Welcome to our fourth issue of 2025 of Decoded - our technology law insights e-newsletter. We hope you enjoy this issue and thank you for reading.
Sector by Sector: How Data Breaches are Wrecking Bottom Lines -
“Data...more
4/24/2025
/ 23andMe ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Centers ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
Popular ,
Privacy Laws ,
Ransomware ,
Technology ,
Technology Sector ,
Unions
Using AI to Build Cyber Resilience for Critical Infrastructure -
"Cyber resilience serves as a literal survival strategy, offering a framework to detect threats, understand attacks, recover swiftly, and adapt to...more
4/9/2024
/ Actors ,
Animation ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Big Tech ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
CRISPR ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Innovation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Name and Likeness ,
Phishing Scams ,
Popular ,
Public Safety ,
Ransomware ,
School Safety ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Social Media ,
State and Local Government ,
Technology Sector ,
Unions
Are Automakers Making Sufficient Efforts to Protect Customer Data?
With the ever-expanding Internet of Things, data privacy is a growing concern in today’s digital age. The automotive industry is no exception. The National...more
9/27/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Automotive Industry ,
Censorship ,
Consumer Privacy Rights ,
CRISPR ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data-Sharing ,
DNA ,
Educational Institutions ,
Hackers ,
Information Technology ,
Internet of Things ,
Life Sciences ,
Machine Learning ,
NHTSA ,
Personal Data ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Freeze ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Risk Management ,
Social Media ,
Technology Sector
Generative AI has Its Risks, but the Sky isn't Falling -
“The threat organizations face with GenAI is not new, but it could speed how quickly private data reaches a wider audience.”
Why this is important: Generative...more
7/3/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Authorship ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
Bots ,
Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Copyright ,
Data Protection ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Liability ,
Machine Learning ,
Music Industry ,
Policy Statement ,
Popular ,
Privacy Laws ,
School Districts ,
Technology Sector ,
The Copyright Act
Cyber Resilience Programs Falling Short on Preparing Workers for a Crisis-
“At two-thirds of organizations, there is a fear that almost all employees, 95%, will not understand how to recover following a cyberattack.”
...more
6/1/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biotechnology ,
Bots ,
Colleges ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employees ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Healthcare ,
Investment ,
Popular ,
Ransomware ,
Research and Development ,
School Districts ,
Technology Sector ,
Telehealth ,
Universities
Tech Vendors and Cybersecurity – Are They Responsible?
It has long been recommended that when you contract with a technology vendor that you include an indemnity clause in the contract wherein the vendor will indemnify you...more
4/25/2023
/ Algorithms ,
Archived Data ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Burden of Proof ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Content Publishing ,
Contract Terms ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Retention ,
Data Security ,
Data Storage ,
Defamation ,
Educational Institutions ,
Electronic Communications ,
Electronically Stored Information ,
Fox News ,
Free Speech ,
Indemnification Clauses ,
Indemnity ,
Libel ,
Machine Learning ,
News Stories ,
Personal Information ,
Political Speech ,
Popular ,
Risk Management ,
Robots ,
School Districts ,
Settlement ,
Social Media ,
Software ,
Software Developers ,
Students ,
Technology Sector ,
Vendor Contacts ,
Vendors
Amazon Sued for Not Telling New York Store Customers about Tracking Biometrics -
“Thanks to a 2021 law, New York is the only major American city to require businesses to post signs letting customers know they’re tracking...more
4/3/2023
/ 3D Printing ,
Authorship ,
Biometric Information ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
Biotechnology ,
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) ,
Class Action ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Security ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Divorce ,
DNA ,
Email ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Fingerprints ,
Human Embryos ,
Incident Response Plans ,
Life Sciences ,
Medical Devices ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Personal Data ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
State and Local Government ,
Technology Sector
Illinois Supreme Court Allows Massive Damages in Biometric Privacy Cases -
“The case involves Ohio-based fast-food company White Castle.”
Why this is important: Illinois has the strictest biometric privacy law in the...more
3/2/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Biometric Information ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
CEOs ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
IL Supreme Court ,
Mental Health ,
Popular ,
Privacy Laws ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
Technology Sector ,
TikTok ,
Universities
Big Boosts to Cybersecurity and Tech Funding in $1.7T Omnibus Bill Signed by Biden -
“The bipartisan fiscal 2023 omnibus spending agreement includes $2.9 billion for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a...more
2/1/2023
/ Amazon ,
Animal Testing ,
Biden Administration ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
Construction Industry ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) ,
Discrimination ,
Energy Sector ,
FBI ,
Federal Funding ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Florida ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Infrastructure ,
North Korea ,
Popular ,
Privacy Acts ,
Privacy Laws ,
Remote Working ,
Scams ,
Social Media ,
State and Local Government ,
Telemedicine ,
Texas
Contech Trends to Watch in the New Year -
“As builders adapt to economic, supply chain and labor challenges, they’re turning to technology to boost performance.”
Why this is important: All of the turmoil of 2022 (the...more
1/27/2023
/ Building Codes ,
Business Strategies ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Construction Industry ,
Contractors ,
Cybersecurity ,
Drones ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Infrastructure ,
Infrastructure Financing ,
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) ,
Popular ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Software ,
State and Local Government ,
Subcontractors ,
Technology ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Welcome to our 7th and final edition of The Academic Advisor for 2022 - our e-newsletter focused on education law insights.
