Privacy Law Commons^™

Beyond Walls And Wires: The Supreme Court’S Recognition Of Digital Privacy Under The Fourth Amendment, Joanna Morris

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The Founding Fathers included the Fourth Amendment in the Bill of Rights to protect individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures and their right to privacy. However, rapid advances in modern digital technology have challenged traditional definitions of privacy, raising constitutional questions about digital privacy rights. Smartphones and location tracking collects personal information that does not fit neatly within pre-digital era Fourth Amendment doctrines. This research examines how the United States Supreme Court has adapted interpretations of the Fourth Amendment to address digital privacy concerns, focusing on the tensions between Fourth Amendment doctrines and technology that enables extensive government access to …

Brief Of Public Health And Health Law Scholars As Amici Curiae Urging Affirmance In Support Of Plaintiffs-Appellees, Rachel L. Zacharias, Zeinab Bakhet, Kevin Costello, Maya Manian

Amicus Briefs & Court Filings

INTRODUCTION: Physicians’ use of their judgment and expertise to prescribe drugs and devices for purposes other than those approved by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”)—colloquially known as off-label use—is an indispensable feature of modern medicine. The FDA approves drugs as “safe and effective for specific indications.” Christopher M. Wittich, Christopher M. Burkle & William L. Lanier, Ten Common Questions (and Their Answers) About OffLabel Drug Use, 87 Mayo Clinic Procs. 982, 982 (2012). Federal law then generally leaves prescribing decisions, including off-label use of FDA-approved drugs and devices for a patient’s particular indication, to physicians acting under state law …

Think Your Cellphone Data Is Protected Without A Search Warrant? Think Again., Adam M. Gershowitz

Popular Media

No abstract provided.

Toward A Private Law Of Intimates' Obligations, Emily J. Stolzenberg

Faculty Publications

When former cohabitants ask courts to distribute property at the end of a nonmarital relationship, they usually lose—even when the partners were as economically intertwined as spouses. Family law scholars have traditionally criticized these cases in terms of longstanding gendered ideas about family relationships. This Article proposes a complementary account at the intersection of feminist and private law theory: that the law of voluntary obligations is not adequately developed to protect intimates’ cooperation. Although marital status law aims to safeguard thick cooperation between spouses and contract law captures a range of more market-based cooperation, for historically contingent reasons, little doctrine …

The Final Payroll: Human Resources, Meet Machine Resources, Sarah Yee

Student Journal of Information Privacy Law

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in employment practices, particularly in hiring and screening, the need for robust regulatory frameworks is urgent. This Article focuses on the growing use of AI in workplace decision-making, highlighting the risks of algorithmic bias and discrimination. It argues that while the United States lacks a unified legal approach to governing AI in employment, the European Union (EU) has taken a more proactive and comprehensive stance. Through instruments like the proposed EU AI Act and existing data protection laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU imposes meaningful obligations on employers …

Melding Existing Models Of Government-Assisted Insurance To Create A Comprehensive Federal Cyber Insurance Program, Patrick Miskovsky

Student Journal of Information Privacy Law

This article discusses the need for federal policy in the cybersecurity insurance market, and it considers whether existing federal insurance programs could serve as models for a national cyber insurance regime.  After framing the issue through a discussion of current cyber risks, the article examines the structure and mechanics of three existing federal insurance programs: the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program, the National Flood Insurance Program, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.  The article concludes by noting that elements of each would be essential in a federal cyber insurance program, and that policymakers should consider the extent to which these models …

The Structural Problem With Real-Time Crime Centers, Holly Merclich

Student Journal of Information Privacy Law

Since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the government has become fixated with public safety, oftentimes at the expense of individual privacy. The surveillance state expanded after this in the early 2000s, and the country’s first Real Time Crime Centers were born. Real Time Crime Centers are hubs where different technologies and information are fused and aggregated into one easy to use space. Data outputs from automated license plate readers, closed circuit television, and various law enforcement databases are aggregated into one single pane of glass view to achieve higher rates of case closures and increase the efficiency of …

Blurred Lines: How Mandatory Arbitration Clauses In Termsof Service Agreements Undermine Privacy Law Frameworks, Owen Curnin

Student Journal of Information Privacy Law

Following the birth of the Federal Arbitration Act–which made arbitration agreements valid, enforceable, and irrevocable in courts of law–mandatory arbitration clause use in commercial, consumer, and employment contracts exploded. These types of clauses require parties to submit all disputes arising out of or related to a contract to an impartial third party. This third party, known as the arbitrator, reviews the facts, listens to the parties’ arguments, and makes a final, binding decision resolving the dispute. Corporations have long relied on mandatory arbitration clauses to resolve disputes privately and confidentially, often hoping to avoid the public scrutiny and accountability associated …

A Framework For The Use Of Facial Recognition Technology In Policing: Is Your Face Equivalent To Your Ip Address?, Amirah Farooq

Student Journal of Information Privacy Law

This paper argues that police use of facial recognition technology constitutes a “search” within the meaning of section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and therefore requires prior judicial authorization. Part A provides the background for this argument and begins with a case study of Clearview AI to establish the regulatory gap in Canadian AI legislation. Part B develops this argument by relying on the rules of evidence, the Charter, and analogies drawn from current case law. Part C addresses counterarguments. Part D concludes with a summary of the proposed framework and emphasizes the importance of a …

Like, Share, & Comply: Recommendation Algorithms & Ftc Enforcement Authority, Alexandra Logan

