Apple Accused of Unlawfully Disclosing Users’ iTunes Data

Drawing on public criticism of Apple Inc.’s (Apple) privacy practices, in a class action complaint filed in the Northern District of California on May 24, 2016, several Apple users have accused Apple of selling its customers’ personal information and iTunes listening history to third-parties in an effort to “supplement its revenues and enhance the formidability of its brand[.]” The named plaintiffs in the proposed class action are Leigh Wheaton, a resident of Rhode Island, and Jean and Trevor Paul, residents of Michigan. Each have alleged… Continue Reading

Breach Settlements Are Helpful Cybersecurity Reminders

Over the past month, a number of high-profile cybersecurity settlements have been reported. These cases continue to remind companies to take steps both to secure personal data and sensitive materials, including data stored by third-party vendors, as well as to conduct a prompt and comprehensive forensic investigation into any incident to ensure both a factually correct determination, and, if necessary, timely notice to impacted individuals. On April 18, 2019, a multi-million dollar class-action settlement out of Washington State University was approved relating to the theft… Continue Reading

Security Breach Compromises 50 Million Facebook Accounts

In the wake of concerns that the social media giant collects too much personal data, Facebook, Inc. discovered a security breach on September 25, 2018 that affected almost 50 million accounts. Recent privacy regulations, including those recently enacted in the European Union, may have forced Facebook into promptly reporting the breach just three days after it was discovered. Based on the breaking-news reports, the FBI is working with Facebook to investigate the breach to determine the extent of the breach, what information was accessed, whether… Continue Reading