In this issue, we discuss the academic strike occurring at the University of California and how...more
1/4/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Colleges ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Debt ,
Educational Institutions ,
LGBTQ ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Popular ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Strike ,
Student Loans ,
Threat Management ,
Title IX ,
Unions ,
Universities
There is more news of recent investigations and charges involving people in the cryptocurrency world. The FTX cryptocurrency exchange recently collapsed. Its CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, has been arrested in the Bahamas and...more
12/21/2022
/ Advertising ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Cryptocurrency ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fraud ,
Investigations ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations
A recent survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that U.S. executives now consider cyberattacks the number one risk their companies face. Concerns about cybersecurity have moved beyond the Chief Information Security Office...more
12/7/2022
/ Bias ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Credit Cards ,
Credit Reports ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Protection ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Loan Applications ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Nursing Homes ,
Popular ,
Student Loans ,
UDAAP ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Complex, Customized CRISPR Combo Could Help Patients Cure Their Own Cancer -
“In a small phase 1 clinical trial run by PACT Pharma, researchers edited the genes of 16 patients’ immune cells to work against their cancer,...more
12/5/2022
/ Biotechnology ,
CRISPR ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Data Management ,
Genetic Materials ,
Geolocation ,
Google ,
Healthcare ,
Information Technology ,
Life Sciences ,
NFL ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Online Safety for Children ,
Patient Privacy Rights ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Popular ,
Ransomware ,
Traumatic Brain Injuries
The PATCH Act: Protecting Medical Devices from Cyber Attacks -
In a previous issue of Decoded, we discussed the alarming fact that many medical devices, including those implanted in patients' bodies, are leaving the...more
6/10/2022
/ Augmented Reality ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Medical Devices ,
Popular ,
Ransomware
Massachusetts-Based Background Check Company Creative Services Faces Multiple Lawsuits Over Data Breach -
"'CSI determined that certain files dating from November 2018 to November 2021 may have been copied from their...more
4/4/2022
/ Confidential Information ,
CRISPR ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Popular ,
TransUnion LLC v Ramirez
El Salvador Buys 200 Bitcoins as the Digital Currency Becomes Legal Tender -
"El Salvador became the first country to adopt bitcoin as a national currency, kicking off a radical monetary experiment that could pose risks to...more
9/15/2021
/ Apple ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
CRISPR ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
El Salvador ,
Ethereum ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Government Agencies ,
Kim Kardashian ,
Medical Devices ,
Popular ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Smart Contracts
PA Health Dept Sued; Investigation Looms, After Contact Tracing Breach
"The PA health dept. is being sued, after employees of its vendor Insight Global set up an unsecured channel to share COVID-19 contact tracing data,...more
5/27/2021
/ China ,
Contact Tracing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
CRISPR ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Protection ,
Driverless Cars ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Medical Devices ,
Popular ,
Ransomware ,
Technology Sector
Binance Probed by CFTC Over Whether U.S. Residents Traded -
"Binance, which has an office in Singapore but says it lacks a single corporate headquarters, hasn’t been accused of misconduct and the investigation may not lead...more
4/1/2021
/ 3D Printing ,
Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Collection ,
FinTech ,
Popular ,
Technology Sector ,
Trade Secrets
West Virginia Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Horizontal Drilling Taxation Case Involving Antero -
"At issue is a consumer sales tax assessment of around $1 million the West Virginia State Tax Department has levied on...more
10/26/2020
/ Biodiesel ,
Biomass ,
Blockchain ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Coal ,
Coal Industry ,
Coal Mines ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Elon Musk ,
Energy Sector ,
EU ,
Gig Economy ,
Honda ,
Horizontal Wells ,
Natural Gas ,
Petroleum ,
Plant Closures ,
Popular ,
Renewable Energy ,
State Taxes ,
Well Drilling ,
WV Supreme Court
On April 17, a bill was introduced in the United States House of Representatives seeking to create the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act of 2020. The primary feature of the bill is it would suspend all rent and mortgage...more
4/21/2020
/ Affordable Housing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Credit Reports ,
Disaster Relief Fund ,
Eviction ,
Foreclosure ,
HUD ,
Landlords ,
Lenders ,
Moratorium ,
Mortgagee ,
Mortgages ,
Payment Cancellation ,
Payment Suspensions ,
Popular ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Relief Measures ,
Rent ,
Rent Control ,
Rental Property ,
Repayment Options ,
State of Emergency ,
Tenants
For decades, consumer protection has led to copious amounts of litigation in West Virginia. In the past several years, the types of lawsuits filed under the debt collection provisions of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and...more
10/18/2018
/ Banks ,
Class Action ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Credit Reporting Agencies ,
Creditors ,
Debt Collection ,
Filing Requirements ,
Mortgages ,
Notice Requirements ,
Penalties ,
Popular ,
Qualified Written Requests ,
RESPA ,
Statute of Limitations
Dispute is heating up over IRS’s attempts to get personal information about users of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies.
Last November, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) filed a petition in the United States...more
1/26/2017
/ Bitcoin ,
Customer Lists ,
IRS ,
John Doe Investigation ,
Mootness ,
Motion To Intervene ,
Motions to Quash ,
Popular ,
Subpoenas ,
Tax Evasion ,
Virtual Currency
To most people, the concept of digital currencies is synonymous with the name Bitcoin. However, hundreds of digital currencies exist. In fact, WorldCoinIndex.com tracks 445 currencies, and CoinMarketCap.com tracks 732....more
10/17/2016
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Bank Secrecy Act ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Digital Currency ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Popular ,
Risk Assessment ,
Security
Virtual currencies are once again at the forefront of discussion about top issues facing community banks and the financial industry as a whole. The Independent Community Bankers of America (“ICBA”), a trade association...more