Four years after a landmark decision by the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) (decision of 6 February 2019, B6-22/16) finding that a major technology company acted abusively due to an alleged General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) infringement, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) recently confirmed the FCO’s decision in that, depending on the circumstances of … Continue Reading
Two new data security laws are making it increasingly difficult to obtain discovery materials located in China for U.S. litigants. The Data Security Law (“DSL”) and the Personal Information Protection Law (“PIPL”) require parties to seek approval from the Chinese government before sending any data from China to a foreign court or law enforcement authority. … Continue Reading
State attorneys general (AGs) have in many ways been the tip of the spear on prioritizing consumer protection in conversations around emerging digital technologies—perhaps more so than even any federal government agency. With newsworthy data breach incidents, ransomware attacks, and personal data misuse allegations plaguing a new major U.S. company seemingly every week, state AGs … Continue Reading
Consistent with the Biden Administration’s keen focus on improving the nation’s cybersecurity, as articulated in Executive Order 14028 and discussed in greater detail here, the Department of Justice (DOJ) formally announced the launch of its new Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative (Initiative) on October 6, 2021. The Initiative will “combine the department’s expertise in civil fraud enforcement, … Continue Reading
On March 2, 2021, Virginia joined California as the second state to enact comprehensive data privacy protections for its residents. The Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA), which will go into effect January 1, 2023, will mainly be interpreted and enforced by The Virginia Attorney General (AG). Our State Attorneys General and Virginia Government Relations … Continue Reading
The Asia-Pacific region has a flourishing cryptocurrency and digital-asset ecosystem, but despite comprehensive regulatory frameworks, fraudulent actors continue to exploit cybersecurity and control weaknesses making it vital that businesses have fraud mitigation measures in place. In our recent client alert, we take a detailed look at crypto and digital asset fraud in the region, provide … Continue Reading
Investigations can be fraught with a range of data privacy issues; addressing these issues quickly is critical if there is a possibility of implicated individuals tampering with electronic evidence, and companies can expect serious ramifications if data protection and privacy laws are found to have been breached. In our latest client alert, we provide an … Continue Reading
On December 2, 2019, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued a Section 301 Investigation Report on France’s Digital Services Tax (DST), concluding that France’s DST discriminates against U.S. companies, is inconsistent with prevailing principles of tax policy, and is unusually burdensome for affected U.S. companies. In response, the USTR proposed up to … Continue Reading
On September 9, 2019, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected LinkedIn’s privacy argument in hiQ Labs, Inc. v. LinkedIn Corp., declaring that selectively banning potential competitors from accessing and using public data “may well be considered unfair competition under California law.” The Ninth Circuit also cautioned Big Tech companies against anticompetitive practices when it … Continue Reading
Cybersecurity attacks targeting government information have drastically increased, and both the federal government and private industry have struggled to implement effective means of protecting this information. Federal agencies continue to strive for a unified approach to protect critical data; however, the various regulations leave contractors without a clear set of requirements that are applicable to … Continue Reading
On May 28 2019, the French data protection authority Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés (CNIL) imposed a €400,000 fine on French property management company Sergic for neglecting to maintain the security of and to limit the storage of personal data. This is the first sanction imposed on a French company under the General … Continue Reading
Following a recent data breach, Optical Center has been fined 250,000 euros by The Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés (CNIL). The website breach allowed public access to invoices, purchase orders, and personal data of customers. On appeal, the French Highest administrative Court (Council of State) lowered the penalty to 200,000 euros. The reduction … Continue Reading
This year marks four years since significant statutory reforms regenerated the UK’s collective actions arena. Following a rocky start to this new regime, it appears that 2019 may finally bring some clarity to potential claimants navigating the first hurdle of competition class actions: the Collective Proceedings Order (‘CPO’) application. This is the first stage in … Continue Reading
On March 8, 2019, the United States Department of Justice (the DOJ) announced a key revision to its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Corporate Enforcement Policy (the Policy) regarding employees’ use of ephemeral messaging platforms. The original Policy required companies to prohibit employees’ use of such messaging platforms in order to receive full cooperation credit … Continue Reading
On February 14, 2019, the European Commission, European Parliament, and Council of the European Union reached agreement on new rules designed to ensure a fair, transparent and predictable business environment to the benefit of both end consumers and entrepreneurs using third party online platforms for their business. The new rules will be implemented by way … Continue Reading
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently provided issuers with a reminder of the potential for enforcement for insufficient cybersecurity. The SEC continues to emphasize the importance of measures such as up-to-date compliance and incident response programs in order to maintain the integrity of the capital market system, and a recent Report of Investigation … Continue Reading