FTC Asks For Comment On Its Health Breach Notification Rule

A corollary to HIPAA-regulations may get a rewrite to better regulate entities outside HHS’ jurisdiction that hold and use health information.   First things first, if you would like to receive my Technology Policy Update, email me. You can find some of these Updates from 2019 and 2020 here. As part of its regular review … Continue reading FTC Asks For Comment On Its Health Breach Notification Rule

Dueling COVID-19 Privacy Bills Released

Democratic stakeholders answer a Republican proposal on how to regulate privacy issues raised by COVID-19 contact tracing. The proposals have little chance of enactment and are mostly about positioning.   First things first, if you would like to receive my Technology Policy Update, email me. You can find some of these Updates from 2019 and … Continue reading Dueling COVID-19 Privacy Bills Released

Senate Amends FISA Reauthorization; Bill Goes Back To House

A bill to renew three lapsed surveillance provisions was changed during debate, and it is unclear when the House would take up the bill.   First things first, if you would like to receive my Technology Policy Update, email me. You can find some of these Updates from 2019 and 2020 here. The Senate sent … Continue reading Senate Amends FISA Reauthorization; Bill Goes Back To House

Privacy Legislation in the Time of Pandemics

Now that Apple and Google have released their Exposure Notifications API and numerous nations around the world are adopting or adapting it in order to trace exposure of COVID-19, numerous concerns and questions about privacy and data security have been raised about this new form of mass surveillance. Even before the development of this API, … Continue reading Privacy Legislation in the Time of Pandemics

CCPA 2.0 Backers Submit Ballot Initiative for November Election

A new California ballot initiative is submitted for approval that would revise the CCPA and impose new requirements starting in 2023, if enacted. This new statute could not be amended to weaken it per ballot initiative law in California. The organization that forced action on the “California Consumer Protection Act” (CCPA) (AB 375) by getting … Continue reading CCPA 2.0 Backers Submit Ballot Initiative for November Election

Senate Commerce Republicans Vow To Introduce Privacy Bill To Govern COVID-19 Apps and Tech

Key Republican stakeholders on privacy legislation float a bill on COVID-19 relating to privacy that seems unlikely to garner the necessary Democratic buy-in to advance.   Late last week, key Republicans on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced they would introduce the “COVID-19 Consumer Data Protection Act” that provide new privacy and data security … Continue reading Senate Commerce Republicans Vow To Introduce Privacy Bill To Govern COVID-19 Apps and Tech

The BROWSER Act (S. 1116)

First things first, if you would like to receive my Technology Policy Update, email me. You can find some of these Updates from 2019 here. My apologies. I thought I had posted this write up and others on the various privacy and data protection bills. In any event, I'll be doing some remedial work of … Continue reading The BROWSER Act (S. 1116)

Becerra Deflects Calls To Delay Implementation of CCPA

Through the issuance of a press release, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra answered the calls for delaying enforcement of the “California Consumer Privacy Act” (CCPA) (AB 375), by “reminding consumers of their data privacy rights amidst the COVID-19 public health emergency.” Last month, some industry stakeholders pressured Becerra to delay enforcement of the CCPA because … Continue reading Becerra Deflects Calls To Delay Implementation of CCPA

EC Calls For EU-Wide Approach on Big Data and COVID-19

The European Commission (EC) met in Brussels last week and issued a recommendation outlining what it hopes will be a unified approach throughout the European Union (EU) on how smartphones and data are used to fight the spread of COVID-19. The EC laid out an ambitious timeline and explained “[t]he first priority for the Toolbox … Continue reading EC Calls For EU-Wide Approach on Big Data and COVID-19

Further Reading (11 April)

First things first, if you would like to receive my Technology Policy Update, email me. You can find some of these Updates from 2019 here. “Taiwan joins Canada in banning Zoom for government video conferencing” – CBC and “Video service Zoom taking security seriously: U.S. government memo” – Reuters. The island nation joined Canada in … Continue reading Further Reading (11 April)