On July 20, 2023 HHS and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued a joint letter to approximately 130 companies regarding their online data collection processes. The letter follows the much discussed December 1, 2022, Bulletin that expanded the kinds of websites and applications governed by HIPAA (you can read about our analysis of the bulletin … Continue reading
Over a year ago the FTC fired the first warning shot – the FTC health breach notification rule would be used as the basis for enforcement actions where sites and apps shared health information without a user’s permission. Following suit, a few months ago, OCR announced guidance of its own that expanded the class of … Continue reading
HHS: Online trackers without prior authorization and BAAs can violate HIPAA By Steve Roosa, Sue Ross, Dan Rosenzweig On the evening of December 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a 12-page Bulletin titled “Use of Online Tracking Technologies by HIPAA Covered Entities and Business Associates (the “Bulletin”). In the … Continue reading
It appears Snap has become the most recent company to pay a settlement for alleged violations of Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”). The law, which gives consumers a private right of action, has become a popular class action and source of significant penalties. Indeed, Snap joins a string of other companies that have already … Continue reading
On July 13, 2022, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) released its final Guideline B-13 (the Guideline), setting out technology and cyber risk management expectations for all federally regulated financial institutions (FRFIs), such as banks, insurance and trust companies. FRFIs will need ensure that they have taken steps to comply with the requirements … Continue reading
The House of Commons recently introduced Bill C-27, the successor to Bill C-11, which died on the docket when Parliament was dissolved in the fall of 2021. Bill C-27 introduces three new acts: the Consumer Privacy Protection Act (“CPPA”), the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act, and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (“AIDA”), which … Continue reading
In our previous publication, we discussed the legal obligations and procedural considerations surrounding maintaining records of privacy incidents. While the specific obligations vary by jurisdiction, maintaining some form of a record that tracks privacy incidents is a statutory obligation for private-sector organizations subject to Quebec, Alberta, or federal laws. Organizations should also be aware of … Continue reading
The Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”) announced on July 21, 2022 that it is transitioning to a less prescriptive and more result-based approach in its revised emergency cybersecurity directive for critical gas and liquid pipeline companies. The Security Directive Pipeline-2021-02C (“SD02C”), effective July 27, 2022, represents a significant departure from the highly prescriptive requirements set forth … Continue reading
On June 14, the House of Commons introduced Bill C-26: An Act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts (Bill C-26). This bill is presented in two parts: The first is to amend the Telecommunications Act to promote the security of the Canadian telecommunications system; The second is to enact the Critical Cyber … Continue reading
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has finally published the UK government’s long-awaited response to the consultation on the future of the UK data protection regime. The government set out very high level principles for a Data Reform Bill in the Queen’s Speech in May. If legislation is to be passed in this … Continue reading
As privacy incidents and security breaches involving personal information become increasingly frequent, organizations are more and more aware of the importance of implementing a robust privacy program to mitigate the risks and impacts of such incidents. While this preparation is important, organizations must also consider the aftermath of a privacy incident. In this first blog … Continue reading
On Friday, June 3, 2022, the Senate and House released a draft of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, (ADPPA), a watershed privacy bill that would introduce a federal standard. Currently, a hodgepodge of industry-specific and state laws make up the backbone of American privacy regulations and rights, so a national framework for privacy … Continue reading
A third regulator has recently entered into a proposed consent that includes a $500,000 fine based in part on a company’s over-retention of personal data for longer than it was needed. The first regulator was the French data protection authority, the CNIL, in 2021, which we wrote about here. The second regulator was the New … Continue reading
On February 17, 2022 the California Privacy Protection Agency’s Board (“Board”) met to discuss their progress launching the new agency. They also shared their projected timeline for rulemaking. The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) is the new agency charged with enforcing the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). The big news is that the Board … Continue reading
The French Data Protection Authority (the “CNIL”) continues its campaign against companies that do not respect the rules relating to cookies and other trackers, which the CNIL has previously reminded the market about in multiple communications and decisions. The CNIL has already issued four sets of formal notices to over 90 organizations of various sizes … Continue reading
On 2 February 2022, the Belgian Data Protection Authority (the BDPA) fined IAB Europe for various infringements in relation to the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework. This decision could have a huge impact on the majority of players in the online adtech ecosystem who rely on the framework. Background The Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe’s (IAB) … Continue reading
Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”) is considered the most comprehensive law governing the processing of biometric data. Passed in 2008, BIPA sets out requirements for private entities, including employers, that collect, use, store, and share biometric information. It’s also one of the most popular class action suits today – hundreds, if not thousands of … Continue reading
Bill 64, which purports to modernise Québec’s privacy legislation, was recently passed. This sweeping reform of the province’s framework for processing personal information hinges on three main axes: increased obligations for enterprises that collect or otherwise process personal information, the creation of new rights for persons whose information is collected, and the imposition of far … Continue reading
Apple recently released the latest version of its iPhone operating system, iOS 15. While iOS 15 currently has only a 15% adoption rate, the new operating system brings a slew of new features that are privacy-specific and can impact businesses. Read more on the NT Analyzer blog.… Continue reading
On 10 September 2021, the UK Government published its consultation paper on proposals to reform the UK’s data protection regime. The deadline for responding to the consultation is 19 November 2021. In August, the Government announced that it intended to “seize the opportunity” afforded by the UK’s exit from the European Union to makes some … Continue reading
The declining cost of electronic data storage may have caused some company executives to conclude that retaining personal data forever is “cheap.” Perhaps the CNIL’s €1.75 million (USD $2,051,930) penalty for over-retention will lead to a different view. The matter involved one of France’s largest insurers, SGAM AG2R LA MONDIALE, which was subject to an … Continue reading
China passed its Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) on 20 August 2021. This is China’s first omnibus data protection law, and will take effect from 1 November 2021 allowing companies just over two months to prepare themselves. The PIPL is a game changer for any company with data or business in China. It will add … Continue reading
China passed its Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) on 20 August 2021. The new law will take effect from 1 November 2021 allowing companies just over 2 months to prepare themselves. The full text has not been made public yet. In addition, China published the Provisions on the Administration of Security of Automobile Data (For … Continue reading