Roughly two weeks apart, on July 21, 2022 and August 5, 2022, respectively, Amazon made headlines for agreeing to acquire One Medical, “a human-centered and technology-powered primary care organization,” for approximately $3.9 billion and iRobot, a global consumer robot company, known for its creation of the Roomba vacuum
Privacy Law
EU-U.S. and UK-U.S. Data Transfer Deals Advance with White House Executive Order
A new legal mechanism to allow for transfers of personal data between the EU and the U.S. is now advancing after an October 7th, 2022 Executive Order was issued by U.S. President Biden (the “Executive Order”). The new mechanism is referred to as the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework…
Held to Ransom: How Cyberattacks Can Become a Legal and Regulatory Odyssey for a Private Investment Fund
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…
Message Sent! California Attorney General Announces $1.2 Million CCPA Settlement with Retailer and Its Focus on the Sale of Customer Information
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…
Businesses That Use Consumer Data or Data Products (Everyone?) Take Heed: FTC Moves Ahead with Rulemaking Process on “Commercial Surveillance” Practices
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…
DOJ’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative Secures More Than $9 Million in Two False Claims Act Settlements for Alleged Cybersecurity Violations
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…
“A Full Plate”: FTC’s Open Meeting on PBMs, AI, Privacy and Online Harms
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.
First, the Commission unanimously voted in favor of issuing a policy statement on FTC initiatives…
California Privacy Protection Agency Released Proposed CPRA Regulations
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…