Episode 155 considers three important developments as 2024 opens:

• How the European Union’s pending AI Act blazes a new trail
• How umbrella insurance may or may not apply to claims involving biometrics
• How Quebec’s 2023 data privacy act will reshape privacy notices throughout North America.

Yugo Nagashima and Brion St. Amour, attorneys with the coast-to-coast U.S. law firm Frost Brown Todd LLP, team with the Data Privacy Detective to cover these three essential matters.

On December 9, the European Union published a preliminary agreement on the Artificial Intelligence Act, a pioneering law that provides a framework for sale and use of AI in the EU. We consider what the AI Act covers and the four-levels-of-risk approach the EU will take for regulating AI.

We then jump into discussion of a class action lawsuit against Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corp. The suit claims a violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Does Krispy Kreme’s insurance coverage apply? We consider the distinction between the lawsuit's claims and the company’s umbrella policy. The insurer declared that Krispy Kreme is not entitled to an insurance paid defense, based on a policy exclusion.

The Quebec Act for protection of personal information in the private sector became law in September 2023. December 18, 2023 Guidance from Quebec’s Commission covers what must be in privacy notices, including that they be in clear, simple language (in French and English). https://www.cai.gouv.qc.ca/politiques-de-confidentialite/ What is “clear and simple”? The Guidance offers a checklist of what organizations should say in their website privacy postings, and is certain to force changes in websites of digital businesses that cover U.S. and Canadian markets.

Time stamps:

01:16 — EU’s pending AI Act

10:11 — Umbrella insurance and biometrics

17:08 — Quebec’s 2023 data privacy act

Why do businesses create cookies for their websites – and what choices can visitors make when a popup asks us to choose? Can chatbots write privacy policies for businesses? How can we determine if a website shares personal information we provide to it – and if so, for what purposes?

Donata Stroink-Skillrud, President and Legal Engineer of Termageddon (https://www.termageddon.com), addresses these questions. As data privacy laws and regulations spread, data privacy technology and policies must adapt. As website visitors, we should understand our choices when deciding what to click on cookie popups and should know whether a website business is gathering our personal information for limited and proper purposes. Learn a trick about how to know if a business shares personal information. Businesses wishing to be privacy compliant and earn a privacy-centric reputation should consider top tips. For individuals, hear advice for how we can protect our personal information in a world of growing threats to our privacy.

Time stamps:

01:00 — Cookies, explained

06:21 — Chatbots, explained

10:56 — How can we find out if a business is sharing our personal information?

14:21 — Tips for businesses that want to focus on user privacy

15:24 — Tips for individuals who want to protect their privacy

When we visit websites, we increasingly see popups. Why is this? How does consent affect online advertising? And what’s changing in 2024?

Mate Prgin, founder/CEO of Enzuzo (https://www.enzuzo.com) explains how Google’s 2024 standards force online retailers to obtain express consent from customers for collecting and sharing personal information. Bolstered by the recent Quebec Law 25 (first in North America to adopt GDPR-style consent standards) and spreading U.S. state laws led by California, North American online sellers are driven to change their website technology and practices to give consumers the choice of allowing or refusing their personal information to be shared and used for personalized advertising. The meaning of “consent” and how it is provided in practice become essential for internet commerce in 2024. Understand how internet retailers can comply with law and private sector standards, how individuals will be empowered to exercise choices when shopping online about how their personal information will be used and shared.

Time stamps:

01:30 — What do you see in 2023 about data privacy compliance

04:23 — Google’s 2024 standards, explained

10:48 — Top tips for businesses in setting up their websites with privacy for users in mind

11:58 — Top tips for individuals who want to protect their privacy