Civil or Criminal Liability: Charging A Payment Processing Case by Coin Toss?
In the eyes of federal investigators, when is a payment processor considered a benevolent alternative to traditional banks, and when is it viewed as a shady facilitator of all things criminal? In other words, is the client another Paypal or Venmo, or are we looking at a potential WireCard AG prosecution? We have noticed in…
Read MoreSchrems II Screams: CJEU Decision Puts Companies in Tailspin Over EU-US Data Transfers
The privacy world is abuzz about the European Court of Justice’s July 16, 2020 decision in Schrems II: Europe’s highest court invalidated the EU-US Privacy Shield framework. The Privacy Shield provides a streamlined mechanism to facilitate personal data transfers from Europe to the U.S. It was implemented in 2016 following the invalidation of an earlier…
Read MoreUpcoming Supreme Court cases could stop FTC from halting businesses and freezing assets via TROs
If it was not already apparent, the Supreme Court last week made it clear that it is taking a close look at the power of federal agencies to obtain monetary relief such as disgorgement or restitution through civil proceedings. Indeed, on June 22, the Court in Liu v. Securities and Exchange Commission held that although…
Read MoreFTC Settles with Gaming App for False Representations about Children’s Privacy
On July 6, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement with gaming app developer Miniclip S.A. The settlement addresses allegations that Miniclip falsely claimed membership in a Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) safe harbor program for the last several years. Miniclip boasts more than 1 billion downloads of its 45 “high-quality mobile games”…
Read MoreSupreme Court Finds That CFPB Director Can Be Removed By President, But Allows Agency To Continue To Operate
On June 29, 2020, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that expanded the President’s authority to remove a director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), while simultaneously finding that the Bureau itself could continue to exist an operate. In Seila Law LLC v. CFPB, both the law firm Seila Law—which was under investigation by…
Read MoreFTC Enforcement reminds Companies to live up their Promises
The FTC recently announced its settlement with Tapplock, Inc., a maker of smart padlocks (Internet-connected fingerprint-enabled padlocks that you can use in lieu of old-fashioned combo locks). The FTC investigated the Canadian-based company for its allegedly false claims that its Internet-connected smart locks were designed to be “unbreakable” and that the company took reasonable steps…
Read MoreFailure to Certify: Companies That Falsely Claim They Are Privacy Shield Certified or Let Their Certification Lapse Face Enforcement Action.
Does your company’s privacy policy include a claim that it is Privacy-Shield certified? If so, you should ensure that it is, in fact, certified and that the certification has not lapsed. Failures in this area are low-hanging fruit for government enforcement actions. A little background on the Privacy Shield Framework. The U.S. Privacy Shield framework…
Read MoreTelemarketing Restrictions During State of Emergency
If part of your marketing plan involves calls to consumers, please be aware of additional telemarketing restrictions in some states (presently New York and Louisiana) during a state of emergency. New York New York recently enacted a law to prohibit unsolicited telemarketing calls during a state of emergency. Since New York Governor Andrew Cuomo…
Read MoreTCPA Prior Express Consent Via Business Card? Third Circuit Says “Yes, It Counts”
As businesses that make telemarketing or automated/prerecorded phone calls and send text messages and telemarketing faxes are well aware, the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) imposes certain restrictions on communications sent without the recipient’s express consent or permission. Many courts view the “prior express consent” or permission requirement quite broadly. And just this week,…
Read MorePrivacy Pointers for Employees of the Teleworking World
Work got a lot more personal when it moved in with my family. For people used to keeping a healthy divide between their business and personal lives, the new telework dynamic can be particularly stressful. That “healthy divide” can crumble under the weight of quarantine as tiny voices (kids and pets) infiltrate teleconference and video…
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