Video: The Changing Threat Landscape

Scott L. Vernick was quoted in The Legal Intelligencer article, "Did UPMC Data Breach Ruling Lock Plaintiffs Out of State Court?" on January 23, 2017.

California's 2026 legislative session concluded with Governor Newsom signing several landmark privacy and AI bills into law, including comprehensive child safety measures, AI auditor oversight frameworks, and expanded data protection requirements. How will these new regulations reshape digital advertising, workplace AI deployment, and online platform obligations for businesses operating in California?

On September 15, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") issued a policy statement ("Statement") addressing the scope of its Health Breach Notification Rule ("Rule") on health apps and connected devices.

California's legislature has sent a comprehensive package of privacy, AI, and advertising bills to Governor Newsom's desk, with decisions due by September 30, 2026. The legislation addresses sensitive personal information protections, data broker obligations, AI-powered chatbot regulations, and digital replica rights, potentially reshaping how businesses handle consumer data and automated decision-making systems. Will these bills become law and set new national standards for technology regulation?

Target announced the compromise payment card information taken in-store between November 27 and December 15, 2013

Meta Platforms has agreed to pay $17 billion over ten years to resolve multistate litigation alleging the company engineered Facebook and Instagram to addict minors while concealing the risks. Beyond the historic financial penalty, the settlement mandates sweeping platform changes including default usage limits, overnight lockouts, and parental controls for users under eighteen.

In the last few months, California and New Jersey enacted legislation to protect children online: California’s 13-bill package targets risks to children arising from emerging technologies, while New Jersey’s 3-bill package includes an age-appropriate design code. Despite their differences, these laws share a common focus on protecting children as technology evolves.

California's Senate Bill 690 eliminates the private right of action for pen register claims under CIPA when violations arise from website or mobile app tracking technologies, leaving enforcement solely to the Attorney General. The bill applies retroactively to claims filed after January 1, 2025, and awaits Governor Newsom's signature with an operative date of January 1, 2027.

In a groundbreaking enforcement action, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Allstate Corporation and its subsidiary Arity, alleging systematic violations of the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA) and other consumer protection laws.

Mossack Fonseca. Before April 2016, most of us had never even heard of a Panamanian law firm by that name.

Massachusetts voters will decide nine statewide ballot questions in November 2026 that could fundamentally reshape the state's legal, regulatory, and fiscal landscape. These measures address government transparency, election reforms, housing development, marijuana regulation, firearms laws, and state revenue limits, with implications extending far beyond Election Day to implementation, regulation, and ongoing policy debates.

The California Legislature’s 2025–2026 session ended with workplace-related artificial intelligence or automated technology in its crosshairs. If Governor Newsom signs this suite of bills, California employers may face a number of new obligations relating to AI-driven surveillance tools, automated decision systems, and other emerging workplace technologies.

Sources informed the Wall Street Journal that a definitive MasterCard settlement could be announced as soon as this week.

Antora Energy, a leading US thermal battery manufacturer, has secured $550 million in Series C financing to scale deployment of its innovative energy storage technology that converts low-cost electricity into heat stored in solid carbon blocks. The oversubscribed funding round will support expanded manufacturing capacity, establishment of a second US production hub, and large-scale project deployment to meet surging energy demand from industrial facilities, data centers, and the grid.

The Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital has launched a groundbreaking $500 million to $1 billion fund finance program targeting critical minerals vital to U.S. national security. How will this federal-private capital partnership reshape financing for companies addressing supply chain vulnerabilities in strategic materials?

The US Department of Energy's Office of Energy Dominance Financing has unveiled its Strategic Plan for 2026-2030, marking a significant shift in federal energy financing priorities. With over $300 billion in combined loan authority across four programs, EDF aims to deploy hundreds of billions in new financing commitments while maintaining rigorous underwriting standards.

Following a bench trial, on January 10, 2025, Judge Reed O'Connor of the US District Court of the Northern District of Texas held that the managers of a company's 401(k) retirement plans...

New York lawmakers have passed Senate Bill 2236-A, known as the “Wage Payment Integrity Act” (the “Act”), which would significantly expand what qualifies as protected “wages” under the New York Labor Law (“NYLL”) and would give employees enhanced tools to recover unpaid compensation.

The Department of the Treasury and IRS have proposed regulations that would eliminate tax-exempt status for private schools maintaining race-based policies in admissions, scholarships, or programs—regardless of remedial or diversity objectives. The rule would affect approximately 18,000 tax-exempt schools, 750,000 students, and outstanding tax-exempt bonds, fundamentally reshaping how educational institutions approach diversity initiatives and donor-restricted scholarships.

An Executive Order directs the Attorney General to prioritize enforcement of federal criminal laws against AI-enabled cyberattacks, particularly focusing on identification fraud and authentication violations. Legal experts analyze how Section 1028's broad definitions of identification documents and authentication features provide powerful prosecutorial tools against autonomous AI threats, while examining implications for public-private cybersecurity partnerships.