Cyber Law and Business Report – February 22, 2012 Anniversary of 1980 “Miracle on Ice” hockey game SEGMENT ONE – THE LATEST GOOGLE CONTROVERSIES WITH PRIVACY JOURNAL’S ROBERT ELLIS SMITH Robert Ellis Smith is a journalist who uses his training as an attorney to report on the individual’s right to privacy. Since 1974, he has…
Featuring Tech Dirt’s Mike Masnick and eSarcasm’s Dan Tynan (1) Mike Masnick: He is the CEO and founder ofTechdirt, a weblog that focuses on technology news and tech-related issues. Masnick is also the founder and CEO of the company Floor64 and a contributor at BusinessWeek‘s Business Exchange. Before founding Floor64, Masnick worked in business development and marketing at Release…
GOOGLE KICKS THE HORNETS NEST WITH NEW PRIVACY POLICY FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW Google’s roll-out of a new privacy policy effective March 1, 2012, combined with the launch of the Google Search Plus Your World program (which merges Google+ with Google Search results) earlier this month, has created a torrent of criticism across the…
The European Commission, led by Vice President Viviane Reding announced major changes to the EU’s 1995 Privacy Directive that include a “right to be forgotten” under which consumers will be able to delete their data if there are no legitimate uses for it and also provides for greater data portability for consumers moving from one…
Sotomayor Lays Marker on Privacy In United States v. Jones, the Supreme Court found the warrantless use of a GPS device to track a party’s whereabouts violated the 4th Amendment. What is notable about the case was the debate, was a concurring opinion by Justice Sotomayor which anticipated future debates regarding online privacy. Specifically, Sotomayor…
We end our first year with our 43rd installment – a look back at the year’s top stories, why they were important and what it means for 2012. Also we’ll talk about what you should be doing to prepare for 2012. Join us today at 10AM PT on WebmasterRadio.fm. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
Tech Giants Behaving Badly Google’s Canadian Overdose $500M DOJ Settlement Plus Class Action Suit Google has entered into a $500 million settlement with the Department of Justice for allowing Canadian pharmacies to advertise in the US. Google blocked ads from other countries, just not Canada. The U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island that ran the investigation…
IN THE COURTS Judge Reinstates Workers Fired for Complaining on Facebook An administrative law judge ruled in favor of five workers who were fired for complaining about workplace conditions on Facebook. The judge concluded that “a conversation among co-workers about their terms and conditions of employment” is protected under the National Labor Relations Act regardless…
LISTEN OTHER RECENT SHOWS Simple Mistakes Companies Make Air Date: July 13, 2011 Bennet speaks with guest Brian Benenhaley, co-founder and a member of the Board of Directors of ReachSmart Interactive and the AdDrive Affiliate Network, and the two discuss the most common legal mistakes companies make, and how to avoid them. http://www2.webmasterradio.fm/cyberlaw-and-business-report/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/FlowPlayerClassic.swf Podcast: Play in…
INDUSTRY FACES LONG HOT SUMMER ON CAPITOL HILL OVER PRIVACY Revelations that Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android were geo-tracking its users without their full knowledge and explicit consent, have caused a stir on Capitol Hill at a time when privacy was already becoming a priority in light of growing concerns over behavioral targeting and industry…
Do Not Track Bill Introduced, Browsers Advance The 112th Congress’ privacy legislation derby is expected to have plenty of contestants, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) has reintroduced his “Best Practices Act,” while Reps. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Sen,. John Kerry (D-MA) are each expected to offer bills soon. Stearns recently indicated that…
FTC RELEASES PRIVACY REPORT CALLING FOR DO NOT TRACK OPTION ACTION LIKELY ON PRIVACY IN 2011 The Federal Trade Commission released its much anticipated staff report on privacy following its 2009-2010 privacy round-tables with all attention going to its call for a Do Not Track (“DNT”) System. Unlike earlier DNT proposals which called for…
FACEBOOK, GOOGLE MISSTEPS FUEL PRIVACY DEBATE, WHILE FTC BACKS AWAY FROM REGULATION OF BT Facebook was back in the privacy spotlight after a recent Wall Street Journal investigation found that many of the most popular Facebook applications were sharing user profiles with other advertisers and data firms (as was MySpace but to a more limited degree),…
FTC Bureau Chief Outlines Enforcement Priorities at IAPP Conference David Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection stressed that the FTC’s future privacy enforcement priorities will involve (i) more cases involving “pure privacy”, i.e., cases involving practices that try to circumvent consumer’s expectations (such as the Sears case where Sears failed to fully disclose the…
CAPITOL WATCH Privacy, Data Security Movement and E-Personation in California WSJ Report Triggers Congressional Privacy Inquiry After a Wall Street Journal investigation into the use of tracking technology at the top 50 websites revealed that the sites placed “an average of 64 pieces of tracking technology – like cookies – onto users’ computers” which may not have…
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