Privacy Law

Contact-tracing apps could help contain COVID-19 but raise thorny legal and privacy issues

Contract-tracing apps have been proposed as one of the tools to help combat the spread of COVID-19. But some are concerned the apps could violate privacy rights and civil liberties; criminals and foreign adversaries could use them to harvest data; and the technology might linger long after the pandemic is over.

Apr 23, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Congress asked for COVID-19 lawsuit curbs; law school cuts pay for staff and faculty

Lobbyists seek COVID-19 lawsuit curbs Lobbying groups for U.S. businesses are asking Congress to curb liability for companies that could face lawsuits in connection with COVID-19. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is suggesting safe harbor from privacy laws for employers who inquire about health status, safe harbor from age and…

Apr 21, 2020 4:09 PM CDT

Pandemic power plays: Civil liberties in the time of COVID-19

The power to respond to a public health crisis exists in the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, regulations and case law. But the way they fit together is not always clear, especially in the wake of a modern-day global crisis.

Apr 21, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Sick lawyer is back at work after speakerphone mistrial; judge tosses Twitter suit

Lawyer who tried to question witness by speakerphone recovers from COVID-19 An ill lawyer who tried to continue with a trial via a courthouse speakerphone, despite a fever and cough, has fully recovered and is working from home. New York lawyer Donald Vogelman told the ABA Journal that the March…

Apr 20, 2020 3:51 PM CDT

SCOTUS will decide whether computer fraud law applies to cop’s unauthorized database search

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act applies to a police officer’s unauthorized search of a license place database.

Apr 20, 2020 12:55 PM CDT

Another lawsuit is filed against Zoom over alleged privacy problems

Zoom Video Communications has been hit with a new privacy lawsuit alleging that it failed to protect user data from Facebook and LinkedIn.

Apr 14, 2020 10:04 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Judge orders Michael Avenatti’s release; ATL founder David Lat stresses importance of ventilators

Judge orders release of Michael Avenatti because of COVID-19 outbreak Michael Avenatti, the former lawyer of adult film actress Stormy Daniels, will be released from jail for 90 days because of the COVID-19 outbreak. U.S. District Judge James Selna ordered the lawyer’s release $1 million bond Friday. Avenatti has been…

Apr 13, 2020 2:57 PM CDT

SCOTUS rules traffic stop justified after check showed truck owner had revoked license

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that an officer had reasonable suspicion to make a traffic stop after a registration check showed the owner had a revoked driver’s license.

Apr 6, 2020 10:23 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Seyfarth withdraws after controversial filing; law firm scammer seeks release

Seyfarth Shaw withdraws from suit after controversial argument Seyfarth Shaw is seeking to withdraw from representing the U.S. Soccer Federation in an equal-pay case after a controversial court filing. The law firm had argued players on the U.S. Women’s National Team had less “skill” than male players. The argument has…

Apr 2, 2020 5:01 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Athletes aim for law school; lawsuits target Zoom over Facebook sharing

Pro basketball players shoot for law school Imani McGee-Stafford, a center with the Dallas Wings, is leaving the basketball court and headed to the Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. McGee-Stafford, who is 25, also played for the Chicago Sky and the Atlanta Dream. Meanwhile Garrett Temple, a guard with…

Apr 1, 2020 4:55 PM CDT

Gunshot detection technology company voluntarily submitted itself for an audit after privacy concerns

Believing concerns that its microphones could allow for eavesdropping on private conversations were largely because of a misunderstanding of the product, ShotSpotter did something radical: It opened itself up to an independent privacy audit conducted by the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law.

Apr 1, 2020 1:50 AM CDT

Amazon’s Ring doorbell cameras may help deter package thefts, but critics worry about overreach

According to the New York Times, more than 90,000 packages a day are stolen or disappear without explanation in New York City alone, up about 20% from four years ago.

Apr 1, 2020 1:30 AM CDT

FBI secret wiretap applications had errors and made assertions lacking factual backup, audit says

FBI secret surveillance applications contained errors and assertions that were not backed up by required documentation, according to findings of an audit by the U.S. Department of Justice’s inspector general.

Mar 31, 2020 3:19 PM CDT

After jail recorded hundreds of attorney-client calls, inmate wins release

Many phone calls between Orange County, California, jail inmates and their lawyers were recorded by an outside vendor, and sheriff's personnel listened to some of the communications, according to a motion this week signed by the county public defender.

Mar 13, 2020 12:41 PM CDT

How to plan ahead for compliance and privacy projections

As general counsel at Checkr, one of the most interesting challenges I face is staying on top of the ever-changing laws and regulations in the background check industry and communicating these changes back to our customers. I regularly meet with regulators and government entities, and I advise general and senior…

Mar 5, 2020 1:30 PM CST