Tom Evans

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Global Regulators Highlight Potential Harms of Data Scraping and Best Practices

On August 24, 2023, some members of the Global Privacy Assembly’s International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group published a joint statement on data scraping (Statement). Signatories to the Statement include the privacy regulators of the UK, Australia, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, Jersey, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland.[1] Notably absent from the list of … Continue Reading

UK Regulators Signal Increased Focus on “Damaging” Website Design Practices

On August 9, 2023, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) released a joint position paper (the Paper) focused on “harmful” website design practices that may “trick” consumers into giving more access to their personal information. The Paper is targeted at web designers and developers, and it will be particularly … Continue Reading

UK Privacy Regulator Continues to Focus on Children’s Privacy

Updated Guidance for Edtech Providers The UK Privacy Regulator (ICO) recently updated its guidance on privacy compliance for providers of education technologies (Edtech). This should be seen as a call to action for Edtech providers to ensure their privacy compliance program is fully up to date. This blog post sets out key elements of the … Continue Reading

EU and U.S. Finalize Data Privacy Framework: Here’s How to Get Certified

On July 10, 2023, the European Commission (EC) adopted an adequacy decision in relation to the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF). This paves the way for organizations to certify to the DPF, reducing friction for transfers of personal data from the EU to the U.S., and allowing companies to simplify their compliance with EU data flow restrictions. … Continue Reading

UK and U.S. Commit to Establish a “Data Bridge” to Facilitate the Free Flow of Personal Data

On June 8, 2023, the UK and the U.S. governments issued a joint statement announcing that they had committed in principle to the establishment of a “UK Extension to the Data Privacy Framework,” which would facilitate flows of personal data between the two countries (the “Data Bridge”).… Continue Reading

Europe Prepares for a New Era in AI Regulation

In Europe, recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have given rise to intense debate over how this technology should be regulated. Companies that have developed AI tools, or who are considering implementing AI, should assess the implications of recent legislative developments and regulatory action. This alert discusses the most recent legislative and regulatory developments in … Continue Reading

UK Brings Forward Legislation to Streamline the GDPR

In March 2023, the UK government published the Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill (the bill). If enacted, the bill will introduce significant changes to the UK’s data protection laws, with the aim of introducing a simple, clear, and business-friendly framework, while maintaining high data protection standards.… Continue Reading

DSA: European Commission Publishes Guidance on Requirement to Publish User Numbers Ahead of February 17, 2023, Deadline

On February 1, 2023, the European Commission (EC) published Guidance on the requirement to publish user numbers under the Digital Services Act (DSA).1 The Guidance contains important information for providers of online platforms and online search engines that are required to publish the average monthly number of recipients of their service by February 17, 2023.… Continue Reading

Preparing for the UK Online Safety Bill: A Focus on Protecting Children

The UK Online Safety Bill (OSB or the Bill) cleared an important hurdle in January 2023 after passing its third reading in parliament. The Bill was first published in May 2021 and has been subject to intense scrutiny. If enacted, it will place extensive obligations on providers of search engines and online platforms that enable … Continue Reading

UK Government Publishes New Code of Practice for App Store Operators and App Developers

On December 9, 2022, the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) published a voluntary Code of Practice for App Store Operators and App Developers (Code). The Code sets out eight core principles to be followed by in-scope entities and is intended to help protect end users from malicious and poorly designed … Continue Reading

European Union Adopts Flagship Digital Services Act

On October 27, 2022, the Digital Services Act (DSA) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union, sweeping in a new era in the regulation of digital services. (See Wilson Sonsini’s DSA Fact Sheet.) The DSA applies to providers of digital services, including those based outside the EU that provide services to users in the … Continue Reading

President Biden Signs Executive Order to Implement the New EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework

On October 7, 2022, President Biden signed an Executive Order (Order) on Enhancing Safeguards for United States Signals Intelligence Activities. This marks the latest step towards the new EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (Framework), a replacement for the defunct EU-U.S. Privacy Shield (Privacy Shield). The next stage in the process is for the European Commission (EC), with input from the … Continue Reading

European Commission Proposes New EU Cybersecurity Rules for Software and Hardware Products

On September 15, 2022, the European Commission (EC) published a Proposal for a Cyber Resilience Act (CRA Proposal) that sets out new rules in the European Union (EU) for software and hardware products and their remote data processing solutions. The CRA Proposal introduces mandatory cybersecurity-related requirements and reporting obligations, including about product vulnerabilities, for manufacturers, … Continue Reading
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