Even before the ECJ’s Schrems decision invalidated Safe Harbor, the European Commission had begun working closely with US negotiators to craft what has become the U.S.-EU Privacy Shield. While EU privacy leaders have noted that Privacy Shield represents important improvements in data protection, some German DPAs have voiced a desire to challenge Privacy Shield in […]
Privacy & Cyber Regulatory Enforcement
Advocate Health Care Network Agrees to Pay $5.55 Million to Settle Potential HIPAA Penalties
On August 4, 2016, the Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced that Advocate Health Care Network (“Advocate”), Illinois’ largest fully-integrated health care system, has agreed to pay a record-breaking $5.55 million to settle claims of multiple Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) violations involving electronic protected health information (“ePHI”). The substantial settlement stems from […]
EU Commission Publishes Long-Awaited Privacy Shield Citizen’s Guide
Just over two weeks ago, the European Commission formally adopted the US-EU Privacy Shield. As part of making Privacy Shield accessible to EU residents, the Commission has long planned to issue a “Citizen’s Guide” to the rights and remedies EU residents enjoy when data is transferred to certified Privacy Shield organizations. (A leader in the Commission’s Directorate-General […]
President Obama Issues Directive on Government Cyber Incident Response
Last week, President Obama issued a new Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) establishing principles to govern the federal government’s response to cyber incidents, “whether involving government or private sector entities.” Titled “PPD-41,” the document also designates the lead federal agencies for so-called significant cyber incidents and creates an “architecture for coordinating the broader Federal Government response” […]
FTC Issues Warning Letters to 28 Companies Claiming Participation in the APEC CBPR System
On July 14, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had issued warning letters to 28 companies regarding their claim of participation in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Cross Border Privacy Rule (APEC CBPR) system. The APEC CBPR system is a voluntary, enforceable mechanism that certifies a company’s compliance with the principles in […]