The Colorado Department of Law (“DoL”) has published a shortlist of potential universal opt-out mechanisms (“UOOMs”).  Beginning on July 1, 2024, companies will be required to allow consumers to opt out of the sale of their personal data or use of their personal data for targeted advertising using any UOOMs that are ultimately included in

A Deep Dive Into FinCEN’s Latest Proposals Under the CTA

On December 16, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued a 54-page notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) regarding access by authorized recipients to beneficial ownership information (“BOI”) that will be reported to FinCEN under the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”).  The CTA requires covered entities –

On October 20, 2022, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton brought suit in Texas district court against Google for alleged violations of the Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act (“CUBI”).  The  petition claims that Google violated CUBI by collecting, analyzing, and storing the facial geometry of individuals who appear in photos that have

On August 24, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $1.2 million settlement with Sephora over allegations that the cosmetic retailer had violated the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).  This first public enforcement action—and subsequent noncompliance letters the Attorney General sent to other retailers—clearly highlight the continued focus of regulators on online tracking practices and opt-out signals such

The August 31 closing of the California legislative session likely marked the end of hopes for an extension of the limited exemptions for employee and business-to-business (B2B) data that have existed for the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) since its inception.  As a result, when the the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) goes into effect

On July 29, 2022, the New York Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”) released Draft Amendments to its Cyber Security Regulations.  The Amendments, if adopted, would further regulatory trends and impose important new requirements on covered entities.

The Amendments contain three significant changes relating to ransomware.  First, the Amendment specifically adds “the deployment of ransomware

Introduction

Section 230 immunity, which long has protected entities that host online platforms from liability for their users’ actions, may be significantly cut back. Although the U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to hear Doe v. Facebook, which would have given it an opportunity to clarify and/or narrow existing interpretations of Section 230, there are calls from members of Congress to amend the law, in addition to agreement from executive agencies to do so. Section 230 may be amended further to create a duty of reasonable care, particularly with respect to online trafficking and child exploitation. Even in the absence of legislative change, lower courts have begun and may continue to chip away at what previously was considered Section 230’s broad immunity.
Continue Reading  Trafficking and Child Exploitation Online: The Growing Responsibilities of Online Platforms

2021 proved to be a momentous year for privacy and data security law.  The scourge of ransomware continued last year, leading to record-setting ransomware payments, a muscular response from the federal government, a hardening insurance market, and significant corporate anxiety.  Two more U.S. states passed comprehensive data privacy laws in 2021.  The FTC was very active, issuing new guidance for artificial intelligence (AI), publishing revisions to the GLBA Safeguards Rule, and bringing new enforcement actions.  The U.S. Supreme Court issued a number of opinions that had the effect of narrowing the scope of key privacy statutes while biometric litigation in Illinois exploded.  The European Commission promulgated new rules for cross-border transfers, and U.S. state regulatory enforcement activities ramped up.
Continue Reading  Predictions for Privacy & Data Security in 2022

On September 15, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued a policy statement affirming the applicability of its Health Breach Notification Rule (the “Rule”), 16 CFR Part 318, to health apps and connected devices that are not subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) but are capable of drawing information from multiple sources.
Continue Reading  FTC Guidance Affirms Breach Notification Obligations for Health Apps and Connected Devices

With a little over a year of enforcing the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) under its belt, the Office of the California Attorney General (OAG) recently held a press conference to announce updates on its CCPA enforcement efforts and promote new tools relating to California consumers’ right to opt out of the sale of their personal information.
Continue Reading  California Enforcement Updates and Privacy Tools Highlight Regulatory Scrutiny of Right to Opt Out