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On January 28, 2017, as part of Data Privacy Day, Facebook shared its data privacy principles for the first time. In a blog post drafted by Erin Egan, Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer, Facebook posted these principles to help users understand how data is used and managed on the site. Among other things, Facebook’s data privacy principles stress user control of privacy, the goal of protecting users’ accounts and implementing security tools (like two-factor authentication), and user ownership of information shared. Facebook also announced the launch of a new education campaign to help users understand how data privacy is handled by the company. As part of this effort, Facebook is preparing to roll out a “Privacy Center” that features important privacy settings in a single place.

This publication comes ahead of the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will be implemented on May 25, 2018. The GDPR will set stringent data privacy requirements for companies operating in the EU.  In recent years, Facebook has faced scrutiny from EU regulators over its handling of user data. Facebook hopes to embrace a more transparent data privacy approach to meet all GDPR obligations.

To view Facebook’s Privacy Principles, click here.

With the May 25, 2018 deadline quickly approaching, many businesses are scrambling to prepare for compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and questions and conversations are heating up.  Still others are still trying to wrap their arms around what GDPR is and what it means for U.S. businesses.  For those of you still trying to wrap your heads around it, below are a few basics to help familiarize yourself with the regulation and its relevance to you.

  1. I’m a U.S. business. Why does GDPR matter to me?

The reach of the GDPR regulation extends not only to European-based businesses, but also to all companies that do business, have customers, or collect data from people in the EU.  If you even have a website that could collect data from someone visiting the site from the EU, your business could be affected. No matter where your business resides, if you intentionally offer goods or services to the European Union, or monitor the behavior of individuals within the EU, the GPDR could be applicable.

  1. What’s the risk?

In addition to the PR or brand risk of being associated with noncompliance, GDPR provides for some pretty significant monetary penalties .  Some violations are subject to fines up to 10 million EUR or up to 2% of global annual turnover, whichever is greater.  For other violations, it is double – up to 20 million euros or 4% of your global annual turnover, whichever is greater.  For large businesses, this could be a substantial amount.

  1. What should I be doing?

First, talk with your general counsel or outside law firm.  They can help you interpret the law, review contractual obligations and assess the company’s overall privacy policies to help guide your compliance strategy going forward.  They can also help create defensible interpretations within certain ambiguous language in the regulation (e.g., what is “personal data” for purposes of the GDPR?).  The Article 29 Working Party, made up of the data protection authorities (DPAs) from all EU member states, has published guidance to clarify certain provisions, which can be helpful during this process.

Second, create a cross-functional team including areas including (but not limited to): communications/PR, IT, customer experience, digital, legal and operations.  This may be fairly similar to any cross-functional teams you may have (and hopefully have) already established to prepare for data breaches.  This team can begin designing and implementing a compliance strategy.  Under certain conditions, your business may need to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) (See Articles 29 and 30).

  1. What are some key points of the GDPR?

GDPR is a data privacy regulation in the EU that is aimed at protecting users’ rights and privacy online.  It requires business to assess what kinds of data they’re collecting and to make that data accessible to users.  The regulation is long and complex with several moving parts, but four key points may be worth noting.

Key Definitions:  You will see several references to controllers, data subjects, personal data, and processing.  This vocabulary may be unfamiliar in relation to U.S. law, but here is how these key terms are defined – as a business subject to GDPR, you may be a “controller” or you may be a “processor”.  The individual is the “data subject”:

  • “Controller” = “the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law.”
  • “Processor” = “means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller”
  • “Data subject”= “an identified or identifiable natural person (see definition of “personal data” above).”
  • “Personal data” = “any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.”
  • “Processing” = “any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction”
  1. Some Key Articles/Provisions:

Article 12.  Transparent information, communication and modalities for the exercise of the rights of the data subject.

This article creates rules around how users give consent to record their data.  The data subject must be provided with accurate information on all relevant issues, such as the kind of data to be collected or process, and for what purposes. For some particularly sensitive data, (e.g., political opinion, religion, biometric data (including photographs), health data, etc.), consent must be “explicit”.   Consent must be “freely given”, meaning that the user has a “genuine” choice and be able to withdraw consent “without detriment”.  The data subject cannot be obliged to consent to data processing that is not necessary to provide the service he or she has requested.

