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FTC, the De Facto Privacy Regulator.

The Federal Trade “Commission has settled or litigated more than 60 law enforcement actions against businesses that allegedly failed to take reasonable precautions to protect consumers’ data,” said FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Andrew Smith in testimony before a Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee.

Cases included: manufacturers of consumer products like smartphones, computers, routers, and connected toys, as well as against companies that collect consumers’ sensitive personal information.

Other points discussed:

  • The FTC brings cases under provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
  • It has used its authority under Section 5 of the FTC Act to stop companies who allegedly engage in unreasonable data security practices, or made misleading statements or omissions about data security.
  • FTC supports new data protection legislation that would give it the ability to seek civil penalties for effective deterrence; and jurisdiction over nonprofits and common carriers.

Details from the FTC.

Competition considerations in how big tech companies handle personal data – the U.S. version.

Bloomberg Law reports that following a number of actions by European Union competition authorities, U.S. antitrust regulators plan to ramp up their scrutiny of tech companies’ data practices, acknowledging rising concerns that consumer information can increase market power.

“The Federal Trade Commission’s new task force that will monitor tech industry competition… plans to incorporate data collection and privacy as main variables in its oversight of companies” said Bruce Hoffman, the head of the agency’s competition bureau.

 

Privacy Compliance & Data Security - A Fox Rothschild Blog

Changes to the Safeguards Rule and the Privacy Rule applicable to financial institutions under the Gramm Leach Bliley Act are in the works.

The FTC is proposing changes to the Safeguards Rule to add more detailed requirements for what should be included in the comprehensive information security program mandated by the Rule. This will include:

  • encrypting all customer data
  • implementing access controls to prevent unauthorized users from accessing customer information
  • implementing multi-factor authentication to access customer data
  • submitting periodic reports to the boards of directors to ensure compliance

The FTC is also proposing to expand the definition of “financial institution” in both the Privacy Rule and the Safeguards Rule to specifically include so-called “finders,” those who charge a fee to connect consumers who are looking for a loan to a lender.

Details from the FTC.

U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, D.C.

The Federal Trade Commission should be the primary enforcer of a federal privacy bill and to do so would need a larger budget. That is one point that seemed to be in consensus at the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing held on February 27, 2019 in connection with a U.S. Federal privacy law.

Additional points discussed included:

  • The role of state AGs in enforcement
  • Whether the FTC should be able to fine for a first offense
  • Whether consumers should have the right to deletion and whether the collection of sensitive data should be an opt-in choice for consumers
  • Whether the U.S. should look to the EU and its passage of the General Data Protection Regulation as a model, or, perhaps, the California Consumer Privacy Act
  • How heavily consumer choice should factor into a federal law

Details from the International Association of Privacy Professionals

Pixelated shield icon on digital background,

In its second annual review, the European Commission notes that the Privacy Shield scheme provides adequate protection for personal data but improvements are still in order.

Highlights include:

  • Since the first annual review, the Department of Commerce (DOC) referred more than 50 cases to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to take enforcement action where necessary.
  • New tools have been adopted to ensure compliance with Privacy Shield Principles including: spot checks, monitoring public reports about Privacy Shield participants, quarterly checks of companies flagged as potentially making false claims and issuing subpoenas to request information from participants.
  • The US is to appoint a Privacy Shield Ombudsperson by not later than February 28, 2019 or the Commission will consider taking steps under GDPR.
  • The Commission is monitoring the following areas to determine if sufficient progress has been made: (i) effectiveness of DOC enforcement mechanisms; (ii) progress of FTC sweeps; and (iii) appointment and effectiveness of complaints handling by the Ombudsperson.

Read the full report

Data-rich companies like Facebook have a unique opportunity to capitalize on the recent surge in regulatory scrutiny and turn it to their advantage.

Savvy tech companies are attuned to public opinion and won’t allow others to control the narrative. They are already taking steps to regain the upper hand in the privacy debate.

Facebook demonstrated this during Senate hearings on the Cambridge Analytica “data breach” by announcing it would upgrade privacy features and offer its users protections that mirror those in the EU’s strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Facebook has also gone out of its way to publicize its efforts to comply with GDPR. Messaging service WhatsApp, too, recently touted its decision to set a minimum age of 16 for EU users.

