PRIVACY + SECURITY BLOG

News, Developments, and Insights

high-tech technology background with eyes on computer display

Modernizing Electronic Surveillance Law

By Daniel J. Solove Next year, there will be a milestone birthday for the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) – the primary federal law that regulates how the government and private parties can monitor people’s Internet use, wiretap their communications, peruse their email, gain access to their files, and much more. This is no ordinary […]

Great Fictional Works About Privacy and Security

By Daniel J. Solove At my annual event, the Privacy+Security Forum, which was held last month, one of the sessions  involved privacy and security in fiction. The panelists had some terrific readings suggestions, and I thought I’d share with you the write-up that they generated for their session. The speakers were: Peter Winn, Assistant U.S. […]

The Growing Problems with the Sectoral Approach to Privacy Law

Sectoral Omnibus Privacy Regulation

By Daniel J. Solove The US regulates privacy with a sectoral approach, with laws that are directed only to specific industries.  In contrast, the EU and many other countries have an omnibus approach — one overarching law that regulates privacy consistently across all industries.  The US is an outlier from the way most countries regulate […]

Alan Westin’s Privacy and Freedom

Alan Westin Privacy and Freedom

I am pleased to announce that Alan Westin’s classic work, Privacy and Freedom, is now back in print.  Originally published in 1967, Privacy and Freedom had an enormous influence in shaping the discourse on privacy in the 1970s and beyond, when the Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs) were developed. The book contains a short introduction […]

Privacy+Security Forum Chart of Session Times + Speakers

Privacy+Security Forum

I’m very excited that the 1st annual Privacy + Security Forum (Oct. 21-23 in Washington, DC) is finally beginning! We have about 190 speakers and 60+ sessions.   Session Descriptions: Session Descriptions Guide [link no longer available] Readings: Readings for each session are on our schedule page [link no longer available] Session Times and Location: Session […]

Sunken Safe Harbor: 5 Implications of Schrems and US-EU Data Transfer

By Daniel J. Solove In a profound ruling with enormous implications,the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has declared the Safe Harbor Arrangement to be invalid. [Press Release]  [Opinion] The Safe Harbor Arrangement The Safe Harbor Arrangement has been in place since 2000, and it is a central means by which data about EU citizens can […]

6 Great Films About Privacy and Security

By Daniel Solove I previously shared 5 of my favorite novels about privacy and security, and I’d now like to share 6 of my favorite films about these topics — because I just couldn’t whittle the list down to 5. I was thinking about my favorite films because I’ve been putting together a session at […]

Should the U.S. Play By Different Rules in Cyberspace?

Recently, oral arguments were heard in a very important case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The case is officially titled In the Matter of a Warrant to Search a Certain E-Mail Account Controlled and Maintained by Microsoft Corporation, but it is being referred to as Microsoft v. United States for short.

Why HIPAA Matters: Medical ID Theft and the Human Cost of Health Privacy and Security Incidents

By Daniel J. Solove Whenever I go to a doctor and am asked what I do for a living, I say that I focus on information privacy law. “HIPAA?” the doctors will ask. “Yes, HIPAA,” I confess. And then the doctor’s face turns grim.  At first, it looks like the face of a doctor about […]