Privacy Law Commons^™

Voting Matters: Materiality Considerations And The Shareholder Vote, Renee M. Jones

Seattle University Law Review

For the shareholder franchise to have meaning, shareholders must have access to relevant information to inform their voting decisions. The securities laws’ disclosure requirements play an essential role in informing the shareholder vote.

This Essay focuses on the question of the materiality of information in the context of shareholder voting. It addresses the question of whether ESG-related information is material, positioning the materiality inquiry within the context of shareholders’ voting decisions. It explores the definition of materiality with a focus on the “reasonable investor” concept embedded within the definition. The Essay argues that the implicit expectations of many commentators that …

Volume 48 Masthead, Seattle University Law Review

Seattle University Law Review

Volume 48 Masthead

Understanding The Big Three’S Wavering Support Of Environmental And Social Shareholder Proposals, Jeff Schwartz, Jefferson Jensen

Seattle University Law Review

Because of their substantial equity portfolios, BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street (the Big 3) are central players in corporate governance. It is, therefore, critical to understand how they vote. One puzzle is that their support for shareholder proposals on environmental and social matters appears to waiver. In 2020, for instance, BlackRock supported 11.1% of environmental proposals at S&P 500 firms. In 2021, it seemingly reversed course, supporting 55.2%. It then flipped again, supporting 32.1% in 2022. Such statistics suggest that the Big 3 are constantly changing their views on these topics. This Article seeks to better understand whether this is …

Volume 48 Masthead, Seattle University Law Review

Seattle University Law Review

Volume 48 Masthead

Confronting The Challenges Of Regulating Artificial Intelligence, Amy B. Cyphert

FIU Law Review

Public opinion polls conclude that the American public is in favor of regulating artificial intelligence (“AI”), and many technology companies publicly claim that they would welcome regulation. And yet the United States has struggled to enact federal comprehensive AI regulations beyond a short-lived Executive Order. Why? Part I of this Article explains why regulating AI is so difficult, focusing on six key reasons: AI is a global issue; AI is not one discrete issue; AI is developing at a speed that is unprecedented; lawmakers largely lack the technical expertise effective AI regulation requires; the stakes of getting the regulation wrong …

Gig Work At What Cost? Exploring Privacy Risks Of Gig Work Platform Participation In The U.S., Amogh Pradeep, Johanna Gunawan, Álvaro Feal, Woodrow Hartzog, David Choffnes

Faculty Scholarship

In recent years, "gig work" platforms have gained popularity as a way for individuals to earn money; as of 2021, 16% of Americans have at some point earned money from such platforms. Despite their popularity and their history of unfair data collection practices and worker safety, little is known about the data collected from workers (and users) by gig platforms and about the privacy dark pattern designs present in their apps.

This paper presents an empirical measurement of 16 gig work platforms' data practices in the U.S. We analyze what data is collected by these platforms, and how it is …

Normalizing Facial Recognition Technology And The End Of Obscurity, Woodrow Hartzog, Evan Selinger, Judy Hyojoo Rhee

Faculty Scholarship

This article argues that facial recognition technology is the most dangerous surveillance tool ever invented. Given the unique threats this morally suspect tool poses to privacy, civil liberties, human flourishing, and democracy, the only appropriate response is a ban. To justify our position, we explain why facial recognition is distinctive among biometrics, clarify how even seemingly benign and positive uses of the technology can trigger dangerous normalization dynamics, and pinpoint why current United States laws (with reverberations in the EU’s AI Act) are designed to accelerate a slippery slope that makes mass surveillance nearly inevitable. Our most fundamental contribution lies …

Cyber Sexual Misconduct: The Evolution Of Sexual Privacy Laws And Best Practices For Representing Victims, Jolie Bodner Zangari, Lindsay Lieberman

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

The Great Scrape: The Clash Between Scraping And Privacy, Daniel J. Solove, Woodrow Hartzog

Faculty Scholarship

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems depend on massive quantities of data, often gathered by “scraping”—the automated extraction of large amounts of data from the internet. A great deal of scraped data contains people’s personal information. This personal data provides the grist for AI tools such as facial recognition, deep fakes, and generative AI. Although scraping enables web searching, archiving of records, and meaningful scientific research, scraping for AI can also be objectionable and even harmful to individuals and society.

