Category: Law
Google Using Scare Tactics to Incite Fear of New Legislation in Users of Google Analytics, Gmail, and Other Google Digital Tools
If you recently received email from Google urging you to “understand how new legislation could harm your business”, yet with no information about WHAT legislation they’re talking about, well, that’s because they are hiding the ball on that. (Hint: It’s the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (there may be others, but this is the biggie).)
The TLDR Act: A Law to Require Online Terms of Service to Have an Intelligible Summary
If you are someone whose eyes glaze over when you try to read a website’s or company’s Terms of Service (“ToS”), Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) or Privacy Policy, then the TLDR Act is for you (see below for the full text of The TLDR Act)! The TLDR Act (S.3501), which stands for “Terms-of-service Labeling, Design and Readability Act”, was introduced this month by Representative Lori Trahan and Senators Ben Ray Lujan and Bill Cassidy (that’s right, it’s a bipartisan Federal effort).
New IRS Rule Reduces Income Reporting from $20000 to $600 for Paypal, Venmo, CashApp, Zelle, Others
A new IRS reporting requirement reduces the amount to trigger reporting of payments made through online and mobile payment apps from $20,000 to $600 in a calendar year. Previously, under the tax law, you had to reach a $20,000 (twenty-thousand dollar) threshold before Paypal and other payment services were required to issue you a 1099-K. Now if you run more than $600 through Paypal, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or any other payment service, that service is required to issue you the 1099-K, which of course is also provided to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
New Rules: Military Members Can Get in Trouble for Supporting Extremism on Social Media
The Pentagon has announced that it has updated the rules for how it handles situations including when military members post or react on social media expressing support for extremism or extremist groups. The rules, which govern service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, are outlined in the DOD document “Handling Protest, Extremist, and Criminal Gang Activities Among Members of the Armed Forces”. Now if a service member “likes” or “shares” a post in support of extremist activities, they can be held accountable.
Facebook Service WhatsApp Fined $267million for GDPR Violations
In what is the second-largest GDPR fine to date, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission announced today that they have fined Facebook subsidiary WhatsApp €225million, or the equivalent of $267,198,750.00 USD, for several gross violations of GDPR (the General Data Protection Regulation in effect in the EU, as well as the UK since the UK’s ICO adopted it’s own “UK GDPR” following Brexit).
Do You Still Have to Follow GDPR after Brexit if You are in the UK? Yes
If you are in the UK do you still have to comply with GDPR following Brexit? As a matter of fact you do, and here’s why.
About the New Internet of Things Cybersecurity Law That Passed Last Month
The IoT (Internet of Things) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020 was signed into law a few weeks ago. Here’s a summary plus the full text.
Reposting Images on Social Media? How it Can Get You in Trouble
At a time when social media is dominating almost every area of our lives, posting pictures on social media has become a highly effective way of connecting with people, sharing with loved ones, and doing business. It is common for social media users to share other people’s images without a…
New “4th Amendment is Not for Sale” Bill Would Ban Police from Buying Your Personal Data
The “The Fourth Amendment is Not For Sale” law would ban law enforcement agencies from purchasing your personal data from data brokers.
DatabaseUSA Wins Case against Spamhaus in Matter of DatabaseUSA v. Spamhaus in Federal Court
Here is the full text of the judgement in the matter of Database versus Spamhaus, in the Federal United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.
Full Text of President Trump’s Executive Order Against Twitter, Facebook and Other Social Media
President Trump has signed the executive order aimed at §230, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. We have the full text of the executive order draft.
Here’s What’s Up with All Those ‘Do Not Sell My Personal Information’ Links and Pages that are Cropping Up
If you are wondering “What does Do Not Sell My Personal Information mean?” after seeing it all over the Internet on links and pages, here’s what it’s about.
Judge Rejects Twitter Lawsuit to be Allowed to Reveal Government Surveillance Requests (Includes Full Text of Order)
The Court has rejected Twitter’s request that they be allowed to share general information about secret government demands (NSLs) for info on their users.
Sen. Moran Introduces Federal Data Privacy Legislation
U.S. Senator and Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairman, Jerry Moran, has introduced a Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act. The bill seeks to strengthen the laws governing personal data and create regulations and standards for American businesses that gather, process and use consumers’ personal data. The Consumer Data Privacy and Security…
ISPs Sue Maine to be Allowed to Continue to Share Your Personal Information and Data – Includes List of ISPs
Upset over losing the ability to buy, sell, and exploit your personal information, organizations representing hundreds of ISPs, telcos, and others are suing the state of Maine over their privacy law. Here’s who is involved, and a list of all of their members.