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FTC Adds COPPA Violations to the Growing List of Privacy Concerns While TikTok is on the Clock
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August 13, 2024
FTC Adds COPPA Violations to the Growing List of Privacy Concerns While TikTok is on the Clock
By: Jordan Briggs
For years now, TikTok has seemed to be the center of attention. From viral baking content to true crime to dancing videos to family-influencer content, everyone seems to be on it or talking about it. And the FTC has said that’s part of the problem. On August 2, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) brought a suit on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) against TikTok, its parent company ByteDance, and affiliated companies for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) by collecting and using personal information from children under 13 years old without notifying and obtaining parental consent. Since 2000, COPPA has required websites directed to children or for which the “operator has actual knowledge that it is…
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Chevron Overruling Sparks Regulatory Uncertainty Across Industries
July 10, 2024
Chevron Overruling Sparks Regulatory Uncertainty Across Industries
By: Jake Gray
A landmark decision by the Supreme Court overruled 40-year precedent that provided the bedrock for modern federal agency rulemaking and administration. In Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (2024), alongside its companion case Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce, the Supreme Court overruled Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (1984), holding that deference to an agency’s interpretation of the statute is inconsistent with…
Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
July 8, 2024
Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
By: Nicole Kardell
Note the below chart was updated on July 8, 2024 to reflect recent developments. The number of U.S. states that have adopted privacy laws grows regularly. Fortunately, there seems to be quite a bit of crossover, at least when it comes to thresholds that companies must meet in order to trigger compliance requirements. We provide below a chart that summarizes these thresholds by state, including…
Parameters of CDA Immunity Being Tested by Appeals Court in Jones v. Dirty World Entertainment
December 16, 2013
Parameters of CDA Immunity Being Tested by Appeals Court in Jones v. Dirty World Entertainment
By: Ifrah Law
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is currently hearing an appeal of a district court decision, which if upheld would have enormous ramifications for freedom of speech and the online service provider safe harbor under the Communications Decency Act (CDA). TheDirty.com is a website run by Nik Lamas-Richie. The site allows users to submit gossip about anyone or anything and the site…
Report From FTC Briefing – Blurred Lines: Advertising or Content?
December 5, 2013
Report From FTC Briefing – Blurred Lines: Advertising or Content?
By: Ifrah Law
The FTC held a workshop on Wednesday to examine the blurring lines of advertisements and content in digital media today. Executives from a myriad of professions gathered to discuss how sponsored content in digital publications takes form and affects the consumer. Native advertising, or sponsored content, is the practice of masking advertising to look like news articles and features of the publications where they appear….
FTC Vigilant on Children’s Privacy – Rejects Proposal for Collecting Verifiable Parental Consent Under COPPA
November 20, 2013
FTC Vigilant on Children’s Privacy – Rejects Proposal for Collecting Verifiable Parental Consent Under COPPA
By: Michelle Cohen
On November 12, 2013, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), in a 4-0 vote, denied AssertID’s application for approval of a proposed verifiable parental consent (“VPC”) method under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (“COPPA”). Under the FTC’s COPPA rule, covered online websites and services must obtain “verifiable parental consent” (“VPC”) before collecting personal information from children under 13. The agency’s revised COPPA rule became effective…
New Job? Think Twice Before Announcing it via Social Media
November 7, 2013
New Job? Think Twice Before Announcing it via Social Media
By: Ifrah Law
A lawsuit filed in Massachusetts state court recently raised the issue of whether a former employee’s LinkedIn post announcing a new job could violate an anti-solicitation clause of a non-compete contract with the former employer. In KNF&T Inc. v. Muller, staffing company KNF&T filed suit against its former vice president, Charlotte Muller, for violating a non-compete contract in a number of ways, one of which…
LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer Case over Misleading Advertising Heads to Trial – When is “Free” Really “Free”?
October 25, 2013
LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer Case over Misleading Advertising Heads to Trial – When is “Free” Really “Free”?
By: Ifrah Law
Last week, a federal judge in California declined to grant a summary judgment motion to LegalZoom.com, Inc., in its lawsuit accusing rival Rocket Lawyer, Inc. over claims of trademark infringement, unfair competition, and false and misleading advertising that focus on the use of the word “free” in advertisements by Rocket Lawyer. LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer are the two biggest names in the online legal services…