Global News Roundup — June 19–26, 2017

Italy’s data protection authority has ruled that employers cannot monitor employees’ internet access and emails; the Article 29 Working Party released information on records transferred to non-adequate third countries' financial authorities; and the higher administrative court of North Rhine-Westphalia sided with a company challenging the legality of Germany’s data retention law. In Canada, two provincial commissioners published annual reports, and the Supreme Court ruled that a Facebook class-action case will be heard in British Columbia. Civil society organizations voiced concerns over Namibia’s proposed Electronic Transactions and Cybercrime Bill. And in the U.S., House Republicans have proposed a bill prohibiting states from creating their own rules for self-driving cars, and the California Assembly is considering a broadband privacy bill. Read about this and more in this week’s Privacy Tracker weekly roundup. 

LATEST NEWS

Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that Facebook will have to defend a class-action suit over its “sponsored story” feature in British Columbia, not California as the company’s Terms of Use state, ITWorld Canada reports.
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The Scottish government has published changes to data sharing within its named person plan, which appoints a named person to be responsible for ensuring the welfare of every child, the BBC reports.
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Oregon’s House has approved a measure that would limit state and local government agencies’ ability to share immigrants’ personal details with immigration authorities, KNKX reports.
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During a public comment period, civil society organizations voiced privacy and information access concerns over Namibia’s proposed Electronic Transactions and Cybercrime Bill.
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The U.S. Department of Justice has asked the Supreme Court to review a ruling allowing Microsoft to keep private customer data stored on a server located outside the U.S., CNN Money reports.
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ICYMI

The Article 29 Working Party released more information from its recent June plenary session, including extensive new information on records transferred to non-adequate third countries’ financial authorities and details on when to expect further guidance on GDPR implementation. IAPP Content Director Sam Pfeifle has the details for Privacy Tracker. 
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The IAPP data protection authority directory has gotten an overhaul. With more than 150 enforcement authorities listed, it is the most comprehensive list of DPAs we’ve ever compiled.
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US

A proposal crafted by U.S. House Republicans would prohibit states from creating their own rules governing the design and testing of self-driving cars, Reuters reports.
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A California Assembly Democrat has proposed a bill designed to install the recently repealed Federal Communications Commission’s broadband privacy rules into state law, the Los Angeles Times reports.
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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has updated its Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule compliance plan for businesses.
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Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., criticized Democrats for not supporting her broadband privacy rules bill, The Hill reports.
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In a column for Motherboard, Stephen Vladeck analyzes a forthcoming Supreme Court case that will decide whether law enforcement will need a warrant before tracking an individual’s cellphone location, calling the case “the most important privacy case in a generation.” 
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ASIA PACIFIC

Samantha Gavel will take over the position of New South Wales privacy commissioner from Elizabeth Coombs, The Mandarin reports.
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CANADA

Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner Brian Beamish has released his 2016 Annual Report, “Facing Challenges Together.”
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In his annual report, Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner Ron Kruzeniski highlights nine areas of concern surrounding digital conduct, The Canadian Press reports.
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EUROPE

The higher administrative court of North Rhine-Westphalia sided with Munich internet service provider SpaceNet, which challenged Germany’s data retention law scheduled to take effect July 1. The temporary injunction, David Meyer reports for ZDNet, allows the company to avoid storing its customers’ traffic and location data.
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Italy’s data protection authority, the Garante, issued a ruling stating employers cannot monitor employees’ internet access and emails, JD Supra reports.
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In her speech to both houses of the U.K. Parliament, the nation’s Queen said it will retain its “world-class” data protection regime by confirming it will implement the General Data Protection Regulation, BBC News reports.
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Within the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs draft report on the proposed ePrivacy Regulation are segments stating there would be no “backdoors” into encrypted messages, the Guardian reports.
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The Irish Times reports on a shake-up in Ireland’s legislature, which has lead to the demotion of Cork North Central’s Dara Murphy, who was also serving as the minister of state for data protection and European affairs.
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