Cybersecurity

With the entry into force of the AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689) in August 2024, a pioneering framework of AI was established.

On February 2, 2025, the first provisions of the AI Act became applicable, including the AI system definition, AI literacy and a limited number of prohibited AI practices. In line with article 96 of the AI Act, the European Commission released detailed guidelines on the application of the definition of an AI system on February 6, 2025.Continue Reading Understanding the Scope of “Artificial Intelligence (AI) System” Definition: Key Insights From The European Commission’s Guidelines

The rulemaking process on California’s Proposed “Regulations on CCPA Updates, Cybersecurity Audits, Risk Assessments, Automated Decisionmaking Technology, and Insurance Companies” (2025 CCPA Regulations) has been ongoing since November 2024.  With the one-year statutory period to complete the rulemaking or be forced to start anew on the horizon, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) voted unanimously to move a revised set of draft regulations forward to public comment on May 1, which began May 9 and closes at 5 pm Pacific June 2, 2025.  The revisions cut back on the regulation of Automated Decision-making Technology (ADMT), eliminate the regulation of AI, address potential Constitutional deficiencies with regard to risk assessment requirements and somewhat ease cybersecurity audit obligations.  This substantially revised draft is projected by the CPPA to save California businesses approximately 2.25 billion dollars in the first year of implementation, a 64% savings from the projected cost of the prior draft.Continue Reading Revised Draft California Privacy Regulations Lessen Impact on Business

On April 14, 2025, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) released guidelines detailing how to process personal data using blockchain technologies in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Guidelines 02/2025 on processing of personal data through blockchain technologies). These guidelines highlight certain privacy challenges and provide practical recommendations.Continue Reading From Blocks to Rights: Privacy and Blockchain in the Eyes of the EU data Protection Authorities

(Updated May 12, 2025)

Since January, the federal government has moved away from comprehensive legislation on artificial intelligence (AI) and adopted a more muted approach to federal privacy legislation (as compared to 2024’s tabled federal legislation). Meanwhile, state legislatures forge ahead – albeit more cautiously than in preceding years.

As we previously reported, the Colorado AI Act (COAIA) will go into effect on February 1, 2026. In signing the COAIA into law last year, Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) issued a letter urging Congress to develop a “cohesive” national approach to AI regulation preempting the growing patchwork of state laws. Absent a federal AI law, Governor Polis encouraged the Colorado General Assembly to amend the COAIA to address his concerns that the COAIA’s complex regulatory regime may drive technology innovators away from Colorado. Eight months later, the Trump Administration announced its deregulatory approach to AI regulation making federal AI legislation unlikely. At that time, the Trump Administration seemed to consider existing laws – such as Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act which prohibit unlawful discrimination – as sufficient to protect against AI harms. Three months later, a March 28 Memorandum issued by the federal Office of Management and Budget directs federal agencies to implement risk management programs designed for “managing risks from the use of AI, especially for safety-impacting and rights impacting AI.”Continue Reading States Shifting Focus on AI and Automated Decision-Making

SPB’s Tokyo/Shanghai Partner Scott Warren, along with New York Partner Julia Jacobson, will be speaking on and moderating panels at the Society for the Policing of Cyberspace (POLCYB) Global Cybercrime Management Executive Roundtable in Vancouver, Canada on May 30 as well as the LegalPlus 8th Annual Shanghai International Arbitration & Corporate Fraud Summit.Continue Reading Join Us This Summer in Vancouver and Shanghai for Insights on Cybercrime and Cross Border Data Transfers

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has recently released the much-awaited draft of the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 (Rules) for public consultation. These proposed Rules provide important insights into the upcoming implementation of India’s new data protection law, which has been under development for some time.

The enactment of the Digital…

In case you missed it, below are recent posts from Privacy World covering the latest developments on data privacy, security and innovation. Please reach out to the authors if you are interested in additional information.

State Privacy Enforcement Updates: CPPA Extracts Civil Penalties in Landmark Case; State Regulators Form Consortium for Privacy Enforcement Collaboration |…

Companies in all industries take note: regulators are scrutinizing how companies offer and manage privacy rights requests and looking into the nature of vendor processing in connection with application of those requests. This includes applying the proper verification standards and how cookies are managed. Last month, the California Privacy Protection Agency (“CPPA” or “Agency”) provided…

As reported previously, the California Privacy Protection Agency (“CPPA”) closed the public comment period for its proposed cybersecurity audit, risk assessment and automated decision-making technology (“ADMT”) regulations (the “Proposed Regulations”) in late February. In advance of the CPPA’s April 4 meeting, the CPPA released a new draft of the Proposed Regulations, which proposed relatively minor substantive changes, but pushed back the dates for when certain obligations would become effective. The Agency’s Board met on April 4, 2025, to discuss the new proposals and comments received, as well as the potential for some very different alternatives, especially related to ADMT. Members of the CPPA Board debated the staff’s approach and ultimately sent the staff back to narrow the scope of the Proposed Regulations, clarify what was in and out of scope with more examples, and to further consider how to reduce the costs and burdens on businesses. While it is unclear exactly what staff will come back with, the alternatives discussed provide some hints on what a more constrained approach may look like.Continue Reading The Future for California’s Latest Generation of Privacy Regulations is Uncertain

Our very own Alan Friel, Julia Jacobson, Kyle Dull and Samuel Marticke will be featured in a series of upcoming CLE webinars designed to equip legal professionals with practical strategies for drafting enforceable terms of use, managing privacy risks in AI, and navigating the latest state data privacy laws.Continue Reading Join Us in April for Three Upcoming Strafford Webinars