Der gläserne Leser - Wie Tracking-Dienste Leser von E-Books analysieren
While data from mobile devices is more frequently responsive in civil litigation than ever before, “true crime” aficionados know it’s routinely useful in criminal investigations. We take our devices with us and use them...more
The Video Privacy Protection Act (“VPPA”), a federal statute enacted in 1988, is gaining new relevance in recent years as plaintiffs bring lawsuits with the goal of enforcing online privacy rights. 2024 saw a continuation of...more
When you use your cellphone to search for businesses near you, you may opt into data collection about your location with an accuracy of within a few hundred feet. Often, unless you affirmatively opt out later, that data...more
Perhaps no use case better exemplifies the rapidly evolving privacy law landscape in the US than the legal framework surrounding companies’ use of cookies, pixels, and other web trackers. The 119th Congress brings new...more
To paraphrase Animal Farm, all pixels are not created equal, but some pixels are more privacy invasive than others. Here are some recent points I made during a presentation to some of my firm’s litigators:...more
The EDPB released guidance last month to help companies understand their obligations when using newer tracking tools. These include pixels, URL tracking, IP-tracking, and the like. First, some background: an EU law that...more
On July 30, 2024, the New York Attorney General Letitia James announced she had completed an investigation into the tracking technology practices of popular websites, and used this to create website privacy guides on online...more
If you do not know what a pixel is, you may have a problem and should read on. This article will explain the recent trend of “pixel litigation” and suggest some ways to help companies avoid liability and avoid becoming...more
Health and Human Services (“HHS”) released updated guidance yesterday on the use of online tracking technologies (like cookies, pixels, software development kits (SDKs), etc.) by HIPAA Covered Entities (the “Updated...more
Avast Limited, a United Kingdom-based company that marketed its browser extensions and antivirus software to protect consumer privacy did just the opposite—storing consumer browsing data indefinitely and selling it...more
Pixels, a piece of tracking software businesses use to assess the success of their advertising campaigns, are creating headaches for in-house counsel as decades-old laws are being revived by litigants. Unlike cookies, pixels...more
On July 20, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) through the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a joint letter to hospitals and telehealth providers alerting them to...more
On July 20, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)announced they were sending a joint letter to approximately 130 unidentified hospital...more
The FTC and OCR at HHS are continuing to scrutinize the use of tracking technologies that may reveal information about a person’s health or health status. Both agencies recently sent a letter to a reported 130 hospitals and...more
Covered entities, business associates, and any entities that collect health information about consumers online should carefully review the latest joint letter from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Federal Trade...more
On Thursday, July 20, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission and HHS Office for Civil Rights issued a rare joint press release announcing that approximately 130 hospital systems and telehealth providers received a letter alerting...more
With the ongoing BIPA litigation activity in Illinois surrounding collection of biometrics, it can be easy to forget that other issues might surround this practice. Last month the FTC reminded companies not to forget general...more
On March 2, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had reached a $7.8 million settlement with mental health and online counseling platform, BetterHelp, Inc. (“BetterHelp”). The FTC alleged that BetterHelp...more
While plaintiffs’ attorneys were initially focused late last year on suing health care entities for using Pixel and other tracking technology to share information about website users with social media platforms such as Meta...more
The metaverse will bring many benefits, but it is also likely to multiply and compound privacy issues, particularly given its global nature. With the advent of the commercial internet in the 1990s, organizations were...more
When you next lay down to sleep, the bed may not your secrets keep. So-called “smart” beds, mattress pads, sleep apps, and fitness trackers with sleep options are collecting data on those who use them and sending that...more
A lawsuit filed late last week by Los Angeles City Attorney Michael Feuer alleges that TWC Product and Technology LLC (TWC), the company behind The Weather Company App, is collecting, disclosing, selling and monetizing users’...more
On February 6, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it had settled charges against VIZIO, Inc., a consumer electronics manufacturer of Internet-connected televisions. The FTC alleged that VIZIO unfairly tracked...more
This week, the FTC announced a settlement with VIZIO, Inc., one of the world’s largest manufacturers of “smart” TVs. The settlement, also with the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General, arises from claims by regulators...more