A former intern at the controversial company RapLeaf has launched a new privacy manager site called SelectOut, which helps users opt out of behavioral advertisements online. As of the end of January, SelectOut had already facilitated 50,000 opt outs.
SelectOut offers similar features to the opt-out features available at AboutAds.info, a site
March 2011
D.C. Circuit Decides Red Flags Litigation
By Mike Nonaka
Last Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued its opinion in litigation between the American Bar Association (ABA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the scope of the FTC’s Red Flags rule. The Court held the ABA’s claims moot in light of recently-enacted legislation. The Red Flags rule requires covered entities…
Irish Data Security Breach Code Has No Force of Law, says Commissioner
Last July, the Irish Data Protection Commissioner formalized and approved a Code of Practice for organizations suffering information security breaches: the Personal Data Security Breach Code of Practice. The Code specifies that all data security incidents should be reported to the Data Protection Commissioner, except in very limited cases, and sets out additional risk minimization measures. …
Covington to Participate in Healthcare Privacy Panel
Next week, IAPP hosts its annual Global Privacy Summit in Washington, D.C. Inside Privacy will be attending the event, which has attracted a number of significant stakeholders in years past and will provide a good opportunity to take the temperature of stakeholders on key privacy and data security issues. Those who are interested in health privacy may…
UK Extends CAP Code Restrictions to Online Businesses
By Dan Cooper
On March 1, the scope of the UK’s Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (“CAP Code”) was significantly expanded to apply to a variety of new technologies, including online social networks, online video advertisements, viral advertisements, in-game advertisements, and advertisements transmitted via web widgets, and online sales promotions and prize promotions. The…
EU Commission Proposes Mandatory Transfer of Passenger Name Records
By Dan Cooper
The European Commission has proposed a Passenger Name Record Directive that would require airlines to provide EU Member States with data on passengers arriving from, or departing to, countries outside the EU. Under the proposal, copies of such PNR data held on an airline’s reservation system would be transferred to a dedicated “Passenger Information Unit”…
Indiana Reporters’ Shield Law Does Not Protect Online Comments, Rules Judge
According to an article written by Jeff Swiatek in the Indianapolis Star, an Indiana judge has ruled that the state’s reporters’ shield law does not prevent two newspapers from being compelled in a lawsuit to disclose identifying information about online commenters in their Web forums. The ruling is the first considering the application of the…
Supreme Court Holds Corporations’ Secrets Not Protected By Freedom of Information Act Exemption for “Personal Privacy”
Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), citizens have a right to obtain documents from federal agencies. However, agencies may withhold documents from request for several reasons, including to protect “personal privacy.” Does the exemption for “personal privacy” protect the privacy of corporations in addition to that of individuals? In its recent decision in Federal…