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Susan Foster

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Susan Foster is a Member in the Corporate & Securities Section, practicing in the firm’s London office. She works with clients primarily on data protection, licensing, collaborations, and commercial matters in the fields of clean tech, high tech, mobile media, and life sciences. She has represented a broad range of clients from start-up companies to international industry leaders and has significant experience with cross-border transactions. She is qualified in England and Wales as well as California, and has experience practicing law in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

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Spoiler Alert: Behavioral advertising companies will find some bad news in the guidance.

The Article 29 Working Party (WP29) advisory group, which will soon become the more transparently-named (and very powerful) European Data Protection Board, is busy drafting and issuing guidance documents to help organizations understand how European data protection authorities will interpret various requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  WP29 recently issued draft guidance relating to automated decision-making and profiling that will be critical for all organizations that conduct those activities. The draft guidance is open for comments until Nov. 28, 2017.  This post recaps some of the particularly interesting aspects of the draft guidance, which can be found in full here (scroll down to the items just above the “Adopted Guidelines” section).

But first, what counts as automated decision-making under the GDPR?  And what is “profiling”? Continue Reading Key GDPR Guidance on Behavioral Advertising, Profiling and Automated Decision-Making

As was generally expected from informal comments by EU representatives, Privacy Shield has survived its first annual review.  Commissioner Jourova stated: “Our first review shows that the Privacy Shield works well, but there is some room for improving its implementation.”  Specifically, the Commission highlighted the following in the press release today in which it announced its conclusions:

  • More proactive and regular monitoring of companies’ compliance with their Privacy Shield obligations by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The U.S. Department of Commerce should also conduct regular searches for companies making false claims about their participation in the Privacy Shield.
  • More awareness-raising for EU individuals about how to exercise their rights under the Privacy Shield, notably on how to lodge complaints.
  • Closer cooperation between privacy enforcers i.e. the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Federal Trade Commission, and the EU Data Protection Authorities (DPAs), notably to develop guidance for companies and enforcers.
  • Enshrining the protection for non-Americans offered by Presidential Policy Directive 28 (PPD-28), as part of the ongoing debate in the U.S. on the reauthorisation and reform of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
  • To appoint as soon as possible a permanent Privacy Shield Ombudsperson, as well as ensuring the empty posts are filled on the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB).

It’s worth noting the recommendation regarding enshrining the protections for non-Americans under Presidential Policy Directive 28 in the reauthorization of Section 702 — while President Trump has not withdrawn PPD-28, it’s not a given that protection for foreigners will be built into FISA.

The full report is available here.

Executive summary:  The EU’s standard contractual clauses may be on the fast track to invalidation, putting a vast number of personal data transfers from the EEA at risk.  A case brought by Maximilian Schrems (whose first complaint resulted in the invalidation of Safe Harbor) has been referred to the EU’s highest court, via a 153-page Irish High Court decision that provides ample ammunition to those who would like to see the standard contractual clauses struck down.  Although aimed at Facebook, the consequences of the decision are virtually certain to affect all US companies that rely on the standard contractual clauses.

Many companies around the world rely on the EU’s standard contractual clauses (also known as the model clauses, and referred to in this article as the “SCCs”) as the legal basis for transferring personal data from the European Economic Area (EEA) to countries whose privacy laws have not been found adequate by the EU Commission.  The SCCs are private contracts, and while some EEA countries require that parties that enter into SCCs deposit a copy, other countries do not, so no one knows for sure how many companies rely on the SCCs.  But the answer is probably “an awful lot of companies.”  Given the data flows between the EEA and US, and the fact that, as of today, only around 2,500 companies rely on Privacy Shield as the legal basis for the data transfers, it’s safe to assume that for US companies, the standard contractual clauses are the primary mechanism for transferring personal data to the US.

The SCCs have been subject to a legal challenge by Maximillian Schrems (often called the Schrems II case) that has just reached a critical inflection point: The Irish High Court has just issued a decision referring to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) the question of whether the SCCs are invalid.  The main thrust of the invalidity argument is the assertion that US national security laws do not offer adequate levels of protection for the rights of EU residents.  In particular, the argument runs, EU residents lack a meaningful remedy before US courts for uses of their personal data by US national security agencies that are inconsistent with those persons’ rights under EU law. Continue Reading Will the EU box itself in?  Fate of Standard Contractual Clauses (aka the Model Clauses) for personal data transfers is now in the hands of the EU’s highest court

Many companies have started the potentially lengthy process of auditing their service provider contracts to make sure that they comply with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation, which comes into force on May 25, 2018.

Fortunately for those companies that are trying to kick-start their contract audit process, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is forging ahead with its promised series of guidance documents to help companies get ready for the GDPR. The latest addition is a draft guidance note on the GDPR’s requirements for contracts between data controllers (the folks who make decisions about what personal data will be processed, and for what purposes) and data processors (the folks who carry out processing activities on behalf of a data controller).

The requirement that there be a contract between data controllers and their data processors is not itself new.  Current EU data protection law requires data controllers to have contracts with data processors governing the security of the personal data held by the processor and requiring processor to process the personal data solely in accordance with the instructions of the controller.

But the contract requirements under the GDPR are much more expansive. Continue Reading Have you started auditing your contracts with your service providers that handle EU personal data?  UK Information Commissioner’s Office issues draft guidance for compliance with the GDPR’s contracting requirements.  

Since September, the Mintz Levin Privacy Webinar Series has focused on the upcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to help businesses understand the reach and scope of the GDPR and prepare for the potentially game-changing privacy regulation. The GDPR will affect how US businesses handle and process personal data originating in the EU and may require changes to business process.

