On January 23, 2019, the Personal Information Protection Commission of Japan (the “PPC”) and the European Commission (the “Commission”) jointly announced the adoption of the decisions recognizing each other’s personal data protection systems as equivalent. The Commission launched the process leading to the adoption of the adequacy decision in September 2018 and successfully completed the process by obtaining the green light from a committee composed of representatives of the European Union (“EU”) Member States. In parallel, the PPC adopted a decision to designate the EU as equivalent […] Read more
On December 20, 2018, the Department of Justice and the FBI announced the indictment of two Chinese hackers, Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong, who have been charged in a years-long global hacking campaign that resulted in the theft of sensitive information from companies and government agencies around the world. The two hackers, members of the hacking group known as Advanced Persistent Threat 10 (APT10) (also known as MenuPass Group or Stone Panda), which is associated with the Chinese Ministry of State Security, were charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire […] Read more
Alston & Bird’s annual event to kick off the IAPP Europe Data Protection Congress 2018 featured a fireside chat with John Frank, Vice-President, EU Government Affairs at Microsoft. Moderated by Peter Swire, Senior Counsel at Alston & Bird, the discussion provided practical insights into areas that are expected to shape privacy and data protection around the world. Mr. Frank also discussed Microsoft’s approach to global compliance amidst a wide array of privacy and data protection laws and regulations. John Frank John Frank leads Microsoft’s government affairs teams in Brussels […] Read more
Mandatory privacy breach notification, reporting and record-keeping obligations under Canada’s federal data protection law called the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) will come into force as of November 1, 2018.
Earlier this year, the Canadian government published new privacy-related obligations under PIPEDA. PIPEDA applies to private-sector organizations and sets the ground rules for how businesses must handle personal information in the course of commercial activity. The new obligations present challenges to organizations, requiring an additional [...] Read more
Binding corporate rules (BCRs) are a legally recognized mechanism that facilitate intra-group transfers of personal data from the European Economic Area (EEA) to the rest of the world. Adopting BCRs not only allows for the free flow of information across an organization but also builds a strong digital culture which is crucial in this data intensive world. On Nov. 7th at 1-2 pm ET, join partners Jan Dhont and Jim Harvey, and senior counsel Peter Swire in an engaging discussion on the evolution of BCRs, the path to BCRs (including the application process), and the realities of embedding the elements […] Read more
India recently introduced the Personal Data Protection Bill 2018 (“Bill”). The transfer of personal data in India is currently governed by the SPD Rules (Sensitive Personal Data and Information, 2011), which is however considered outdated and not fully protective of personal data. The Bill comes as a result of the country’s Supreme Court recent judgment that declared privacy a fundamental right of an individual. The Srikrishma Committee (“Committee”) was responsible for drafting the Bill and coined a legal framework that is aimed to shape the country’s digital agenda. The Committee […] Read more
On August 14, Brazil adopted its new General Data Protection Law (LGPD) designed to replace and/or supplement its existing sectoral privacy framework. Brazil’s LGPD echoes many of the components of the GDPR and will likely serve as part of Brazil’s own push for a reciprocal adequacy finding from the European Commission similar to the one Japan received this past July. In addition to the LGPD, President Temer has stated that the government will establish a Brazilian national data protection authority (DPA) with a separate bill. Scope Like the GDPR, Brazil’s LGPD includes an expanded […] Read more
On July 17, the European Commission (the “Commission”) announced that the European Union and Japan successfully concluded talks on reciprocal adequacy and agreed to recognize each other's data protection systems as equivalent. In its press release, the Commission explains that this adequacy agreement will create “the world's largest area of safe transfers of data based on a high level of protection for personal data.”
The General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) came into effect as of May 25 of this year. Under the GDPR, “adequacy” is the simplest way for companies to [...] Read more
Following a two-year grace period, EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) entered into force on May 25, 2018. For many companies, preparing for the GDPR was a multi-year project involving multiple teams and input or assistance from across the organization. On this blog, we have outlined the items we have seen as particularly time- or resource-intensive.
On June 29, 2018, the Data Protection Authority (DPA) of the German state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) announced it would be surveying GDPR compliance among companies under its jurisdiction. Germany has 16 state-run DPAs with general [...] Read more
Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems’ organization, NOYB – Center for Digital Rights, filed complaints against Google (Android), Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook on May 25th, the same day on which the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became effective. NOYB filed the complaints based on the GDPR with supervisory authorities in France, Belgium, Germany and Austria. These “Day 1” complaints could have a definite impact on ad-supported online businesses.
The complaints reflect similar criticisms of each company. Assuming that each company processes personal data on the basis [...] Read more
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