Global News Roundup—March 16-23, 2015

While Australia’s lower house and Belarus’s Ministry of ITC passed data retention bills, Bulgaria’s constitutional court struck down a similar law. Madagascar is considering privacy legislation for the first time in an effort to boost international business in the country, and the Russian Internet ombudsman has proposed amending its data localization requirement. Also in this week’s Privacy Tracker roundup, read about continuing concerns in the U.S. over CISA and the Data Security and Breach Notification Act as well as proposed legislation in Minnesota, Montana and Virginia.

LATEST NEWS

Telecompaper reports that the Belarusian Ministry of ITC has approved a data retention reg*-ulation.

Bulgaria's constitutional court has struck down the country's data retention law requiring telecommunications service providers to retain user data for at least a year, reports Law360.

Michael Geist writes for The Tyee about the reasons “virtually everyone in Canada’s privacy community opposes” Bill C-51.

Madagascar is considering privacy legislation for the first time, and a Privacy This Week reports that its aim is to “attract foreign firms to the country.”

Russia's Internet ombudsman is challenging the country's data localization provision to allow storage of Russians' personal data in a third country if companies obtain user consent, according a Privacy This Week report.

U.S. Reps. Ted Poe (R-TX) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) have reintroduced their drone privacy bill for the third time, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Associated Press offers a roundup of state legislation limiting police use of recordings from body-worn cameras.

Minnesota Sen. Carrie Ruud (R-Breezy Point) announced legislation to revive a 2005 state law requiring law enforcement to get DNA samples from suspects in violent felony cases, reports Grand Forks Herald.

Two bills that aim to protect electronic communications and devices from warrantless searches have passed the Montana House “by significant margins,” reports KXLH.

Pennsylvania state Sens. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) have announced plans to introduce legislation that would criminalize posting naked or sexual pictures of strangers and others as an expansion of the state’s current revenge porn law, ABC27 reports.

A bill that requires law enforcement to hold license-plate reader data for no more than seven days has unanimously passed both houses of the Virginia legislature and is headed for Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s desk, reports Ars Technica.

ICYMI

Promontory's John Bowman, CIPP/E, former UK negotiator to DAPIX, recaps for Privacy Tracker the March 13 meeting in which EU ministers reached an agreement on the one-stop shop and a commitment to use their June meeting to finalize its draft of the data protection regulation and prepare for the trilogue process

In this final post of the series for Privacy Tracker, Timothy Banks, CIPP/C, explores Bill C-51’s proposed new powers for the Canadian Security Intelligence Services Agency.

In this Privacy Tracker post, Joseph Mazzella, CIPP/US, examines a Colombian law requiring companies to have a data protection officer, or team, in place if they control or process PII and offers instruction for compliance.

In this Privacy Tracker post, Scott Livingston analyzes the controversial antiterrorism law being considered in the People's Republic of China.

U.S.

In spite of the 15 amendments to the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, privacy and security advocates say there are still two fundamental problems with the legislation: It won't actually boost security, and the information-sharing described in the bill "sounds more than ever like a back channel for surveillance," Wired reports.

At a House subcommittee hearing, Democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Trade Subcommittee as well as regulators and privacy advocates criticized the proposed Data Security and Breach Notification Act, arguing it would weaken stronger state laws and would not cover several classes of data, including geolocation and health information, PCWorld reports.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) said he will release a draft of a bill "to make the Department of Homeland Security the point agency on public-private cyber-threat data sharing," The Hill reports.

Connecticut Attorney General (AG) George Jepsen recently announced the creation of a new Privacy and Data Security Department within the AG's office, Westfair Communications reports.

In a post on its website, the Department of Justice says the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act "needs to be updated to make sure that the statute continues to appropriately deter privacy and security violations."

A judicial advisory panel has approved a rule change that will broaden the FBI's hacking authority despite concerns the amended language violates the Constitution, National Journal reports.

The Journal of Accountancy reports, the Treasury Department has issued a final rule exempting it from having to reveal to holders of preparer tax identification numbers the names of those who've asked for their files.

EU

According to Juhan Lepassar, head of Digital Commissioner Andrus Ansip's cabinet, negotiations on the free flow of data could be considered as part of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, but only after an agreement on the EU's data protection regulation is reached, EurActiv reports.

France's government is pushing to legalize broad surveillance of terrorism suspects with a measure that would give the government a "back door" to communications firms, The Washington Post reports.

ASIA PACIFIC

News.com.au reports that Australia’s proposed data retention law has passed the Lower House of Parliament "but only after the government agreed to a last-minute concession protecting journalists."

The New Indian Express reports that amidst "raging controversy over alleged snooping," India’s Right to Privacy Bill, 2014, is receiving its "final touches."