Data Points: Privacy & Data Security Blog

Resolving a split in lower courts, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in June limiting the type of conduct that can be prosecuted under the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 (CFAA), a statute often used by U.S. Attorneys to prosecute hackers. In a 6-3 decision, SCOTUS ruled in Van Buren v. United States that Section 1030(a)(2) of the CFAA does not impose liability on individuals who use a computer to alter or obtain information they otherwise are entitled to obtain, even when they access the information for a prohibited purpose. In so ruling, SCOTUS limited a powerful federal ...

Colorado is now the third state in the U.S. to pass comprehensive privacy legislation, following in the footsteps of California and Virginia. The Colorado Privacy Act (the “CPA”), passed by the state’s General Assembly as SB 190, is currently awaiting signature by Governor Jared Polis. If signed, the CPA will become effective July 1, 2023. 

The CPA includes a mix of concepts similar to those found in other comprehensive privacy legislation passed in the U.S. (e.g., the California Consumer Privacy Act (the “CCPA”) and Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act (the ...

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on May 28, 2021 issued updated guidance on vaccinations. The relevant excerpts are attached and the full EEOC guidance is here https://www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-covid-19-and-ada-rehabilitation-act-and-other-eeo-laws

In short:

• During the pandemic, employers can mandate that employees receive the COVID 19, subject to exceptions such as required accommodations for persons with disabilities (see K5);
• Employers can require employees to provide the employer documentation showing that ...

Last month, the Supreme Court resolved a long-standing circuit split over the definition of an “automatic telephone dialing system” (ATDS) under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The highly-anticipated decision in Facebook v. Duguid narrowed the type of equipment that constitutes an ATDS, and therefore drastically limited the scope of “automated” calls and texts that violate the TCPA.  

The Employee Benefits Security Administration of the United States Department of Labor (“EBSA”)  recently published guidance regarding cybersecurity best practices for recordkeepers and service providers responsible for plan related information technology systems and data for ERISA-covered plans, including 401k and other pension plans.

The EBSA counseled that a plan’s service providers should implement the following practices:

1. Have a formal, well documented cybersecurity program.
2. Conduct prudent annual risk assessments.
3. Have a reliable annual third-party ...

Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act makes it the second state to pass a comprehensive data privacy law.

The California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (“CPRA”) was approved during the California Statewide General Election as Proposition 24 on November 3, 2020. This means the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) will be amended to the California Privacy Rights Act, which includes the establishment of a new privacy enforcement agency, new definitions for sensitive data with limits on use and sharing, and expanded breach liability. 

The CPRA will enter into force on January 1, 2023 and, apart from the right to access, will apply to personal information collected by businesses back to January 1, 2022.

Businesses are facing this system hack with ever-increasing frequency:  An accounts payable employee receives new or updated payment instructions from a vendor via email.  The email appears to be from a familiar counterpart at the vendor; it contains accurate details specific to a current transaction; the new bank is well known; and the new instructions have the vendor’s name, or a version of it, as the beneficiary.

For more background on the Washington Privacy Act, see: Washington State Legislature Takes Another Shot At a Consumer Data Privacy Law (DataPoints, 1/22/2020)

Senate Bill 6281, the Washington Privacy Act, passed out of the Senate on February 14 and moved to the House of Representatives where it is expected to run up against some skepticism and questions. 

The bill was drafted to help bring Washington state more in line with California’s and the EU’s data privacy regulation efforts, in the absence of comprehensive privacy regulation at the federal level.  The Act places ...

Following an unsuccessful attempt last year at passing a comprehensive data privacy bill, the Washington State Legislature is hoping the second time’s the charm. Senate Bill 6281, this session’s updated version of The Washington Privacy Act, is based on the best practices taken from the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) which went into effect on January 1 of this year. Although last year’s effort fizzled in Washington’s House of Representatives after passing the Senate 46-1, SB 6281 has been ...