Privacy Law

Can undercover cops use Snapchat content for prosecution? It depends, top state court rules

The top state court in Massachusetts on Monday ruled against a Snapchat user who was prosecuted after posting a gun video seen by a "friend" who turned out to be an undercover police officer.

Feb 9, 2022 10:37 AM CST

Imposter lawyer who filed document in Cosby case wins reversal of his conviction

A federal appeals court has overturned the false statements conviction of a man who posed as a lawyer to file a document in civil litigation between actor Bill Cosby and sexual assault accuser Andrea Constand.

Nov 30, 2021 3:08 PM CST

‘Treated like a robot,’ contract lawyers chafe under fickle facial recognition surveillance

Contract lawyers forced to use facial recognition monitoring while they work at home are frustrated with the intrusive and error-prone surveillance that forces them to log back in when they are perceived to be unfocused.

Nov 15, 2021 9:50 AM CST

Leaked helicopter footage from police shows close-ups of sunbathers, infrared look inside buildings

Leaked footage from police helicopters shows surveillance of people in Dallas and Atlanta who apparently have no idea that they are on camera.

Nov 12, 2021 11:23 AM CST

Does executive privilege still protect Trump after his term ends? Fight brews over congressional subpoenas

Former President Donald Trump is asserting executive privilege to fight a request for presidential records sought by the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot. Can he do that after his presidential term ends?

Oct 12, 2021 12:28 PM CDT

Litigants claiming GEICO auto policy covers STD from car sex can’t proceed anonymously, judge rules

A car owner and his sexual partner can’t keep their names secret in litigation over their claim that GEICO’s auto and umbrella policies cover damages for a sexually transmitted disease contracted during sex in the insured car.

Oct 5, 2021 4:18 PM CDT

Cops’ use of pole camera to surveil partly fenced property was unconstitutional, state supreme court rules

Police officers in Colorado Springs, Colorado, violated the Fourth Amendment rights of a drug suspect when they erected a pole camera to record video of his partly fenced property for three months without obtaining a warrant, the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled.

Sep 14, 2021 11:02 AM CDT

Governments should adopt the ABA’s best practices recommendations for police body-worn cameras, ABA House says

The ABA House of Delegates passed a resolution Monday urging governments around the country to adopt its policies on police body-worn cameras—technology that is a key part of measures on policing reform.

Aug 9, 2021 4:42 PM CDT

Zoom agrees to $85M settlement in litigation over privacy and ‘Zoombombings’

Zoom Video Communications has agreed to pay $85 million to settle nationwide litigation alleging misrepresentations and broken promises regarding customers’ security and privacy.

Aug 2, 2021 3:28 PM CDT

This New York attorney uses TikTok to shed light on lawyer life

Unhappy young lawyers often share a common lament: “If only I’d known what being a lawyer was really like.” It’s easy to understand the disconnect. After all, TV shows, movies and the media focus primarily on the endgame—the trial, the closing, the conviction. There’s rarely much about the day-to-day legal work leading up to that big moment—assuming there is one at all. Cecillia X. Xie is out to change that.

Aug 1, 2021 2:00 AM CDT

Tort plaintiff alleges BigLaw firm conspired to spy on her with GPS devices, hidden camera

A former tort plaintiff has filed a $13 billion lawsuit that accuses Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz of conspiring with an insurer and private investigators to spy on her through illegally placed electronic devices.

Jul 12, 2021 9:15 AM CDT

Spy plane surveillance violates Fourth Amendment, en banc appeals court rules

An en banc federal appeals court ruled 8-7 on Thursday that a warrantless aerial surveillance program run by the Baltimore Police Department violated the Fourth Amendment.

Jun 24, 2021 3:08 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: McDonald’s faces Illinois privacy suit; NYPD accused of violating graffiti artists’ rights

McDonald’s sued over voice recognition software McDonald’s is accused of violating Illinois’ biometric privacy law by using voice recognition software to recognize repeat customers at drive-thrus. The suit, filed in April, was removed to federal court in Chicago, according to a May 28 notice. Law.com spoke with several lawyers who…

Jun 3, 2021 4:16 PM CDT

The new frontier of health care is here, but will DNA privacy be lost?

Advocates are concerned about the privacy of data collected by genetic testing companies; what control consumers have over their DNA data once it’s been submitted to 23andMe and other genetic testing firms; and what recourse consumers have if companies’ assurances of privacy prove unreliable.

Jun 1, 2021 1:30 AM CDT

Plaintiff who alleges hip implant injuries must turn over Fitbit data, federal judge rules

A plaintiff who alleges that he was injured by a defective hip implant must turn over data from his Fitbit to the defendant, a federal judge ruled Monday.

May 26, 2021 10:49 AM CDT