InfoBytes Blog
State Law Update: NAAG to Focus on Privacy; Vermont, Connecticut, Oklahoma Make E-Commerce Changes
Incoming NAAG President to Focus on Privacy Issues. On June 22, after being elected president of the National Association of State Attorneys General (NAAG), Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler announced a year-long Presidential Initiative titled “Privacy in the Digital Age.” The Initiative will explore the best ways to manage consumer privacy risks in light of “emerging technologies and business models” that are challenging consumers’ ability to control their personal information. Through the Initiative, state Attorneys General will attempt to ensure that “the Internet’s major players protect online privacy and provide meaningful options for privacy control” to consumers.
Two States Expand Data Breach Notification Requirements. Recently, Connecticut and Vermont altered state requirements for firms experiencing a data breach to report the breach. Connecticut’s revision – in the state’s annual budget bill, House Bill 6001 – expanded existing breach notification provisions to include notification to the state attorney general and takes effect October 1, 2012. Vermont amended, in House Bill 254, its breach notice law to require consumer notice of a security breach within 45 days and notification to the attorney general within 14 days of discovery of the incident. The Vermont requirement was effective as of May 8, 2012.
Oklahoma High Court Approves Rules for Electronic Filing and Signatures. On June 21, the Supreme Court of Oklahoma issued new state court rules governing the electronic filing of court documents in that state. These rules apply to a new statewide electronic management system that will replace the mix of electronic and paper-based record systems previously used in Oklahoma. Among other things, the rules provide for the use of electronic signatures where any statute or court rule requires a person’s signature in an Oklahoma state court. Like the new electronic system, the new rules will be phased in gradually; they become effective in each district and appellate court at the time the Oklahoma Unified Case Management System is implemented in that court.