States Continue to Expand Definition of "Personal Information"

International Association of Privacy Professionals - Privacy Tracker
February.27.2017

Orrick Cybersecurity & Data Privacy lawyer Emily Tabatabai co-authored an article for the International Association of Privacy Professionals’ Privacy Tracker on the continued expansion of what constitutes “personally identifiable information” worthy of privacy protections.

They wrote: “Given the subtle variations among the state statutes, responding appropriately to a breach requires attention to detail and a nimble approach. This task is not made easier by the frequency of statutory amendments and updates. Persistent monitoring of new legislation will continue to be important, as legislative activity does not appear to be slowing down.”

Authors

Emily S. Tabatabai Partner, Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation, Technology Companies Group

Washington, D.C.; Houston

See my bio

D:+1 202 339 8698
E: [email protected]

Practice:

Technology & Innovation Sector
Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation
Technology Companies Group
Internet of Things
Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)

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See full bio

Emily S. Tabatabai Partner

Washington, D.C.; Houston

Emily provides strategic counseling and advice on privacy, consumer protection and online safety matters to clients across industries, including retail, ecommerce, mobile apps, gaming, social media, advertising technology (adtech), financial services, education, business services and technology. She also represents clients subject to regulatory investigations, including before the FTC and States Attorneys General, Congressional committees and other regulatory agencies and groups.

Emily provides proactive compliance guidance, and regulatory investigation defense, on a variety of privacy and consumer protection laws, including:

U.S. state privacy laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Virginia and other states
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
Online safety laws for kids and teens, including California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (AADC), Utah Social Media Regulation Act and others
Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act) and state unfair and deceptive acts and practices (UDAP) laws
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
California’s Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA), New York’s Education Law 2-d and other state student data privacy laws
Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) and other biometric privacy laws
Washington My Health My Data Act and other state health privacy laws
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR)
Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA)

Emily is a frequent speaker on data privacy matters, with a particular focus on children’s privacy (COPPA), student data privacy and EdTech and online safety laws for kids and teens. She has been featured as an “Up and Coming” Privacy & Data Security attorney by Chambers USA and Chambers Global. Clients tell Chambers, “She’s been an excellent partner. She has a very good understanding of the practical realities of implementing privacy policies for large companies.” Citing her expertise in the field of educational privacy, student data and EdTech matters, Chambers reports that clients regard her as “very knowledgeable and truly an expert in this space,” with some saying, “On the student data side, she is unmatched,” and The Legal 500 notes that Emily “is the first port of call for child- and student-directed service providers for compliance advice with COPPA, SOPIPA and CalOPPA regulations.”

Emily also has an active consumer protection practice, focused on marketing and promotional issues. She counsels clients on advertisements and endorsements, retail sales and e-commerce, advertising substantiation, SMS and telemarketing, social media and online advertising.