The news regularly reports on data breaches and cybersecurity. While we read about the biggest breaches – Home Depot, Target, Anthem, JP Morgan, Wyndham – probably every business has been hacked and will be hacked again. ...more
What makes data privacy law interesting for academics, challenging for lawyers, and frustrating for businesses its shape-shifting structure in the face of rapidly changing technology. The recent change in the invalidation of...more
In the span of two days, mobile device users learned of two data breaches that could compromise their personal data. In one, Experian (a credit reporting agency) reported that it was hacked, potentially putting 15 million...more
Cyberattacks are on the rise—so much that we seem to hear about a high-profile hack more often than it probably rains in most parts of California. Although reputational damage from a cyberattack can be scarring, a recent U.S....more
Part of Bradley Arant’s Privacy and Information Security Team’s seven-part Data Breach Toolkit Webinar Series, the “Data Breach Response Planning: Laying the Right Foundation” webinar, led by Paige Boshell and Amy Leopard,...more
As a privacy litigator, I could not help but observe an apparent contradiction in the way the Third Circuit allowed the FTC to pursue Wyndham Hotels for cybersecurity breaches under the FTC Act, but Judge Berman (SDNY)...more
In a resounding win for the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), the Third Circuit unanimously affirmed the FTC’s power to regulate cybersecurity under the unfairness prong of the FTC Act (15 U.S.C. §45). FTC v. Wyndham, Case,...more
In a closely-watched cybersecurity case, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held in Federal Trade Commission v. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (No. 14-3514) that the Federal Trade Commission...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can regulate cybersecurity policies and procedures as “unfair” acts or practices under Section 5 of the FTC Act, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has ruled in a very important...more
In a much anticipated decision, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the authority of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce actions against companies who have been subject to a data breach. The FTC sued...more
Banks and other companies subject to the CFPB’s jurisdiction face the possibility that the CFPB could begin using its authority under Sections 1031 and 1036 of the Dodd-Frank Act (which proscribe unfair, deceptive or abusive...more
On August 24, 2015, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued a much-awaited decision in FTC v. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, holding that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has authority to regulate “unfair” or “deceptive”...more
In a strongly worded opinion, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday slammed Wyndham Worldwide Corporation’s arguments that the FTC did not have jurisdiction to enforce the security practices of businesses following a...more
Companies can be fined by the federal government for failing to properly safeguard consumer data, according to a decision this week by Pennsylvania's federal appellate court....more
Over one year ago, our colleague Chris Hart argued that the District of New Jersey court’s decision in FTC v. Wyndham Worldwide Corp. et. al., No. 13-1887-ES, “point[ed] to the possibility that the FTC has potentially broad...more
Since at least 2005, the Federal Trade Commission has asserted that it may regulate lax data security practices as an “unfair” business practice under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The Wyndham hotel chain was the first to...more
On Monday, the Third Circuit issued a highly anticipated opinion affirming the Federal Trade Commission's authority to regulate "unfair" cybersecurity practices under Section 5 of the FTC Act. In allowing the data breach...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit released its much-anticipated ruling in Federal Trade Commission v. Wyndham Worldwide Corp. on August 24, 2015, unanimously upholding the FTC’s authority to regulate companies’...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit announced that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has the authority to scrutinize a business’s data security protocol -- and to file a complaint if the FTC finds that protocol...more
Shortly after the massive 2013 Target data breach, shareholders filed four derivative lawsuits against the company’s directors and some of its officers (13 CARE 624, 3/20/15). The shareholders alleged that the defendants had...more
In response to increasing pressure to update its existing disclosure guidance regarding cybersecurity risks and cyber-incidents, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) is widely expected to overhaul its...more
The Federal Trade Commission Act (“FTC Act”) prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices affecting commerce, as well as unfair competition in commerce. The FTC Act also created the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), and...more
In This Issue: - Dismissal in P.F. Chang’s Data Breach Case Shows Challenge Plaintiffs Face in Such Actions - Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Decision Underscores the Need to Evaluate Insurance Programs for Cyber...more
Historically, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been the most active federal regulator of data privacy and security. Since its creation, it has pursued hundreds of cases against companies that violated privacy statutes...more
On March 3, 2015, a judicial panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit heard oral arguments in a challenge brought by Wyndham Worldwide Corp. (“Wyndham”) against the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”)...more