Greetings from Newfields, New Hampshire!
The importance of taking time off to reset and recharge has never been more important. I speak from personal experience after my own hiatus from the privacy world last week.
While I did spend more than half of my respite moving into a new apartment, I was still lucky enough to take some time away for some peace and tranquility at a little cottage on a quiet lake in Maine. Getting the chance to set aside the digital and societal distractions in favor of an Adirondack chair on a dock, fishing pole and hot dog off the grill was nothing short of soothing.
It used to be that taking a personal day or two on top of a regular weekend never felt like enough for me. But it’s different right now. For some, the period we’re currently living through can be draining and easy to get caught up in. I think you’d be surprised that a day or two, let alone an entire week, might help you rediscover your equilibrium.
The privacy world continued turning while I was in my vacation bubble, and that hasn’t changed upon my return.
Among the most noteworthy developments this week was a win for Maine’s privacy law in the federal court system. Internet service providers had a majority of their arguments to invalidate the law thrown out. U.S. District Court Judge Lance Walker said ISPs had “a shoot the moon” argument as it relates to their claim that selling personal information was protected by the First Amendment.
Sticking in New England, the Massachusetts State Senate is reportedly leaning toward passing legislation that would make it the first state to ban law enforcement’s use of facial recognition. Of course, there’s been plenty of talk surrounding facial recognition deployments of late, but this swift and decisive action by Massachusetts lawmakers is noteworthy and could act as a primer for other states.
Looking forward to next week, Thursday’s “Schrems II” decision from the Court of Justice of the European Union and its repercussions on the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield might prove to be the biggest privacy happening of the year. Our editorial team will certainly have you covered on all you need to know after the decision comes down, but I highly recommend tuning into IAPP’s LinkedIn Live Friday, July 17, which will feature Max Schrems, along with Caitlin Fennessy, IAPP research director and former Privacy Shield director at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Eduardo Ustarano, head of Hogan Lovells global privacy and cybersecurity practice.
Until next week, folks.