Cybersecurity & Privacy

  • June 12, 2024

    FTC's Amazon Prime Trial Moved To June 2025 Amid Doc Fight

    A Washington federal judge agreed Wednesday to push back to June 2025 a high-stakes bench trial over the Federal Trade Commission's claims Amazon.com Inc. tricks consumers into enrolling in its Prime service, delaying the trial by months after the FTC accused Amazon of delaying discovery production.

  • June 12, 2024

    Chopra Rejects Fresh 'Earnings' Attack On CFPB Funding

    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra told U.S. senators on Wednesday that an emerging line of attack on his agency's funding doesn't hold water, brushing aside a legal theory that has bubbled up in the aftermath of a recent U.S. Supreme Court defeat for critics of the agency.

  • June 12, 2024

    4 Charged In $50M Email, Romance Fraud Schemes

    Four people were charged by Brooklyn federal prosecutors with participating in a series of fraudulent email and romance fraud schemes that resulted in $50 million in losses to the alleged victims.

  • June 12, 2024

    Miss. Social Media Age Law Faces Free-Speech Challenge

    Mississippi is the latest state to enact a law that requires social media companies to verify the age of all users, but a challenge seeking to block that law from taking effect is already on the docket in federal court with a preliminary injunction hearing slated for this month.

  • June 12, 2024

    Okta, Investors Reach $60M Deal In Cyberattack Coverup Suit

    Okta Inc. investors have asked a California federal judge to give the first OK to a $60 million settlement reached in a suit alleging the software company misled the certified class about a 2022 cyberattack.

  • June 12, 2024

    Ashley Furniture Faces Data Breach Suit Over 2023 Hack

    Ashley Furniture customers hit the home furnishing retailer with a proposed class action in Texas federal court Monday, accusing the company of negligence over its failure to safeguard their personal information — which was compromised during a cyberattack a year ago — and of waiting months to notify them.

  • June 12, 2024

    NJ Judicial Privacy Law Hit With Constitutional Challenge

    Companies accused of violating Daniel's Law hit back in New Jersey federal court this week, calling the judicial data privacy protection measure unconstitutionally vague, harsh and riddled with loopholes, and arguing it is being "cynically" misused by the plaintiff, a data privacy company.

  • June 11, 2024

    Pa. Health System Shakes Meta Data Sharing Row For Now

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has tossed a putative class action accusing a nonprofit health system of unlawfully sharing information about website visitors' activities with Meta Platforms Inc., finding that the plaintiff had failed to adequately detail what protected health data had been disclosed. 

  • June 11, 2024

    Quinn Emanuel Swapped Sides For X Suit, Data Co. Says

    Israeli data collector Bright Data Ltd. asked a California federal judge on Tuesday to disqualify law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP from representing social media company X Corp., which is suing Bright Data over its data-scraping practices, accusing the firm, which was once contracted by the data company for advice in a similar matter, of switching sides.

  • June 11, 2024

    NFL Balks At Delays, Amendments To Mobile App Privacy Suit

    A proposed class action alleging that the NFL failed to protect data on its mobile app should not be allowed to replace the lead plaintiff, especially after he has exhibited a "lack of diligence and delay" during the suit, the league told a Rhode Island federal judge Tuesday.

  • June 11, 2024

    Biz Groups Urge 6th Circ. To Put Net Neutrality On Hold

    Industry groups want the Sixth Circuit to put the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules on hold while they are litigated and to reject an FCC bid to move numerous consolidated challenges to the D.C. Circuit.

  • June 11, 2024

    FINRA Fines Brokerage TradeZero Over 'Finfluencer' Promos

    The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has fined broker-dealer TradeZero America Inc. $250,000 for allegedly failing to properly supervise its influencer partners, who promoted the firm on their social media accounts.

  • June 11, 2024

    Heinz Charity Says Ex-Adviser Stole Almost $1M Via Sham Co.

    A technology adviser for the Pittsburgh-based Heinz Endowments embezzled nearly a million dollars by steering payments to a company he secretly owned for work it never did, then tried to cover his tracks when he came under investigation, the endowments claimed in a federal lawsuit.

  • June 11, 2024

    JPML Consolidates AT&T Data Breach Suits In Texas

    Thirty lawsuits brought against AT&T over a data breach that left 70 million customers' information on the dark web are being consolidated in the Northern District of Texas, with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ruling that proximity to AT&T headquarters will bring added efficiency to the proceedings.

  • June 11, 2024

    Pa. County Can't Give Voting Machine Data To Mich. Atty

    A Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday blocked Fulton County commissioners from giving data copied from the county's Dominion Voting Systems equipment to an attorney and Donald Trump ally facing criminal charges for illegally accessing voter information in Michigan.

  • June 11, 2024

    Texas AG Urges DC Circ. To Revive Media Matters Probe

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants the D.C. Circuit to revive his investigation into progressive media watchdog Media Matters' reporting on the social media platform X, saying the D.C. federal court had no authority to interfere with the probe.

  • June 11, 2024

    JPML Consolidates GM, LexisNexis Driving Data Suits In Ga.

    Drivers claiming that their auto insurance rates increased after General Motors and its OnStar unit collected driving data without consent and shared the information with LexisNexis Risk Solutions will have their suits consolidated in Georgia federal court, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ruled.

  • June 10, 2024

    Privacy Law Needs Broader State Override, Trade Groups Say

    Nearly two dozen business groups are calling on Congress to expand the preemption provisions in proposed legislation to give consumers more control over their personal information, arguing that the current draft "falls short" of creating a uniform national data privacy framework by failing to fully override the emerging state law patchwork. 

