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On the Fourth Day of Privacy, the Internet gave to me....

December 12, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

Web cameras, burglar alarms, fitness monitors, smartphones, and a host of other internet connected devices all have the potential to invade privacy by collecting and sharing personal information. 
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DoD Requires Safeguarding Technical Data

December 11, 2013 | Blog

The Department of Defense (DoD) has published its new final rule governing the security measures imposed on DoD unclassified technical information resident on or passing through the unclassified information systems of its contractors and subcontractors.
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On the Third Day of Privacy, My Smartphone Followed Me…

December 11, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

In 2013 geolocation and biometrics were hot topics. Apple included a fingerprint reader on the new iPhone which was either really cool or an epic fail depending on your viewpoint, and Google and the NSA are tracking our every move.
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On the Second Day of Privacy, California Gave to Me......

December 10, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

2013 was a busy year for California. We passed a budget with a surplus, let Kim and Kanye get engaged in one of our stadiums and panicked over possibly losing Sriracha sauce. At the same time, we also passed a number of significant pieces of legislation related to data privacy, the effects of which will be felt throughout the year.
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On the First Day of Privacy, The OCR Gave to Me .....

December 9, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

The year 2013 started with a bang for HIPAA-regulated entities, with the passage of the long-awaited HIPAA Omnibus Rule, implementing privacy, security, breach notification, enforcement and other provisions of the HITECH Act. Omnibus Rule momentum carried through much of the year with an industry-wide push to comply with the September 23, 2013 compliance date for significant provisions of the Omnibus Rule.
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Coming Next Week: The 12 Days of Privacy

December 6, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

Haul out the holly, fill up the stockings, even though it's just one week past Thanksgiving day.....
Rather than look back at 2013, next week the Privacy & Security blog will count down The 12 Days of Privacy, looking ahead to what we might expect in 2014.
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Time to Change that Facebook Password

December 4, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

If you haven't been paying attention to "password hygiene" preached by this blog and others, perhaps it's time. Jose Pagliery from CNNMoney reports of a large-scale hack that has compromised over 2 million passwords at Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, Yahoo and others.
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The Dark Cloud Over Nordstrom’s Black Friday: California Law May Prohibit Retailers from Collecting Email Addresses at Checkout

December 3, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

This past weekend if you survived the towel aisle and other Black Friday dangers and made it to the register to purchase your items, it is possible you were asked to provide an email address so that your receipt could be emailed to you.
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European Commission Proposes New Ground Rules for US Safe Harbor

November 28, 2013 | Blog

(LONDON) The European Commission, which has the authority to make changes to the US Safe Harbor program, has published a paper titled “Rebuilding Trust in EU-US Data Flows” that sets out the changes that the Commission would like to see the US adopt. 
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Google pays BIG to state Attorney Generals for Improper Consumer Tracking

November 22, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

Earlier this month, Google, Inc. (“Google” or “Company”) entered into an  agreement with the Attorney Generals of 37 states and the District of Columbia, settling allegations of violation of  the participating states’ consumer protection or applicable computer abuse statutes (the “Settlement Agreement”).
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Career opportunity at a Mintz client!

November 19, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

We don't do this very often, but this is an excellent opportunity for a lawyer with privacy experience at a long-time Mintz client.
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Privacy Monday - November 18, 2013

November 18, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

The month of November is quickly slipping by - this is the time to be looking at the 2014 cybersecurity and data privacy goals and updates and planning ahead.
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The Clock is Ticking for Implementation of “Enhanced Notice”: The 6 Questions Online Service Providers Should be Asking about Online Behavioral Advertising Following Increased Enforcement Warning

November 12, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

Walking around a department store isn’t the only time you’re being tracked while you shop. If you’ve ever visited a web page and seen an advertisement for the exact same pair of shoes you were looking at on a different web page the day before, then you know that something similar is happening while you surf the web. 
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Big Brother is Watching You (Shop For Pants): Mobile analytics firms implement code of conduct for tracking customers while they shop

November 8, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

If you’ve ever dealt with that pushy salesperson at Bed, Bath & Beyond who won’t take your word for it that you’re just browsing and not ready to commit to a high-end home espresso machine, you know that being followed around at a retail store can be unsettling and intrusive.
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#DoNoHarm: Rhode Island Issues Social Media Guidance for Physicians

October 29, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

As health care providers continue to try to navigate the world of social media, the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline (the “Board”) has issued policy guidelines (the “Guidelines”) to address the use of social media by the state’s physicians.
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FTC Votes 4-0 to Extend Public Comment Deadline on Two COPPA Proposals

October 28, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

The FTC has announced (press release) that, as a result of the recent shut down of the agency, the Commission has voted unanimously to extend the public comment periods for two recent proposals under the COPPA Rule.
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Another major medical data breach in California

October 24, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

The Los Angeles Times (the “Times”) reported this week the theft of two laptops from an administrative office of hospital group AHMC Healthcare Inc. (“AHMC”) in Alhambra, California that compromised the health data of approximately 729,000 individuals.
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FTC and the "Internet of Things": Franchisor on the hook

October 23, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

Last fall the Federal Trade Commission brought cases against a software developer and rent-to-own stores that secretly monitored people in their homes.
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Privacy Monday - October 21, 2013

October 21, 2013 | Blog | By Cynthia Larose

Privacy tidbits and bytes for this Monday --
App Developers - Put this on your calendar!
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Should we worry about Safe Harbor being suspended because of the NSA’s PRISM Program?

October 18, 2013 | Blog

(LONDON) Various data protection power players have called for the suspension or curtailment of the US Safe Harbor program ever since the Snowden revelations that the US NSA has required large internet service providers such as Google to provide vast amounts of personal data transmitted by individuals in Europe (and elsewhere).
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