Where business-critical information or platforms are at stake, many commercial parties will seriously consider immediately paying the ransom hoping to regain control of operations, secure client data and avoid continued business disruption and negative publicity. However, businesses may wish to pause. Cyberattacks, by their very nature, know no borders and nor therefore should a private … Continue Reading
On August 24, 2022, California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta announced a settlement with beauty products retailer, Sephora USA, Inc. (“Sephora”), resolving claims that Sephora violated the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for, among other things, failing to disclose to consumers that it was selling their personal information (including precise location data) and failing to … Continue Reading
On August 11, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) and announced it was exploring a rulemaking process to “crack down on harmful commercial surveillance” and lax data security. The agency defines commercial surveillance as “the collection, aggregation, analysis, retention, transfer, or monetization of consumer data and the direct derivatives of that … Continue Reading
Last fall, the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) launched its Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative (“CCFI”) as part of its effort to “combat new and emerging cyber threats to the security of sensitive information and critical systems.” Led by the Civil Fraud Section of DOJ’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the CCFI leverages the False Claims Act (“FCA”) … Continue Reading
During a much anticipated Open Commission Meeting announced by Commission Chair Lina M. Khan, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) voted in favor of issuing one new policy statement and one new report to Congress.… Continue Reading
The California Privacy Protection Agency (the “Agency”) released draft regulations to the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) on May 31, 2022 (the “Proposed Regulations”). The Proposed Regulations are drafted as comments to the California Attorney General’s regulations for the California Consumer Privacy Act, California’s landmark privacy law, which was amended by CPRA.… Continue Reading
The Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) has issued a formal request for information from the public about how regulated entities are implementing industry recognized security practices. The request for information represents a chance for the private sector to contribute to HHS regulation. Interested parties have until June 6, 2022 to submit comments. HHS … Continue Reading
In a joint press conference on March 25, 2022, U.S. President Joseph Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an agreement “in principle” on a framework, called the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework (“Privacy Shield 2.0”), to replace the U.S.-EU Privacy Shield. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) places restrictions on personal … Continue Reading
Since the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) came into effect in May 2018 there have been numerous high-profile enforcement actions (~US$880m is the largest GDPR fine to-date) and private litigation (including class-action type claims). Notable fines have included the ~US$25m fine levied in October 2020 by the UK’s GDPR regulator against Marriott International for … Continue Reading
The 21st Century Cures Act directed the National Coordinator to “develop or support a trusted exchange framework, including a common agreement among health information networks nationally.” Fulfilling that mandate, the Office of the National Coordinator (“ONC”) for Health Information Technology released the “Trusted Exchange Framework and the Common Agreement” for health record interoperability. The two … Continue Reading
Reports of sophisticated cyberattacks and ransomware threats dominated 2021 headlines, along with evolving state data privacy laws in the absence of comprehensive federal data protection regulation. Cross-border data transfers between the EU and US still lack a clear, streamlined mechanism while national authorities continue to negotiate an EU-US Privacy Shield replacement. The past year also … Continue Reading
The FTC indicated that it will use its rulemaking authority under the FTC Act’s Section 18 to create a new rule that will likely seek to rein in broad data collection and use. In October 2021, FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter made two speeches in which she expressed a desire to move beyond the FTC’s … Continue Reading
Cybersecurity experts around the world are scrambling to sound the alarm about a newly discovered security vulnerability that could be used by attackers to easily infiltrate computer systems.… Continue Reading
The UK Supreme Court handed down its much-anticipated decision in the Lloyd v Google LLC [2021] UKSC 50 case on 10 November 2021 restricting claimants’ ability to bring data privacy class actions in the UK under the (now repealed) Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 1998). This decision will be persuasive (though not binding) with respect … Continue Reading
Earlier this year, we reported on the potential breeding ground for litigation under Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”). A recent decision from an Illinois state appellate panel on the different limitations periods that apply to BIPA provides guidance for companies faced with a BIPA lawsuit and the arguments they can make on a motion to dismiss. … Continue Reading
A heightened risk for cyberattacks and data breaches calls for companies to remain diligent as they navigate a patchwork of federal, state, local and sector-specific privacy and data protection laws, regulations and guidance. For Financier Worldwide, Margaret A. Dale and Ryan P. Blaney deliver commentary on the evolving landscape and offer considerations for companies looking … Continue Reading
The final version of the new standard contractual clauses (“SCCs”) were published by the European Commission on June 4, 2021. Many organizations that transfer or receive personal data originating in the European Economic Area (“EEA”) outside the EEA will be required to implement these SCCs with their customers, suppliers and affiliates by December 2022 to … Continue Reading
It has been reported that European Commission will publish the final versions of new forms of Standard Contractual Clauses (“SCCs”) shortly (even potentially within the next few days). The Commission published draft versions of these SCCs and the implementing Commission Decisions in December 2020. These new SCCs are, arguably, the most significant development in European … Continue Reading
Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”) is alive and well as a potential breeding ground for litigation for tech companies. In the last month, two settlements have been announced in class actions where the plaintiffs alleged violations of BIPA in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. These settlements show that companies … Continue Reading
COVID-19, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) coming into force, and the invalidation of the EU-US Privacy Shield already made 2020 an especially active year for privacy and data security risks and obligations. Rounding out the year, December then brought discovery of the unprecedented Solarwinds cyberattack affecting government agencies, critical infrastructure entities and others. Thus, looking ahead, … Continue Reading
A previous blog post discussed FTC Chairwoman Slaughter’s first priority as the newly designated chairwoman – the COVID-19 pandemic. The FTC’s second priority, racial equity, can be broken down into two sub issues. First, the FTC plans to investigate biased and discriminatory algorithms that target vulnerable communities. As the FTC acknowledges, the analysis of data … Continue Reading
On January 21, 2021, President Biden designated Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter as acting chair of the FTC. Soon thereafter in one of her first speeches in her new role, Chairwoman Slaughter announced two substantive areas of priority for the FTC – the COVID-19 pandemic and racial equity.… Continue Reading
On February 4, 2021, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a customer’s proposed class action lawsuit against a Florida-based fast-food chain, PDQ, over a data breach. The three-judge panel rejected the argument that an increased risk of identity theft was a concrete injury sufficient to confer Article III standing, deepening a circuit split on this issue. … Continue Reading
As the D.C. District Court in Wengui v. Clark Hill recently commented, “[m]alicious cyberattacks have unfortunately become a routine part of our modern digital world. So have the lawsuits that follow them….” The court’s decision in that case has added another data point to developing jurisprudence of the cyberattack landscape, specifically concerning the discoverability of post-breach … Continue Reading
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