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Verizon Settles Supercookie Probe with FCC

Posted in Federal Communications Commission, Mobile Privacy, Privacy Regulation, Uncategorized

Verizon Wireless has reached a settlement with the Federal Communications Commission over Verizon’s insertion of unique identifier headers (“UIDH”), also known as “supercookies,” to track customers’ mobile Internet traffic without their knowledge or consent.  Verizon inserted UIDH into customers’ web traffic and associated the UIDH with customer proprietary information to create profiles and deliver targeted… Continue Reading

Apple vs. FBI: The House Judiciary Committee Hearing and Takeaways

Posted in Cybersecurity, Mobile Privacy, Privacy Litigation, Privacy Regulation, Security, Uncategorized

Among the major headlines dominating not only the recent news cycle, but also this week’s RSA Conference in San Francisco, has been Apple’s challenge to the federal government’s request that Apple assist in unlocking the iPhone recovered from the perpetrators of the shootings in San Bernardino.  On March 1, 2016, the House Judiciary Committee held… Continue Reading

Will free apps soon be dead in Europe?

Posted in EU Data Protection Regulation, European Union, Mobile Privacy, Online Advertising, Social Media, Uncategorized

As we’ve discussed previously, the GDPR significantly limits user consent as a basis for processing personal data.  One interesting question is whether the new rules on consent will kill free apps in Europe.  Free apps typically involve the offer of a service (the app) in exchange for access to personal data (whatever data the app… Continue Reading

What App Users Care About When Sharing Personal Data: Permissions

Posted in Mobile Privacy, Uncategorized

Written by Jane Haviland The latest Pew Research Center Report relayed useful information regarding application users’ concerns with sharing personal data.  Ninety percent of app users indicated that how their personal data will be used is “very” or “somewhat” important to them, and influences their decision to download an app.  Sixty percent of users decided… Continue Reading

Privacy Monday – May 18, 2015

Posted in Children, Cybersecurity, Data Breach, Data Breach Notification, Data Compliance & Security, Events and Webinars, Mobile Privacy, Online Advertising, Privacy Monday, Security, Uncategorized

It’s Monday morning — do you know your privacy/security status? Here are a few bits and bytes to start your week. SEC to Registered Investment Advisers and Broker-Dealers:  It’s Your Turn to Pay Attention to Cybersecurity The Division of Investment Management of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) has weighed in on cybersecurity of registered investment companies… Continue Reading

Cross-Device Tracking: The New World

Posted in Data Compliance & Security, Federal Trade Commission, Mobile Privacy, Online Advertising, Uncategorized

Facebook does it.  Google does it.  It’s everywhere in the mobile ad ecosystem.  And your smartphone does it more often than you know, according to a study released on Monday by Carnegie Mellon. Now, Federal authorities have turned their attention to cross-device and cross-service tracking of consumers over the last several days and weeks. Speaking at… Continue Reading

Register for our next Wednesday Webinar — February 25

Posted in Employee Privacy, Events and Webinars, HIPAA/HITECH, Identity Theft, Mobile Privacy, Privacy Litigation, Security, Social Media

Registration is open for the next installment in the Mintz Levin Privacy & Security Group Wednesday Webinar series — This webinar,  scheduled for Wednesday, February 25,  will focus on privacy in the workplace. Our workplace is everywhere these days, which makes employment and privacy compliance even more challenging. Jen Rubin and Gauri Punjabi will discuss… Continue Reading

Who’s your role model for EU privacy notices? The latest Google Undertaking

Posted in European Union, Mobile Privacy, Online Advertising, Uncategorized

When small and mid-size companies start expanding their apps or web presence into Europe, they need to start thinking about EU data protection laws.  It’s tempting to take a look at what one or two of the “big guys” do about EU data protection compliance and think that whatever  the big guys do in Europe… Continue Reading

On the Ninth Day of Privacy, my true love gave to me….

Posted in 12 Days of Privacy, Mobile Privacy, Privacy Regulation, Security

a tracking device in my car …. she is now my ex-true love…. Written by Jonathan Cain A year ago, privacy and data security issues in the media were all about credit cards and identity theft.  Concerns about privacy related to location data were, at least among the general public and Congress, somewhere in a… Continue Reading

Privacy Monday: December 8, 2104 – The Twelve Days of Privacy 2014

Posted in 12 Days of Privacy, Cybersecurity, Data Compliance & Security, EU Data Protection Regulation, Insurance, Legislation, Mobile Privacy, Privacy Litigation, Privacy Monday, Privacy Regulation, Uncategorized

Our series last year was a reader favorite, so we decided to put our prognosticator hats on again and present:   Rather than look back at 2014, starting tomorrow, the Privacy & Security blog will count down The 12 Days of Privacy, looking ahead to what we might expect in 2015 and what we might… Continue Reading

NIST Issues Draft Report Enumerating Risks and Protections to Consider When Evaluating Mobile Apps for Your Enterprise

Posted in Cybersecurity, Data Compliance & Security, Mobile Privacy

Written by:  Stephanie D. Willis  As the world recovers from the excitement leading up to Tuesday’s Apple Live Event announcement of the new iPhone 6 and Apple Watch, mobile app developers are chomping at the bit to create software that leverages the new operating system and Apple’s widely-anticipated “HealthKit,” a purportedly secure platform that allows… Continue Reading

Privacy Monday: April 4, 2014 — Fandango and Credit Karma and What They Should Mean to Your Mobile App

Posted in Federal Trade Commission, Mobile Privacy, Privacy Monday

Welcome to the first Monday in April. Our Privacy Monday is a report on the Federal Trade Commission’s latest privacy notice-related settlements with Fandango and Credit Karma.   These settlements should be reviewed by any company with (or planning to have) mobile applications and reinforces our mantra:  Say what you do, and do what you say.   … Continue Reading

On the Eighth Day of Privacy, my Mobile Apps Know Everything About Me . . .