Organizations are scraping at an escalating pace and scale, even though many privacy laws are seemingly incongruous with the practice. In this …

Emerging Compliance In The Generative Decentralized Era, Nizan Geslevich Packin

Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law

Is it the end of compliance as we know it? Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (“AI”), including Generative AI (“GenAI”), and blockchain are reshaping regulatory compliance in the Web 3.0 era. As machine-generated data becomes the norm, traditional models reliant on human oversight are becoming obsolete, necessitating swift adaptation from regulators and industry stakeholders. Historically, compliance was designed to be managed by humans due to the need for critical thinking, ethical considerations, and nuanced decision-making. Yet, in today’s era, this approach is no longer viable. Addressing this need, Regulatory Technology (“RegTech”) has played a key role in modernizing compliance …

The False Choice Between Digital Regulation And Innovation, Anu Bradford

Northwestern University Law Review

This Article challenges the common view that more stringent regulation of the digital economy inevitably compromises innovation and undermines technological progress. This view, vigorously advocated by the tech industry, has shaped the public discourse in the United States, where the country’s thriving tech economy is often associated with a staunch commitment to free markets. U.S. lawmakers have also traditionally embraced this perspective, which explains their hesitancy to regulate the tech industry to date. The European Union has chosen another path, regulating the digital economy with stringent data privacy, antitrust, content moderation, and other digital regulations designed to shape the evolution …

Chilling Victims’ Rights: The Supreme Court Creates A “Pride Of Place” For True Threats, Ana Maria Matovic

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Living in the Information Age means that information is literally always at our fingertips. This also means that keeping tabs on one another is as easy as a tap on a screen. The effortless ability to follow another’s life on the internet has led to a sinister phenomenon: cyberstalking. Prosecuting cyberstalking cases poses complex constitutional challenges. Specifically, prosecuting these cases may clash with a perpetrator’s First Amendment right to free speech. However, the First Amendment does not protect all categories of speech. One of those unprotected categories is the category of “true threats.” If a perpetrator’s conduct constitutes a “true …

The Outer Limits Of Digital Privacy Protections: A Review Of The Privacy Fallacy, Michael Conklin

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

No abstract provided.

Aligned With The Blueprint For An Ai Bill Of Rights? An Ai Transparency Evaluation Of Company Privacy Notices And Explanations, Jonathan A. Obar, Giuseppina D'Agostino, Motunrayo Akinyemi

Conference Papers

In its Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, the White House lists “notice and explanation” as one of five principles fundamental to protecting the American public as artificial intelligence (AI) is deployed. The Blueprint states “[y]ou should know that an automated system is being used and understand how and why it contributes to outcomes that impact you.” In its description of the notice/explanation principle, The White House emphasizes the importance of plain language explanations about AI use. Furthermore, a company should describe how it plans to use AI systems, how the systems work, and explain any risks to consumers. …

Rising Internet Shutdowns In India: A Legal Analysis, Shrutanjaya Bhardwaj, Nakul Nayak, Raja Venkata Krishna Dandamudi, Sarvjeet Singh, Veda Handa

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

The central theme of this paper is to critically study the interplay of internet shutdowns with the right to freedom of speech and expression. A study of this nature is necessitated by India’s abysmal record with inter- net shutdowns. We must hence begin examining Internet shutdowns seriously within the Indian constitutional framework. In the recent judgment of Anuradha Bhasin, the Supreme Court has accepted that Article 19(1)(a) protects the right to disseminate and receive information through the internet. Therefore, the constitutional validity of every internet shutdown would have to be tested (at least) against the three standards ordinarily applied …

Sharing Of Children’S Health Data By Health Professionals And Parents – A Consideration Of Legal Duties, Dr. Carolyn Johnston

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

Children’s health data such as blood pressure, X-rays and written notes of medical examinations are produced in a clinical setting through health professionals’ interaction with their minor patients. Health care practitioners owe legal and professional obligations not to disclose such information without consent or other legally recognised authorisation. With the increasing advent of data generated by patients themselves from wearable devices such as continuous glucose monitors and health apps, the patient, or parents, have initial control of the data and decide who to share it with. Where wearable devices have been provided to parents by the child’s health care provider …

