US-EU Privacy Shield talks coming closer to a deal
The EU Commission and US Department of Commerce are close to finalizing a new data transfer mechanism to replace the invalidated EU-US Privacy Shield. US Department of Commerce Privacy Shield Director Alex Greenstein did not give a specific timeline for the deal, but said the negotiators are “trying to conclude this negotiation as quickly as possible” and that they are “sort of in the home stretch.”
Facebook braces for privacy battle in UK and EU
Facebook is hiring lobbyists and lawyers ahead of the British Online Safety Bill and the EU Digital Services act passage. Facebook’s lobbying team is led by Former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who joined Facebook in 2018 and was recently promoted to president of global affairs. The social media giant is looking to fill several positions in Europe, including a privacy policy manager to monitor and analyze privacy policy issues affecting Facebook in the UK and the EU” and to “engage and build relationships with relevant civil servants, policymakers, and NGOs.”
Utah moving closer to consumer privacy law
The Utah Senate passed Senate Bill 227, the Utah Consumer Privacy Act, with a 28-0 vote on February 25, 2022. The bill was passed in the House with amendments, which are now being considered by the Senate. Senate Bill 227 is an omnibus privacy bill that resembles the Colorado Privacy Act and the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act.
Source: IAAP, The National Law Review, Utah.gov
Yahoo Mail discontinues in China
Yahoo halted its email services in China on February 28. The company notified users on February 26 that they should find alternative email providers and download contacts and other important content. The company cited an “increasingly challenging business and legal environment in China” as the reason for stopping its operation. Yahoo! stopped its Chinese operations in November 2021, when the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) came into effect.
Source: IAPP, The Register
