Privacy Law

Former FBI lawyer sues over disclosure of her texts criticizing Trump and discussing personal matters

Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page has sued the bureau and the U.S. Department of Justice for releasing her text messages with former FBI agent Peter Strzok, with whom she was having an affair.

Dec 11, 2019 12:04 PM CST

Judge rules border agents need reasonable suspicion to search electronic devices

A federal judge in Boston ruled Tuesday that border agents violate the Fourth Amendment when they search electronic devices at ports of entry without a reasonable suspicion.

Nov 13, 2019 11:58 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: DOJ opens criminal review of Russia probe; DeVos held in contempt

Department of Justice reportedly opens criminal inquiry into origins of Russia probe The U.S. Department of Justice’s review of the origins of the Russia probe has shifted from an administrative review to a criminal inquiry, according to two anonymous sources who spoke with the New York Times. According to the…

Oct 25, 2019 2:19 PM CDT

Prisons and jails use artificial intelligence to monitor inmate phone calls

Artificial intelligence is helping prisons and jails monitor inmate phone calls to learn of criminal activity and potential suicides.

Oct 25, 2019 10:22 AM CDT

Suit accuses former casino company general counsel of approving ‘secret undercover operation’

An invasion-of-privacy lawsuit claims that the former general counsel of Wynn Resorts approved a “secret undercover operation” to gather derogatory information about a former salon employee who provided information to the Wall Street Journal.

Oct 23, 2019 10:39 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Decisions by nonlawyer judge challenged; abortion law enjoined

Tort claims seek to vacate decisions of judge without a law license Tort claims filed last week against the Washington state towns of Airway Heights and Cheney claim that defendants’ constitutional rights are being violated when their cases are heard by a shared court commissioner without a law license. The…

Oct 15, 2019 5:12 PM CDT

Extraterritoriality, the internet and the right to be forgotten

From a legal policy point of view, the hottest issue might be that of territorial reach of content and privacy regulations. The two main questions are to what extent laws of one jurisdiction may apply in others, and to what extent such extraterritorial reach may be enforced? In other words,…

Oct 10, 2019 9:52 AM CDT

European Union high court sends new signals on reach of internet regulation

A recent pair of cases out of the European Union have provided new insight into the reach of the EU’s regulation of the internet. Both cases revolve around whether an EU member state’s court can order an internet company to take down or de-list information online and whether that power extends beyond the EU.

Oct 10, 2019 6:00 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Jurors award $8B in Rispderdal case; most minority partners have nonequity status

Jurors award $8B in punitive damages in Risperdal case Jurors in Philadelphia found Johnson & Johnson liable for $8 billion in punitive damages Tuesday in a case brought by a man with autism, who said the drug Risperdal had caused him to grow breasts. Nicholas Murray had taken the drug…

Oct 9, 2019 4:48 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: MGM to pay up to $800M in Vegas shooting; 141 partner promotions announced

MGM agrees to pay up to $800M settlement in Vegas mass shooting MGM Resorts International has agreed to pay up to $800 million to settle claims of alleged negligence in the October 2017 mass shooting by a guest at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas. Fifty-eight people attending a…

Oct 3, 2019 4:28 PM CDT

Europe’s top court rules ‘right to be forgotten’ doesn’t apply to internet search results worldwide

The European Union’s top court ruled Tuesday that Google and other search engines are not obligated to delete links to websites and databases worldwide under a “right to be forgotten” privacy rule. The European Court of Justice said the rule applied only within the 28 nations that are part of…

Sep 26, 2019 11:22 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Ex-White House counsel acquitted; lawyer pleads guilty in alleged attack on colleague

Former White House counsel is acquitted on false-statement charge Federal jurors on Wednesday acquitted former White House counsel Greg Craig on a charge of making false statements to the government about his lobbying work for Ukraine while working at Skadden Arps. Craig was accused of making false statements to the…

Sep 4, 2019 4:55 PM CDT

After decriminalization, pot smell and joint didn’t justify search, court says; hemp laws also raise issues

Changing marijuana laws may be destroying probable cause that police officers use to justify some kinds of searches. The latest evidence is an Aug. 12 decision by Maryland’s top court that found that officers did not have probable cause to arrest and search a man after smelling burning marijuana and…

Aug 14, 2019 1:46 PM CDT

4th Circuit upholds search of home based on one web click

A federal appeals court has upheld a home search based on a single click to a website that posts child pornography videos.

Aug 5, 2019 10:30 AM CDT

Tech companies under fire: Facebook to pay $5B, antitrust probe opened, AG Barr criticizes encryption

Technology companies are under fire by the Trump administration. On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission announced that Facebook will pay a record $5 billion privacy penalty to settle allegations that the company deceived users about their ability to control disclosure of their personal information. The Washington Post has coverage. The…

Jul 24, 2019 10:27 AM CDT