On September 6, 2023, the European Commission (EC) returned from its summer break with full force and announced the designation of six tech companies as so-called “gatekeepers” under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and published a Q&A document. The six companies are predominantly American, with one Asian company represented and no European: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, … Continue Reading
On May 22, 2023, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) published its long-awaited decision in the Meta EU-U.S. data transfer case (Decision). In its landmark Decision, the DPC imposed a record 1.2 billion EUR fine and ordered Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Meta) to suspend any EU-U.S. transfers of personal data within approximately five months. Meta was … Continue Reading
Since the invalidation of the Privacy Shield framework in 2020 in the “Schrems II” case, the EU and the U.S. have been working to set up a new framework for data flows from the EU to the U.S. A draft of a new “Data Privacy Framework” (DPF), which is designed to serve as the basis … Continue Reading
The year 2020 promises to be an interesting one for privacy and data protection in Europe. In this post, we highlight four of the most important developments to watch this year: 1) we expect that European Union (EU) regulators will ramp up GDPR enforcement across the board, and with a particular focus on AdTech, cookies, … Continue Reading
On August 12, 2019, the Greek Ministry of Justice published the long-awaited, draft legislation for implementing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Greece and Slovenia are the only two European Union (EU) countries that have not yet implemented the GDPR. As an EU regulation, the GDPR has legally taken effect in every EU country, including … Continue Reading
On June 28, 2019, the French Data Protection Authority (CNIL) released its 2019-2020 action plan on ad targeting (action plan);1 among other things, the CNIL announced that it will issue new cookie guidance later this month and that, once the guidance is published, companies will have a 12-month grace period to come into compliance. Background … Continue Reading
On June 20, 2019, the UK’s Data Protection Authority (ICO) published a report on adtech and real-time bidding. The report highlights the main problems faced by the industry when applying the General Data Protection Regulation’s (GDPR’s) stringent requirements, and calls for further engagement on these issues by the different adtech players in the space. Background … Continue Reading
Provides Detailed Specifications Both for Information Security Program and Third-Party Assessments On June 12, 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it had reached a proposed settlement with LightYear Dealer Technologies, LLC (doing business as “DealerBuilt”) over allegations that the automobile software provider’s inadequate data security practices had resulted in a data breach in 2016.1 … Continue Reading
On May 22, 2019, a federal district court largely denied a facial challenge by Disney, Viacom, and several online advertising networks to claims alleging these defendants violated the privacy rights of children by collecting data through online gaming apps. In McDonald v. Kiloo APS,[1] the defendants consisted of two groups: the developers who created the … Continue Reading
On May 22, 2019, WSGR and the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) co-hosted an event focusing on advertising technology and how to overcome the challenges of complying with evolving global privacy requirements. Jules Polonetsky from FPF opened the program, focusing on the evolution of online advertising, from contextual to programmatic behavioral advertising. WSGR attorneys Lydia … Continue Reading
On May 1, 2019, WSGR convened a panel of regulators and experts to discuss recent developments in European data protection law. The panel, moderated by Cédric Burton, featured Bruno Gencarelli, head of the International Data Flows and Protection Unit of the European Commission, Isabelle Vereecken, head of the Secretariat of the European Data Protection Board … Continue Reading
On May 1, 2019, WSGR held a panel discussing state and federal legislative privacy developments, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The panel, moderated by Chris Olsen, featured Ashkan Soltani, former chief technologist at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Shaundra Watson, the senior director for policy at BSA (The Software Alliance). Here are … Continue Reading
On May 1, 2019, WSGR held an event in which regulators and experts discussed privacy developments in the U.S. and Europe. The first session featured a fireside chat with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) Bureau of Consumer Protection Director, Andrew Smith, on “The State of Play at the FTC on Privacy.” In case you missed … Continue Reading
On April 25, 2019, the new chairman and the four directors of the new Belgian data protection authority were sworn in before the Belgian Parliament. This marks a new era for data protection law in Belgium. Background Following the effective date of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on May 25, 2018, the Belgian Privacy … Continue Reading
On March 20, 2019, WSGR partner Cédric Burton and Of Counsel Lore Leitner hosted a webcast, “Brexit and Its Implications for Data Protection.” In this webcast, Burton and Leitner break down the potential far-reaching effects of the United Kingdom’s pending exit from the European Union on businesses operating in the UK and EU. In this … Continue Reading
On January 10, 2017, the European Commission published a Proposal for a Regulation (Proposal) relating to privacy rules for the electronic communications sector. The Proposal will impose new, more rigorous privacy regulatory obligations on nearly all companies doing business in the EU over the Internet. It will address a host of important issues including the … Continue Reading
