On March 18, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law a bill amending Washington State’s Agency Breach Notification Law (“Agency Breach Law”). The Agency Breach Law applies to all state and local agencies, including state and municipal offices, departments, bureaus and commissions. Continue Reading Washington State Amends Agency Breach Notification Law
Hunton Webinar on the California Consumer Privacy Act: Preparation for Class Action Litigation
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Posted in Events, U.S. State Law
On April 2, 2020, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP will host a webinar on the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”): The CCPA Is Here—Are You Litigation-Ready? Most companies have now developed a framework for compliance with the CCPA. Having a compliance program in place is critical, and that includes preparing for the inevitable onslaught of class action litigation that is coming. Continue Reading Hunton Webinar on the California Consumer Privacy Act: Preparation for Class Action Litigation
CIPL Responds to Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s Proposals for Ensuring Appropriate Regulation of AI
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On March 12, 2020, the Centre for Information Policy Leadership (“CIPL”) at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP submitted formal comments to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (“OPC”) in response to its proposals for ensuring appropriate regulation of artificial intelligence (“AI”).
Dutch DPA Publishes Recommendations Regarding COVID-19 and Privacy in the Workplace
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The Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, the “Dutch DPA”) recently published materials regarding the COVID-19 crisis, including recommendations and FAQs for employers and recommendations for employees. In the materials, the Dutch DPA emphasizes that, while fighting the virus and saving lives is the top priority, privacy must not be overlooked and the crisis should not become a prelude to a “Big Brother” society.
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Philippines Joins the APEC CBPR System
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On March 9, 2020, the APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules (“CBPR”) system Joint Oversight Panel approved the Philippines’ application to join the APEC CBPR system. The Philippines becomes the ninth APEC economy to join the CBPR system, joining the United States, Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Chinese Taipei and Australia.
Spanish DPA Publishes Report on Data Processing Activities in Relation to COVID-19
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Posted in Health Privacy, International
The Spanish Data Protection Authority (the “AEPD”) recently published a report on data processing activities carried out by data controllers in the private and public sectors as a result of the spread of the COVID-19 virus (the “Report”).
Continue Reading Spanish DPA Publishes Report on Data Processing Activities in Relation to COVID-19
New York SHIELD Act Requires Safeguards to Protect Private Information
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On March 21, 2020, the data security provisions of New York’s Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act (“SHIELD Act”) went into effect. The SHIELD Act requires any person or business owning or licensing computerized data that includes the private information of a resident of New York (“covered business”) to implement and maintain reasonable safeguards to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of the private information.
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OCR Issues Bulletin on the Sharing and Security of PHI During Coronavirus Pandemic
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The Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued a Bulletin on sharing and protecting patients’ protected health information (“PHI”) in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) during the COVID-19 national emergency. The Bulletin emphasizes that the HIPAA Privacy Rule is still in effect during this national emergency, but that HIPAA-covered entities may use or disclose patients’ PHI when necessary to treat a patient, to protect the nation’s public health and for other critical purposes.
Continue Reading OCR Issues Bulletin on the Sharing and Security of PHI During Coronavirus Pandemic
New EDPB Statement on Data Protection During the COVID-19 Outbreak
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On March 19, 2020, the European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) published a new statement regarding processing personal data in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. The EDPB said that emergency is a legal condition which may legitimize restrictions of individual freedoms, provided that these restrictions are proportionate and limited to the emergency period. Several considerations come into play in weighing the lawful processing of personal data in these circumstances.
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Belgian DPA Publishes Statement Regarding COVID-19 and Workplace-Related Processing of Personal Data
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On March 13, 2020, the Belgian Data Protection Authority (the “Belgian DPA”) released a statement regarding workplace-related processing of personal data in the context of the COVID-19 crisis (the “Statement”).