  • June 10, 2024

    Rehab Clinics Add To MultiPlan Insurance Fixing Pile-On

    Addiction treatment providers sued MultiPlan, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealth and Elevance Friday and Saturday in 14 separate New York federal court complaints that appear to be the first to add substance abuse disorder-specific allegations to the cases pegging MultiPlan at the center of a scheme to suppress insurer payouts.

  • June 10, 2024

    Health Data Co. Says Rival's Request Risks Patient Security

    A healthcare data company pushed back against claims in Maryland federal court that it blocks a rival's access to nursing home patient data used to identify potential complications, saying the rival is asking to disable security measures that prevent attacks on its system.

  • June 10, 2024

    NY Lawmakers Pass Kids Social Media Addiction Bill

    New York lawmakers have passed a bill that will rein in social media algorithms from delivering addictive content to minors and sent it to Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk for approval, which is widely expected.

  • June 10, 2024

    Emory Settles With Student Accused Of Cheating With AI Tool

    Emory University has reached a settlement with a student who received a $10,000 prize for developing an artificially intelligent study program before being suspended when the school decided the program violated its academic honor code, according to court filings Monday.

  • June 10, 2024

    Judge Unseals Some Testimony Of Trump Tax Info Leaker

    A federal magistrate judge on Monday ordered the unsealing of some testimony from a former IRS contractor about how he illegally gained access to former President Donald Trump's tax returns in a billionaire's case suing the agency over the breach.

  • June 10, 2024

    2nd Circ. Remands Malpractice Suit Against DLA Piper

    The Second Circuit on Monday sent back to state court a Chinese smart car technology company's malpractice suit against DLA Piper that accused the firm of mishandling a shareholder suit, with the appeals court panel saying federal court does not have jurisdiction over the suit.

  • June 10, 2024

    Kirkland Faces Class Claims Over Breach Of File Transfer Tool

    A proposed class of victims of a data breach has sued Kirkland & Ellis LLP and various other entities in a Massachusetts federal court, accusing them of failing to "properly secure and safeguard [the] plaintiff's and other similarly situated individuals' private information" in the lead-up to the massive 2023 MOVEit data breach.

Expert Analysis

  • Key FCC Enforcement Issues In AT&T Location Data Appeal

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    AT&T’s decision to challenge a $57 million fine from the Federal Communications Commission for its alleged treatment of customer location information highlights interesting and fundamental issues about the constitutionality of FCC enforcement, say Patrick O’Donnell and Jason Neal at HWG.

  • Crafting An Effective Workplace AI Policy After DOL Guidance

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    Employers should take proactive steps to minimize their liability risk after the U.S. Department of Labor released artificial intelligence guidance principles on May 16, reflecting the reality that companies must begin putting into place policies that will dictate their expectations for how employees will use AI, say David Disler and Courtnie Bolden at ​​​​​​​Porzio Bromberg.

  • How SEC Could Tackle AI Regulations On Brokers, Advisers

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission held an open meeting of its Investor Advisory Committee on June 6 to review the use of artificial intelligence in investment decision making, showing that regulators are being careful not to stifle innovation or implement rules that will quickly be made irrelevant after their passage, says Brian Korn at Manatt Phelps.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians

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    Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Unpacking NY's Revised Hospital Cybersecurity Rule Proposal

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    The New York State Department of Health's recently revised hospital cybersecurity rule proposal highlights increased expectations and scrutiny around cybersecurity in the healthcare sector, while adapting to both recent industry developments and public comments, say Christine Moundas and Gideon Zvi Palte at Ropes & Gray.

  • What TikTok's Race Against The Clock Teaches Chinese Firms

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    The Biden administration's recent divestiture deadline on TikTok parent ByteDance provides useful information for other China-based companies looking to do business in the U.S., including the need to keep products for each market separate and implement firewalls at the design stage, says Richard Lomuscio at Stinson.

  • Updated Federal Rules Can Improve Product Liability MDLs

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    The recent amendment of a federal evidence rule regarding expert testimony and the proposal of a civil rule on managing early discovery in multidistrict legislation hold great promise for promoting the uniform and efficient processes that high-stakes product liability cases particularly need, say Alan Klein and William Heaston at Duane Morris.

  • Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent

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    As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.

  • AI-Generated Soundalikes Pose Right Of Publicity Issues

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    Artificial intelligence voice generators have recently proliferated, allowing users to create new voices or manipulate existing vocals with no audio engineering expertise, and although soundalikes may be permissible in certain cases, they likely violate the right of publicity of the person who is being mimicked, says Matthew Savare at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Beware Of Trademark Scammers Leveraging USPTO Data

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    Amid a recent uptick in fraudulent communications directed at trademark applicants, registrants must understand how to protect themselves and their brand from fraudulent schemes and solicitation, say Michael Kelber and Alexandra Maloney at Neal Gerber.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • A Look At US-EU Consumer Finance Talks' Slow First Steps

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    The unhurried and informal nature of planned discussions between the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the European commissioner for justice and consumer protection suggests any coordinated regulatory action on issues like AI and "buy now, pay later" services is still a ways off, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence

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    The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.

  • Calif. Web Tracking Cases Show Courts' Indecision Over CIPA

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    Several hundred cases filed to date, and two recent conflicting rulings, underscore California courts' uncertainty over whether the use of web analytics tools to track users' website interactions can give rise to a violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, says Patricia Brum at Snell & Wilmer.

  • To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef

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    To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

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