Conceptualizing An International Framework For Active Private Cyber Defence, Arindrajit Basu, Elonnai Hickok

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

Private sector cyber defence mechanisms are emerging despite existing legislation outlawing use of active defence by individuals and non-state entities. Thus, a key window exists for policy-makers in the possibility of establishing a framework for existing APCD practices that would enable optimal utilisation of private sector capabilities for securing cyber-space at an organizational and national level. This must happen in consonance with circumscribing their operations within the boundaries of the rule of law, both in terms of domestic legislation and international law. This paper seeks to unpack the complexities that underscore each of these challenges and identify avenues towards resolving …

Facing Up To The Risks Of Automated Facial-Recognition Technologies In Indian Law Enforcement, Ameen Jauhar

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

Within the larger discourse of risk mitigation of emerging technologies, the ever-expanding deployment of automated facial recognition technology (‘AFRT’) has garnered much skepticism. In India too, there has been a reported rise of states and law enforcement officials enthusiastically resorting to the use of AFRT.

The author will first delve into some of the controversial risks associated with AFRT, analysing them through the lens of Article 21 and the principle of due process under the Indian Constitution. The paper will then identify some of the regulatory solutions that are currently part of the discourse on minimising risks of AFRT and …

Taxation Of Information And The Data Revolution, Yariv Brauner

UF Law Faculty Publications

Existing and universal income tax rules are inherently incompatible with an economy in which information-based transactions play a significant role. This Article contends that income taxation is incapable of taxing information effectively. It goes on to argue that this incapability currently necessitates reform, and it offers three viable paths to such reform: consumption taxation, data taxes, and formulary taxation. The Article concludes that formulary taxation is currently the most desirable and plausible path to effective reform, owing to its promise to best stabilize and maintain the legitimacy of the international tax regime.

Pelindungan Data Pribadi Pada Layanan Pendanaan Berbasis Teknologi Informasi Pasca Undang-Undang Nomor 27 Tahun 2022 Dan Undang-Undang Nomor 4 Tahun 2023, Gita Theresa, Henny Marlyna

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Information Technology-Based Crowdfunding Services (LPBBTI) continue to encounter challenges related to legal protections, such as breaches of privacy and the misuse of personal data belonging to consumers and the public. This paper analyzes the implementation of personal data protection through LPBBTI operational compliance, the drafting of privacy policies and LPBBTI agreements, as well as the role of authorities in overseeing LPBBTI operators in implementing personal data protection following the enactment of Law No. 27 of 2022 (UU PDP) and Law No. 4 of 2023 (UU P2SK). This study aims to provide information and input on the implementation of consumer …

When Ai Remembers Too Much: Reinventing The Right To Be Forgotten For The Generative Age, Cheng-Chi Chang

Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems poses novel challenges for the right to be forgotten. While this right gained prominence following the 2014 Google Spain v. Gonzalez case, generative AI’s limitless memory and ability to reproduce identifiable data from fragments threaten traditional conceptions of forgetting. This Article traces the evolution of the right to be forgotten from its privacy law origins towards an independent entitlement grounded in self-determination for personal information. However, it contends the inherent limitations of using current anonymization, deletion, and geographical blocking mechanisms to prevent AI models from retaining personal data render forgetting infeasible. Moreover, …

Train Or Restrain? Using International Perspectives To Inform The American Fair Use Analysis Of Copyright In Generative Artificial Intelligence Training, Serena Lightstone

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

The rise of generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) has brought questions regarding the permissibility of using copyrighted materials in training generative AI systems around the globe. This article examines whether such use constitutes infringement under the American fair use doctrine, drawing insights from the regulatory approaches of the European Union (EU) and Japan.

Ultimately, this article advocates for United States courts to recognize the permissibility of using copyrighted materials in training generative AI models, rejecting the EU’s rights-holder-centric approach, and going beyond Japan’s limited-permissibility solution. Through a detailed four-factor fair use analysis, this article demonstrates that training generative AI on copyrighted …

“Can I Have It Non-Personalised?” An Empirical Investigation Of Consumer Willingness To Share Data For Personalized Services And Ads, Monika Leszczynska, Daria Baltag

Faculty Scholarship

European regulators, courts, and scholars are currently debating the legality of data processing for personalization purposes. Should businesses require separate consent for processing user data for personalized advertising, especially when offering free services reliant on such ads for revenue? Or is general consent for the contract enough, given personalized advertising’s role in fulfilling contractual obligations? This study investigates whether these legal distinctions reflect differences in people’s willingness to share data with businesses for personalization. Are consumers less willing to share their data for personalized advertising than for personalized services that they clearly contracted for? Does that change if the service …

On The Genealogy Of Intimate Digital Harm, Aziz Z. Huq

Michigan Law Review

A review of The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age. By Danielle Keats Citron.

