Category: Internet Law

One thing attorneys may not learn in law school is that there are a lot of scumbags in the world. If you are lucky, a scumbag will let you know their character immediately. In other cases, even the most jaded cynic can be caught off guard. Because of the imagined anonymity of the internet and […]

You may never suffer a data breach, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know how to prevent one. With the number and severity of data breaches rising every year, it is clear that all of us, from the biggest to the smallest company, could brush up on our data security management. You may never suffer […]

In January of 2017, an amendment to the Federal Acquisitions Regulation (“FAR”) went into effect related to protecting private personal information and requiring privacy training for all federal government contractors. The regulations were issued pursuant to The Privacy Act of 1974. 5 U.S.C. § 552a. The Privacy Act governs federal agency collection, maintenance, use, and […]

On May 28, 2018, new data protections laws and regulations go into effect for the European Union (“EU”). See recent news report here. The new regulations are called the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). See the full GDPR here. The EU is getting serious about punishing companies that suffer data breaches. For the most serious […]

There are many startup and already successful e-commerce entrepreneurs who are importing products from China and then make good profits by re-selling them on Amazon and/or on similar online sales platforms. However, special care should be taken with electronic devices because such must comply with the Communication Act of 1934, as amended, and with regulations […]

SIM swap scams are nothing new. Telecommunications providers such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint have been aware for over ten years that unauthorized third parties regularly attempt to obtain access to customer subscriber accounts to gain control over a customer’s SIM card. Hackers Gaining Account Control By gaining control over a customer’s SIM card, […]

In early September of 2017, it was reported that Equifax Inc., one of the country’s three leading credit reporting services, was subject to a cyberattack that resulted in the access by the hackers of financial and personal information of more than 143 million U.S. consumers. According to Equifax, the hacking occurred from mid-May through July […]

Legal activists for the disabled are filing an increasing number of successful website accessibility challenges. Among the companies sued: Hobby Lobby, eBay, Blick Art Materials, Five Guys, Target, Winn-Dixie, etc. Very soon, it may be the law that commercial websites must be compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Background: The Case Of Gil […]

As we discussed in the last few weeks, privacy is repeatedly in the news. Washington lawmakers are trying again to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Stored Communications Act (the “SCA”), and the Pen Registry Act. In addition, last month the US Supreme Court granted certiorari in the case of Carpenter v. United States. […]

What is Commercial Disparagement? In the broadest sense, commercial disparagement involves advertising or other public statement including  false or misleading information about a business that discourages consumers from buying from or dealing with that business. There is no requirement that the other business be your competitor, although that is the context in which problems most […]