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On 30 September 2022, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) handed down two judgments in which it ruled, respectively, that Germany’s and France’s data retention laws are incompatible with EU law.

In Joined Cases C‑793/19 and C‑794/19 SpaceNet AG and Telekom Deutschland GmbH (EU:C:2022:702), the CJEU ruled that EU law precludes the general and indiscriminate retention of traffic and location data, except in the case of a serious threat to national security.  It also confirmed, however, that to combat serious crime, Member States may, in strict compliance with the principle of proportionality, provide for the targeted or expedited retention of such data and the general and indiscriminate retention of IP addresses.Continue Reading EU Data Retention: When Member States Get It Wrong

Long exposure photo from Big Ben in sunrise
Long exposure photo from Big Ben in sunrise

On 17 June 2022, the UK government released its much anticipated response to the consultation on the reform of the UK data protection regime. As part of the UK’s post-Brexit national data strategy, the consultation gathered responses on proposals aimed at reforming the UK’s data protection regime to boost the UK economy. In its response, the UK government has signalled which of the proposals it will be proceeding with and are likely to appear in an upcoming Data Reform Bill.

Overall, these reforms do not overhaul the existing UK data protection compliance regime, which is derived from EU legislation such as the General Data Protection Regulation and ePrivacy Directive. Instead, the proposals are incremental and largely modify obligations that organizations will be familiar with under the existing regime. As expected, these reforms are largely business-focused, with an overall aim of reducing compliance burdens faced by businesses of all sizes and facilitating the use (and re-use) of data for research.Continue Reading UK Government Publishes Its Response on the Reform of the UK Data Protection Regime

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Private employers in New York will now need to notify and obtain employee acknowledgement prior to engaging in any electronic monitoring under the provisions of S2628, signed by Governor Kathy Hochul on November 8, and effective May 7, 2022. With this law, New York joins Connecticut and Delaware in mandating that employers provide employee notice of monitoring, which, in practice, can be integrated into the sort of employee privacy notice required under the California Consumer Privacy Act.

Applicability and Obligations for Businesses

S2628 applies to any private employer with a place of business in New York that electronically monitors employees’ communications and internet activity. The law’s core provisions require that upon an employee’s hiring, the employer must provide prior written notice alerting the employee that their telephone conversations, e-mails, and internet access or usage may be monitored using any electronic device or system such as a computer, telephone, wire, radio, or electromagnetic, photoelectronic, or photo-optical systems. The notice must be in writing or electronic form and acknowledged by the employee in writing or electronically. Employers must also post the notice describing the electronic monitoring in a conspicuous place that is readily available for employees to view.Continue Reading New York Law Will Require Employee Notice and Acknowledgement Prior to Electronic Monitoring by Employer

Article29Recognizing the increasing prevalence of data-driven solutions in combatting COVID-19 and the numerous related privacy concerns, on April 21, the EDPB adopted guidelines on the use of location data and contact tracing tools in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak (“Guidelines”).

The Guidelines clarify the conditions and principles for proportionate use of location data and contact tracing tools for two particular purposes: (i) the use of location data to support the response to the pandemic by modelling COVID-19’s spread to calculate the overall effectiveness of confinement measures; and (ii) contact tracing, which aims to notify individuals that they have been in close proximity to an infected individual, to break the contamination links quickly and combat the virus’ spread.
Continue Reading European Guidelines Adopted on Contact Tracing Tools and the Use of Location Data in the Context of the COVID-19 Outbreak

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On 8 January 2018, the Information Commissioner launched a public consultation on a Direct Marketing Code of Practice, which she is required by Section 122 of the Data Protection Act 2018 to produce in order to provide practical guidance in relation to the carrying out of direct marketing in accordance with the requirements of the data protection legislation and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR). Accordingly, like the existing ICO Direct Marketing Guidance, which it will supersede, the proposed code sets out the law and provides examples and good practice recommendations. To a significant extent, the draft code replicates the current guidance, which was updated in 2018 to reference the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). When finalized, the Commissioner must take the code into account when considering whether those engaged in personal data processing for “direct marketing purposes” have complied with the GDPR and PECR. The key aspects of the draft code are summarized below, including new guidance on in-app advertising and direct marketing on social media platforms.
Continue Reading UK’s ICO Publishes Draft Direct Marketing Code of Practice