Category Archives: Privacy

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France Imposes Fine for Unauthorized Use of Fingerprint Timeclocks

Shanna PearceBy Shanna Pearce on Posted in Biometrics, EU Privacy
French data protection authority CNIL has issued a fine against company Assistance Centre d’Appel related to the use of biometric technology in the workplace. During an audit at the end of 2016, CNIL found that the company was using fingerprint timeclocks to track employee hours without prior authorization from CNIL as required by the French … Continue Reading

UK’s Data Protection Authority Enforces GDPR

Liisa ThomasShanna PearceBy Liisa Thomas and Shanna Pearce on Posted in Consumer Privacy, EU Privacy, Europe, GDPR
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued its first GDPR notice to Canadian data analytics firm AggregateIQ Data Services Ltd. The company uses personal data to target political advertising at voters prior to elections. The ICO was concerned about the firm’s use of targeted advertising in the UK’s 2016 EU referendum and the 2016 … Continue Reading

California Pioneers IoT Security Legislation

Liisa ThomasPavel SternbergBy Liisa Thomas and Pavel Sternberg on Posted in Consumer Privacy, Data Security, Online Privacy
California’s governor recently signed into law a bill requiring connected device manufacturers to include “reasonable” security features for connected devices sold in California. The law doesn’t go into effect until January 1, 2020, and requires that the devices have security “appropriate to the nature and function of the device” and appropriate to the type of … Continue Reading

Apple Imposes Privacy Policy Requirement for All Apps Operating on its Platform

Shanna PearcePavel SternbergBy Shanna Pearce and Pavel Sternberg on Posted in Consumer Privacy, Mobile Privacy, Online Privacy
As Apple recently reminded developers, starting on October 3, 2018 it will require all apps being submitted for distribution through its app store, or for testing by its TestFlight service, to have a publicly posted privacy policy. This requirement was incorporated into Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines and will apply to all new apps, as … Continue Reading

UK’s ICO Fines Marketing Company Over Unsolicited Emails

Liisa ThomasBy Liisa Thomas on Posted in Europe, Online Privacy
The UK’s data protection authority, the ICO, recently fined marketing firm Everything DM Ltd for sending almost 1.5 million marketing emails without obtaining sufficient consent as required by the UK’s Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. In particular, the company sent messages on its clients behalf, the messages appeared to the recipient to come from the … Continue Reading

New York Federal Court Dismisses Nationwide Class Action Arising Out of Alleged Spying by E-Commerce Retailers

Kari RollinsDavid PoellBy Kari Rollins and David Poell on Posted in Data Security, Online Privacy
In a victory for online retailers, a New York federal court recently dismissed three putative class action lawsuits brought on behalf of website visitors whose mouse clicks, keystrokes, and electronic communications were tracked by a third-party marketing company. The cases were filed against three e-commerce retailers—Casper (a mattress manufacturer and retailer), Tyrwhitt (a men’s clothing … Continue Reading

Unixiz Settles COPPA Allegations with NJ AG

Pavel SternbergBy Pavel Sternberg on Posted in Children's Privacy, COPPA, Data Breach, Data Security, Online Privacy
Unixiz, operator of the i-Dressup site, reached an agreement with the New Jersey Attorney General to settle charges that the company had violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and the New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act. The New Jersey AG claimed that Unixiz violated these statutes by collecting information about children without first getting parental … Continue Reading

EU and Japan Strike Tentative Data Transfer Deal

Shanna PearceLiisa ThomasBy Shanna Pearce and Liisa Thomas on Posted in EU Privacy, Privacy Shield
The EU and Japan have reached a “reciprocal adequacy” agreement to allow data to flow more easily between them. As part of a larger bilateral trade deal which included commitments by both parties to reduce tariffs, Japan also agreed to enact additional safeguards to comply with new EU data protection standards. Those additional safeguards include … Continue Reading

DOJ Report Suggests Direction For Addressing Cyber Threats

Jonathan E. MeyerBy Jonathan E. Meyer on Posted in Cybersecurity, Data Security, Government Privacy
As many of you have no doubt seen, the Justice Department recently released the report of the Attorney General’s Cyber Digital Task Force, a body the Attorney General had created in February. In the report, the Task Force, chaired by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, seeks to answer the question: “How is the Department responding … Continue Reading

The California Privacy Law Is Coming: What Should Your Company Do Now?

Liisa ThomasCraig CardonBrian AndersonRachel Tarko HudsonShanna PearceBy Liisa Thomas, Craig Cardon, Brian Anderson, Rachel Tarko Hudson and Shanna Pearce on Posted in Consumer Privacy
As has been widely reported, California’s new privacy regime is set to come into effect on January 1, 2020. The law constitutes an expansion beyond California’s existing privacy laws, in particular California’s existing Shine the Light Law and the California Online Privacy Protection Act. Various provisions of the new law will apply to businesses with … Continue Reading

