According to Giving USA, charitable contributions in 2020 exceeded $470 billion, 70 percent of which came from individuals. Individuals deciding to donate to a particular organization may be considering factors beyond the organization’s particular mission, however compelling it may be. Misleading GoFundMe campaigns, FTC crackdowns on deceptive charities, and poorly run organizations are
Consumer Privacy
Trade Associations Weigh In on Claim Accrual Under Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act
Co-authors: Nadine C. Abrams and Richard Mrizek
In a ruling that may have significant impact on the constant influx of biometric privacy suits under the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) in Illinois, the Illinois Supreme Court will soon weigh in on whether claims under Sections 15(b) and (d) of the BIPA, 740 ILCS 14/1, et…
Massachusetts Legislature Evaluates Its Own Comprehensive Consumer Privacy Law
The Massachusetts Information Privacy and Security Act (MIPSA) continues to advance through the state legislative process, and is now before the full legislature. While the Act has several hurdles to clear before becoming law, its notable for two reasons. First, the comprehensive nature of the MIPSA exemplifies the direction state data protection laws are heading…
Massachusetts Privacy Bill Provides WISP Reminder, Safe Harbor for Punitive Damages
When Massachusetts issued its data security regulations in 2009 (Regulations), it led the way for states on data security. The Regulations became effective 12 years ago, almost to the day, March 1, 2010. The Bay State is now contemplating comprehensive privacy legislation, the Massachusetts Information Privacy and Security Act (MIPSA), similar to what has been…
Jump in Facial and Voice Recognition Raises Privacy, Cybersecurity, Civil Liberty Concerns
Facial recognition, voiceprint, and other biometric-related technology are booming, and they continue to infiltrate different facets of everyday life. The technology brings countless potential benefits, as well as significant data privacy and cybersecurity risks.
Whether it is facial recognition technology being used with COVID-19 screening tools and in law enforcement, continued use of fingerprint-based time…
Top 10 for 2022 – Happy Data Privacy Day!
In honor of Data Privacy Day, we provide the following “Top 10 for 2022.” While the list is by no means exhaustive, it does provide some hot topics for organizations to consider in 2022.
- State Consumer Privacy Law Developments
On January 1, 2020, the CCPA ushered into the U.S. a range of new rights for…
Fraud, Data Breaches Continuing to Crush Federal and State Unemployment Benefit Departments, Pennsylvania’s Next?
Few want to get past the COVID-19 pandemic more than leaders of federal and state unemployment benefit departments. For the last 2 years they have been successfully targeted for fraud and data breaches, racking up billions in losses. Thousands of employees across the country, including yours truly, have had false claims submitted in their name.…
California Consumer Privacy Act, California Privacy Rights Act FAQs for Covered Businesses
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), considered one of the most expansive U.S. privacy laws to date, went into effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA placed significant limitations on the collection and sale of a consumer’s personal information and provides consumers new and expansive rights with respect to their personal information.
Less than one…
The RIPTA Data Breach May Provide Valuable Lessons About Data Collection and Retention
Efforts to secure systems and data from a cyberattack often focus on measures such as multifactor authentication (MFA), endpoint monitoring solutions, antivirus protections, and role-based access management controls, and for good reason. But there is a basic principle of data protection that when applied across an organization can significantly reduce the impact of a data…
Preventing “Credential Stuffing” Attacks, Guidance from NY State Attorney General Letitia James
After reading New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Business Guide for Credential Stuffing Attacks (“Guide”), I promptly reminded my family (and myself!) to change passwords. The practice of using the same password for multiple online accounts is one that most, if not all of us, use from time to time. According to a recent study,…