Some of the major tech companies – Facebook, Google and Apple – could actually benefit from increased data privacy and security regulation if they take the initiative. They have the resources to impose strict compliance requirements on smaller third-party players such as application developers and vendors in the tech eco-system, portraying themselves as trusted custodians of consumer data.

To gain the advantage, they will need to be proactive because regulators are not sitting back.

Officials at all levels of government are clamoring to get a piece of the data privacy enforcement pie. The SEC recently imposed a first-of-its-kind $35 million fine on Altaba Inc., formerly Yahoo, for failing to disclose a major data breach. The FTC struck a first-of-its-type 20-year consent decree that requires Uber Technologies Inc. to report any future data breach regardless of whether it involves harm to consumers. States are also getting into the act. Arizona and Delaware recently joined the list of states that have toughened their breach notification laws, while attorneys general have stepped up enforcement activities in Massachusetts (Equifax), New York (Facebook), Pennsylvania (Uber) and other states.

Data is the new currency. As a result, antitrust regulators have stepped up scrutiny of M&A deals in relation to the aggregation and control of data. This has already affected proposed deals. The EU halted Apple’s proposed acquisition of Shazam over possible adverse effects on other music streaming services.

In this climate, it is no time for major tech companies to lay low. The smarter path – the one that will allow them to regain the initiative – is taking proactive steps to address privacy and data security concerns before regulators do it for them.

Autonomous Vehicles
Copyright: cheskyw / 123RF Stock Photo

Acting Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen made it clear that she expects the FTC’s enforcement role in protecting privacy and security to encompass automated and connected vehicles. In her opening remarks at a June 28, 2017 workshop hosted by the FTC and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), she said the FTC will take action against manufacturers and service providers of autonomous and connected vehicles if their activities violate Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair and deceptive acts or practices.

Such concern is warranted as new technologies allow vehicles to not only access the Internet, but also to independently generate, store and transmit all types of data – some of which could be very valuable to law enforcement, insurance companies, and other industries. For example, such data can not only show a car’s precise location, but also whether it violated posted speed limits, and aggressively followed behind, or cut-off, other cars.

Acting Chairman Ohlhausen noted that the FTC wants to coordinate its regulatory efforts with NHTSA, and envisions that both organizations will have important roles, similar to the way the FTC and the Department of Health and Human Services both have roles with respect to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Traditionally, NHTSA has dealt with vehicle safety issues, as opposed to privacy and data security. Thus, it may mean that the FTC will have a key role on these issues as they apply to connected cars, as it already has been a major player on privacy and data security in other industries.

Acting Chairman Ohlhausen also encouraged Congress to consider data breach and data security legislation for these new industries, but speakers at the workshop (video available here and embedded below) noted that legislation in this area will have difficulty keeping up with the fast pace of change of these technologies.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Specific federal legislation, or even laws at the state level, may be slow in coming given the many stakeholders who have an interest in the outcome. Until then, the broad mandate of Section 5 may be one of the main sources of enforcement. Companies who provide goods or services related to autonomous and connected vehicles should be familiar with the basic FTC security advice we have already blogged about here, and should work with knowledgeable attorneys as they pursue their design and manufacture plans.

With 2013 being dubbed as the “Year of the Mega Breach” it comes as no surprise that the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), on June 30, 2015 published “Start with Security: A Guide for Businesses” to educate and inform businesses on protecting their data.  The FTC is tasked with protecting consumers from “unfair” and “deceptive” business practices and with data breaches on the rise, it has come to take that job much more seriously.  The lessons in the guide are meant to aid businesses in their practices of protecting data and the FTC cites to real examples of its data breach settlement cases to help companies understand each lesson and the real world consequences that some companies have faced.  Here are the lesson headlines:

  1. 1. Start with security;
  2. 2. Control access to data sensibly;
  3. 3. Require secure passwords and authentication;
  4. 4. Store sensitive personal information securely and protect it during transmission;
  5. 5. Segment networks and monitor anyone trying to get in and out of them;
  6. 6. Secure remote network access;
  7. 7. Apply sound security practices when developing new products that collect personal information;
  8. 8. Ensure that service providers implement reasonable security measures;
  9. 9. Implement procedures to help ensure that security practices are current and address vulnerabilities; and
  10. 10. Secure paper, physical media and devices that contain personal information.

