Insights on Privacy, Data Protection & Data Security

On Sunday, The New York Times published a feature story on White Collar & Investigations partner Peter Zeidenberg’s client who was accused of spying for China and illegally downloading data from a government website. 

With the release of the Apple Watch, a number of companies are likely to grapple with an increasingly common problem: how to secure sensitive company data and information in the age of wearables.

Using financial sanction tools previously used for terrorists and rogue criminal states, the White House on April 1, 2015 declared a national emergency and issued a powerful Executive Order enabling the freezing of US-based assets of foreign cyberattackers.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie recently signed a bill amending the state’s gift card law to eliminate the consumer data collection requirements.

On March 19, 2015, a Minnesota federal judge granted preliminary approval of Target Corporation’s (Target) proposed $10 million settlement of a class action lawsuit, which arose out of a 2013 data breach that compromised personal information of roughly 110 million of Target’s customers.

Last week, the Footwear Distributers and Retailers of America hosted a briefing on cybersecurity trends in the retail industry.

Recent guidance from Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner suggests that Hong Kong may be on the verge of implementing major new restrictions on the cross-border transfer of personal data.

Arent Fox expands Government Relations practice with addition of Senior Government Relations Director Alex Manning. Alex is joining the firm’s Washington, DC office and will advise clients on issues surrounding cybersecurity, privacy, data breaches, tax, trade policy, and immigration.

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue recently issued a draft directive setting out what records must be kept for all vendors, retailers, and contractors using computerized point-of-sale systems.

TRUSTe, Inc., a major provider of privacy certifications for online businesses, recently settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over charges that it has been engaging in deceptive business practices.

In October 2014, California Attorney General Kamala Harris released the California Data Breach Report, the state’s most recent analysis of data security threats facing businesses and consumers.

The Federal Trade Commission recently named Ashkan Soltani as its newest Chief Technologist.

Ikea recently argued that a class action filed against it based on alleged violations of California’s Song-Beverly Act should not be maintained.

The Obama Administration has announced a series of initiatives to address the growing number of data breaches at major retailers.

FTC recently brought its first case under the 2010 Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act that prohibits online sellers from charging consumers in an Internet transaction unless the seller has clearly disclosed all material terms of the transaction and obtained consumers’ express informed consent.

The Better Business Bureau’s Online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program (Accountability Program) recently challenged Best Buy, Yelp, Answers Corp., Buzzfeed Inc., and Go.com over the companies’ failure to provide adequate notice regarding the fact that information was collected from th

The outdoor sporting goods company Bass Pro recently agreed to pay $6 million to settle claims that it violated California privacy laws.

In testimony before the US Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this summer, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lent its support to federal legislation that would require businesses to obtain “affirmative express consent” from consumers before collecting geolocation data from mobile devices.

On September 15, 2014, Arent Fox was in attendance at the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public workshop on so-called “Big Data” that was designed to explore how its use is impacting American consumers.

European Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) — the entities responsible for enforcing the European Union (EU) Data Directive and the EU Cookie Directive — are taking part in what is being referred to as “Cookie Sweep Day.”

Walmart recently argued that the US District Court for the Eastern District of California should not grant class certification in a suit alleging that Walmart’s data collection practices violate California’s Song-Beverly Credit Card Act of 1971 (Song-Beverly Act).

Recent revisions to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) compliance materials offer new clarity on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Rule and provide businesses with several new tools to consider as they determine how to comply with the Rule’s requirements.

After a spate of high-profile data security breaches, many are asking what can be done to prevent such security lapses and who should be held responsible.

In 2014, Macy’s and Foot Locker became the latest retailers to be forced to defend allegations that they illegally collect personal information from shoppers.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently won a significant victory in federal court in its ongoing efforts to hold businesses accountable for their data security practices.