Week Ahead in Data Privacy: Sept. 27, 2021

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(Reuters) – Here are some upcoming events of interest to the data privacy community. Unless otherwise noted, all times are local, and court appearances are virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tuesday, Sept. 28

1 p.m.(CT)- Husch Blackwell is presenting a webinar about new developments in U.S. and international privacy law. Lawyers from the firm will speak about developments in California, Virginia, Colorado, the European Union, Brazil and China.

2 p.m.(ET)- Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath is hosting a webinar titled, “How to Identify and Prevent Phishing Cyberattacks.” Speakers from Faegre Drinker, insurance company Crum & Forster and cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks will discuss topics including the types of phishing attacks, defenses against them and how to improve cyber hygiene.

Wednesday, Sept. 29

8:30 a.m.(ET)- Forum Global is hosting a full-day online conference titled, “The 3rd Annual Data Privacy Conference USA.” Sessions will touch on U.S. federal privacy law, transatlantic data flows, privacy and civil rights challenges associated with data in artificial intelligence, and advertising technology.

10 a.m.(ET)- The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will hold a hearing titled, “Protecting Consumer Privacy.” The hearing will discuss the need for a federal privacy law and how the U.S. Federal Trade Commission might receive more resources to protect consumer privacy. Witnesses include former FTC commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen and former FTC chief technologist Ashkan Soltani.

Thursday, Sept. 30

10 a.m. U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco will hold a hearing on a motion to appoint the lead plaintiff and lead counsel in consolidated privacy litigation against fertility app maker Flo Health Inc and several other defendants. The recently filed action accuses Flo Health of sharing users’ sensitive health information with third parties without app users’ knowledge. The case is Frasco v. Flo Health Inc, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 3:21-cv-00757-JD. For the plaintiffs: Carol Villegas of Labaton Sucharow, Diana Zinser of Spector Roseman & Kodroff and Christian Levis of Lowey Dannenberg. For Flo Health: Brenda Sharton of Dechert. For Facebook: Ashley Rogers of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. For Google: Benedict Hur of Willkie Farr & Gallagher. For Flurry: Ann Marie Mortimer of Hunton Andrews Kurth.

11a.m. (ET)- The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation will hear motions to consolidate in several litigations, including a bid by GEICO and related entities to transfer and centralize at least five proposed class actions over a data breach in which there was unauthorized access to customers’ driver’s license information. The case is IN RE: GEICO Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, MDL No. 3013. For GEICO: John Marino of Smith, Gambrell & Russell. For the plaintiffs: Philip Hines of Held & Hines, and others.

1 p.m.- U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu in Oakland will hold a hearing on a motion for preliminary approval of a class action settlement in privacy litigation involving fintech company Plaid Inc, which agreed to pay $58 million to resolve consumers’ claims it obtained and used bank account credentials and financial information without consent. The case is In Re: Plaid Inc Privacy Litigation, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 4:20-cv-03056. For the plaintiffs: Christopher Cormier of Burns Charest; Rachel Geman of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein; Shawn Kennedy of Herrera Kennedy. For Plaid: Michael Rhodes of Cooley.

2 p.m.(ET)- McDonald Hopkins will hold a webinar about managing third party risks with vendors. Speakers from the firm, FTI Consulting and digital forensics company Tracepoint will cover topics including the privacy and security risks in the business-vendor relationship and which entity may have to do a legal analysis if there is an incident.

Know of an event that could be included in the Week Ahead in Data Privacy? Contact Sara Merken at sara.merken@thomsonreuters.com

Sara Merken

Sara Merken reports on privacy and data security, as well as the business of law, including legal innovation and key players in the legal services industry. Reach her at sara.merken@thomsonreuters.com

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