Privacy & Cybersecurity

Walking around a department store isn’t the only time you’re being tracked while you shop. If you’ve ever visited a web page and seen an advertisement for the exact same pair of shoes you were looking at on a different web page the day before, then you know that something similar is happening while you surf the web. 

If you’ve ever dealt with that pushy salesperson at Bed, Bath & Beyond who won’t take your word for it that you’re just browsing and not ready to commit to a high-end home espresso machine, you know that being followed around at a retail store can be unsettling and intrusive.

As health care providers continue to try to navigate the world of social media, the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline (the “Board”) has issued policy guidelines (the “Guidelines”) to address the use of social media by the state’s physicians.

The FTC has announced (press release) that, as a result of the recent shut down of the agency, the Commission has voted unanimously to extend the public comment periods for two recent proposals under the COPPA Rule.

The Los Angeles Times (the “Times”) reported this week the theft of two laptops from an administrative office of hospital group AHMC Healthcare Inc. (“AHMC”) in Alhambra, California that compromised the health data of approximately 729,000 individuals.

Last fall the Federal Trade Commission brought cases against a software developer and rent-to-own stores that secretly monitored people in their homes.

Privacy tidbits and bytes for this Monday --
App Developers - Put this on your calendar!

(LONDON) Various data protection power players have called for the suspension or curtailment of the US Safe Harbor program ever since the Snowden revelations that the US NSA has required large internet service providers such as Google to provide vast amounts of personal data transmitted by individuals in Europe (and elsewhere).

The comic book industry is no stranger to displays of heroic anger and berserker rage, but over the weekend New York Comic Con (NYCC) was on the receiving end of considerable fan fury after it began ghostwriting effusive tweets about NYCC and posting on the Twitter pages of NYCC attendees in a way that made it appear as though the attendee was the author of the tweet.

Adobe Systems Inc.,(ADBE -1.24%) announced earlier today that has been the victim of a cyber attack that has compromised information of 2.9 million of its customers. 

Companies that engage in telemarketing – either on their own or by contracting with a third-party telemarketing provider – should remember that new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) telemarketing rules go into effect October 16, 2013, requiring companies to obtain prior express written consent from consumers before calling them with prerecorded telemarketing “robocalls” or before using an autodialer to call their wireless numbers with telemarketing messages.

Cybersecurity begins with a simple message everyone using the Internet can adopt: STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Take security and safety precautions, understand the consequences of your actions and behaviors online and enjoy the benefits of the Internet.

As we all ponder the potential for the first U.S. government shut down in 18 years, here are some Monday privacy tidbits to change the subject a bit.

If you were on Google’s home page yesterday at the office, you probably spent more time than you care to admit playing the “help the letter ‘g’ hit the piñata” game that Google created for its 15th birthday.

One of the most common forms of elder abuse is financial exploitation. Older adults often have valuable assets and vulnerabilities, such as mental or physical disabilities, that make them prime targets by both strangers and family members.

In a Federal Register notice to be published shortly, the FTC is seeking public comment on the kidSAFE Seal Program proposed by Samet Privacy, LLC under the “safe harbor” provision of the COPPA Rule.

As we previously reported here, Facebook has proposed a number of revisions to its Data Use Policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. 

The FTC has announced (press release) that it is seeking public comment on a second verifiable consent method proposed under the Voluntary Commission Approval Process provision of the COPPA Rule. The proponent is Imperium, LLC (“Imperium”), a Connecticut-based technology services company.

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently entered into a settlement agreement with TRENDnet, Inc., a company that sells Internet Protocol (“IP”) cameras that allow customers to monitor their homes remotely over the Internet. 

As we learned this summer, online account usernames can be, well . . . somewhat embarrassing when made public. Here in California, however, that type of username or an email address, in combination with a password or security question and answer, could soon be considered personal information.