In this week’s Privacy Tracker legislative roundup, read about Canada’s Genetic Non-Discrimination Act; Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien’s letter to federal ministers attempting to get more privacy protection; and some insight on the Globe24 ruling. In the EU, European Data Protection Supervisor Giovanni Buttarelli has released his opinion on the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, and the U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office issued one of its largest fines for nuisance calls. In the U.S., a bill in the Senate has put broadband privacy rules on the chopping block; a bill moving through the U.S. Congress would mean companies could require employees to undergo genetic testing or pay a fine; and states have been active in privacy legislation as well.
LATEST NEWS
Canada’s House of Commons has passed the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act, prohibiting the requirement of genetic testing as a condition of employment or insurance, among others, reports CBC.
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Canada’s Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien is asking federal ministers to push for the country’s inclusion in the U.S. Judicial Redress Act in order to protect Canadians’ privacy.
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Germany ‘s lower house has passed new measures increasing the amount of public surveillance and introducing body cameras for police, reports the BBC.
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A bill moving through the U.S. Congress would mean companies could require employees to undergo genetic testing or pay a fine, reports PBS.
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A bill with the California legislature would strip from students and staff of public schools the protections afforded under the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act, reports Mercury News.
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Hays Post reports that Kansas law enforcement voiced concerns about a bill that would prohibit service and storage providers from offering up customer electronic communication data without consent.
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Nebraska’s legislature is considering a bill that would keep information about gun ownership confidential, reports the privacy of gun owners, reports Nebraska TV.
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New Hampshire’s House has passed a bill that would ban the state from assisting federal agencies in colleting electronic data without a warrant, reports The Tenther.
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New Mexico’s Senate Public Affairs Committee unanimously approved the Data Breach Notification Act, reports the Los Alamos Daily Post.
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The Washington state legislature is considering two bills aimed at protecting biometric data, reports Government Technology.
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ICYMI
On Thursday, the Court of Justice of the European Union considered whether the right to be forgotten should be applied to a company register. Denis Kelleher, CIPP/E, writes about the ruling for Privacy Tracker.
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Shaun Brown of Nnovation writes for Privacy Tracker that the federal court’s ruling in the Globe24h case may have moved the needle a bit, but the true impact has been overstated.
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US
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., has introduced a proposal that would rollback the Federal Communications Commission's privacy rules for internet service providers, The Hill reports.
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The future of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board may be in jeopardy, according to emails obtained by The Intercept.
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Massachusetts lawmakers have filed a proposal to restrict the ways the state can use sensitive driver data collected by its new all-electronic tolling system, The Boston Globe reports.
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ASIA PACIFIC
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data has released the Hong Kong Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance as an e-book
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LinkedIn will remain blocked from Russian users, Reuters reports, after the company and Russian DPA Roskomnadzor were unable to reach an agreement on allowing LinkedIn to again operate in the country.
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CANADA
The debate over the contentious Genetic Non-Discrimination Act continues through the House of Commons and could come down to a final vote, Global News reports.
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EUROPE
European Data Protection Supervisor Giovanni Buttarelli has released his opinion on the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, arguing that while it is important to secure borders, its equally important to ensure initiatives designed to strengthen them do not erode privacy rights, a press release from the supervisor reports.
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The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office leveled one of its largest fines for nuisance calls after an investigation found Media Tactics made 22 million such calls.
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Analysts argue that Ireland will serve as the "battleground" for many General Data Protection Regulation disputes due to the high number of data centers in the country, Independent.ie reports.
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