Currently viewing the tag: "privacy"

Powerful Ad Groups Asks California to Delay Implementation of CCPA

On February 6, 2020 By

In 2018, California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”). The CCPA represents an ambitious attempt by a U.S. state to protect the personal data of its citizens. The provisions of the CCPA officially came into effect on Jan. 1 of this year. It offers what is essentially an omnibus privacy regime that applies […]

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Popping the Bubble: Congress’s Most Recent Attempt to Counter Political Microtargeting

On October 20, 2019 By

We have all experienced targeted advertising, whether it’s Amazon ads for that new toaster you need or airline ads for flights to that vacation spot you have been eyeing. Companies advertise this way by collecting data about our shopping habits and suggesting products similar to what we have bought before. However, all of this is […]

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Say Cheese: Use of Facial Recognition in Airports Incites Privacy Concerns and a Desire for Federal Regulation

On October 6, 2019 By

In the world of ever-increasing technological innovation, we are often found in a catch-22, where security and privacy interests conflict. Indeed, we are regularly forced into situations where our basic human instinct for protection and security competes with our (perhaps uniquely American) expectations of privacy. The airport is one place where this dilemma materializes on […]

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Is That a Threat? Social Media Monitoring and Student Privacy

On May 28, 2019 By

After last year’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida, law enforcement were criticized for failing to react to red flags on the perpetrator’s social media. Threatening social media behavior is increasingly common, and school districts often feel the need to monitor the internet for signs of potential safety incidents.

Social media threat services offer one solution. […]

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You’re Not As Anonymous As You Think You Are: TOR Can Now Be Broken Down by Courts and Investigators with New Tool

On November 3, 2018 By

No one ever said that you had to attach your identity to your online postings. In fact, many websites function based on the assumption that users have a right to speak anonymously. For example, Reddit, Twitter, and WordPress are often used by anonymous speakers based on this very assumption. Many of these topics benefit from—or […]

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It Is All in the Family: Using Online DNA Profiles to Identify Suspects

On October 21, 2018 By

Discovering information about your ancestors who lived thousands of years ago has never been easier. After receiving a small amount of your saliva, DNA genetic testing websites like 23andMe and Ancestry.com provide you with detailed results about your lineage. The emailed results from 23andMe give users a percentage breakdown of their ancestry composition […]

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Circuit Split on Warrantless Electronic Device Searches at the U.S. Border

On September 16, 2018 By

Several federal circuits are tackling the issue whether the Government’s authority to search persons and property at the border, without a warrant, and often, without any suspicion, includes individuals’ electronic devices. The Fourth and Ninth Circuits have held that the Fourth Amendment requires at least reasonable suspicion for forensic searches of electronic devices […]

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Cambridge Analytica & One Professor’s Lesson in Britain’s Data Protection Act

On March 24, 2018 By

Facebook dominated headlines last Friday when it formally suspended Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm known for its electoral data analysis and strategy implementation, from its site over allegations that it improperly received and retained tens of millions of Facebook user data from a researcher who had obtained the data legally through proper channels. While […]

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No National Security Breach Notification Laws?

On March 2, 2018 By

Last September, Equifax announced that their servers had been breached, resulting in the theft of around 150 million Americans’ social security numbers. The kicker for many was that, on top of a lost sense of security in ones financial future, Equifax was slow to tell anybody about the breach and, when they finally did, […]

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Passthoughts and the Creation of New Human Rights

On November 3, 2017 By

Apple’s latest facial identification technology has set much of the tech world abuzz; while many have lauded Apple’s technological prowess, others have expressed concern over user privacy and the potential for violations of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. Facial recognition may not be at the forefront of authentication technology for long, however. The next […]

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