Machine Learning and Human Values: Can They Be Reconciled? Above the Law explores the conversation at the recent Global Privacy Summit regarding the increasing need for ethical guidance as machine learning technology advances. Perspectives raised in this discussion include those of the Software and Information Industry Association (SIAA), through SVP Mark McCarthy, which has released a set of ethical principles for artificial intelligence and data analytics. View Full Post
Inogen, which manufactures portable oxygen devices, has alerted the Securities and Exchange Commission in a recent filing that it is notifying 30,000 individuals that their personal information was compromised when a hacker gained access to one of its employees’ email accounts through a phishing scheme. View Full Post
The election of Donald Trump as president of the United States caught many pundits and prognosticators off guard. President Trump’s victory also instilled a level of uncertainty in America’s burgeoning state-legal cannabis industry. During the presidential campaign, Trump routinely professed his adherence to states’ rights when it comes to cannabis legalization (at least for medical cannabis activities). View Full Post
The Juul looks like a computer flash drive but it is a vaping device. It’s sleek, it’s discrete, and it’s becoming very popular with underage nicotine users. Juul, the company that manufactures the device, states it targets only adults; however, the nicotine liquid flavors include “virginia tobacco, cool mint, fruit medley, creme brulee & mango,” which are arguably appealing to children. View Full Post
“Chutzpah” by an Arsonist Arson is the most dangerous and vicious of insurance crimes. Firefighters, residents, neighbors, passers by, pets and other animals often die as a result of an arson for profit. “Chutzpah” as readers of this blog know is a Yiddish word meaning unmitigated gall usually defined as a criminal defendant who is convicted of murdering his parents seeks mercy because he is an orphan. View Full Post
On April 16, 2018, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a final rule removing the black-capped vireo (BCV) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. 83 Fed. Reg. 16,228. The BCV is a migratory songbird that breeds and nests in Texas, Oklahoma, and northern Mexico, and winters along Mexico’s Pacific coast. View Full Post
The Arizona Legislature has significantly expanded and strengthened the state’s data breach notification law. The legislation was signed by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on April 11, 2018. Members of Ballard Spahr’s Privacy and Data Security Group will host a webinar on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, at noon PT/1 p.m. View Full Post
Earlier this year, we learned that the federal government is going forward with its promise to re-vamp the federal pay equity system. As of yet, the federal government has not introduced any legislation. However, in the 2018 Budget Plan, the federal government has promised a proactive federal pay equity system in line with Ontario and Quebec’s: proactive pay equity. View Full Post
For years, the signature requirement for completing a credit card transaction has felt something like an obsolete means of confirming a user’s identity. Effective this month, however, four of the country’s largest credit card providers: American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa, will no longer require a signature to complete a purchase via credit card. View Full Post
On March 30, 2018, Proskauer filed an amicus brief on behalf of New York University in the United States Supreme Court.  The brief was filed in support of the State of Hawaii and its challenge to Proclamation 9645, the most recent version of the Trump Administration’s “travel ban.”  The Proclamation at issue in the litigation sets significant restrictions on immigration from specified countries, most of which have a large Muslim-majority population.  View Full Post
Data centers are the twenty-first century nexus between the commercial real estate and telecommunication business sectors. Owners, operators and developers of data centers face the difficult task of continually adapting to the rapidly evolving priorities of their ever expanding clientele in order to remain competitive and appealing to the largest number of actual and potential consumers. View Full Post
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced that he would not be seeking re-election in 2018. While it was not a complete surprise to those in the know, the decision sent a shockwave through Washington. Ryan is now part of the growing list of Republicans (about 46) who will not be returning to Congress next year. View Full Post
The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) has issued a joint statement emphasizing the need for lenders and servicers to include cyber insurance in their risk management program. Although the FFIEC did not announce new regulatory requirements or expectations, the announcement is further evidence of what most in the industry have already recognized: Cyber coverage is quickly becoming indispensable. View Full Post
The Trump administration is introducing legislation that would allow the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to intercept drones that pose a threat “to the safety or security of a covered facility or asset.”  The legislation is necessary because intercepting a drone would involve interfering with electronic communications in violation of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (18 U.S.C. View Full Post