In yet another round of Schrems versus Facebook, on January 25, 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that privacy activist Max Schrems is a consumer with regard to his Facebook
Continue Reading Court of Justice Dismisses Privacy Class Action Against Facebook but Allows Max Schrems to Sue in Austria
2018 promises to be an interesting year in the world of privacy and cybersecurity. In this article, we highlight a few of the most notable developments we expect this year, including major developments in Europe, changes and pending cases at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), notable U.S. Supreme Court cases scheduled to be decided this year, and some areas of legislation that actually may become law in the U.S.
Big Changes Taking Effect in the European Union
One of the biggest areas where everyone in the privacy field will be looking in 2018 is the European Union (EU). On the legislative front, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will enter into force on May 25, 2018; the proposed e-Privacy Regulation is scheduled to be adopted this year; and the EU parliament will issue a report on the proposed Regulation on Non-Personal Data. Additionally, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) will rule on several important data protection cases, including on third-party tracking, the right to be forgotten, and the possibility of class actions.Continue Reading A Look Ahead at Privacy and Data Security in 2018
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 processing of communications content and metadata, and the use of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth tracking for Internet-based services and technology providers. Once enacted, the Proposal will replace the e-Privacy Directive and will complement the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
As part of the legislative process, the European Parliament Committee (one of two legislative bodies charged with reviewing the Proposal) issued a Draft Report in June 2017 and is reviewing more than 800 proposed amendments to the Proposal. In addition, the Article 29 Working Party (WP29)—the body of EU data protection authorities—published a non-binding opinion (the Opinion) on the Proposal in April 2017, urging a number of revisions that would impose even more obligations on covered companies.
This article provides a status update about the Proposal, including the main requirements currently under discussion at the European Parliament and an overview of the next steps. Read our previous WSGR Alert for more information about the Proposal and the Draft Report.
Continue Reading Status Update on the EU e-Privacy Regulation Proposal Discussions
On January 10, 2017, the European Commission published a Proposal for a Regulation that if adopted would have significant and far-reaching implications for Internet-based services and technologies.
The proposal seeks to revise the current EU
Continue Reading EU Commission Publishes Proposal for e-Privacy Regulation: The Top Nine Key Points You Need to Know
On April 14, 2016, the European Parliament formally adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). With this vote, the new EU data protection legal framework will become legally effective in two years and 20 days
Continue Reading WSGR Alert: New EU Data Protection Regulation Is Now Enacted
On December 15, 2015, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union reached a political agreement on the text of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).1 This is a major step toward the official adoption of the GDPR, which is now expected in Spring 2016. The GDPR will have a significant impact on how EU and non-EU businesses can collect and process the personal data of EU individuals. This article discusses the key elements of the GDPR.
Continue Reading EU Reaches Political Agreement on New Data Protection Regulation