Student Journal of Information Privacy Law

As recommendation algorithms and generative artificial intelligence become central to digital platforms, the Federal Trade Commission has, in the past, increasingly signaled its intent to regulate emerging technologies under Section 5 authority to prevent unfair or deceptive acts or practices. This paper examines how companies may face Federal Trade Commission scrutiny when algorithmic design, personalization systems, or public representations result in consumer harm. Drawing on case studies involving TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, and others, the paper explores the limitations of plaintiff litigation under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and examines this potential avenue of expanding federal administrative enforcement. It …

Courts, Science, And The Problem Of Accountable Knowledge: A Review Of Judicial Policy Making, Empirical Data And Scientific Evidence: Can Courts Manage The Twenty-First Century?, Rishabh Kachroo

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

This review reads Rob van Gestel, Jurgen de Poorter, and Edward L. Rubin’s edited volume titled Judicial Policy Making, Empirical Data and Scientific Evidence: Can Courts Manage the Twenty-First Century? as a timely intervention into the evidentiary and institutional demands placed on contemporary courts. It argues that the volume’s key contribution lies in treating courts as knowledge institutions and its strongest suit lies in showing the limits of judicial intuition, anecdote, and inherited legal categories in dealing with such disputes. While the volume is left wanting in its account of knowledge accountability, it would nonetheless be important for scholars of …

Privacy, Paternalism, And Standing In Health Professions Regulation, Anthony Sangiuliano

Dalhousie Law Journal

When investigating whether a doctor has behaved unethically while treating a patient, professional regulatory colleges may search patients’ confidential medical records without patients’ consent. I argue that this practice is not paternalistic, nor does it usurp patients’ standing to decide for themselves whether to sacrifice their privacy to hold the doctor to account for professional wrongdoing. College investigations that non-consensually invade patient privacy do not express disrespect for patients’ agency because they aim to mitigate harm to the broader public. Unlike criminal prosecutions of doctors which uphold moral values pervading the public at large, college investigations enforce ethical standards within …

A Legal Comedy Of Errors: Foia’S Judicial Drama Over Who Controls The Oversight Script, Caroline Savini

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Should I Supersede Or Should I Go: Individual Protection And Private Company Interests In Implementing A Federal Biometric Privacy Law, Jessica Oshanani

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

Section I of this Note will define and discuss biometrics. Section II will discuss key biometrics legislation and Section III will explain the impact of BIPA on other state biometric privacy laws.

Next, Section IV will explain the impact of biometric privacy violations and separate controlling state laws on individuals, while Section V will explain the impact of biometric data laws on private companies.

Section VI will identify potential federal laws on the horizon, then Section VII will explain the concept and application of preemption.

Finally, Section VIII will discuss the benefits of administrative agency overview, and Section IX …

Digital Bodily Autonomy: Consent Issues, Labor Displacement, And Legal Understandings Of Ai Generated Deepfake Pornography, Mariah Barrett

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

In the United States, nonconsensual pornographic deepfakes are becoming an increasingly prevalent problem as AI deepfake creation software improves and becomes widely available. Despite this, patchwork legislation across the country is inconsistent and conflicting regarding this issue. In this paper, I explore the background of pornography and obscenity laws and demonstrate how these frameworks are not properly constructed to apply to the digital sphere. Then, I address major themes within deepfake literature such as consent issues, bodily autonomy, labor displacement, and verifiable identity as a commodity through the case study of OnlyFans. I explore current and proposed legislation within the …

The Fourth Amendment In Parallax: Why California's New Speed Cameras Should Prompt Increased Scrutiny For Surveillance Networks, Arman Sookiassian

Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review

With the passage of Assembly Bill 645 in 2023, California has authorized speed camera pilot programs in six cities throughout the state. The goal for this legislation is to reduce speeding and speed- related casualties through a network of automated traffic surveillance. By issuing civil fines for speeding violations detected by the camera, the hope is that motorists will reduce their speed on the road.

Though touted as a way to deter speeding motorists, a network of automated cameras invites privacy concerns. The Bill attempts to address these concerns, in large part, by assuring that the photographs and other metadata …

Can Technology Augment Order Writing Capacity At Regulators?, Natasha Aggarwal, Amrutha Desikan, Bhavin Patel, Satyavrat Bondre, Dipyaman Sanyal

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

This article critically examines the opportunities and challenges of using technology, in particular Large Language Models (‘LLMs’), to assist regulatory order writing in quasi-judicial settings in India. It proposes augmenting rather than replacing human decision-makers, aiming to improve regulatory order writing practice through responsible use of LLMs. This article identifies the core principles of administrative law that must be upheld in these settings and analyses how inherent limitations of LLMs may undermine these principles. The article reviews international frameworks and case studies from various jurisdictions, highlighting common design principles. It proposes a comprehensive Problem-Solution-Evaluation ('PSE') framework for responsibly integrating LLMs …

Table Of Contents

Seattle University Law Review

Table of Contents

How The Dod Discourages Military Families From Seeking Mental Health Counseling, Christina Welch

Seattle University Law Review

The Department of Defense’s (DoD) administration of the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) presents significant barriers to mental health care access for military spouses and children. This paper explores how the EFMP, though designed to support military families with special needs, inadvertently creates barriers to mental health treatment. Military family members often do not seek mental health treatment to avoid the program's mandatory enrollment requirements. Military family members often view enrollment in the program undesirable because enrollment can restrict the pool of potential future duty assignment locations that are available to service members.

The lack of comprehensive data collection by …

Fourth Amendment Anti-Theory, Matthew Tokson

Michigan Law Review

A review of The Digital Fourth Amendment: Privacy and Policing in Our Online World. By Orin Kerr.