On December 3, 2013, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade (CMT) held a hearing entitled “The FTC at 100: Where Do We Go From Here?” CMT Subcommittee Chairman Lee Terry (R-NE) chaired the hearing. At the hearing, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Edith Ramirez and Commissioners Julie Brill, Maureen […]
Privacy
NIST’s Preliminary Cybersecurity Framework Could Have Broad Implications for Critical, Non-Critical Infrastructure Alike
On October 22, 2013, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released its Preliminary Cybersecurity Framework (“Framework”), marking one of the final steps in creating the “voluntary” Framework envisioned in an Obama Administration Executive Order (EO) issued earlier this year. That EO, which was designed to strengthen the cybersecurity of the United States’ critical […]
California Attorney General Announces Upcoming Best Practices Guidelines for Do-Not-Track Disclosures; Guidelines Will Not Delay New A.B. 370 Do-Not-Track Disclosure Requirements from Taking Effect on January 1, 2014
On December 10, 2013, the Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit of the California Office of the Attorney General (CA AG) held a meeting in San Francisco for interested stakeholders to discuss best practices in light of the Assembly’s enactment of A.B. 370, California’s new do-not-track disclosure law that goes into effect on January 1, 2014. […]
New HHS OIG Report Raises Concerns about Oversight and Enforcement of HIPAA Security Rule
On Wednesday, December 4, 2013, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report raising concerns about the adequacy of the HHS Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR) oversight and enforcement of HIPAA’s Security Rule. The Security Rule establishes the administrative, physical, and technical safeguards that covered entities and their business associates are required to implement […]
FTC Settles with Flashlight App Developer Over Charges It Transmitted Geolocation Data Without Consumers’ Knowledge
The creator of the popular “Brightest Flashlight Free” Android app has agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) over charges that the app deceived consumers regarding the collection of geolocation information that was shared with third parties. The app, created by Goldenshores Technologies, LLC, (“Goldenshores”) turns a mobile device into a flashlight by […]