EC Finally Unveils Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act

The EU releases its proposals to remake digital markets. The European Commission (EC) has released its draft proposals to remake how the European Union (EU) regulates digital markets and digital services, the latest in the bloc’s attempts to rein in what it sees as harms and abuses to people and competition in Europe and the … Continue reading EC Finally Unveils Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act

Privacy Shield Hearing

The focus was on how the U.S. and EU can reach agreement on an arrangement that will not be struck down by the EU’s highest court. Last week, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing on the now invalidated European Union (EU)-United States (U.S.) Privacy Shield, a mechanism that allowed companies to … Continue reading Privacy Shield Hearing

Canada Releases Privacy Bill

Canada’s newly released privacy bill shares commonalities with U.S. bills but features a stronger enforcement regime that could result in fines of up to 5% of annual worldwide revenue for the worst violations. The government in Ottawa has introduced in Parliament the “Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2020” (Bill C-11) that would dramatically reform the nation’s … Continue reading Canada Releases Privacy Bill

Further Reading, Other Development, and Coming Events (7 December)

Further Reading “Facebook steps up campaign to ban false information about coronavirus vaccines” By Elizabeth Dwoskin — The Washington Post. In its latest step to find and remove lies, misinformation, and disinformation, the social media giant is now committing to removing and blocking untrue material about COVID-19 vaccines, especially from the anti-vaccine community. Will the … Continue reading Further Reading, Other Development, and Coming Events (7 December)

New EU Consumer Agenda

The European Commission frames a number of current and new programs as a paradigm shift in consumer rights in the EU. The European Commission (EC) has published its New Consumer Agenda that envisions nothing less than a remaking of the European Union’s (EU) approach to a number of key realms, including the digital world. If … Continue reading New EU Consumer Agenda

Further Reading, Other Developments, and Coming Events (17 November)

Further Reading “How the U.S. Military Buys Location Data from Ordinary Apps” By Joseph Cox — Vice’s Motherboard. This article confirms the entirely foreseeable: the Department of Defense and its contractors are obtaining and using personal information from smartphones all over the world. Given this practice is common in United States’ (U.S.) law enforcement agencies, … Continue reading Further Reading, Other Developments, and Coming Events (17 November)

EDPB Publishes Schrems II Recommendations; EU Parliament Issues Draft SCC Revisions

The EU takes steps to respond to the CJEU’s striking down of the EU-US Privacy Shield by augmenting SCCs and other transfer mechanisms. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) published recommendations for entities exporting and importing the personal data of European Union (EU) residents in light of the court decision striking down the adequacy decision … Continue reading EDPB Publishes Schrems II Recommendations; EU Parliament Issues Draft SCC Revisions

EDPB Concludes First Use of Powers To Resolve Differences Between DPAs in Twitter Enforcement Action

The EDPB announces but does not release its release on the dispute between SAs in the EU over the appropriate punishment for Twitter’s data breaches. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has used its powers under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the first time to resolve a dispute between data protection authorities (DPA) … Continue reading EDPB Concludes First Use of Powers To Resolve Differences Between DPAs in Twitter Enforcement Action

Schrems II Guidance

The agency that oversees the data protection of EU agencies has laid out its view on how they should comply with the GDPR after the EU-US Privacy Shield. The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has published a strategy detailing how European Union (EU) agencies and bodies should comply with the Court of Justice of the … Continue reading Schrems II Guidance

Biden Administration Tech Policy: Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Under President Joe Biden, the FTC will face most of the same issues presently before the agency. In a Biden Administration, the FTC may tip from three Republican Commissioners, including the chair, to a majority of Democrats if Chair Joseph Simons steps down as has been rumored for some months now, in part because of … Continue reading Biden Administration Tech Policy: Federal Trade Commission (FTC)