Cybersecurity & Privacy

  • February 12, 2025

    House Republicans Launch Effort To Craft Data Privacy Law

    The Republican leaders of an influential House committee on Wednesday established a working group to draft privacy legislation that would be able to overcome hurdles that have long stymied efforts to set a national standard for how companies collect, use and share consumers' personal information. 

  • February 12, 2025

    Crypto CEO Made $425K Disappear, Investor Tearfully Testifies

    A former business partner of a Texas man accused of running a $5 million fraud centered on a new "anti-money laundering" cryptocurrency testified tearfully before a California federal jury on Wednesday that her family invested about $425,000 in the defendant's previous cryptocurrency venture and lost every penny.

  • February 12, 2025

    OpenAI Says Musk Takeover Bid 'Exposes' Intent Behind Suit

    OpenAI on Thursday told a California federal judge overseeing Elon Musk's lawsuit seeking to block OpenAI from becoming a for-profit enterprise that the Tesla founder has proposed acquiring OpenAI's business, saying the takeover effort reveals Musk's lawsuit to be "an improper bid to undermine a competitor."

  • February 12, 2025

    DOJ Removes For-Cause Protection For FTC, Other Agencies

    The U.S. Department of Justice has determined that for-cause removals for members of the Federal Trade Commission, National Labor Relations Board and Consumer Product Safety Commission are unconstitutional, acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris informed Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., ranking Democrat of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in a letter Wednesday.

  • February 12, 2025

    Colo. Judge Tosses Online Fax Co.'s Junk Ad Suit

    A Colorado federal judge dismissed an online fax service provider's Telephone Consumer Protection Act suit alleging a group of companies overwhelmed its system with "junk" faxes, finding in a Wednesday order that the law's prohibition specifically applies to a "machine" that receives and prints faxes.

  • February 12, 2025

    Dementia Society, CEO Must Face Workplace Spying Suit

    Three former Dementia Society of America employees who claim they found listening devices hidden in their workspaces can move forward with their lawsuit against the nonprofit, a Pennsylvania federal judge has ruled, holding that that they put forth plausible claims that the organization violated the federal and Pennsylvania wiretap acts.

  • February 12, 2025

    Western Digital Told To Pay $553M Sooner Rather Than Later

    Hard drive manufacturer Western Digital now has less than seven days to put up over half a billion dollars to satisfy a patent judgment after a California federal judge said he "has concerns about potential corporate restructuring."

  • February 12, 2025

    Allstate Hit With Another Class Action Over Data Collection

    Allstate has been hit with another proposed class action in Illinois federal court accusing the auto insurer of illegally obtaining the personal driving data of millions of policyholders via software embedded in third-party apps and using that data for the insurer's own underwriting purposes.

  • February 12, 2025

    OPM Violated Employees' Privacy Rights, Unions Say

    The U.S. Office of Personnel Management violated federal privacy laws when it gave Elon Musk's recently established Department of Government Efficiency access to its employment records, unions representing federal employees and administrative law judges said in a lawsuit filed in New York federal court.

  • February 12, 2025

    Mnuchin, Others Face Fiduciary Suit From Cybersecurity CEO

    The CEO of AI-driven cybersecurity venture Cybereason has sued former U.S. treasury secretary and company director Steven Mnuchin, along with others, in Delaware's Court of Chancery over financing roadblocks that allegedly threaten to tip the company into bankruptcy.

  • February 12, 2025

    Google Must Face Wiretapping Suit Over AI-Powered Assistant

    A California federal judge has refused to toss a proposed class action accusing Google of using a "human-like" customer-service product powered by artificial intelligence to illegally eavesdrop on users' calls with Hulu, Verizon and others, finding the consumers adequately allege Google is a third party that can benefit from the data.

  • February 12, 2025

    Treasury Chief Exempt From Block On DOGE's System Access

    A New York federal judge clarified that an order blocking Elon Musk and members of his Department of Government Efficiency team from accessing U.S. Treasury Department payment systems does not apply to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

  • February 12, 2025

    Meta User Antitrust Suit Gets Nov. 17 Trial Date

    A California federal judge has set a Nov. 17 trial date for accusations that Meta monopolized the social media advertising market weeks after he declined to certify a class of Facebook users that would have numbered in the millions.

  • February 12, 2025

    Starbucks Accused Of Flouting Mass. Polygraph Hiring Law

    Starbucks is ignoring a Massachusetts law requiring employers to inform job-seekers that the state doesn't allow the use of lie detector tests in employment decisions, according to a putative class action filed in state court.

  • February 11, 2025

    Trump Tells Agencies To Plan 'Large-Scale' Cuts With Musk

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that directs agencies to prepare for "large-scale" cuts to the federal workforce and gives Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency the authority to approve the future hiring of career officials.

  • February 11, 2025

    Wash. Health Privacy Law Debuts In Amazon Tracking Suit

    A Washington resident has launched the first claims under the state's groundbreaking health privacy law, as part of a proposed class action accusing Amazon of unlawfully harvesting location data from tens of millions of mobile phone users through third-party apps that are running the company's software development kit. 

  • February 11, 2025

    DOGE, Treasury Accused Of 'Largest' US Data Breach

    Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management conducted the "largest" data and IT security breaches in U.S. history, illegally exposing millions of people's sensitive information, a data privacy watchdog and group of federal employees alleged this week.

