Privacy Law

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

Afternoon Briefs: Teen vandal gets paint-with-a-toothbrush sentence; Equifax settles data breach claims

• Equifax has agreed to pay up to $700 million to settle state and federal claims related to a 2017 data breach that exposed the information of 147 million consumers. Up to $425 million of the settlement will pay consumers for time and money they spent to address identity theft…

Jul 22, 2019 4:15 PM CDT

Seeing Red: A professor coexists with ‘MAGA’ in the classroom

Jeffrey Omari understands the complexities of academic freedom and free speech. But just as faculty and staff are required to maintain professional formalities, it seems only logical that students, too, should maintain similar businesslike etiquette.

Jul 3, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: China forces tourists to download surveillance app; House Dems sue IRS for Trump’s taxes

• House Democrats filed a federal lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department after months of requesting President Donald Trump’s tax returns. The lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of an “extraordinary attack” on Congress in preventing disclosure of the records. (Washington Post, CNN, Wall Street Journal) • The…

Jul 2, 2019 4:30 PM CDT

Redacting confidential client information: The devil is in the details

Blackouts in the Mueller report are a high-profile example of what lawyers do on a regular basis to protect client information in public documents: redact.

Jul 1, 2019 1:55 AM CDT

Millions of minor criminal cases in this state will be automatically wiped from public databases

An automated computer process will begin sealing millions of criminal records from public databases Friday as a result of Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate law. The law is the first in the nation to automatically seal some criminal records using technology, report the Morning Call, the CLS Blog and a joint story…

Jun 28, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Trump asserts executive privilege to withhold documents on citizenship census question

President Donald Trump has asserted executive privilege to withhold documents from Congress about the administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. A Wednesday Department of Justice letter explaining the decision said the materials were being withheld to protect the deliberative process as well as attorney-client privilege…

Jun 12, 2019 12:58 PM CDT

After federal prosecutors decline to release Flynn transcripts, judge decides he won’t force issue

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has decided that prosecutors don’t have to release transcripts of recorded conversations between former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, despite his earlier order to the contrary. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said in notices posted Tuesday that the government…

Jun 5, 2019 11:06 AM CDT

Military prosecutor accused of tracking defense lawyers’ emails is tossed from case

A military prosecutor accused of attaching tracking software to emails sent to 13 defense lawyers and paralegals is no longer prosecuting the case of a Navy SEAL. A military judge in San Diego, Capt. Aaron Rugh, removed Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak from the case Monday, report the New York Times, the…

Jun 4, 2019 11:00 AM CDT

Spotting concealed gun isn’t reason enough for police to stop and investigate, top state court rules

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that police violate the Fourth Amendment when they stop people simply because they are carrying concealed guns. The Friday ruling overturns a 1991 state decision.

Jun 3, 2019 1:21 PM CDT

Despite judge’s order, prosecutors keep secret Flynn’s conversations with Russian ambassador

On Friday, federal prosecutors did not comply with a judge’s order to release transcripts of wiretaps between former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016.

Jun 3, 2019 9:06 AM CDT

Vermont’s new consumer protection law could be a harbinger for tech industry

In Vermont, prioritizing online consumer protection means shining a light on the shadowy world of third-party data brokers. A new state law requires increased standards and transparency of these companies that collect, buy or resell consumer data without having a direct relationship with the consumer.

Jun 1, 2019 12:50 AM CDT

Cases on BigLaw partner’s suicide, school’s trans bathroom policy turned down by Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court has left intact a federal appeals court ruling against the widow of a Reed Smith partner who blamed antidepressant labeling for her husband’s suicide. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago had overturned a $3 million award to Wendy Dolin, who alleged that GlaxoSmithKline…

May 28, 2019 1:16 PM CDT

Food truck restrictions, including GPS requirement, can stand, state supreme court rules

A cupcake entrepreneur has lost her constitutional challenge to Chicago’s food truck regulations before the Illinois Supreme Court. The state high court rejected constitutional claims by Laura Pekarik, who operated a food truck called Cupcakes for Courage. Pekarik was represented by the Institute for Justice, according to a press release.…

May 23, 2019 3:51 PM CDT

Defense lawyers accuse military prosecutor of sending them emails with tracking software

A military prosecutor sent an email with tracking software to 13 lawyers and paralegals, as well as a reporter with the Navy Times, according to a motion filed last week. The motion was filed by defense lawyers for Lt. Jacob Portier, who is accused of conduct unbecoming an officer, report…

May 20, 2019 9:55 AM CDT