The California Privacy Protection Agency (“CPPA”) discussed at its July 16 meeting new enforcement focuses in addition to current goals.  While the new focuses are largely in line with general trends, they also serve as a reminder that specific and nuanced compliance decisions can make a big difference.

As the CPPA has made clear in

Over the course of the past few months, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), both of which are divisions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), have issued a series of new regulations and guidance related to the Health Insurance

On February 21st, the California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta announced a settlement with DoorDash for violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) relating to its participation in a marketing co-operative.  This action represents only the second public enforcement action since the CCPA went into effect

Shortly before the July Fourth holiday, the California Superior Court issued an important, but subtly complex ruling that pushes back the date when the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) may begin enforcing the latest round of privacy regulations.  These regulations were finalized in March 2023 and enforce provisions of the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)

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

On Friday, January 27, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigative sweep of businesses that provide mobile apps, issuing warning letters to those that AG Bonta alleges failed to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).  This sweep focused specifically on “popular retail, travel, and food service industry apps” that failed to comply

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

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

The Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (OCR) announced that it has entered into a settlement with a business associate that provides electronic medical records services to health care providers.  The resolution agreement requires Medical Informatics Engineering, Inc. (MIE) to pay $100,000 and adhere to a corrective action plan. 

Utah Governor Gary Herbert is expected to sign a new privacy law in the coming weeks that will make his state the first to protect private electronic data stored with third-party providers from government access without a warrant.

Under the legislation passed unanimously by the Utah Legislature earlier this month, law enforcement agencies need a warrant to obtain information about an individual from wireless communications providers, email platforms, search engine providers, or social media companies.

While much of the focus over the past two years has been on laws to protect consumer privacy rights, protecting private information from disclosure to law enforcement has also generated attention. Traditionally, the general rule followed, on both the federal and state levels, has been that law enforcement agencies can access information through third-party providers because individuals have no reasonable expectation of privacy when they share their personal information with third parties.
Continue Reading  Utah Privacy Law Would Be First to Require Search Warrant for Government to Access Stored Data