On November 14, 2024, the California Privacy Protection Agency (“CPPA”), which is tasked with enforcing the California Consumer Privacy Act (the “CCPA”), announced it settled with two data brokers, Growbots, Inc. and UpLead LLC, for failing to register and pay required fees under Senate Bill 362, also known as the Delete Act. The companies will

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

California continues to be at vanguard of data privacy rights.  The latest effort by California legislators to protect consumer privacy rights focuses on data brokers, who under the proposed California Senate Bill 362, aka the “Delete Act,” would be required to recognize and honor opt-out signals from Californians.  The law seeks to expand on

In a ruling published May, 4, the Federal District Court of Idaho granted defendant data broker Kochava’s motion to dismiss a complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”).  In its complaint, the FTC alleged that Kochava’s sale of precise consumer geolocation data constituted an unfair act or practice in violation of Section 5 of

Although the replacement for the Privacy Shield has garnered bigger headlines, the United States government also took another step towards a more coordinated international privacy framework by entering into the data access agreement (the “Data Access Agreement”) with the United Kingdom.  While increasingly harmonized laws are likely a positive development for businesses in the long

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 June 4, 2021, the European Commission adopted an updated and long-awaited set of standard contractual clauses (SCCs) for the international transfer of personal data. The previous SCCs were created prior to the implementation of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and required substantive revisions to bring them in line with the GDPR and the Court of Justice of the European Union’s July 2020 Schrems II decision (previously covered here).
Continue Reading  The European Commission’s Adoption of New SCCs

With the ongoing covid crisis leaving businesses of all sizes concerned about the short and medium term future, the intimidating task of considering a liquidation or restructuring is inevitably starting to become a reality.  Although privacy in the bankruptcy context is nothing new—especially in the context of personally identifiable information (“PII”) held by a company—it

The lawsuit by Austrian lawyer and serial plaintiff, Max Schrems, against Facebook suffered a setback in a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) last week. Schrems sought to bring class action-type claims on behalf of 25,000 participants worldwide in his home country of Austria, alleging that Facebook violated European Union privacy law when it assisted the United States National Security Agency’s PRISM surveillance program. Specifically, Schrems alleged that there is no adequate level of protection of European citizens’ Facebook data when it is transferred to the United States, because it could be accessed by US authorities without individualized suspicion. According to Schrems, Facebook’s collaboration with US authorities violated the Austrian data protection law of 2000, the Irish Data Protection Act of 1998, and Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament.
Continue Reading  CJEU Issues Mixed Ruling for Schrems’ Class Action Against Facebook