Tennessee, Montana, Iowa, and Indiana have each recently passed a consumer privacy statute in recent weeks. These laws follow the same trend started by California’s Consumer Privacy Act by granting consumers the right to know whether a company is processing their data; the right to access that data, obtain a copy, and to have it
data privacy
Data Brokers May be Selling Mental Health Data with Minimal Vetting
A recent study found that some data brokers are selling highly sensitive data relating to consumers’ mental health conditions on the open market with minimal vetting of their customers and few controls on how these purchasers use the data. The study, conducted by a researcher at Duke University’s Technology Policy Lab, found that 11 out…
California’s “Do Not Track” Mandate Does Not Please Businesses
Since the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) released its draft regulations pursuant to the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), the biggest gripe from businesses has been the website tracking opt-out requirements. Recognition of opt-out requests from consumers could potentially cost companies some significant dollars.
The CPRA amends the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2020 and…
Could Data Brokering Become the New Stock Trading?
The Shanghai Data Exchange, launched in November 2021, is reportedly gearing up to go international. The announcement came from the 2022 Global Data Ecosystem Conference, held in Singapore this November. The Shanghai Data Exchange aims to build “a data factor market” and “promote data capitalization.” Or, in plain terms, it wants to create a stock…
Class Action Filed Against Blackhawk Network for Failure to Secure Consumer Data Leading to Breach
A 34-page class action was filed against Blackhawk Network for a data breach that occurred on MyPrepaidCenter.com in September of this year. The plaintiffs allege that Blackhawk Network’s failure to prevent or detect this incident was “particularly egregious” since it operates a website where consumers can activate and manage prepaid gift cards, which requires collection…
California Passes Law to Protect Children’s Data Online
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (the Act) into law last week. This new law will require those online service providers likely to be accessed by children under 18 years old to comply with heightened privacy requirements, including incorporating privacy-by-default and privacy-by-design into their products. The 18-year age threshold for…
The FCC Wants You to Delete TikTok
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr asserted that TikTok poses an “unacceptable national security risk” in a letter to the CEOs of Google and Apple urging the companies to remove the app from their mobile app stores. According to Carr, TikTok’s history of “surreptitious access of private and sensitive U.S. user data by persons located in Beijing…
Privacy Tip #337 – FBI Issues Warning About Cryptocurrency Apps
On July 18, 2022, the FBI issued an Alert advising consumers that fraudulent cryptocurrency apps have caused more than 244 victims to lose nearly $43 million.
The fraudulent apps that cyber criminals used to steal funds from consumers were presented as banking institutions asking investors to deposit funds, and then not allowing them to withdraw…
FERC Seeks to Tighten Cyber Security for Electric Grid Cyber Systems
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is tasked with keeping our electric grid safe and maintaining reliable and secure energy for U.S. consumers. On January 20, FERC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) that proposes to strengthen its Critical Infrastructure Protection Reliability Standards by requiring internal network security monitoring for high and medium impact…
Cyber-attacks and Cybersecurity Failure Are Top Risks of the Next Decade Says World Economic Forum
Although somewhat obvious, the World Economic Forum, in partnership with Marsh McLennan, SK Group and Zurich Insurance Group, recently issued its 16th edition of the Global Risks Report (the Report), which analyzes “the risks from societal fractures—manifested through persistent and emerging risks to human health, rising unemployment, widening digital divides, youth disillusionment, and geopolitical…