On December 13, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to update its 16-year old data breach notification rules (the “Rules”). Pursuant to the FCC update, providers of telecommunications, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and telecommunications relay services (TRS) are now required to notify the FCC of a data breach, in addition to existing obligations to notify affected customers, the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service.Continue Reading FCC Adopts Updated Data Breach Notification Rules

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights released guidance to help covered entities understand how they can use remote communication technologies for audio-only telehealth in compliance with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. Specifically, the Guidance clarifies how audio-only telehealth can be conducted after OCR’s Notification of Enforcement Discretion for Telehealth, put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, is no longer in effect.
Continue Reading HHS Releases Guidance on Audio-Only Telehealth Practices

As reported on the Hunton Retail Resource Blog, on October 20, 2021, a new wave in the fight against “robocalls” is targeting telemarketing text messages. In the past six months, there has been an uptick in activity at both the state and federal level to reign in telemarketing text messages.
Continue Reading Fight Against Robocalls Is Coming for Telemarketing Text Messages

On October 15, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered a final order approving a $14 million class action settlement resolving claims against Hello Fresh for alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227, et seq. According to plaintiffs’ attorneys, this settlement is the largest TCPA class action settlement in Massachusetts state history.
Continue Reading Court Approves Settlement with HelloFresh Over Alleged TCPA Violations

On April 22, 2021, the Belgian Constitutional Court annulled the framework set forth by the Law of 29 May 2016 requiring telecommunications providers to retain electronic communications data in bulk.
Continue Reading Belgian Constitutional Court Annuls Data Retention Framework for Electronic Communications Data

On April 1, 2021, the Supreme Court issued its long-awaited opinion in Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid et al., No. 19-511 (Apr. 1, 2021). At issue in Facebook, was the question of what technology constitutes an “automatic telephone dialing system” within the meaning of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. §227 et seq. The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision is a huge win for companies who communicate with their consumers by telephone/text message.
Continue Reading Supreme Court Adopts Narrow Interpretation of ATDS