Access, Correction and Erasure: How to Minimize the Burden (2/16/2017)

This webinar, the sixth and final in our EU General Data Protection Regulation Series, considers companies’ obligations to give individuals access to their data and to correct or erase it.  We explore the new data portability requirements. The webinar concludes with some suggestions on how to make these requirements less burdensome.

Transferring Data from the EU (1/12/2017)

This webinar, the fifth in our EU General Data Protection Regulation Series, explores the ways in which the Regulation creates new avenues for data transfers, and narrows others. In particular, we consider sector-specific Commission decisions, privacy seals/certifications, the exception for non-repetitive, limited transfers, and the outlook for BCRs and Model Clauses.

Data Protection Officers: Do You Need One? (12/15/2016)

This webinar, the fourth in our EU General Data Protection Regulation Series, examines the criteria that dictate whether or not your organization needs to appoint a Data Protection Officer. We discuss the role of the DPO, the significance of the “independence” requirement, and the qualifications required to hold the position.

Good-bye to the Cure-all: The New Rules on Consent (11/10/2016)

This webinar, the third in our EU General Data Protection Regulation Series, reviews the new restrictions on relying on user consent to data processing and data transfers. In addition to the general “imbalance of power” problem, we consider the implications of the Directive on unfair terms in consumer contracts and changes that may need to be made to terms of use and privacy policies when dealing with consumers.

Accountability, Data Security, Data Impact Assessments and Breach Notification Requirements (10/13/2016)

This webinar, the second in our EU General Data Protection Regulation Series, focuses on the data security and accountability requirements of the Regulation, including reviews and documentation of internal policies and procedures and data impact assessments. We also explore the breach notification requirements and actions that companies can take in advance to mitigate the need for breach notification.

One-Stop Shopping Mall? The New Regulatory Structure (9/14/2016)

This webinar, the first in our EU General Data Protection Regulation Series, explains the powers and role of the new European Data Protection Board, how a “lead supervisory authority” will be designated for each controller, and how the lead supervisory authority will interact with other interested supervisory authorities. We also look at the complaint process from the point of view of the individual who is claiming a violation, and explore the likely role that will be played by public interest organizations bringing group complaints.

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”) goes into effect in a little over fourteen months and from a quick glance at our bullet points analysis you can see there is a lot to consider.  One crucial aspect you need to be thinking about now is how your organization collects and manages consents from individuals for processing their personal information.  Without a strong understanding of what valid consent means under the GDPR, before long you may find yourself holding valuable data that you are not able to process as you need to for your business.

To this end, the Information Commissioner’s Office (the “ICO”), the data protection authority for the UK, last week published a consultation draft of its GDPR consent guidance.  This is a practical resource meant to help organizations get to grips with the GDPR’s consent requirements and align their internal procedures and processing activities, as well as their customer-facing websites, marketing materials, and product infrastructure.   Although the UK ICO cannot speak for the other EU data protection authorities, they have a good track record of producing practical guidance set out in accessible language, which makes the ICO website a good first stop for US companies seeking to understand their obligations in the EU.  We encourage you to review this helpful resource and provide feedback to the ICO using their comment form by March 31.  We also offer this high-level snapshot of a few key points: Continue Reading It’s Not Too Early! ICO Guidance Regarding Consent Under GDPR

Since September, the Mintz Levin Privacy Webinar Series has focused on the upcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to help businesses understand the reach and scope of the GDPR and prepare for the potentially game-changing privacy regulation. The GDPR will affect how US businesses handle and process personal data originating in the EU and may require changes to business process.

This week’s webinar will consider companies’ obligations to give individuals access to their data and to correct or erase it.  We will also explore the new data portability requirements.  The webinar will conclude with some suggestions on how to make these requirements less burdensome. We hope you can join us!

Registration link is here.

Since September, the Mintz Levin Privacy Webinar Series has focused on the upcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to help businesses understand the reach and scope of the GDPR and prepare for the potentially game-changing privacy regulation. The GDPR will affect how US businesses handle and process personal data originating in the EU and may require changes to business process.

This week, we’ll explore the ways in which the Regulation creates new avenues for data transfers, and narrows others. In particular, we will consider sector-specific Commission decisions, privacy seals/certifications, the exception for non-repetitive, limited transfers, and the outlook for BCRs and Model Clauses. Make sure to join us for this important webinar!

Registration link is here.

For the past few months, the Mintz Levin Privacy Webinar Series has focused on the upcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to help businesses understand the reach and scope of the GDPR and prepare for the potentially game-changing privacy regulation. The GDPR will affect how US businesses handle and process personal data originating in the EU and may require changes to business process.

This week, we’ll present a webinar examining the criteria that determines whether or not your organization needs to appoint a Data Protection Officer. We will discuss the role of the DPO, the significance of the “independence” requirement, and the qualifications required to hold the position. Make sure to join us for this important webinar!

Registration link is here.

 

Even president-elect Donald Trump has been the victim of a data breach. Several times actually. The payment card system for his Trump Hotel Collection was infected by malware in May 2014 and 70,000 credit card numbers were compromised by the time the hack was discovered several months later.  The hotel chain paid a penalty to the State of New York for its handling of that incident.  The hotel chain also experienced at least two additional breaches during this past year affecting various properties. From a business perspective, Mr. Trump certainly understands the high costs of cybersecurity in dollars and distraction. But from the Oval Office, it is far less clear what the Trump Administration might do to secure our country’s digital infrastructure and prosecute cybercriminals. Equally uncertain are Mr. Trump’s views on privacy rights and how his presidency might affect federal protections for personal information and cross-border transfers of data. We do not have a crystal ball, but offer some thoughts. Continue Reading The Cyber President? What To Expect From the Trump Administration On Cybersecurity And Privacy