  Katherine McCarron, the Bureau of Consumer Protection attorney, explained that the Bureau “look[s] at a company’s security procedures and determine[s] whether they are reasonable and appropriate in light of all the circumstances” when evaluating an organization’s conduct.  It is likely that this guide will become the FTC’s road map for handling future enforcement actions and will help businesses to remain on the safe side of the data breach fence.

Whether you run a mom and pop shop or a multi-million dollar company, this guide is a must-read for any business that processes personal information.

Start reading here.

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/start-security-guide-business

[Also posted at http://hipaahealthlaw.foxrothschild.com/]

This case has nothing to do with HIPAA, but should be a warning to zealous covered entities and other types of business entities trying to give patients or consumers more information about data privacy than is required under applicable law.  In short, giving individuals more information is not better, especially where the information might be construed as partially inaccurate or misleading.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against Nomi Technologies, Inc., a retail tracking company that placed sensors in clients’ New York City-area retail stores to automatically collect certain data from consumers’ mobile devices as they passed by or entered the stores.  Nomi’s business model was publicized in a July 2013 New York Times article.  The complaint alleged, among other things, that although Nomi’s published privacy policy stated that Nomi would “allow consumers to opt out of Nomi’s [data tracking] service on its website as well as at any retailer using Nomi’s technology,” Nomi actually only allowed consumers to opt-out on its website — no opt-out mechanism was available at the clients’ retail stores.

The FTC voted 3-2 to accept a consent order (published for public comment on May 1, 2015) from Nomi under which Nomi shall not:

“[M]isrepresent in any manner, expressly or by implication:  (A) the options through which, or the extent to which, consumers can exercise control over the collection, use, disclosure, or sharing of information collected from or about them or their computers or devices, or (B) the extent to which consumers will be provided notice about how data from or about a particular consumer, computer, or device is collected, used, disclosed, or shared.”

The odd aspect of this complaint and consent order is that Nomi did not track or maintain information that would allow the individual consumers to be identified.  The media access control (MAC) address broadcast by consumers’ mobile devices as they passed by or entered the stores was cryptographically “hashed” before it was collected, created a unique identifier that allowed Nomi to track the device without tracking the consumer him/herself.  As dissenting Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen points out, as “a third party contractor collecting no personally identifiable information, Nomi had no obligation to offer consumers an opt out.”  The majority, however, focuses on the fact that the opt out was partially inaccurate, then leaps to the conclusion that the inaccuracy was deceptive under Section 5 of the FTC Act, without pausing to reflect on the fact that the privacy policy and opt out process may not have been required by law in the first place.

So while many HIPAA covered entities and other businesses may want to give consumers as much information as possible about data collection, the lesson here is twofold:  first, make sure the notice is required under applicable law (and, if it’s not, be sure the benefits of notice outweigh potential risks); and, second, make sure the notice is 100% accurate to avoid FTC deceptive practices claims.

Officials from both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and European Union (EU) recently called for enhancements to the Obama administration’s proposed Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.

The White House’s proposed Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights seeks to provide “a baseline of clear protections for consumers and greater certainty for companies.”  The guiding principles of the draft bill are:  individual control, transparency, respect for context, security, access and accuracy, focused collection and accountability.

But the proposed legislation also seeks to afford companies discretion and flexibility to promote innovation, which some officials argue has led to a lack of clarity.

FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez had hoped for a “stronger” proposal and had “concerns about the lack of clarity in the requirements that are set forth.”  However, Chairwoman Ramirez acknowledged the significance of a privacy bill backed by the White House.  FTC Commissioner Julie Brill also expressed concern over weaknesses in the draft, calling for more boundaries.

Likewise, European Data Protection Supervisor Giovanni Buttarelli felt that the proposal lacked clarity and that, as written, “a large majority of personal data would not be subject to any provisions or safeguards.”

To review the administration’s proposed bill, click here.