Hi Folk,
It was wonderful to see so many faces at our general meeting last week! Following up on comments there, I’ve reached out to some contacts about a smart home privacy talk, and (separately) we’re working on putting together a tabletop privacy exercise later on. Our Lexis webinar from the 9th is also now online, at https://privacylawnyls.com/lexis-webinar/!
CIPP Survey
Mia and I have also been talking to Dean Dizon, and things are looking good for a PLA CIPP program! But we need your help: the school wants to know how much interest there is. If you want to get certified, go to https://privacylawnyls.com/cipp-interest/ and fill out the form. Also tell your academic/career counselor, your friends, your dog; let’s get the buzz out there so this can be big!
If you missed our meeting or have forgotten what the CIPP is, check out https://privacylawnyls.com/why-the-cipp/ for a refresher 🙂
Event: How-To with Kyle: Virtual Private Networks
The workshop is confirmed for room W402 on Tuesday, March 21, from 12:50pm to 1:50pm. Additionally, we’ll have pizza, courtesy of co-sponsorship by the Innovation Center for Law and Technology! RVSP here so we know how much pizza to supply.
| Privacy Law Association presents How-To with Kyle Tuesday, March 21 12:50 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. W402 Maybe you’ve heard of VPNs—maybe you’ve seen ads on YouTube for the more popular brands—or maybe it’s an alien term. Virtual Private Networks are a key element in connecting to the internet on your terms, and they can be used in ways that enhance both cybersecurity and privacy! The fun doesn’t end there, so join us to learn how VPNs work and what they can do, in a hands-on workshop that will get you connected. Bring a laptop! This event is Cosponsored by The Innovation Center for Law and Technology. Pizza and refreshments will be served. nyls.wufoo.com |
Privacy News
As law students, we don’t have to worry about Continuing Legal Education—our Legal Education is still very much in progress! But for our 3Ls and 4LEs who will soon be entering practice, check out the new Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection CLE category required as of this July in New York State: https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/attorneys/cle/Cybersecurity-Privacy-and-Data-Protection-FAQs.pdf
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world of privacy:
Life Without Google, and Other Hells
Consent requirements and user agreements are a thin veil over an ugly truth: in today’s interconnected world, users frequently have no choice about whether to “consent” to use services that are required for their jobs, educations, and daily lives. Here at NYLS, ExamSoft’s “Notice and Consent for Collection of Biometric and other Personal Data” is hardly a free choice when it’s presented before a final, and we still do have the luxury of a paper exam option if we’re truly determined and can write by hand as fast as others type. Elsewhere, that option may not exist – and while the pandemic was in full swing, many such options were discontinued.
But what if you were truly determined, and you didn’t have to submit to data collection by a school or even your place of employment? Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft all make a lot of money by tracking their users, and the reach of these “Big 5” dominates the internet. Earlier this month, journalist Kashmir Hill tried to cut ties with the tech giants as part of an experiment in technological independence. Her interest was technology, not law. But from a legal angle, what does her experiment say about the importance—and limitations!—of privacy laws and “consent”? Thanks to Molly Connor for sending this one in!
 I Cut the ‘Big Five’ Tech Giants From My Life. It Was Hell Week 6: Blocking them all www.gizmodo.com |
That’s all for now. Fill out the CIPP interest survey, tell your counselors, and RSVP for our VPN workshop next month! And, until then, good luck with midterms!
Best,
Kyle Hunt
President, Privacy Law Association