The ‘Long Arm’ of CIPA and Its Newfound Pen-Trap Claims
Addressing the litigation and regulatory risks regarding tracking technologies requires a balanced approach between legal exposure and business impact, through a close and continuing collaboration between legal, technology,...more
It has been amply documented how the California Plaintiffs’ Bar has exploited the California Invasion of Privacy Act (“CIPA”)–explicitly designed during the Cold War to address telephonic wiretapping and eavesdropping—to...more
Introduction - In 2025, privacy and AI regulation have moved from the sidelines to the center of business risk and strategy. U.S. states are rapidly enacting a patchwork of privacy laws, with new AI laws emerging and...more
As the Summer of Privacy fades into fall, California is—unsurprisingly—in the privacy news. The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) succeeded in finalizing proposed regulations under the California Consumer Privacy...more
On August 11, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California denied a motion to dismiss a California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) class action lawsuit filed against ConverseNow Technologies, Inc....more
Though recently stalled, California legislators have been taking steps over the past few months to address the surge of "pixel-tracking" lawsuits impacting businesses. ...more
The rapid adoption of AI notetaking and transcription tools has transformed how organizations (and individuals) capture, analyze, and share meeting and other content. But as these technologies expand, so too do the legal and...more
When we speak to clients about online privacy issues, they almost always mention the CCPA – California’s Consumer Privacy Act that regulates the collection and use of personal data. But unless they have already faced a...more
In the wake of an explosion in digital privacy litigation, courts and legislatures are redrawing some of the boundaries of what qualifies as unlawful data collection under decades-old statutes. Claims brought under...more
Readers of this blog are well aware of the proliferation of lawsuits alleging that websites which utilize Meta Pixel tracking software violate the California Invasion of Privacy Act (“CIPA”). These lawsuits typically allege...more
On August 1, 2025, a California federal jury found that Meta violated the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) by collecting data from the Flo Health app without the consent of the individuals who downloaded the app and...more
Key point: The California legislature is currently considering several privacy-related bills that could impact the private sector....more
Website operators secured another win in the protracted battle over third-party website cookies last week when a California state court held that these common tech features were not “trap and trace” devices and therefore a...more
As an attorney focused on technology transactions and counseling, I approach new technologies with both curiosity and caution. Like many lawyers, I tend to be skeptical until I fully understand how something works....more
Although the California Invasion of Privacy Act (“CIPA”) lawsuit train shows no signs of slowing down, a California federal judge recently derailed a CIPA email tracking lawsuit when it dismissed claims mirroring those...more
Welcome to the Summer of Privacy! As we hit the middle of 2025, California is once again the focus of our attention, as both its legislators and regulators are attempting to square privacy protections with developing...more
A California bill aimed at curbing the explosion of lawsuits filed against businesses using common website tools like cookies, pixels, and session replay software has stalled out in the 2025 legislative session, meaning your...more
On July 1, 2025, a hearing was held in the California Assembly Committee on Public Safety concerning Senate Bill 690, which aims to stem the tide of lawsuits targeting routine website analytics and marketing tools by amending...more
The Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments on June 10, 2025, in three closely watched appeals—Gutierrez v. Converse Inc., Mikulsky v. Bloomingdale’s, LLC, and Thomas v. Papa John’s International, Inc.—that could shape the future...more
The Ninth Circuit court of appeals reviewed three separate proposed class actions against Papa John’s International Inc., Converse Inc., and Bloomingdale’s, all centered on whether certain website tracking activities violated...more
Readers of this blog are aware of the barrage of California Invasion of Privacy (“CIPA”) claims brought against online companies. Recently, an unfavorable decision from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (“Ninth Circuit”)...more
In Mikulsky v. Bloomingdale’s (June 2025), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the dismissal of a California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) class action, holding that the plaintiff sufficiently alleged...more
On June 3, 2025, the California Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 690 (SB 690) in a 35-0 vote, a strong show of support for reining in a flood of lawsuits that have taken many companies by surprise over the last few...more
A new lawsuit just filed against an AI software provider offers a clear warning for any business using artificial intelligence to monitor or record customer service calls. On June 13, a California plaintiff filed a federal...more
A national leader in privacy law, California was among the first states to include an express right to privacy in its constitution, create a data breach notification law, and codify robust consumer data protections. ...more