The Lack Of Responsibility Of Higher Education Institutions In Addressing Phishing Emails And Data Breaches, Muxuan (Muriel) Wang

Duke Law & Technology Review

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are highly susceptible to cyberattacks, particularly those facilitated through phishing, due to the substantial volume of confidential student and staff data and valuable research information they hold. Despite federal legislations focusing on bolstering cybersecurity for critical institutions handling medical and financial data, HEIs have not received similar attention. This Note examines the minimal obligations imposed on HEIs by existing federal and state statutes concerning data breaches, the absence of requirements for HEIs to educate employees and students about phishing attacks, and potential strategies to improve student protection against data breaches.

Filtered Dragnets And The Anti-Authoritarian Fourth Amendment, Jane R. Bambauer

UF Law Faculty Publications

Filtered dragnets are digital searches that identify a suspect based on the details of a crime. They can be designed to withhold information from law enforcement unless and until there is a very high probability that the individual has committed the offense. Examples today include DNA matching, facial recognition from photographs or video of a crime, automated child sexual abuse material detection, and reverse geolocation (geofence) searches. More are sure to come, and their wide-scale use will be irresistible to improve the low rates of criminal detection that currently afflict many communities.

However, filtered dragnets imperil society precisely because they …

Legal And Ethical Challenges Raised By Advances In Brain-Computer Interface Technology, Colin Conrad, Carla Heggie

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) consist of hardware and software that allow humans to control computers with their brain signals alone. Though these technologies are not new, existing approaches to BCI are either very limited in their capabilities or require highly invasive surgery. However, BCI has recently received increased attention due to advances that enable enhanced usability with less invasive approaches. Such advances could radically change the acceptance of the technology and BCI might become commonplace in the coming decades. In this article, we provide a technology scholar’s perspective on how these recent advances in BCI present new legal and ethical considerations. …

More Than ‘‘Responsible Ai” Bridging Artificial Intelligence Systems (Ais) And Aisystems Ethics Into Practice, Ruth Bankey

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article reflects on the question ‘‘how should we approach the ethics of AI and technology?” through the example of how the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is working within this space to develop its Artificial Intelligence Systems (AIS) Ethics Lifelong Learning and Professional Development Strategy. This strategy is connected, but also acts as a critical counterpoint, to approaches to AI governance and accountability that are reliant on a notion of ‘‘Responsible AI”. In these contexts, responsible AI is understood as the regulatory adoption of ‘‘rules” diffused through a normative structure of hierarchical authority within the organization or business. Rather, this …

Legal Framework For The Use Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Technology In The Canadian Criminal Justice System, Gideon Christian

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article seeks to identify and examine critical issues arising from the deployment and use of AI recidivism risk assessment tools in the Canadian criminal justice system. It commences with the historical evolution of these tools in the criminal justice system, tracing their development from the first generation to the emergence of AI-driven risk assessments. By examining the progression of risk assessment tools from their origins to the current AI-powered systems this research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities that these tools present. The article then delves into crucial issues such as algorithmic bias, highlighting …

Trinity Western University Decisions And Engineers’ Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion Obligations Under The Statutory Public Interest Mandate, Michelle Liu, Vanessa Matta

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Engineers create technologies but do not sufficiently care for their biased and inequitable outcomes despite the engineering profession’s statutory mandate to protect the public interest. The engineering and legal professions’ similar admission processes and statutory provisions mandating the protection of public interest may justify applying the Supreme Court of Canada’s interpretation of the legal profession’s public interest mandate in the Trinity Western University decisions to the engineering profession. The Supreme Court’s interpretation centres on equal access to the profession, diversity within its membership, and protection of 2SLGBTQ+ persons. The work begins by setting out the definitions and challenges of equity, …