Though many digital health apps and online platforms fall outside the scope of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), courts and regulators are using other tools to expand enforcement against them when they share sensitive health data without consent, said Sheppard Mullin lawyers in a blog post.
FTC Privacy Enforcement
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the primary enforcer of privacy laws in the U.S., using consent decrees, lawsuits and rulemaking to address unfair or deceptive data practices. The agency’s actions influence how companies design privacy programs, handle consumer data and respond to complaints. This page highlights major cases, policy updates, and enforcement patterns at the FTC that shape the U.S. privacy landscape.
The U.S. Supreme Court should grant a stay pending appeal and certiorari before judgment in a case challenging President Donald Trump’s firings at the FTC, Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter argued Monday (see 2509120059).
The FTC’s recent children’s privacy claims against Disney and Apitor suggest companies should carefully scrutinize third-party vendors and software development kits (SDKs), privacy experts told us in recent interviews. The focus on children’s privacy suggests Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Republican commissioner are following through on this administration’s promises to protect children, they said.
The president has "absolute authority” to fire FTC commissioners, a group of more than 20 Republican attorneys general said in a U.S. Supreme Court filing Wednesday.
The FTC will explore compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rule as part of its inquiry seeking information from tech companies about AI chatbot interactions with young users, the agency said Thursday.
Colorado is right to craft a knowledge standard to hold companies accountable for willfully ignoring user age in its draft kids privacy rules, consumer groups said in comments due Sept. 5 (see 2509100045).
A law firm is investigating allegations that Disney violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting personal data, without parental knowledge or consent, from children who watched its videos online, and using the data to serve them targeted ads.
Privacy Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week, in case you missed them. All articles can be found by searching the title or clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
Companies should carefully analyze how third-party vendors are handling data to ensure compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), privacy attorneys said in posts responding to the FTC’s recent action against Disney (see 2509020069) and Apitor (see 2509030057).
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday upheld President Donald Trump’s firing of FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter while the court reviews the case (see 2509050044).