  • February 11, 2025

    Ex-NY Gov. Aide And Husband Deny Foreign Agent Charges

    A former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Linda Sun, and her husband on Tuesday pled not guilty to a superseding indictment that accuses her of secretly acting as an agent of China's government and adds new money laundering charges against her spouse.

  • February 11, 2025

    Progressive Inks $3.25M Data Breach Deal With 350K Members

    Approximately 350,000 Progressive Casualty Insurance customers on Tuesday asked an Ohio federal judge to grant final approval to a $3.25 million settlement stemming from a data breach event that exposed their personal information, noting the resolution is a favorable outcome, given the risks to their claims if litigation continued.

  • February 11, 2025

    2 Russians Arrested In $16M Phobos Ransomware Scheme

    Two Russian nationals were arrested on charges of operating a cybercrime cell that extorted about $16 million from victims around the world by stealing data and demanding a ransom for its return, Maryland federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

  • February 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Doubts X Plaintiff Can Revive Phone Data Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday questioned whether a lawsuit targeting social platform X could be revived and remanded to state court, with one judge suggesting circuit precedent established a privacy right that keeps the case in federal court, and another saying the lower court had "broad discretion" in deciding to dismiss the case.

  • February 11, 2025

    Ex-Employee Sues Fla. News Database Co. Over Data Breach

    An Oklahoma resident has brought a proposed federal class action over a data breach against a Florida-based news database company, alleging that she was an employee and that her former employer didn't do enough to adequately protect her personal information from being stolen.

  • February 11, 2025

    No Prison For Firm Manager Who Aided Feds' No-Fault Bust

    A Manhattan federal judge allowed a wealthy law firm manager to avoid prison Tuesday for his role in paying bribes that fueled a $70 million no-fault automobile insurance fraud racket, citing his decision to cooperate with prosecutors and willingness to testify.

  • February 11, 2025

    Factual Dispute Keeps Walmart BIPA Suit In Court, For Now

    An Illinois jury will determine whether a driver for Walmart's grocery delivery platform Spark signed an arbitration agreement during his onboarding before a federal judge can decide whether his underlying biometric privacy claims should be redirected away from court, the judge said Tuesday.

  • February 11, 2025

    FTC Bureau Heads Include DOJ Alum With Big Tech Mandate

    The Federal Trade Commission named its new competition and consumer protection bureau chiefs Monday, tapping for its top competition enforcer the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division's civil conduct head, praised specifically for his "experience taking on Big Tech."

Expert Analysis

  • AI Monitoring And FCRA: Employer Compliance Essentials

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission signal determination to treat AI-based workplace surveillance as a potential Fair Credit Reporting Act issue, employers must commit to educating HR and compliance staff on these quickly evolving regulatory expectations, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • When Investigating An Adversary, Be Wary Of Forged Records

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    Warnings against the use of investigators who tout their ability to find an adversary’s private documents generally emphasize the risk of illegal activity and attorney discipline, but a string of recent cases shows an additional danger — investigators might be fabricating records altogether, says Brian Asher at Asher Research.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • How To Safely Leverage AI In The Digital Assets Industry

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    Digital asset businesses that use or plan to implement artificial intelligence should assess their risk management frameworks to ensure that AI-related business areas, including customer support and fraud detection, are in compliance with applicable laws and regulatory guidance from the last year, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Navigating Decentralized Clinical Trials With FDA's Guidance

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recently finalized guidance on conducting decentralized clinical trials, while not legally binding, can serve as a road map for sponsors, investigators and others to ensure trial integrity and participant safety, say attorneys at Phillips Lytle.

  • Unpacking The CFPB's Personal Financial Data Final Rule

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's personal financial data rights rule includes several important changes from the proposed rule, and hundreds of pages of supplementary information that provide important insights into the manner in which the bureau will enforce the final rule, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Deepfakes In Court Proceedings: How To Safeguard Evidence

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    The legal community can confront the risks that deepfake technology poses to the integrity of court proceedings by embracing the latest detection technologies, developing comprehensive legal frameworks and fostering education and collaboration, say Daniel Garrie and Jennifer Deutsch at Law & Forensics.

  • The AI Consumer Class Action Threat Is Not A Hallucination

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    As regulators scrutinize whether businesses can deliver on claims about their artificial intelligence products and services, the industry faces a wave of consumer fraud class actions — but AI companies can protect themselves by prioritizing fundamental best practices that are often overlooked, say Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein and Richard Torrenzano at the Torrenzano Group.

  • A Look At The Hefty Demands In Calif. Employer AI Draft Regs

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    California's draft regulations on artificial intelligence use in employment decisions show that the California Privacy Protection Agency is positioning itself as a de facto AI regulator for the state, which isn't waiting around for federal legislation, says Lily Li at Metaverse Law.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • Video Privacy Law Claims After 2nd Circ. NBA Ruling

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    The Second Circuit's recent ruling in Salazar v. National Basketball Association expanded the definition of what constitutes a consumer under the Video Privacy Protection Act, breathing new life into the law by making any newsletter subscriber to a platform that hosts video content a potential plaintiff, say attorneys at Clark Hill.

  • What To Expect From State AGs As Federal Control Changes

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    Under the next Trump administration, Democratic attorneys general are poised to strengthen enforcement in certain areas as Republican attorneys general continue their efforts with stronger federal support — resulting in a confusing patchwork of policies that create unintended liabilities for businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

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