The environment around data privacy is changing constantly as state regulators emphasize different issues, collaborate outside their offices and sometimes investigate activities that started years ago, Ballard Spahr lawyers said during a webinar Wednesday. Accordingly, these trends mean companies must be constantly vigilant throughout their operations.
Not only has General Motors (GM) and subsidiary OnStar unlawfully collected, processed and sold Nebraskans' sensitive data since 2015, but many residents unknowingly opted in to these data practices, Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) alleged in a lawsuit against the companies Tuesday. The AG said GM and OnStar violated the Nebraska Consumer Protection Act and Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
In the first major enforcement under the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA), the state's Attorney General William Tong (D) reached an $85,000 settlement with online marketplace TicketNetwork concerning privacy violations, Tong's office said Tuesday.
California and Utah are disappointed in the sale of 23andMe and its customers' genetic data, though some states blessed the transaction (see 2506200016). Bankruptcy Judge Brian Walsh approved the deal on Monday, allowing nonprofit TTAM Research Institute to acquire the biotechnology company and all of its assets.
Effective Tuesday, an amendment to the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) that enhances protections for biometric identifiers widens the scope of whom the privacy law applies to and forces companies to review their policies, said privacy lawyers. Enacted as HB-1130 in June 2024, the measure compels entities that collect biometric data to meet stringent notice and consent requirements if they use or intend to use it for unique identification (see 2406030010).
A California-led multistate coalition sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Tuesday for providing individuals' health data to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for access to porn sites (see 2506270015 and 2501130012). The majority in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton sided with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in support of HB-1181, which the adult industry trade association Free Speech Coalition said violates the First Amendment (see 2409170012).
A district court on Thursday granted a preliminary injunction against a 2024 Georgia law aimed at protecting kids by requiring age verification and parental consent for minors to create social media accounts. However, Georgia's attorney general signaled that the state will continue to fight for the law.
California senators weighed the merits of a workplace surveillance bill during a hearing Wednesday. Proponents praised AB-1331 for limiting monitoring of surveillance footage, while opponents argued that reducing surveillance could prompt a rise in crime and violence.
Managing AI privacy concerns in an organization requires expanding existing frameworks but also increasing collaboration across the business in acknowledgment of AI's wide potential to touch many areas, panelists said during an IAPP webinar on Tuesday.