New Ballot Initiative Seeks to Redo the CCPA
A new ballot initiative would create the California Privacy Rights and Enforcement Act (“CPREA”) and would make several changes to the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”).…
Latest Articles
IoT Update: Federal Lawmakers Focus on Smart Cities
IoT Update: Federal Lawmakers Focus on Smart Cities
Since the beginning of the year, lawmakers in this Congress have introduced a number of proposals to study, cultivate, and guide the growth of smart cities. This blog post summarizes seven smart cities bills introduced in this Congress. Some bills focus broadly on Federal efforts to prioritize smart cities, whereas others focus on specific topics, like transportation and smart utilities.
Interestingly, most smart cities legislation…
Senators Introduce Legislation to Regulate Privacy and Security of Wearable Health Devices and Genetic Testing Kits
Last week, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Protecting Personal Health Data Act (S. 1842), which would provide new privacy and security rules from the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) for technologies that collect personal health data, such as wearable fitness trackers, social-media sites focused on health data or conditions, and direct-to-consumer genetic testing services, among other technologies. Specifically, the legislation would direct the HHS Secretary to…
Senators Introduce Legislation to Regulate Privacy and Security of Wearable Health Devices and Genetic Testing Kits
Last week, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Protecting Personal Health Data Act (S. 1842), which would provide new privacy and security rules from the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) for technologies that collect personal health data, such as wearable fitness trackers, social-media sites focused on health data or conditions, and direct-to-consumer genetic testing services, among other technologies. Specifically, the legislation would direct the HHS Secretary to…
IoT Update: Senators Introduce Legislation to Regulate Privacy and Security of Wearable Health Devices and Genetic Testing Kits
Last week, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Protecting Personal Health Data Act (S. 1842), which would provide new privacy and security rules from the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) for technologies that collect personal health data, such as wearable fitness trackers, social-media sites focused on health data or conditions, and direct-to-consumer genetic testing services, among other technologies. Specifically, the legislation would direct the HHS Secretary to…
Legislation Seeks to Regulate Privacy and Security of Wearables and Genetic Testing Kits
Last week, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Protecting Personal Health Data Act (S. 1842), which would provide new privacy and security rules from the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) for technologies that collect personal health data, such as wearable fitness trackers, social-media sites focused on health data or conditions, and direct-to-consumer genetic testing services, among other technologies. Specifically, the legislation would direct the HHS Secretary to…
Congress Considers Measures to Support AI and IoT Technologies
GAO Report Calls for Federal Privacy Law
This month, the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) released a report recommending that Congress consider enacting a federal internet privacy law in the United States. The 56-page independent report was requested by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has scheduled a hearing on data privacy on February 26, during which it plans to discuss the GAO’s findings. The Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to hold a similar hearing on February 27th.
According to the GAO,…
All-Time Record Year for HIPAA Enforcement
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced that 2018 was an all-time record year for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) enforcement activity. Enforcement actions in 2018 resulted in the assessment of $28.7 million in civil money penalties. Enforcement activity focused primarily on breaches of electronic protected health information (ePHI).
Under 45 C.F.R. 164.308, a covered entity must conduct “accurate and thorough assessment[s] of the potential risks…
IoT Update: Building Out the “Cutting Edge” for an Infrastructure Package
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to reinforce the need for legislation to update the nation’s infrastructure. In the speech, he urged both parties to “unite for a great rebuilding of America’s crumbling infrastructure” and said that he is “eager to work” with Congress on the issue. Significantly, he said that any such measure should “deliver new and important infrastructure investment, including investments in the cutting-edge industries of the…