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March 2nd, 2012
New Privacy Measures Announced by the White House and the California Department of Justice
At the federal level, the Obama administration released a report proposing a framework for American privacy and data protection policy. The report, entitled “Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World: A Framework for Protecting Privacy and Promoting Innovation in the Global Digital Economy,” includes a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights that sets forth individual rights for consumers and corresponding obligations for companies that collect personal data.
Although the White House report remains a blueprint and does not include enforceable regulations, the administration signaled that it will immediately begin convening companies, privacy advocates and other stakeholders to develop and implement codes of conduct based on the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights. If an organization were to voluntarily adopt such codes of conduct, then, according to the White House, that organization’s public commitment to adhere to such codes of conduct would “become enforceable under Section 5 of the FTC Act.”
The Obama administration also indicated that it will work with Congress to craft legislation based on the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, and empower the FTC and State Attorneys General to enforce it.
Specifically, the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights provides that consumers have the following rights:
· to exercise control over what personal information is collected by organizations, and how they use it
· to have access to understandable and accessible details about privacy and security practices
· to expect companies to collect, use and disclose data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provided the data
· to have data handled in a secure manner
· to access and correct data
· to have reasonable limits on the data that organizations collect and retain
· to have their data handled by companies with appropriate measures in place to assure they adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.
In addition, the California Department of Justice last week announced a Joint Statement of Principles (the “Principles”) with the leading operators of mobile app platforms to improve privacy protections for consumers. Under the Principles, Amazon, Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and RIM (the “Platforms”) committed to taking steps to increase awareness among mobile app developers about their privacy obligations under California law, and to promoting transparency in privacy practices.
Specifically, the Principles call for the Platforms to (i) include, in the app submission process, optional data fields for developers to submit the text of, or links to, their privacy policies, (ii) enable end user access to the privacy policies submitted by developers, and (iii) give end users tools to report non-compliant apps to the Platforms, and to implement processes to respond to these reports.
In the release accompanying the Principles, California’s Justice Department noted that the Principles were designed to ensure that mobile app developers comply with the California Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires operators of online services (including mobile apps) that collect personal information about Californians to conspicuously post a privacy policy.
If you have any questions about the new privacy initiatives, or about other privacy and eCommerce issues, please contact any member of Frankfurt Kurnit’s Technology, eCommerce and Privacy Group.
Disclaimer. This alert provides general coverage of its subject area. We provide it with the understanding that Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz is not engaged herein in rendering legal advice, and shall not be liable for any damages resulting from any error, inaccuracy, or omission. Our attorneys practice law only in jurisdictions in which they are properly authorized to do so. We do not seek to represent clients in other jurisdictions.
Other Technology Law Alerts
‘Spectacularly Transformative’ — and Still Liable: The AI Copyright Showdown Begins
In the first federal court ruling on whether training generative AI models with copyrighted materials constitutes fair use, U.S. District Judge William Alsup issued a mixed but monumental decision on June 24, 2025, in Bartz et al. v. Anthropic PBC (N.D. Cal., No. 24-05417 WHA). The judge hailed Anthropic’s Claude model as “among the most transformative many of us will see in our lifetimes,” noting its ability to mimic human reasoning and writing by processing millions of digitized texts. He found that the use of copyrighted books to train such models was “spectacularly transformative,” stating that the LLMs “trained upon works not to race ahead and replicate or supplant them — but to turn a hard corner and create something different.” Read more.
June 26 2025
Risky Business Just Got Riskier - DOJ Changes Stance on Internet Gambling
Last week the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) made waves in the online gambling industry with an Opinion interpreting the Wire Act (18 U.S.C. § 1084). In the Opinion, DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel concluded that most sections of the Wire Act are not limited to sports-related wagers and instead prohibit the use of interstate wires for any bets or wagers. Read more.
January 23 2019
Video Games With Advanced Communications Services Must Now Be Accessible to Players With Disabilities
An important legal waiver recently expired and as a result, video game developers and publishers must now ensure that new and substantially upgraded games comply with the accessibility requirements of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (“CVAA”). Read more.
January 7 2019