Global News Roundup—May 31 - June 6, 2016

In this week’s Privacy Tracker global legislative roundup, read more about the status of EU-U.S. data flows, including the signing of the “Umbrella Agreement,” which establishes protections for European citizens’ data when transferred to the U.S. for law enforcement purposes. Also, Thailand is looking at amendments that many say will lead to privacy rights violations; a Chinese court has heard the nation’s first right-to-be-forgotten case; French and Belgian courts seem to disagree on the freedom of expression vs. right to be forgotten debate; and some U.S. Republican leaders are speaking out about the Federal Communications Commission’s proposed broadband rules. 

LATEST NEWS

French and Belgian high courts have handed down opposing rulings in cases pitting freedom of expression against the right to be forgotten, reports Covington & Burling’s Inside Privacy.

Bangkok Post reports that activists are concerned with amendments to Thailand’s proposed Computer Crime Act, saying they will lead to privacy violations.

Amendments to Saskatchewan’s Health Information Protection Act went into effect last week, meaning stiffer rules on securing data, new “snooping” offenses and others, reports Canadian Underwriter.

The California legislature passed three cybersecurity bills last week, reports Government Technology.

In Government Technology, Daniel Castro opines that amendments to Connecticut’s facial recognition bill are an improvement, while still not ideal.

ABC7 reports that Planned Parenthood is trying to block a Florida bill that would allow state officials to view the health records of women who’ve had an abortion.

ICYMI

Brent Tuttle, CIPP/E, CIPP/US writes for Privacy Tracker that the Court of Justice of the EU’s Schrems decision may put the “adequacy” decisions of 11 nations on shaky ground.

Video: Privacy Commissioner Therrien gives state of [privacy] union at the IAPP Canada Privacy Symposium 2016. 

In this post for Privacy Perspectives, Eduardo Ustaran, CIPP/E, offers up his analysis of a messy data flow framework in the EU, warning, “we could be facing a situation from which not even the great Houdini could escape.”

U.S.

Officials from the EU and U.S. officially signed the so-called Umbrella Agreement, which sets privacy protections on European citizens’ personal data when transferred to the U.S. for law enforcement purposes, Ars Technica reports.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that law enforcement agencies don’t need a warrant to access the cell site data for a suspect’s mobile phone, POLITICO reports.

Republican leaders from the House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, criticizing the agency’s proposed broadband privacy rules and asking for widespread revisions, Multichannel News reports

An amendment designed to gut the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act has been put on hold, Ars Technica reports.

ASIA PACIFIC

A Haidian court has heard China’s first right to be forgotten case, Techdirt reports.

CANADA

Privacy Commissioner of Canada Daniel Therrien suggested limiting the “proposed authority” for Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault in a brief to the Commons committee considering the Access to Information Act, CTV News reports.

IT World Canada looks at the changes made to Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.

EUROPE

European Data Protection Supervisor Giovanni Buttarelli has published his opinion on the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, which he says is “not robust enough to withstand future legal scrutiny,” V3 reports.

The Human Rights Committee is calling the Investigatory Powers Bill a significant step forward for human rights, while saying the legislation still needs more safeguards, BBC reports.