attorney General, Blanche Is Prosecuting to Please

Just Security · · US Federal · GDPR & International

Legal analysts at Just Security argue that Todd Blanche, Trump's nominee for Attorney General, has pursued prosecutions of figures like James Comey in ways that appear designed to satisfy political preferences rather than independent legal judgment. Critics describe the pattern as prosecutorial sycophancy aimed at securing the top law enforcement post.

Why this matters: The Attorney General controls the entire federal prosecution apparatus. If the person running it is choosing cases to please the president rather than follow the evidence, that is not law enforcement — it is a loyalty test with subpoenas. Everyone the DOJ investigates, prosecutes, or declines to touch gets affected by that calculus. A Justice Department that works this way does not just threaten political opponents. It erodes the basic assumption that charges reflect facts, not favors.

Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance

This summary is AI-assisted and may contain errors. It is an original briefing to help you gauge significance quickly — not a reproduction of the source. Always read the linked original before relying on it. See our methodology.

Analysis

All analysis →

Weekly Editorial Analysis from Experts and Editors

Related stories

GDPR / Intl
BBC — Tech · · International

Reform of all social media should come with Meta changes, UN says

The United Nations has called for broad social media reform to accompany any changes made to Meta's platforms, framing child safety and platform accountability as an industry-wide issue. Separately, California's attorney general is pressing TikTok and YouTube to adopt teen safety measures.

Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance

#state-privacy Read original →
GDPR / Intl
New York Times — Tech · · International

Prediction Markets and States Clashed, Setting Off a Furious Political Battle

A legal battle over the regulatory status of prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket has escalated into a broad political fight, drawing in the Trump administration, a member of the president's family, and attorney generals from nearly every state.

Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance

#state-privacy Read original →
GDPR / Intl
noyb (None of Your Business) · · EU

‘Shadow database’ scandal: noyb sends SCHUFA cease-and-desist letter; interest list for class action opened

German privacy group noyb has sent a cease-and-desist letter to credit agency SCHUFA after investigations revealed it retained millions of records that should have been deleted, and used them for customer testing. Noyb has opened an interest list for a class action, with up to 69 million people potentially affected.

Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · AI governance

GDPR / Intl
C Computing UK · · International

ICO: Police facial recognition needs stronger oversight

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office has called for stronger oversight of how police use facial recognition technology, signaling concern that current controls are insufficient to govern the practice.

Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · AI governance · Cybersecurity · General readers · Policy

#gdpr#surveillance#privacy Read original →
GDPR / Intl
C Computer Weekly · · International

ICO police facial recognition audits reveal ‘mixed’ bag

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office conducted audits of police use of facial recognition technology and found inconsistent results across the forces reviewed. The findings suggest compliance and practice vary significantly, with no uniform standard being met.

Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · AI governance · Cybersecurity · General readers · Policy

#gdpr#surveillance#privacy Read original →