Tricky decision to make if you are among the millions that travel for work…. how safe is it? Will the new “laptop travel ban” affect me? What airports am I connecting through that are of concern? Is public Wi-Fi secure? Did that person just look over my shoulder (a.k.a. Shoulder Surfing) while I was opening … Continue Reading
Twitter recently announced updates to its Privacy Policy. The updates are effective on June 18, 2017. By using the social media platform on or after that date, Twitter users will be deemed to have agreed to these updates. The updates enable Twitter to collect more user data, including about a user’s visits from Twitter to … Continue Reading
A misconfigured backup server hosted by medical records technology vendor iHealth Solutions resulted in exposure of over 7,000 medical records, some containing sensitive information. The records, involving patients seen at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in New York, New York, between 2014 – 2017, include patients’ names, addresses, HIV status, mental health diagnoses and addiction histories, as … Continue Reading
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) privacy rules required providers such as Comcast Corp. and AT&T Inc. to get subscribers’ permission before collecting and sharing their personal data. On April 4, 2017, President Donald Trump signed a congressional resolution rescinding those rules and sparking major concern both in the U.S. and Europe. Indeed, according to a … Continue Reading
By Executive Order, the Trump Administration recently reversed an Obama Administration order aimed at protecting consumer’s personal information from use by their Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISPrior to the Trump’s EO, ISPs were required to get customer’s consent before using or selling their browsing habits, online shopping habits, financial information, etc. The reversal of Obama’s … Continue Reading
Facebook says that someday ‘the password’ will be a distant memory. But for now, passwords are certainly necessary. However, Facebook has released a beta version of its Delegated Account Recovery software –a new way for social networks to be the backup security key when online consumers forget their password on different, non-Facebook websites and services. … Continue Reading
Earlier this month, Axon, the company formerly known as Taser, announced that it will offer a one year free trial of its body cameras and cloud storage to every police department in the United States. While controversy about the use of body cameras is making the news now, controversy about cloud storage for the data … Continue Reading
As was expected, President Trump signed into law the rescinding of the broadband privacy regulations adopted in 2016 by the Obama administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The now rescinded regulations would have required internet service providers (ISPs) to obtain consent from a customer before using or selling the customer’s Web browsing history, app usage history, … Continue Reading
Last October, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved new privacy rules governing how Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are permitted to use and share its customers’ personal information. The rules have been fiercely contested by telecom companies that contend they are being unfairly held to more stringent regulations than so-called edge providers (Google, Facebook, etc.), which … Continue Reading
House bill HR 1313, introduced by Representative Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), proposes to allow companies to require employees to undergo genetic testing, then allow employers to see the results, and impose financial penalties on any employees who request to opt out of the requirement. The bill, which was before the House Committee on Education and the … Continue Reading
On February 22, 2017, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (DOE) withdrew their May 13, 2016 “Dear Colleague” letter that provided guidance on steps to protect transgender students under Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) as well as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Although the … Continue Reading
It has been almost a year since the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (DTSA) took effect. Since Forbes Magazine called the DTSA the “Biggest IP Development in Years,” we thought it might be helpful to take a look at how often litigants have chosen to use the DTSA in federal cases this past year. … Continue Reading
Last month, the President announced his nomination of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch—a federal appeals court judge—to the Supreme Court. Gorsuch must still go through Senate confirmation hearings before officially becoming the ninth justice in our nation’s highest court, but some are already discussing Gorsuch’s potential impact on cybersecurity, technology and privacy law. Gorsuch is better … Continue Reading
On December 30, 2016, the Los Angeles Community College computer network was kidnapped by cyber criminals requesting a ransom for its return. The ransomware encrypted the college’s entire network system, including email and voice mail systems. Rather than attempt to restore all of the data days before classes were to resume, on January 4, 2017, … Continue Reading
Since 1958, when the Supreme Court held that the State of Alabama’s attempt to compel the NAACP to disclose its membership lists infringed on the members’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly, charities and donors have expected donor information to remain confidential. However, recent developments in New York have thrown that expectation into … Continue Reading
In 2016, new privacy, cybersecurity and/or data security legislation passed or became effective in a number of countries, some adopting data security measures for the first time. Several countries adopted cybersecurity focused measures with criminal penalties, hoping to more effectively combat cyber-attacks. Other countries implemented or strengthened regulations on the collection and handling of their … Continue Reading
This year has been a busy year for education law in the area of data privacy. Educational institutions continue to be a rich target for hackers. Additionally, there were some important developments in the interpretation of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) as it applies to educational … Continue Reading
A 122-page report was published this week by American University and the Center for Digital Democracy that examines features, key players and trends that are emerging in consumer-wearable and connected-health devices–this includes watches, fitness bands, clothing and other products that are linked to app through mobile devices for management of heart rate, sleep patterns and … Continue Reading
Blippar, an augmented reality app, recently released its facial-recognition software which allows users to scan faces with their smartphones. The Blippar app makes it possible for people to scan faces (from print, TV or in real life) and learn the person’s name and other information. Co-Founder and CEO of Blippar, Ambarish Mitra, says, “Our facial … Continue Reading
While law enforcement have access to new technology owned by third parties that assist them with protecting the public, questions arise as to who should own the data gathered by that technology. Sometimes, it is the technology provider itself which blocks public access to the data. For example, many police departments have contracted with ShotSpotter, … Continue Reading
Many firms have strict international travel policies in relation to the use of technology. These policies tend to be more skewed towards countries with greater state control over communications networks and specifically the internet. However, the reality is that you are vulnerable whenever your device is roaming internationally. When roaming, local providers use a global … Continue Reading
IMDb.com Inc., the creator of the popular online database of movies and industry professionals, has filed suit in federal court challenging the recently enacted California Assembly Bill 1687 that requires the deletion of an individual’s age from its online profile upon request of that person. IMDb contends that the requirement violates free speech and unfairly … Continue Reading
Many American cities are already adopting technologies to improve urban living –bike share systems, street parking payment through smart phones and paying tolls through E-ZPass. Let’s take Boston for example; the city has created and implemented the use of an application called Street Bump which uses accelerometers in residents’ smartphones to catalog unexpected bumps they … Continue Reading
Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released landmark protections for internet users, requiring permission from broadband subscribers before broadband providers can collect data on the subscribers’ web browsing, app use, location information or financial information. Broadband providers rely on subscriber data like this to create sophisticated, targeted advertising. Tom Wheeler, Chairman of the FCC, … Continue Reading
