Stay up to date with
Engine’s weekly newsletter:
NEWS FEED
Startup News Digest 07/17/20
The Big Story: EU court strikes down transatlantic data transfer pact. The Court of Justice of the European Union this week struck down Privacy Shield, a transatlantic agreement that lets U.S. companies process and store European users’ data in the U.S. The ruling creates uncertainty for many U.S. and EU companies by jeopardizing the flow of data between Europe and the United States. The case, known as “Schrems II,” evolved out of Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems’ 2013 lawsuit following the revelations about the U.S. government’s surveillance programs by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Statement on the Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act
Simply put, the Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act—introduced by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)—is bad for the privacy and security of startups and their users.
Statement on the Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act
Engine is proud to support the Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act, new legislation from Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) that establishes clear federal standards for how businesses should collect, store, and utilize their users’ personal data.
Statement on the EARN IT Act
The Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies (or EARN IT) Act from Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) addresses a critical issue—stopping online child exploitation, which is a goal that startups share. But, as currently drafted, the bill threatens to unnecessarily disrupt the regulatory framework that has helped the Internet flourish and potentially ban the use of strong encryption technologies that protect user safety.
Startups and State Privacy Laws
Consumer privacy has been on the minds of companies, regulators, and consumers in the wake of high-profile privacy missteps by major Internet companies and sweeping new privacy rules in Europe. While the U.S. approaches consumer privacy law on a sector-by-sector basis, states are using the momentum around the consumer privacy debate to pass their own varying — and sometimes conflicting — laws.
NUTS & BOLTS of USER PRIVACY
Whether it’s the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, or the looming California Consumer Privacy Act, policymakers across the world are grappling with what steps they can take to better safeguard consumers’ online data while promoting competition and innovation.
The Coming “Privacy Troll” Problem
Congress is currently at work on a federal privacy bill that will hopefully strengthen consumer privacy while correcting some of the problems with state privacy laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act. While this is a good sign for the startup community, some policymakers are pushing for a provision in the draft federal privacy bill that could open the floodgates to expensive, bad-faith lawsuits against startups.
The importance of well-crafted federal privacy protections to startups
Engine Executive Director Evan Engstrom testified before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection on why startups support strong privacy regulations that provide greater user choice and transparency but which don’t put them at a competitive disadvantage to large Internet companies.
Engine Files Comments to California AG on State Privacy Law
Engine files comments to the California AG’s office on the new California Consumer Protection Act.
Primer: California Consumer Protection Act
A primer on the California Consumer Protection Act and what it means for startups.
Startup News Digest 1/25/19
The Big Story: GDPR’s biggest hit yet. The French privacy watchdog has issued a $57 million fine against Google, the largest fine yet under Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, the sweeping privacy rules that went into effect in the European Union last year.
The Privacy Debate Needs the Startup Perspective
As debates about privacy rules continue in the U.S. and Europe, it’s important for regulators and lawmakers to think about what changes could mean for startups and other small businesses, not just giant corporations.
Startup News Digest 9/28/2018
The Big Story: Lawmakers mull privacy rules. Facing privacy regulations from abroad and from individual states, lawmakers are getting serious about putting in place federal rules to protect Internet users’ privacy.
Startup News Digest 9/21/2018
The Big Story: Privacy Looms Large in Washington.
This week, the European Parliament approved sweeping changes to its copyright regime, including Article 13, which would effectively require all websites hosting user generated content to adopt expensive and ineffective content filters. The proposal also creates a new IP right for publishers that requires websites to pay publishers if the website creates a link to the publisher’s content.
Report: Nuts & Bolts of Encryption
An ebook for policymakers on the past, present, and future of encryption technology.
Research: Private Solutions for Public Problems
How startups are harnessing Big Data to tackle social challenges.
GDPR and the U.S. Startup Ecosystem
As of today, Europe’s new sweeping Internet privacy rules have gone into effect, and companies of all sizes and all over the world that have Europeans’ data are rethinking how they collect and process user data.
Engine statement on FBI data on encrypted devices
“For months, the FBI has repeatedly claimed that it has more than 7,000 impenetrable phones in its possession to support its argument that tech companies should build backdoors into their encrypted products and services to allow law enforcement access to users’ data.”
Engine statement on the California Consumer Privacy Act
A new consumer privacy proposal in California, while well intentioned, would have a chilling effect on the innovative companies that fuel the state’s startup ecosystem, which is the envy of the world.
A Call for Cross-Border Cooperation
Even as a years-long fight over government access to foreign data heads to the Supreme Court, Congress still needs to solve the problem of cross-border information requests.