Where you visit online seems to say a lot about you. Online privacy has been in the spotlight recently, as consumers come to terms with the reality that their online tracks define who they are to marketers and government agencies. By studying this data, third parties can paint a picture…
In recent years, consumers have received numerous emails from merchants, all trying to sell a service or a product. While marketing and commercial activity is central to the American economy, the recipients of these emails must also enjoy their privacy. In an effort to protect against these disruptive emails, the…
On July 11, 2014, the privacy watchdog, Electronic Privacy Information Center (“EPIC”) filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) against Facebook. EPIC alleged that Facebook broke the law by secretly monitoring users’ emotions in response to news feeds. The complaint explains that Facebook deceived users through its…
The smartphone has brought a world of possibility to the average consumer’s fingertips. Now, this has come to include mobile banking. With fast-paced lifestyles and long lines at the banks, mobile banking has emerged as a thrilling convenience. However, this convenience brings cybersecurity concerns. Therefore, consumers who have turned to…
In a decision released June 25, 2014, the United States Supreme Court held that law enforcement officials could not search a suspect’s cell phone or electronic devices as part of an arrest. In Riley v. California, the Supreme Court maintained that the officials would need to secure a warrant to…
The European community has been making great strides to establish and protect individual privacy in the globalized cyber community. On May 13, 2014, the European Court of Justice (“ECJ”) issued a decision that European Union (“EU”) citizens had a right to ask search engines to remove search results about themselves. …
Early in 2012, the European Commission proposed a reformation of the European Union’s data protection rules. The European Commission sought to strengthen online privacy rights and improve Europe’s digital economy. The European Commission pointed to expansive globalization and different levels of implementation by the EU’s 27 member states as reasons…
Employees, in the course of their employment, will often have broad access to company files. If employees are terminated or seek other employment, such access can become problematic. Indeed, companies store sensitive and commercially valuable information on their servers. Employee misuse of these files can substantially weaken a company’s economic…
Gambling has been an entertaining pastime in casinos for several years. The expansion of the Internet now makes it possible to play casino games online. However, this raises the question of whether online gambling is a legal activity. While federal law criminalizes “betting or wagering” over “a wire communication,” courts…
With the advent of virtual currency, consumers can now conduct entire transactions online without the burden of having to seek a common currency. Bitcoin has spread across the world as a popular form of this currency. In turn, transactions can now take place without switching from one form of currency…