Global News Roundup—January 26-February 2, 2015

In Brazil, public discussions aimed at shaping the county’s new Internet bill of rights have begun; China has issued clarifications on how companies can collect, use and protect individuals’ personal information, and the UK House of Lords rejected an attempt to get the so-called “snoopers’ charter” back into antiterrorism legislation. This week’s Privacy Tracker roundup also offers information on what Finland’s new Information Security Code and Canada’s new cyberbullying law mean for businesses. In the U.S., states are tackling data breaches, body-worn cameras and protecting health data, while the White House calls for breach notification and possibly more power for the Federal Trade Commission, and the House of Representatives looks at a bipartisan proposal to protect consumer information. 

LATEST NEWS

Brazil held its first open consultation to debate and shape the Marco Civil, reports BNamericas.

ITBuisness Canada reports on the effect the country’s new cyberbullying bill could have on business.

Inside Privacy reports on new consumer protection provisions in China that come into effect March 15 and clarify how companies may collect, use and protect the personal information of consumers.

On January 1, Finland’s new Information Security Code became effective, bringing, among other changes, broader obligations to protect the confidentiality of communications, reports Hunton & Williams’ Privacy and Information Security Law Blog.

The UK House of Lords has rejected a last-minute redraft of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill after four lords attempted to amend it to add in the so-called “snoopers’ charter,” BBC reports.

The Wall Street Journal reports on the ongoing debate over a Delaware law passed last summer that allows estate executors to access online accounts without a court order, unless the deceased has instructed otherwise.

The Indiana Office of the Attorney General has recommended the 2015 legislature pass a bill that would tighten state laws governing data collection, reportsWISHTV.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed new legislation requiring health insurance carriers authorized to issue health benefits plans in the state to encrypt personal information, reports The National Law Review.

Davis Wright Tremaine’s Privacy and Security Law Blog lays out what you need to know about New York AG Eric Schneiderman’s proposed legislation to strengthen the state’s data security laws and establish new consumer privacy protections.

The North Dakota House Judiciary Committee debated a bill that would “prevent images taken by a ‘body camera or similar device’ in a ‘private place’ from being released under open records laws,”Grand Forks Heraldreports.

Street Roots News reports on efforts by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon and a group of Oregon senators to update the state’s privacy laws.

ICYMI

Timothy Banks, CIPP/C, writes for Privacy Tracker about the Canadian government’s push to increase law enforcement's surveillance powers.

U.S.

Dozens of tech companies and advocacy groups have joined in sending letters to Congress demanding lawmakers finalize a bill that would require officials to get a warrant before searching people's old emails or other items stored in the cloud, The Hill reports.

Law360 reports a federal judge dismissed a class-action claiming Dow Jones violated the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), while a recent court dismissal of VPPA claims against Google will not end such class-actions.

The White House is preparing to send an online privacy bill to Congress that would restrict how companies handle consumer data "while greatly expanding the power of the Federal Trade Commission to police abuses," Politico reports, citing anonymous sources.

Reps. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Bobby Rush (D-IL) have reintroduced a bill that would require companies to meet data security standards when processing users' personal information, The Hill reports.

In this report for The Privacy Advisor, Jedidiah Bracy, CIPP/US, CIPP/E,looks into a House subcommittee hearing on federal data breach notification legislation and reveals some of the sticking points on the issue.

The Federal Trade Commission released a highly anticipated report on IoT.

USA Today reports that President Barack Obama may "have found a rare area of potential agreement" with cybersecurity legislation.

Angelique Carson, CIPP/US, reports on reactions from privacy advocates, academics and a former advisor to President Barack Obama on the president’s push for privacy legislation in this exclusive for The Privacy Advisor.

Advocacy group Consumer Watchdog is urging the Federal Communications Commission to place new privacy regulations on broadband providers, MediaPost reports.

CANADA

The Globe and Mailreports the Canadian government may revise "the Passenger Protect system to make it easier to keep individuals from boarding planes."

EU

The European Commission says it wants to have a single cross-continent data protection law in place by the end of the year, claiming it will bring major benefits to consumers and businesses, V3.co.uk reports.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority has been granted authority to fine controllers and processors, reports Jeroen Terstegge, CIPP/US, in The Privacy Advisor.

Pascale Gelly, CIPP/E, CIPM, details the CNIL’s "wish list" of provisions to be included in the Digital Law being contemplated by the French government for The Privacy Advisor.

In this exclusive for The Privacy Advisor Joanna Tomaszewska writes about amendments to the Polish Data Protection Act that entered into force on January 1.

LATIN AMERICA

Mexico's Federal Institute for Information Access and Data Protection has started proceedings that could impose sanctions on Google for an alleged breach of the nation's data protection law, Reuters reports.