For these reasons, the traditional “notice and consent” may not be sufficient, and actionable forms or buttons may be necessary.  “Silence, pre-ticked boxes or inactivity,” however, is presumed inadequate to confer consent.  Recital 32 of the GDPR notes that an affirmative action signaling consent may include ticking a box on a website, “choosing technical settings for information society services”, or “another statement or conduct” that clearly indicates assent to the processing.  “Silence, pre-ticked boxes, or inactivity” however, is presumed inadequate.  For those reaching European citizens digitally, working with IT or UX experts may prove important to create a seamless, but compliant, experience.

Article 17.  Right to erasure. 

The “right to be forgotten” means that businesses must be able to remove data on a user at their “without undue delay”.  Further, the businesses have an obligation to erase personal data “without undue delay” under certain additional circumstances.

Article 20. Right to data portability.

Users have the right to receive any data that a business may have on them the firm must provide such data in a “structured, commonly used and machine-readable format”.  Further, the data subject has the right to transmit such data to another business without being hindered by the business that provide the data where the processing is either (a) based on certain consents or (b) carried out by automated means.  Where technically feasible, the data subject also has the right to have the personal data transmitted directly from one controller to another.

Article 8. Conditions applicable to child’s consent in relation to information society services.

Article 8 limits the ability of children to consent to data processing without parental authorization.  Previous drafts of the GDPR had set the age of consent at 13 years old, which would have been consistent with the age set by the United States’ Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (“COPPA”). A last-minute proposal aimed  to raise the age of consent to 16 years old.  In the final draft, the age of consent is set at 16 unless a member state sets a lower age no below 13 years.  Thus, unless otherwise provided by member state law, controllers must obtain parental consent when processing the personal data of a child under the age of 16. With the difference between the U.S. age of consent under COPPA set at 13 (COPPA) and the European age of consent under the GDPR set at 16 (unless otherwise lowered by a member state), this could present some challenges for U.S. businesses offering international services.

Article 32.  Security of Processing.

Firms must follow security best practices across the board when collecting and protecting data. This may include, but isn’t limited to, specific password policies, information security frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO, COBIT/ISACA, SSAE, etc.), and data encryption.

  1. What Else Should I Know?

If you believe your business might be affected, you should already be familiarizing yourself with the GDPR regulations and be well into your compliance plan.  The above summary is a sampling of key points and not a comprehensive analysis,, which should be undertaken to better understand your compliance obligations.  You should also be aware of the ePrivacy Regulation which will be following on the heels of the GDPR.

Whereas the GDPR covers the right to protection of personal data, while the ePrivacy Regulation encompasses a person’s right to a private life, including confidentiality.  There is some obvious overlap here, but the ePrivacy Regulation is intended to particularize GDPR for electronic communications — devices, processing techniques, storage, browsers etc.  The laws are intended to be in sync, but the ePrivacy regulations are still up in the air — optimistically forecasted to be finally approved by the end of 2018, although the implementation date remains to be seen.  In sum, GDPR compliance is all you can focus on right now, and hopefully GDPR compliance should position your business well for any additional compliance obligations that could subsequently arise from the finalized ePrivacy Regulation.

Today, on June 1, 2017, China’s new cybersecurity law, entitled the “Network Security Law”, goes into effect.  The law was passed in November 2016.  It now becomes legally mandatory for “network operators” and “providers of network products and services” to: (a) follow certain personal information protection obligations, including notice and consent requirements; (b) for network operators to implement certain cybersecurity practices, such as designating personnel to be responsible for cybersecurity, and adopting contingency plans for cybersecurity incidents; and (c) for providers of networks.

The law focuses on protecting personal information and individual privacy, and standardizes the collection and usage of personal information. Companies will now be required to introduce data protection measures, and sensitive data (e.g., information on Chinese citizens or relating to national security) must be stored on domestic servers.  Users now have the right to ask service providers to delete their information if such information is abused.  In some cases, firms will need to undergo a security review before moving data out of China. One of the challenges is that the government has been unclear on what would be considered “important or sensitive data”, and which products may fall under the “national security” definition.

Penalties vary, but can include (1) a warning, injunction order to correct the violation, confiscation of proceeds and/or a fine (typically ranging up to $1 million Chinese yuan (~$147,000); (2) personal fines for directly responsible persons up to $100,000 Chinese yuan (~$14,700); and (3) under some circumstances, suspensions or shutdowns of offending websites and businesses and revocations of operating permits and business licenses. Such sanctions would take into account the degree of harm and the amount of illegal gains. (Fines could include up to five times the amount of those ill-gotten gains).

