Things To Do In SW Florida

By KELVIN CHAN (AP Business Writer)

LONDON (AP) — European regulators slapped TikTok with a $368 million fine on Friday for failing to protect children’s privacy, the first time that the popular short video-sharing app has been punished for breaching Europe’s strict data privacy rules.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, the lead privacy regulator for Big Tech companies whose European headquarters are largely in Dublin, said it was fining TikTok 345 million euros and reprimanding the platform for the violations dating to the second half of 2020.

The investigation found that the sign-up process for teen users resulted in settings that made their accounts public by default, allowing anyone to view and comment on their videos. Those default settings also posed a risk to children under 13 who gained access to the platform even though they’re not allowed.

Also, a “family pairing” feature designed for parents to manage settings wasn’t strict enough, allowing adults to turn on direct messaging for users aged 16 and 17 without their consent. And it nudged teen users into more “privacy intrusive” options when signing up and posting videos, the watchdog said. read more

Home sales and prices in Orlando continued to drop in August, according to a report released Friday.

The 2,792 sales in the month were down 2.1% from 2,852 in July, and were 16% lower than the 3,324 sales in August of last year, according to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, which looks at sales from Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake counties.

The median home price fell from $380,000 in July to $375,000 in August, the report said. The median home price had reached $385,000 in June. 

July saw the first drop in the median home price this year, and that month also saw sales drop 8.7% from June. Higher interest rates and limited inventory were the reported problems that month. 

Interest rates, low inventory, and high prices for modest earners remain challenges in the market, said Ingrid Dodd, an agent with Investors Real Estate in Winter Park. Dodd represented two buyers in deals in Volusia and Polk counties in August.

“I’m seeing a lot of skittish buyers,” Dodd said.

Interest rates improved slightly in August, going from 6.8% in July to 6.6% in August, according to the report. There were 2.19 months of home supply in August, up from 2.01 months in July, but still well below the six months that real estate analysts consider to be a healthy market. read more

By TOM KRISHER, COREY WILLIAMS and MIKE HOUSEHOLDER (Associated Press)

DETROIT (AP) — About 13,000 U.S. auto workers stopped making vehicles and went on strike Friday after their leaders couldn’t bridge a giant gap between union demands in contract talks and what Detroit’s three automakers are willing to pay.

Members of the United Auto Workers union began picketing at a General Motors assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri; a Ford factory in Wayne, Michigan, near Detroit; and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio.

It was the first time in the union’s 88-year history that it walked out on all three companies simultaneously as four-year contracts expired at 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

The strikes will likely chart the future of the union and of America’s homegrown auto industry at a time when U.S. labor is flexing its might and the companies face a historic transition from building internal combustion automobiles to making electric vehicles.

If they last a long time, dealers could run short of vehicles and prices could rise, impacting a U.S. economy already under strain from elevated inflation. The walkout could even be a factor in next year’s presidential election by testing Joe Biden’s proud claim to be the most union-friendly president in American history. read more