So much is happening online that it can be hard to keep up. I have compiled some of the most recent events in Social Media, Internet law & Cybersecurity. Know how these changes affect your privacy and other rights. If you have any questions leave them in the comments!
Social Media
Comments on social media considered and Facebook “Likes” enjoy federal protection. On August 25, the National Labor Relations Board found in Three D, LLC, d/b/a Triple Play Sports Bar and Grille v. Sanzone, Case No. 34-CA-012915, and Three D, LLC, d/b/a Triple Play Sports Bar and Grille v. Spinella, Case No. 34-CA-012926, that an employer had violated federal labor law by terminating an employee who had “liked” a former co-worker’s negative comment about the employer posted on Facebook. The Board also ruled that the employer violated the National Labor Relations Act (the “Act”) by firing another employee for posting an expletive-laced comment about the employer in response to the former co-worker’s comment, and it found that the employer’s “Internet/Blogging” policy banning “inappropriate discussions” regarding the company unlawfully chilled employees’ exercise of their right to engage in protected, concerted activity under the Act.
BYOD
Reimburse employees for wireless service. A recent California ruling that requires companies to reimburse employees for wireless service. Although the case raised more questions than it answered about what level of reimbursement is required, it seems clear that companies will bear a larger portion of the cost of BYOD programs than they had previously borne.
Security
According to the New York Times, when one adds the compromised records in Target, PF Chang’s, Neiman Marcus, Sally Beauty, Michaels, UPS and others, the number of affected customers amounts to more than one-third of the U.S. population.
Home Depot the latest victim of security breach. Krebs has reported that it appears that two large dumps of purloined credit card numbers have made an appearance on the black market and that those numbers may have originated at Home Depot locations. Krebs’ reporting is here. This latest incident raises yet another round of concerns about the malware known as “Backoff” and the potential widespread effect on retailers. Home Depot has been hit with a class action lawsuit stemming from a suspected data breach at the home improvement retailer
Using your cellphone’s gps to stay ahead of fraudsters. In a new effort to use technology to foil credit-card fraud, a company called BillGuard is testing a system that would monitor the precise whereabouts of mobile devices to detect possible payment issues. The tech firm is tracking mobile-phone locations in an attempt to stay one step ahead of fraudsters. Because smartphones are almost always near their owners, the technology would register and flag those occasions when a phone is not near the owner’s credit card. The technology would only be used with the consumer’s consent.
Healthcare.gov Server Hacked.The Department of Health and Human Services disclosed on Sept. 4 that malware had been uploaded on the Obamacare test server back in July. HHS officials say the malware was designed to launch a distributed-denial-of-service attack against other websites when activated and not designed to exfiltrate personally identifiable information. No consumer data was exposed in the incident, officials say (see HealthCare.Gov Server Hacked).
Apple plans to add safeguards to help address security vulnerabilities exploited by celebrity-photo hackers. The proposed changes include alerting users – using both e-mails and push notifications to devices – every time someone:
- Changes an account password;
- Uses a new device to log into an account;
- Restores an iCloud backup to a new device.
After receiving a related alert, the user can immediately change their account password, or file a report of a suspected security breach with Apple. The company has yet to detail how exactly it will respond to those reports.
Privacy
Magazines in Michigan cannot share your personal information. The Michigan’s Video Rental Privacy Act limits the ability of companies to disclose information regarding customers’ video rental activities. In a case filed by a consumer who alleged that a magazine company had improperly disclosed her personal information, along with information about the magazines to which she subscribed, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan recently held that the law does in fact apply to magazines. The court noted that the statute is directed to companies “engaged in the business of selling at retail, renting, or lending books or other written materials, sound recordings, or video recordings,” and that magazines constitute “other written materials.”
The Digital Counselor 