In March 2018, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a Notice of Public Hearing and Request for Written comments on The Internet of Things on Consumer Product Hazards. The CPSC expressed interest regarding existing safety standards on existing IoT devices, how to prevent hazards, and the role of government in the effort to promote IoT safety.
Category: Cybersecurity
FTC Warns Two Foreign-Based App Developers of Possible COPPA Violations
The FTC staff recently sent two warning letters to Gator Group Co., Ltd., and Tinitell, Inc., which marketed mobile apps directed to children and appear to be violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The FTC warning letters were also sent to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, which make the apps available to consumers.
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Mobile Phone Maker BLU Products Settles with FTC Resolving Allegations of Lax Data Security Practices
Mobile phones are ubiquitous extensions of our personal and professional lives and few think deeply about the tangled webs of software and hardware providers that formulate components to mobile phone fabricators. However, the Federal Trade Commission’s recent settlement with BLU Products represents an important reminder of the importance of appropriate vendor oversight in all phases of the manufacturing and sales process.
Smart Uses of Data Analytics for In-House Counsel
The effective use of data analytics is quickly changing the legal landscape and the practice of law for the better. This is a fast-changing area where today’s “use cases” will be quickly superseded by new and more powerful uses of these technologies. This post discusses key areas where in-house counsel may consider the use of data analytics either as a solely in-house measure or in connection with engagements with outside counsel.
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Head of DOJ Antitrust Division Addresses Implications of Data Privacy in the Era of Big Data
Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Antitrust Division, Makan Delrahim recently spoke at the University of Chicago’s Antitrust and Competition Conference and discussed how U.S. antitrust law should treat “big data.” According to Delrahim, antitrust law is “flexible enough to address competition issues from emerging platforms,” including large tech companies like Google and Facebook that possess significant market share within their lines of business and simultaneously aggregate vast sums of personal data from consumers.
Ninth Circuit Rules in Travelers Case, Involving Social Engineering Fraud and Cyber Insurance
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s ruling in Aqua Star (USA) Corp., vs Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America. The case involved fraudulent emails purporting to be from the insured’s suppliers directing that the insured direct its payments to a new account purportedly opened by that supplier. Based on that fraudulent communication, the insured transferred $713,890 due its supplier to the fraudulent “new account.”