Courts and regulators continue to struggle with how to define cryptocurrencies. The latest installment of this ongoing debate came from an unlikely source: a state appellate court’s opinion on a criminal matter. Specifically, on January 30, 2019, the Third District Court of Appeal for the State of Florida entered an order reversing a trial court’s
New Year, New Data Security Requirement: South Carolina Adopts New Data Security Law
On January 1st, South Carolina became the first state to adopt the model insurance data security law requiring certain insurance licensees to investigate and report cybersecurity events in the state of South Carolina. The law also requires licensees to develop, implement and maintain written information security programs that are tailored to the size,
To Catch a Terrorist – Innovation, AI, and Public/Private Partnerships in the World of BSA/AML
On the heels of FinCen and Federal Banking Agencies releasing a joint statement “Encouraging Innovative Industry Approaches to AML Compliance,” Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker announced a new collaborative era during the American Bankers Association’s Financial Crimes Conference, and emphasized the need for private/governmental working relationships and partnerships in order to
CalCoPA – Does It Apply to Your Organization?
As discussed in Part 1, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CalCoPA) is a game-changing privacy act that sets a new bar for consumer privacy rights in the U.S. The primary reason it differs from existing legislation is that it goes beyond merely having to provide assurances or notices and requires organizations to
Potential Bank Customer Data Exposed through Fiserv Platform Flaw
Security researchers and cybersecurity experts recently discovered a weakness in Fiserv’s web platform, which may have exposed the personal and financial details of customers across hundreds of internet banking sites. The flaw involved a messaging platform used by Fiserv to send account alerts to customers of Fiserv-affiliated banks. These alerts can be set up to
OCC: Fintechs May Now Apply for Bank Charters
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced, in a highly anticipated decision, that it would begin to consider special-purpose charter applications from fintech entities. This move, which has been the subject of months of industry speculation, came mere hours after the Department of the Treasury endorsed a national charter for fintech companies.
California Sets the Bar for Privacy with the Passage of The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 – Part I
As most people started to wind down for the July 4th holiday week, California was just ramping up its “as California goes” focus on data privacy. On June 28, 2018, California passed a comprehensive data privacy bill that has been touted as the strictest in the nation.
The good news first—businesses have until January
Better Late than Never? Alabama, the 50th State to Pass a Data Breach Law
On March 1, 2018, the Alabama Senate unanimously passed the Alabama Data Breach Notification Act of 2018 (SB 318). On March 22, 2018, the House of Representatives, following an amendment by the Technology and Research Committee, also passed SB 318. Just a day prior to the Alabama House passing SB 318, South Dakota Governor Dennis
Five Privacy Practices Every Company Should Address in the Wake of the FTC’s Enforcement Action against PayPal
Privacy is serious business. This was made clear in the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recent announcement that it had settled its complaint against Venmo, PayPal’s peer-to-peer payment service, for misrepresentations to consumers regarding privacy and security settings. Although the terms of the settlement do not become final until approval by the FTC on or about
Parallel Universe or Coincidence: The CFPB’s New Data Consumer Protection Principles’ Relationship to GDPR
On October 18, 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) outlined nine non-binding Consumer Protection Principles (the Principles) for the access and sharing of consumer information between third-party companies. The Principles focus on the consumer experience, specifically consumers’ enhanced control over their financial lives.
The CFPB envisions a marketplace in which consumers are in the