The United States Supreme Court announced on December 18, 2024, that it will hear the TikTok ban case and has scheduled oral arguments to be held on January 10, 2025, before the ban’s effective date of January 19, 2025....more
On October 11, 2024, following the filing of a lawsuit against TikTok by the Kentucky Attorney General, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who authored the bipartisan “Kids Online Safety Act,”...more
Last week, we outlined the lawsuits against TikTok by New York, California, and North Carolina, that followed in the footsteps of Nebraska, Nevada (which filed suit against TikTok in February of 2024), and Indiana, which...more
Following in the footsteps of Nebraska, the Attorneys General of North Carolina, California, and New Jersey filed complaints against TikTok and its owner, ByteDance, Ltd., on October 8, 2024....more
Nebraska recently filed suit against TikTok, and the details of the harms associated with using TikTok by children are outlined in the complaint. Although the complaint seeks redress only for Nebraskans, the allegations are...more
We have previously outlined the risks of using TikTok, the federal and state governments’ ban on it, and the national security risks it presents.
In doing so, we primarily focused on data privacy and security threats to...more
TikTok has reported that it is responding to a cyber attack targeting a limited number of known brands and celebrity accounts. The BBC has identified that Paris Hilton’s account as being targeted, but TikTok says it was not...more
To add to TikTok’s legal woes in the U.S., Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (AG) filed suit against TikTok on May 22, 2024, alleging that TikTok violated Nebraska’s consumer protection laws and engaged in deceptive...more
As threatened, TikTok, Inc. and ByteDance, Ltd., the owner of the TikTok app, filed suit against the United States on May 7, 2024, alleging that the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act...more
5/9/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
China ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Data Collection ,
Data Protection ,
Divestiture ,
Due Process ,
Federal Bans ,
Fifth Amendment ,
First Amendment ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
Free Speech ,
Mobile Apps ,
National Security ,
New Legislation ,
Personal Information ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Social Media ,
Spyware ,
Takings Clause ,
TikTok
President Biden signed a historical aid package into law on Tuesday that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region. The package also includes a bill increasing sanctions on Russian assets and requiring...more
4/25/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
China ,
Data Collection ,
Data Protection ,
Divestiture ,
Federal Bans ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
Mobile Apps ,
National Security ,
New Legislation ,
Personal Information ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Social Media ,
Spyware ,
TikTok
Yesterday, with broad bipartisan support, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly (352-65) to support the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, designed to begin the process...more
3/14/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
China ,
Data Collection ,
Data Protection ,
Federal Bans ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
Mobile Apps ,
National Security ,
Pending Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Social Media ,
TikTok
The bill that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives potentially banning TikTok’s use in the U.S. is not a novel idea. The federal government has already banned TikTok’s use for federal employees, some states have banned...more
3/14/2024
/ China ,
Data Collection ,
Data Protection ,
Federal Bans ,
Mobile Apps ,
National Security ,
Pending Legislation ,
Personal Information ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Social Media ,
TikTok
Montana’s legislature last year passed legislation, signed by the Governor, to ban the use of TikTok within the borders of the state, seeking to protect Montana consumers’ personal information and limit spying by the Chinese...more
1/4/2024
/ China ,
Data Collection ,
Data Protection ,
Mobile Apps ,
Montana ,
National Security ,
Personal Information ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Social Media ,
State Bans ,
TikTok
If you didn’t get to watch “60 Minutes” on Sunday and see the “Five Eyes” warn us all about China, put it on your list to watch soon.
The Five Eyes are the intelligence leaders of five allied countries: U.S., Canada,...more
I have the pleasure to present an advanced session on cybersecurity to tax preparers at the IRS’ National Tax Preparers Forum each year. The sessions are well attended, and I enjoy meeting attendees and talking about the...more
On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, the University of Texas at Austin announced that it has blocked TikTok access across the university’s networks. According to the announcement to its users, “You are no longer able to access...more
Governors of numerous states have issued Executive Orders in the past several weeks banning TikTok from government-issued devices and many have already implemented a ban, with others considering similar measures. There is...more
I continue to marvel at how many Americans are using TikTok but are oblivious to the fact that they are being duped by one of our foreign adversaries—the Chinese Communist Party. Folks, listen to and heed the warnings of both...more
It is estimated that some 80 million Americans and more than one billion people use TikTok. It is well known that TikTok has a direct connection to the Chinese Communist Party, which is a foreign adversary of the U.S. This...more
12/1/2022
/ China ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Collection ,
Electronic Devices ,
Mobile Apps ,
National Security ,
New Regulations ,
Social Media ,
State Bans ,
State Employees ,
TikTok
If you don’t know what geofencing is, I will give you some articles to read so you can become better educated on exactly what it is and how it is used to track you. It’s all a bit creepy, but is a good thing to understand....more
CYBERSECURITY -
New York DFS Fines Robinhood $30M for “Significant” Cybersecurity Violations -
The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) announced its first ever penalty against a cryptocurrency platform...more
8/4/2022
/ Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Protection ,
Drones ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Mobile Apps ,
NYDFS ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Robinhood Financial ,
Scams
Like all technology, mobile apps can be infected with malicious code, or malware, that is intended to gain access to your mobile phone when you download the app. Although app stores try their best to not allow malicious apps...more
On July 18, 2022, the FBI issued an Alert advising consumers that fraudulent cryptocurrency apps have caused more than 244 victims to lose nearly $43 million.
The fraudulent apps that cyber criminals used to steal funds...more
The Federal Trade Commission kicked off Pride Month yesterday, acknowledging that “some of the most egregious scams and abuses target the LGBTQ+ community.” The scams that those in the LGBTQ+ community experience include...more
6/2/2022
/ Cybersecurity ,
Dating Services ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fraud ,
Geolocation ,
LGBTQ ,
Mobile Apps ,
New Guidance ,
Scams ,
Vulnerability Assessments ,
Vulnerable Victims
CYBERSECURITY -
Education Sector Continues to Get Hit with Ransomware Attacks -
According to Emsisoft, the education sector continues to experience ransomware attacks, with a whopping 1,043 schools affected by ransomware...more
5/6/2022
/ Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Management ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Information Governance ,
Mobile Apps ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Popular ,
Ransomware ,
Vulnerability Assessments