Learn about the latest trends and activities through our blog posts.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a press release announcing that the agency will examine prior acquisitions by large technology companies between the years of January 1, 2010-December 31, 2019. With a 5-0 vote, the Commission seeks to examine subsequent trends of large cap acquisition on smaller firms to determine whether competition was restricted or whether competitive concerns should have been raised.
Read MoreEarlier this month, we released a blog post titled Tech Companies and the Uncertain Future of §230. In it we focused on what Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is and how the tech community would be impacted by changes currently being debated by both sides of the political aisle in Congress.
Read MoreOn January 30th, the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing titled “Is Cash Still King? Reviewing the Rise of Mobile Payments.” The Committee headed by Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) held this hearing to determine whether businesses should be allowed or prohibited from refusing cash payments in stores. The policy rationale behind the debate is whether cashless stores would have the unintended consequences of harming marketplace access for low-income Americans who do not have a bank account.
Read MoreThe Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act enacted in 2008 was an important first step in developing policy on biometrics. According to the law, a private entity possessing biometric information accessible to the public must have a retention schedule and policy for permanently destroying biometric information. Additionally, there are restrictions on how a private entity may collect, capture, purchase, receive through trade, or otherwise obtain a person's or a customer's biometric identifier or biometric information. Most importantly, this law requires obtaining written consent prior to collecting biometric information as the law provides a private right of action for anyone injured under the Act.
Read MoreRecently, we have learned of Amazon’s new hand scanning idea to revolutionize consumer interactions via fintech. The idea would involve creating a payment system that would biometrically scan a user’s hand to transfer payment from the user to Amazon, instead of via a credit card, phone application or cash. New point of sale terminals equipped with this technology would be placed in brick and mortar stores so that customers can “travel lighter” by not having to worry about carrying physical payment forms.
Read MoreWhile there has long been controversy surrounding how far regulating the Internet should go, it seemed that the 2016 election has had major impacts on how and what information consumers should and should not see. From the spread of hate speech, to broadcasted violence to the confusion over what is “legitimate” news, one law is at the center of what the responsibilities are of an Internet Service Provider (ISP): 47 U.S. Code § 230.
Read MoreAs new political alliances emerge and populism continues to push political parties to make faster adjustments, companies need to take a fresh look at how they engage with the political system in order to convey company priorities and goals. Political trends happen in small doses before they spread quickly, which is what St. Petersburg, Florida and now Seattle, Washington may be demonstrating.
Read MoreThis year Rhode Island has shown why it is one of the early adopter states of acknowledging and strategizing for a blockchain future.
Read MoreIn 2016, the Athens Orthopedic Clinic in Georgia was hacked by an anonymous hacking group called the “Dark Overlord.” The group’s action caused a major data breach and affected approximately 200,000 patients. The information obtained involved social security numbers, health insurance information, birth dates, and addresses.
Read MoreIn preparation for 2020, Lanton Law is forecasting that it is more likely than not that some form of federal privacy legislation will become law in 2020. One proposed legislative candidate for privacy in 2020 is the Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act (COPRA).
Read MoreNo matter if you are a hospital, physician, pharmacist, manufacturer, SAAS or Health IT provider, the lifeblood of your business is in your contracts. As an attorney what amazes me time after time is how contracts are often overlooked by businesses.
Read MoreWe are out with our December 2019 newsletter. This edition covers data oversight, a Medicaid white paper and upcoming webinars.
Read MoreNo matter what, technology will always move faster than the law. With this maxim and our ever increasing reliance on convenient information, we have seen technology companies try to bring us what we want to see while also collecting a staggering amount of information on consumers. With regulations scant on personal data, Congress is slowly becoming more active in making policy governing technology.
Read MoreOftentimes policy changes that sweep across the nation originate in policy “hot spots” like Massachusetts, California, New York, etc. This time its consumer privacy. As we rely more and more on the internet of things, artificial intelligence and fitness applications, we are unfortunately becoming more exposed to potential data breaches. If you operate in California, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) will be a defining factor in how you manage risks around consumer data.
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