Business Law

FTC Security Guidelines for Mobile App Developers

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In response to the thousands of mobile applications hitting the market that often rely on consumer data (i.e. contact information, location, photos, etc.), the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) released a suggested list of security guidelines for mobile app developers to follow when designing a program. While a no one-size-fits-all checklist can exist, the FTC views […]

Business Law

Sensenbrenner-Rokita NSA Reform Bill Seeks to Bring Transparency to FISA Process

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A bipartisan group of House and Senate members introduced the USA FREEDOM Act last month in an attempt to restore Americans’  privacy rights by ending the bulk collection of phone records and requiring greater oversight, transparency, and accountability with respect to domestic surveillance programs.  The Sensenbrenner-Rokita NSA Reform Bill (another name for the USA FREEDOM Act) […]

Business Law

Washington State Gov. Inslee Signs SB 5211 – Social Media Password Disclosure Law

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Last Week, State of Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed SB 5211 into law, which prohibits employers from requiring or requesting that prospective or current employees disclose their username and password to their personal social media accounts.  Washington State now joins a growing list of states (Maryland, California, Illinois, Michigan, Utah, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Colorado) who […]

Business Law

Intellectual Property Theft Soars as Cyber-Attacks Against Businesses Increase

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Verizon recently released its 2013 Data Breach Investigations Report, and the outlook for organizations trying to protect their intellectual property is dire.  Cyber-based corporate and industrial espionage has risen so dramatically in the last year that intelligence officials are asking boardrooms across the U.S. to be more vigilant against cyber-criminals who are motivated by financial gain […]

Business Law

SEC Ruling on Social-Media Disclosures Offers Little Guidance for Businesses

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As reported in The Wall Street Journal today, Netflix, Inc., has filed documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) stating its intent to disclose “material information” on its corporate Twitter feed, Facebook page, and blog, as well as the Facebook page of its CEO.  The Los Gatos-based company will continue to file traditional disclosures, regarding important […]

Business Law

The Lessons ‘Joe Camel’ Will Teach Developers of ‘Kids Apps’

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On July 1, 2013, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) will begin enforcement of new regulations pertaining to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (“COPPA”).  For two years, regulator’s had sought to update COPPA “with the times” by expanding the law beyond its original intent – to prevent web-based companies from obtaining personal information of children […]

Business Law

‘Data Governance’ – A Way for Organizations to Fight Cyber-Attacks

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As the U.S. intelligence community prepares to militarize its cyber-units for warfare in a virtual world, the rest of us are left to wonder how can we protect our asset resources from a “virtual-attack.”  Cyber-warfare and espionage have now supplanted terrorism as the greatest threat to our national infrastructure.  As a result of more mainstream media coverage, the […]