Law Commons^™

Family Secrets And Relational Privacy: Protecting Not-So-Personal, Sensitive Information From Public Disclosure, J. Lyn Entrikin

University of Miami Law Review

This Article seeks to map contemporary relational privacy issues in the context of the evolving “right of privacy” in the United States. Generally, the Article explains why the so-called “personal” right of informational privacy, whatever its legal foundations, cannot be realistically confined to an individual right given the dramatic scientific and technological developments in the twenty-first century. In particular, the Article proposes that both state and federal law must grapple with the inherently relational nature of privacy interests with respect to DNA profiles, which inherently implicate the privacy interests of one’s biological relatives, whether known or unknown.

Part I summarizes …

Privacy Protection(Ism): The Latest Wave Of Trade Constraints On Regulatory Autonomy, Svetlana Yakovleva

University of Miami Law Review

Countries spend billions of dollars each year to strengthen their discursive power to shape international policy debates. They do so because in public policy conversations labels and narratives matter enormously. The “digital protectionism” label has been used in the last decade as a tool to gain the policy upper hand in digital trade policy debates about cross-border flows of personal and other data. Using the Foucauldian framework of discourse analysis, this Article brings a unique perspective on this topic. The Article makes two central arguments. First, the Article argues that the term “protectionism” is not endowed with an inherent meaning …

Breaches Within Breaches: The Crossroads Of Erisa Fiduciary Responsibilities And Data Security, Gregg Moran

University of Miami Law Review

Although the drafters of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) likely could not have anticipated the data security issues of the twenty-first century, ERISA’s duty of prudence almost certainly requires employee benefit plan fiduciaries to protect sensitive participant data in at least some manner. This Article suggests the Department of Labor should issue a regulation clarifying fiduciaries’ data security obligations. Given that fiduciaries are in the best positions to recognize their plans’ individual security needs and capabilities, the regulation should not attempt to micromanage fiduciaries’ substantive data security policies; rather, it should focus on the procedures by …

The Privacy Hierarchy: A Comparative Analysis Of The Intimate Privacy Protection Act Vs. The Geolocational Privacy And Surveillance Act, Katherine A. Mitchell

University of Miami Law Review

The advent of the technological boom brought the world smartphones, social media, and Siri. These novel benefits, however, were accompanied by unchartered invasions of privacy. Congress has embarked on the seemingly endless path of protecting its constituents through civil and criminal legislation aimed at combatting such invasions. Two recent examples include the Intimate Privacy Protection Act (“IPPA”) and the Geolocational Privacy and Surveillance Act (“GPS Act”). Nonetheless, the IPPA, which was proposed to criminalize the dissemination of nonconsensual pornography, has garnered much less support—and much more criticism—than its geolocational counterpart.

This Note discusses the striking similarities of both bills, both …

Biometric Identification In India Versus The Right To Privacy: Core Constitutional Features, Defining Citizens’ Interests, And The Implications Of Biometric Identification In The United States, Madison Julia Levine

University of Miami Law Review

In 2009, the Indian government introduced a widespread biometric identification system called Aadhaar—a national scheme that issues Indian citizens and residents a unique identification number while collecting and storing their most personal biometric and demographic information. As the Aadhaar system was implemented and promoted in India, widespread concerns grew regarding the storage and protection of such private information. How can Indian citizens enforce and protect their privacy rights? In 2017, the Indian Supreme Court attempted to address this issue by holding that an individual’s right to privacy is an inherent part of the right to life and personal liberty and …

Drawing The Line: The Jurisprudence Of Non-Consensual Pornography And The Implications Of Kanye West’S Famous Music Video, Karla Utset

University of Miami Law Review

In June 2016, American rapper Kanye West premiered the music video for Famous from his seventh studio album “The Life of Pablo.” West’s Famous music video, inspired by Vincent Desiderio’s painting Sleep, features nude replications of several celebrities lying together on a bed. The cinematography is voyeuristic, with one journalist describing the video as “predatory.” In making and publicizing the infamous music video, West failed to seek and acquire the consent of several of the individuals featured. The production received both considerable praise and backlash from artists, critics, and the celebrities depicted.

This Note discusses the jurisprudence of non-consensual pornography, …

The Struggle To Define Privacy Rights And Liabilities In A Digital World And The Unfortunate Role Of Constitutional Standing, Juan Olano

University of Miami Law Review

Today’s world runs on data. The creation and improvement of technological products and services depend on the exchange of data between people and companies. As people’s lives become more digitized, companies can collect, store, and analyze more data, and in turn, create better technology. But, because consumer data can be very sensitive (think Social Security numbers, GPS location, fingerprint recognition, etc.) this cyclical exchange comes with serious privacy risks; especially in light of more frequent and sophisticated cyberattacks. This creates a face-off between technological growth and privacy rights. While it makes sense that people should be willing to subside some …

Cellphones, Stingrays, And Searches! An Inquiry Into The Legality Of Cellular Location Information, Jeremy H. D'Amico

University of Miami Law Review

Can the Fourth Amendment protect an individual’s right privacy by preventing the disclosure of her location through cell site location information? Does it currently? Should it? Many court opinions answer these questions in both the affirmative and the negative. The rationale underlying each conclusion is disparate. Some rely on statutory regimes, others rely on the United States Supreme Court’s interpretation of reasonableness. However, Cell Site Location Information is a technology that requires uniformity in its interpretation. This note investigates the different interpretations of the Fourth Amendment as it relates to Cell Site Location Information. It explains the technology behind Cell …

That ‘70s Show: Why The 11th Circuit Was Wrong To Rely On Cases From The 1970s To Decide A Cell-Phone Tracking Case, David Oscar Markus, Nathan Freed Wessler

University of Miami Law Review

In light of society's increasing reliance on technology, this article explores a critical question – that of the Fourth Amendment’s protection over privacy in the digital age. Specifically, this article addresses how the law currently fails to protect the privacy of one’s cell phone records and its ramifications. By highlighting the antiquated precedent leading up to the Eleventh Circuit’s ruling in United States v. Davis, this article calls on the judiciary to find a more appropriate balance for protecting the right to privacy in a modern society.

Confronting Nonconsensual Pornography With Federal Criminalization And A “Notice-And-Takedown” Provision, Dalisi Otero

University of Miami Law Review

The issue of nonconsensual pornography has recently been brought into the limelight because of events like the online postings of celebrities’ intimate photos. Non-celebrities, however, have been victimized in this way since long before the recent hackings, and their lives are also changed in the worst possible way. The harms that result from the unconsented-to distribution of an individual’s intimate photos and videos are severe and oftentimes long-lasting. This Comment suggests that an alternative proposal to help nonconsensual pornography victims regain their reputations, their privacy, and their lives, is to federally criminalize the nonconsensual distribution of a person’s intimate images …