Last week, Vermont Governor Phil Scott vetoed one of the most-watched pieces of privacy legislation in the United States: the Vermont Data Privacy Act (VDPA). Described in H.121 as “an act relating to enhancing consumer privacy and the age-appropriate design code,” was passed by the Vermont legislature in the early morning hours on May 11, 2024. The act represented a seismic change in domestic consumer privacy rights. However, Governor Scott returned H.121 without signature, effectively vetoing the would-be watershed bill.Continue Reading Not So Fast: Vermont Governor VETOES Private Right of Action for Consumer Privacy Violations

The U.S. is cracking down on data sharing and export with foreign countries. A clear example of the United States’ position is seen in Executive Order 14117 (EO 14117) issued by President Biden on February 28, 2024.

Department of Justice (DOJ) seal

Titled “Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern,” EO 14117’s main objective is simple – protect the sensitive personal data of individuals located in the United States. But, the reason for this Executive Order is more nuanced.Continue Reading Recent Executive Order and DOJ Rulemaking Prioritize the Protection of Sensitive Personal Data from “Countries of Concern”

data privacyThe terms data privacy and data security are sometimes swapped back and forth as though they mean the same thing. They don’t, though they are tightly interlocked.

One way to consider how they’re different is to think of data privacy as the who and what of confidential information that must be kept safe and data security as the how, the means for keeping it safe.

Put another way, data privacy focuses on the individual whose private information is at
Continue Reading Privacy vs. Security