Privacy & Cybersecurity

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 --
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(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.

The federal government may be completely unable to pass laws but that certainly isn’t the case with the State of California, which has just completed a data privacy hat trick by passing three significant laws addressing a broad subset of data privacy issues.

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.

Two data privacy bills, Assembly Bill 370 and Senate Bill 568 have been sent to California Governor Jerry Brown for signature. As we previously reported, A.B. 370 would require commercial websites or online services that collect personally identifiable information to disclose how that site or service responds to “do not track” signals or similar mechanisms. 

After several months of work, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a draft of the cybersecurity “Framework” it is developing in response to Executive Order 13636.

If you use Facebook (and you likely do, if only to play some game that apparently involves crushing large amounts of candy), then you received an email last week informing you that Facebook is proposing changes to its Data Use Policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. 

As we predicted, the California Senate has approved A.B. 370, a bill that would require commercial websites or online services that collect personally identifiable information to disclose how that site or service responds to “do not track” signals or similar mechanisms.