On February 6, 2017, the House of Representatives suspended its rules and passed by voice vote H.R 387, the Email Privacy Act. The Email Privacy Act now moves to the Senate, where it will be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee. … Continue Reading
On January 9, 2017, Representatives Kevin Yoder (R-KS) and Jared Polis (D-CO) reintroduced the Email Privacy Act, which would amend the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to require government entities to obtain a warrant, based on probable cause, before accessing the content of any emails or electronic communications stored with third-party service providers, regardless of how long the communications have been held in electronic storage by such providers.… Continue Reading
On February 24, 2016, President Obama signed the Judicial Redress Act into law. The Act grants non-U.S. citizens certain rights, including a private right of action for alleged privacy violations that occur in the U.S. … Continue Reading
On February 10, 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Judicial Redress Act, which had been approved by the Senate the night before and included a recent Senate amendment. The Judicial Redress Act grants non-U.S. citizens certain rights, including a private right of action for alleged privacy violations that occur in the U.S. … Continue Reading
On January 28, 2016, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Judicial Redress Act, which would give EU citizens the right to sue over certain data privacy issues in the U.S.… Continue Reading
The Senate Judiciary Committee has delayed a vote on the Judicial Redress Act, which would give EU citizens the right to sue over certain data privacy issues in the U.S.… Continue Reading
On December 16, 2015, leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate released an omnibus spending bill that contained cybersecurity information sharing language that is based on a compromise between the Senate’s Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act and two cybersecurity information sharing bills that passed in the House earlier this year. … Continue Reading
On October 27, 2015, the U.S. Senate passed S.754 - Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 by a vote of 74 to 21. This bill is intended to facilitate and encourage the sharing of Internet traffic information between and among companies and the federal government to prevent cyber attacks.… Continue Reading
The House of Representatives closes "Cyber Week" by passing two complimentary bills related to cybersecurity, the "Protecting Cyber Networks Act" (H.R. 1560) and the "National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015" (H.R. 1731). … Continue Reading
On January 12, 2015, Senator James Merritt (R-Indianapolis) introduced a new security breach bill that would impose substantial new privacy obligations on companies holding the personal data of Indiana residents.… Continue Reading
In a flurry of activity on cybersecurity, the U.S. Congress unexpectedly approved four cybersecurity bills that clarify the role of the Department of Homeland Security in private-sector information sharing, codify the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s cybersecurity framework, reform oversight of federal information systems, and enhance the cybersecurity workforce. … Continue Reading
On June 4, 2014, the U.S. Government Accountability Office testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law to discuss its findings regarding companies' use and sharing of consumer location data and the associated privacy risks.… Continue Reading
The 2012 election results likely will have consequences for U.S. federal privacy and data security legislation. This blog entry outlines some key developments in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate and describes how these developments might affect legislative priorities and prospects for the 113th Congress beginning in 2013.… Continue Reading
The absence of congressional action on cybersecurity legislation has spurred efforts by various entities to exert influence over cybersecurity policy. This blog post contains a client alert that focuses on a number of those efforts, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s creation of a new cybersecurity office and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s action on cybersecurity Critical Infrastructure Protection standards.… Continue Reading
On September 22, 2011, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved three separate bills that would establish a national data breach notification standard, though the prospects for these three bills in the full Senate are uncertain.… Continue Reading
On July 21, 2011, President Obama nominated technology policy expert and Federal Trade Commission veteran Maureen K. Ohlhausen to replace outgoing FTC Commissioner William Kovacic. If confirmed, Ohlhausen's term would begin on September 26.
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On June 29, 2011, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation convened a hearing entitled "Privacy and Data Security: Protecting Consumers in the Online World."
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On June 7, 2011, Senator Patrick Leahy introduced comprehensive federal legislation that would establish a national standard for security breach notification and would require businesses to safeguard sensitive personal information from security threats.
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On May 9, 2011, Senator Jay Rockefeller introduced a bill that would instruct the FTC to promulgate regulations for a "Do Not Track" mechanism and prohibit online service providers from tracking individuals who express a desire to not be tracked online.
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On February 14, 2011, Senator Patrick Leahy announced the creation of a Senate subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, to be chaired by Minnesota Senator Al Franken.
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In response to the Transportation Security Administration's new screening procedures, Professor Fred Cate has published an open letter to Senators Rockefeller and Hutchison critiquing the ineffective and violative nature of random pat-downs.
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Representative Rick Boucher (D-VA) lost his Congressional race yesterday, leaving a vacancy on the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet. Aggressive consumer advocate Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) won a seat in the Senate.
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The U.S. Congress is considering a number of cybersecurity-oriented bills, including the GRID Act, the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act, the American Clean Energy Leadership Act and the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act.
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