FTC Pursuing, and Getting More Specific, About Privacy Post-LabMD Finding

Matthew TuretzkyJonathan E. MeyerLiisa ThomasBy Matthew Turetzky, Jonathan E. Meyer and Liisa Thomas on Posted in Consumer Privacy, FTC
The Eleventh Circuit recently issued a long awaited ruling in the LabMD case. In that case, the FTC had gone after a cancer detection facility that suffered a data breach.  The agency criticized the company for lax data security and in July 2016 issued a broad order against the company requiring changes to the company’s … Continue Reading

FTC Provides Insight into COPPA Deletion Requirements

Shanna PearceBy Shanna Pearce on Posted in Children's Privacy, Consumer Privacy, FTC, Online Privacy
The Federal Trade Commission recently posted a blog entry reminding companies about the deletion requirements under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Namely, that companies under the Act must give parents the right to review and delete their children’s information. In addition COPPA also requires companies to delete children’s personal information when the information is … Continue Reading

FTC Signals that It Will Enforce Statements of GDPR Compliance

Jonathan E. MeyerBy Jonathan E. Meyer on Posted in Consumer Privacy, EU Privacy, FTC, GDPR
Just as companies may be catching their breath after sprinting to get ready for GDPR in time for its recent implementation date, the FTC has now entered the enforcement fray. It has stated that, where companies are choosing to apply GDPR protections to American consumers, the FTC may enforce any failures to abide by those commitments. … Continue Reading

FTC Outlines Expected Privacy Program Elements in BLU Settlement

Liisa ThomasPavel SternbergBy Liisa Thomas and Pavel Sternberg on Posted in Consumer Privacy, Data Security, FTC, Mobile Privacy
The FTC recently settled with the mobile phone company BLU Products, Inc., over allegations that the company was letting one of its vendors pull extensive and detailed personal information off of users’ phones. According to the FTC, BLU phones were pre-loaded with firmware updating tools made by ADUPS Technology. ADUPS, through its software, was then … Continue Reading

DoC Comments on Privacy Shield In Advance of GDPR

Liisa ThomasMatthew TuretzkyBy Liisa Thomas and Matthew Turetzky on Posted in Consumer Privacy, GDPR, Online Privacy, Privacy Shield
The Department of Commerce issued an update to explain how it has supported the E.U.-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield frameworks. As we have written previously, the Shield gives E.U. companies a basis under which it can send personal data to entities in the U.S. The comments from Commerce come after the Europeans raised concerns about the … Continue Reading

DHS Releases New Cybersecurity Strategy

Jonathan E. MeyerBy Jonathan E. Meyer on Posted in Cybersecurity, Privacy Regulation
On May 15, the Department of Homeland Security released its long-awaited Cybersecurity Strategy. The Strategy aims to reduce cybersecurity risk through “an innovative approach that fully leverages our collective capabilities across the Department and the entire cybersecurity community.” It sets a course of cybersecurity policy for the Department for the next five years and signals … Continue Reading

FTC Expresses Concerns Over Mobile Security Updates

Liisa ThomasAlyssa ShauerBy Liisa Thomas and Alyssa Shauer on Posted in Consumer Privacy, FTC
In its recent report (Mobile Security Updates: Understanding the Issues), the FTC expressed concerns with the process for keeping mobile devices updated and secure. Of particular concern for the FTC were inconsistencies in the length of time that support is offered for mobile devices, the frequency of updates and the perceived lapse of time between … Continue Reading

NJ AG Settles with Chinese Firm Over COPPA Violations, FTC Sends Warning Letters

Liisa ThomasBy Liisa Thomas on Posted in Children's Privacy, COPPA, Online Privacy
The NJ attorney general recently announced that it settled with a Chinese entity over violations of COPPA. The company promotes itself as a “virtual beauty counter,” and makes a variety of apps that let consumers virtually try on makeup. These apps include facial recognition technology, as well as photo-editing tools that allow users to customize … Continue Reading

Dawn of the New FTC

Jonathan E. MeyerBy Jonathan E. Meyer on Posted in Consumer Privacy, FTC, Online Privacy
On April 26, the Senate voted to confirm nominees to all five Commissioner slots on the Federal Trade Commission. It was the first time the entire FTC has been confirmed at once since its founding in 1914. The new roster of Commissioners raises new questions about the role the FTC will play in cybersecurity and … Continue Reading

Biometric Breakdown Part IV – Protecting

Liisa ThomasShanna PearceBy Liisa Thomas and Shanna Pearce on Posted in Biometrics, Consumer Privacy, Employee Privacy
In continuing our series on biometrics, we conclude with an analysis of protection requirements and risks. Illinois, Texas, and Washington—the three states which have thus far implemented specific biometric privacy laws—each require companies to reasonably protect biometric data in their possession. Illinois and Texas have further specified that the data must be protected to the … Continue Reading

Biometric Breakdown Part III – Sharing

Shanna PearceLiisa ThomasBy Shanna Pearce and Liisa Thomas on Posted in Biometrics, Consumer Privacy, Employee Privacy
We’ve looked in our series to what companies should do when collecting biometric information, and now we turn to issues around sharing biometric information. The three states which have thus far enacted specific biometric privacy legislation—Illinois, Texas, and Washington—each place restrictions upon the sharing of biometric information. Illinois has imposed a blanket prohibition upon the … Continue Reading
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