The Working Party recently issued its first Opinion for 2017, focusing on the EU Commission’s proposed ePrivacy Regulation (WP 247, Opinion 01/2017). The Commission’s proposal, which was published in January this year, aims to modernize the existing ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC as amended by 2009/136/EC) which concerns the protection of personal data in the context of […]
Enforcement
May 30 is Fast Approaching – Are You Ready for Compliance with the Amended Act on Protection of Personal Information in Japan?
Japan’s Act on Protection of Personal Information currently in force (“Current APPI”) dates back to 2003. It was originally enacted on May 30, 2003, and came into effect in 2005. Ten years later, the National Diet passed extensive reforms to modernize the Current APPI in September, 2015. Although the Amended Act on Protection of Personal […]
Germany Proposes Bill Requiring Social Network Takedowns – with € 50 Million Fines
Recent media reports indicated that Germany was considering legislation that would fine social networks for failing to combat fake news and hate speech. Today, German Justice Minister Heiko Maas introduced a “Draft Law to Improve Law Enforcement in Social Networks” (abbreviated as the Network Enforcement Act (Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz), or “NetzDG”). The NetzDG aims to curb “hate-based […]
Australia Adopts New Data Breach Notification Legislation
On February 13, 2017 Australia became one more among nation states adopting data breach notification legislation. In recent House and Senate votes, the Australian Parliament amended the Privacy Act 1988, introducing mandatory data breach notification requirements for entities regulated by the Privacy Act. Who is Subject to the New Legislation? The recent bill requires entities […]
Smart Television Manufacturer Settles by Paying $ 2.2 Million to the FTC and the State of New Jersey
The FTC and the State of New Jersey recently announced a settlement with Vizio, Inc., in the amount of $2.2 million for tracking consumer behavior using its smart television devices. The complaint alleged that Vizio acted unfairly by collecting, storing (indefinitely) and sharing consumer data with third parties without consent and in an unexpected manner. […]