Posted in Cybersecurity, Federal Trade Commission, Mobile Privacy

Of all the “Days of Privacy” looking forward to 2014, we believe that the issues surrounding mobile applications and privacy will see some of the most intense regulatory focus …. read on, and be prepared…. Written by Jake Romero, CIPP/US One could argue that the guiding principle behind the exponential growth and pervasive influence of… Continue Reading

On the Third Day of Privacy, My Smartphone Followed Me…

Posted in Legislation, Mobile Privacy, Uncategorized

Written by Amy Malone, CIPP/US In 2013 geolocation and biometrics were hot topics.  Apple included a fingerprint reader on the new iPhone which was either really cool or an epic fail depending on your viewpoint, and Google and the NSA are tracking our every move. While Edward Snowden’s revelations may have been eye opening (and… Continue Reading

Big Brother is Watching You (Shop For Pants): Mobile analytics firms implement code of conduct for tracking customers while they shop

Posted in Mobile Privacy, Privacy Regulation

Written by Jake Romero 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. “Unsettling”… Continue Reading

Privacy Monday – October 21, 2013

Posted in Data Breach Notification, Data Compliance & Security, European Union, Mobile Privacy, Privacy Monday

Privacy tidbits and bytes for this Monday — App Developers – Put this on your calendar! Now that the US government shutdown is over, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced its participation in a workshop with the Application Developers Alliance and the California Attorney General’s office on best practices for mobile app privacy.  The Mobile Privacy… Continue Reading

New Enforcement Guidance from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office

Posted in Data Compliance & Security, European Union, Mobile Privacy, Privacy Regulation

(LONDON) Who is on the ICO’s radar these days?  August seems to be the month for getting new guidance documents out the door at the United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office.  The UK ICO has just published guidance as to when it is likely to take regulatory action. The new guidance should be reassuring to companies… Continue Reading

NJ Attorney General Settles with PulsePoint for $1 Million

Posted in Mobile Privacy, Privacy Litigation

Written by Amy Malone Digital marketing company, PulsePoint  entered into a Consent Order with the New Jersey Attorney General and agreed to pay $1 million, following an investigation of claims that PulsePoint bypassed privacy setting of Apple’s Safari browser to allow tracking of consumer activity. Last year, Google settled similar claims with the Federal Trade… Continue Reading

NIST Issues Guidelines on Mobile Security

Posted in Mobile Privacy

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued guidelines to help federal agencies manage and secure mobile devices used by their employees for government business. A valuable resource on enterprise mobile device security for all businesses, not just federal agencies, the guidelines are designed to be used by CIOs, CISOs, and other information security… Continue Reading

FCC: Carriers Must Protect Certain Data Collected on Mobile Handsets

Posted in Mobile Privacy

Written by Ernie Cooper  Aiming to “address the real privacy and security risks that consumers face when telecommunications carriers use their control of customers’ mobile devices to collect information about their customers’ use of the network,” the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted a Declaratory Ruling holding that the existing rules requiring carriers to protect customer… Continue Reading

Amended COPPA Rule Compliance Deadline Approaching

Posted in Children, Data Compliance & Security, Federal Trade Commission, Mobile Privacy, Privacy Regulation

Time flies when it comes to compliance deadlines   As we have blogged here, the Amended COPPA Rule compliance deadline is approaching.   And if you haven’t addressed your compliance issues by Monday, you will be late. Effective July 1, 2013, regulations issued in the December 2012 amendment to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)… Continue Reading

Delta Finds Reprieve in State Court, but Not Everyone Will Get to Fly the Friendly Skies

Posted in Data Compliance & Security, Mobile Privacy, Privacy Litigation, Privacy Regulation

By Cynthia Larose, Evan Nadel, and Jake Romero California Attorney General Kamala Harris’ attempt to bring an enforcement action against Delta Air Lines, Inc. won’t be leaving the runway. California Superior Court Judge Marla J. Miller has dismissed a data privacy complaint against Delta brought by Attorney General Harris. The development comes as an unexpected… Continue Reading

Enter, the APPS Act

Posted in Mobile Privacy, Privacy Regulation

Written by Amy Malone U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, a Democrat from Georgia, has introduced a mobile privacy bill that if passed will require mobile application developers to maintain privacy policies, obtain consent from consumers before collecting data, and securely maintain the data they collect. The Application Privacy, Protection and Security Act of 2013, or the… Continue Reading