California has enacted the most important data privacy statute the United States has seen to date. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) brings European-style data privacy regulations to the United States....more
It’s impossible to shop for anything today without coming across a “smart” version of the product you’re interested in. Smart TVs, thermostats, security systems, refrigerators and even vacuums are everywhere....more
Most U.S. businesses have been introduced to the concept of blockchain and Bitcoin by now. Even with scalability and other concerns, investment grows in these technologies. ...more
In the absence of new federal legislation governing blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, state governments are taking a variety of actions -- from legislation, administrative actions and government-funded studies --...more
What happened?
California has enacted a sweeping digital privacy law, creating new protections and rights for consumers’ personal information. The law, which goes into effect in 2020, gives consumers a greater right to...more
What happened?
The United States Supreme Court held today that the Constitution protects individual geolocation data maintained by phone carriers. This cell-site data, gathered from the pinging of cell phones to nearby...more
6/25/2018
/ Carpenter v US ,
Cell Phones ,
Cell Site Location Information (CSLI) ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Electronic Records ,
Electronically Stored Information ,
Exigent Circumstances ,
Fourth Amendment ,
Geolocation ,
Location Data ,
Probable Cause ,
Reasonable Expectation of Privacy ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Third-Party ,
Warrantless Searches
What is the GDPR?
The GDPR is the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, a comprehensive set of strict privacy laws and regulations. The EU passed GDPR in 2016, but granted a two-year grace period which ends...more
Must plaintiffs allege actual identity theft from a data breach to avoid dismissal of their class action lawsuit? No, according to yesterday’s opinion from a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the...more
What is it? This new variation of Petya (“Little Peter” in Russian) is more robust ransomware than last month’s North Korean WannaCry ransomware. It has no kill switch, and it encrypts entire hard drives, not just individual...more
“Oops, your files have been encrypted!” On Friday, May 12, 2017, employees around the world found this message on their computer screens. A massive cyberattack has used variants of the WannaCry ransomware program to infect...more
For more than a decade, employment discrimination plaintiffs in Missouri have benefited from a lower burden of proof than plaintiffs in federal court or other states. With no statutory cap on compensatory and punitive...more
OSHA’s new rule requiring employers to electronically submit data on workplace injuries and illnesses went into effect yesterday, December 1, 2016. Actual electronic submissions to OSHA, however, do not begin until July 2017....more
A federal District Judge in Texas today entered a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Department of Labor from enforcing its new overtime rules. The new rules, intended to take effect December 1, raise the minimum salary...more
What Happened? The highest court in the European Union, the EU Court of Justice, has just invalidated the EU-U.S. Safe Harbor mechanism. Companies can no longer rely on Safe Harbor certification to justify data transfers of...more
In its recent landmark Obergefell decision, the United States Supreme Court held that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry in all states. Many employers will have to decide whether to continue benefits for...more
6/29/2015
/ Domestic Partnership ,
Employment Discrimination ,
ENDA ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Hobby Lobby ,
Obergefell v. Hodges ,
Same-Sex Marriage ,
SCOTUS ,
Sexual Orientation ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Title VII
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently voted 3-2 to treat the internet like a public utility, embracing the concept of “net neutrality.” Has the FCC struck a blow for consumer rights? The jury is still out....more