2 4 April 2005

News:

The French data protection commission, Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés (CNIL), has agreed to a request by the the association of software companies, Syndicat des Editeurs de Logiciels de Loisi (SELL), to monitor data traffic at file sharing platforms.

A security breach at leading information broker LexisNexis Group has given further weight to calls in over two dozen states for tougher identity theft legislation to be introduced.

On April 1 Japan’s Personal Information Protection Law came into force bringing Ministerial regulation to data protection. In the last year, while the regulations, implementing the law have been drawn up, a series of high profile data leaks has led to a wave of public concern about data protection. In consequence the regulations have been drawn more tightly than originally anticipated.

Features:

One of the biggest challenges for any data protection or privacy professional must be how to explain to your children (or your parents for that matter) what you do for a living. A policeman, a fire fighter, a nurse - that’s easy. But a privacy officer? A data protection lawyer? If your kids only knew you see yourself as a skilful juggler..! OK, not a very colourful one performing in Covent Garden, but a rather stressed one juggling three very cumbersome balls: the law, the business requirements and the watchful regulators. The first one is anything but round and even, the second one is constantly changing in mid air, and the third one can be extremely heavy.

Business regulators are the holders of much sensitive business information. Such information could find its way into the hands of competitors or the press unless you take steps to prevent it. Marcus Turle, a solicitor at Field Fisher Waterhouse reports.

Spyware is the latest Internet problem affecting computers worldwide. As legislators respond to this mass-nuisance, Jim Halpert, Partner, E-Commerce and Privacy Practice at DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, considers the position in the United States, where policy makers are addressing the issue at both state and federal levels.

The Italian Data Protection authority has adopted practical guidelines on the use of loyalty shemes in Italy. Laura Garbati of La Scala & Associati examines the legislation.

The Utah Court of Appeals rejects arguments that pop-up messages infringe Utah state law regulating unsolicited “electronic messages”

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Agencia Espanola de Protección de Datos (AEPD) have signed a memorandum of understanding on mutual enforcement assistance in commercial e-mail matters. This article outlines the agreement, which might become a model for agreements between other countries.