Category: Data Security & Privacy
Liar, Liar Robot on Fire – Can You Seek Legal Relief if a Chatbot Defames You?
When another person publishes a lie about you that causes harm to your reputation, you can seek relief by filing a defamation lawsuit. But what sort of relief is available when the person making the defamatory statement isn’t a person at all – but instead is a robot? The world may soon find out. In… Read More
For the Children!: Children’s Online Safety Becomes Focus of State and Federal Law
Have you seen the latest craze in babysitting? If you are ever out in public, you have. Think of the last time you were at a restaurant, stoplight, or airport, and noticed a child, aged between tot and tween, fixated on his or her device. That’s the craze: the cheapest, most available babysitting option these… Read More
Artificial Intelligence Poses Threat to Business Data Privacy and Confidential Information
Over the last year, an abundance of headlines detailing innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) technology have hit the news cycle. Beyond mere technical advancements, many reports have discussed AI’s potential to revolutionize innumerable industries and the workplace, whether for better or worse. The White House is accordingly delving into AI’s role in the workplace, recently… Read More
New California Law Establishes Broad Protections for Children’s Online Privacy – Exceeding Federal Requirements
California made history in September as the first state to enact legislation that punishes technology companies for violations of minors’ privacy and for practices that jeopardize minors’ safety in an effort to prioritize “the privacy, safety, and well-being of children over commercial interests.” On September 15th, Governor Newsom signed The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act… Read More
States Rush to Protect Consumers From Cyber Threats as Gaming Legislation Moves Across All States
In the four years since the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting, more than 36 states and the District of Columbia have launched legal sports betting markets, with more than half of legalized states offering online and mobile options. [1] In most markets that offer online and mobile sports betting, the… Read More
Equifax Settlement Teaches The Dos and Dont’s About Data Security
It’s been a busy summer for the FTC and the federal agency is dominating the headlines. There is the $5 billion settlement with Facebook for failing to better protect user privacy, which was announced earlier this month. Then there is the multimillion dollar settlement with Google for failing to adequately protect children’s privacy. That was… Read More
How One Simple Meeting Presages the Future of Federal Prosecution
For many years, it has been the federal government, with its multitude of prosecutorial and regulatory arms, that has been able to throw its policing weight around, causing business owners to snap to attention with a crisp salute. But as the traditional business model has morphed into clouds of technology-driven, international and multinational enterprises, this… Read More
No More Bait and Switch: Subscription-Based Businesses Need to Refine Their Pitch Under California Law
Effective July 1, companies that offer free gift or trial periods for their products or services can no longer bill California consumers automatically at the expiration of the gift or trial period. Companies will be required to provide a “clear and conspicuous” explanation of the price that will be charged—or how the pricing will change—at… Read More
The California Consumer Privacy Act: The Who, What, When, Why…and How.
Make room Europe: California is taking on the data privacy challenge. For the last year or so, the privacy world has been abuzz with how to implement the E.U.’s General Data Protection Regulation. The buzz died down once GDPR went into effect in late May. But no rest for the weary. A little over a… Read More
Facebook and the FTC: A Wake-Up Call for Companies Collecting Personal Data
The FTC is reported to be joining state and international regulators in examining Cambridge Analytica’s actions with data accessed from Facebook, including how the data analytics company obtained the information, what it did with the information, and whether Facebook complied with existing obligations, including a 2012 FTC consent decree. The situation underscores the importance of… Read More
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