While draft implementing regulations and a draft technical guidance document have been circulated by the Cyber Administration (China’s internet regulator) the final versions of these documents are still forthcoming.  These documents are expected to clarify obligations regarding restrictions on cross-border transfers of “personal information” and “important information”, including a notice and consent obligation. They may also include procedures and standards for “security assessments”, which are necessary to continue cross-border transfers of personal information and “important information”.  Under the draft regulation, “network operators” would not be required to comply with the cross-border transfer requirements until December 31, 2018.  It is expected that the final draft will contain a similar grace period.

Although large multinational corporations are typically accustomed to adapting to new laws and regulations in various countries and are already accustomed to tight internet and content controls in China, there remains concern about the potential cost impacts as well as the enforcement risk of the ambiguous language.  It is also unclear on whether the new law may alienate small or medium sized businesses otherwise looking to enter the Chinese market.  While Beijing is touting the law as a welcome milestone in data privacy, companies both large and small are concerned that the law is both vague and exceptionally broad, thus potentially putting companies at undue risk of regulatory enforcement unrelated to cybersecurity.

For an official press release from the state run website, China Daily, on May 31, 2017, click here.

In a recent opinion, the Second Circuit ruled against the United States government and in favor of protecting data stored overseas. In Microsoft v. United States, the Second Circuit held that the Stored Communications Act (SCA) does not authorize courts to issue warrants against internet service providers (ISPs) for the seizure of customer email content stored exclusively on foreign servers. The case began in December 2013 when the government obtained a warrant to gain access to a Microsoft customer’s account on a server in Dublin, Ireland. Microsoft argued that the United States lacked the authority to obtain the data due to its location in an overseas server. The United States countered, arguing that the SCA warrant required Microsoft to turn over the data because, although the data was stored in an overseas server, Microsoft had access to it in the United States. Ultimately, the Second Circuit decided in favor of Microsoft. The Court held that the data was located in Ireland and the SCA was not meant to be applied extraterritorially.

On January 24, 2017, the Second Circuit denied rehearing the case. Although the decision was reached in a tie (4-4 vote), the rehearing request was denied due to a rule requiring a majority vote for granting of petitions. The decision garnered four dissents, with each dissenter essentially arguing that the issue rested on the location of the disclosure of the information, which would take place in the United States, and not the location of the information itself.

Microsoft v. United States raises important data privacy questions that will likely reappear in future cases. Asking courts to apply dated technology statutes and answer the complicated question of where virtual data is physically located leaves no straightforward answer. The United States government might get another shot to revisit this question in the near future, but it will have to be through the Supreme Court.

Abstract geometric technology graphic elements. Template design.Today, the Treasury Department issued a General License authorizing transactions and activities concerning information technology products in the Russian Federation despite recent executive order prohibiting such transactions.

In April 1, 2015, President Obama issued Executive Order 13694 (“Blocking the Property of Certain Persons Engaging in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities”). In short summary, this order blocked any property or interests in property that is in the US, ends up in the US, or that come within the possession or control of any US persons, if such persons end up being responsible, complicit or supportive of cyber-enabled activities that (1) have the purpose of causing harm or risk to the critical infrastructure sector and are reasonably likely to result in or material contribute to threats to national security, foreign policy or economic heal or financial stability; or (2) the knowing receipt or use by a commercial entity outside or the United States, for commercial or competitive advantage or private financial gain, of trade secrets misappropriate by cyber-enabled means.

On December 28, 2016, following reports regarding the Russian hacking of Democratic political organizations and operatives, President Obama issued Order 13757 (“Taking Additional Steps to Address the National Emergency With Respect to Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities”) to amend Order 13694. This amendment included an Annex blocking certain entities and individuals, including the Federal Security Services (a.k.a. Federalnaya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti, or “FSB”),but also authorizing the Secretary of Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State, to determine “that circumstances no longer warrant the blocking of the property and interested in property of a person listed in the Annex to this order, and to take necessary action to give effect to that determinations.” The Russian FSB represents Russia’s domestic security service, and must approve certain encrypted technology imports to Russia per domestic law.

Today, however, the Treasury exercised its right in Section 10 by authorizing American tech companies to seek licenses from Russia’s FSB to export their good to Russia, so long as the products are not used in Crimea and do not violate pre-existing sanctions.  Despite claims that the Trump administration is “easing sanctions against Russia”, White House press secretary Sean Spicer claimed in today’s press conference that the Treasury Department’s actions were not “easing sanctions”, and that it is “a fairly common practice of the Treasury Department, after sanctions are put in place, to go back and to look at whether or not there needs to be specific carve-outs for either industries or products and services that need to be going back and forth.” Other experts agreed that the OFAC’s amendment is likely an intention to clean up unintended consequences of the ban through limited carveouts rather than relaxing sanctions.