Standing Up to Big Brother: Proposed Massachusetts Bill Will Limit Facial Recognition by State and Local Law Enforcement

Sen. Cynthia Creem, D-Newton has proposed a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature that will limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to use facial recognition technology and other biometric systems. Law enforcement leaders are concerned this will inhibit police’s ability to use the technology to effectively do their jobs.… Read More Standing Up to Big Brother: Proposed Massachusetts Bill Will Limit Facial Recognition by State and Local Law Enforcement

Dance Battle: Creators of Fortnite Facing Yet Another Lawsuit for Misappropriating Popular Dance Moves

Two former University of Maryland basketball players who started the viral the “Running Man” challenge in 2016 have filed the fourth lawsuit against video game developer Epic Games for its unauthorized use of dance moves in Fortnite. The claims against the company include copyright infringement and violation of the right of publicity. Epic Games has already asked a California judge to dismiss the first case filed in 2018, asserting that its use of the dance moves was protected by the First Amendment. While the company has a strong defense against the copyright infringement claims, it faces more of a challenge in arguing that it did not violate plaintiffs’ right of publicity. … Read More Dance Battle: Creators of Fortnite Facing Yet Another Lawsuit for Misappropriating Popular Dance Moves

How long is too long?: Mobile Phone Warrants and The Fourth Amendment

As the judiciary’s application of the Fourth Amendment continues to evolve in the internet era, courts have encountered cases wherein police officers seize a suspect’s cell phone, then wait an extended period before applying for a search warrant. In this particular case, the 4th Circuit overturned the conviction of a child pornographer and sex trafficker on the grounds that 31 days was too long for police officers to wait before applying for a search warrant absent unique circumstances.… Read More How long is too long?: Mobile Phone Warrants and The Fourth Amendment

Time To Admit That Privacy Violations By Technology Companies Are Not Just Innocent Mistakes.

A look at the Senate Commerce Committee’s call for a hearing with Google executives to answer for recent consumer privacy violations. Members of the Committee are demanding a hearing after it was recently revealed that an in-home Google product contained a microphone, which was undisclosed to consumers. … Read More Time To Admit That Privacy Violations By Technology Companies Are Not Just Innocent Mistakes.

Tech Toys: How the Law has Started to Regulate Drone Usage

As drones have come in to popular usage, the federal government is forced to put at least some regulations in place for purposes of searches by police and the safety of citizens. While the Supreme Court has already ruled that most aerial searches are constitutional and do not require warrants, does that change with drones? Drones have the capability to get much lower to the ground than a plane or helicopter leaving citizens vulnerable to searches in constitutionally protected areas of their home. As technology advances, it is imperative that the courts draw a line when it comes to the capabilities of a drone to invade a citizen’s privacy. … Read More Tech Toys: How the Law has Started to Regulate Drone Usage

Building Up a Global Wall Against the Use of 5G: The Arms Race over Securing Patent Rights for Fifth-Generation Cellular Wireless Technology

Fifth-generation cellular wireless (“5G”) has become the talk of the technology world. Many corporations are pushing to win at 5G’s “Patent War.” Although there are benefits to this technology, there are many consequences to 5G patent protections.… Read More Building Up a Global Wall Against the Use of 5G: The Arms Race over Securing Patent Rights for Fifth-Generation Cellular Wireless Technology

The Race to Save Face: Senate introduces Facial Recognition Privacy Bill

This blog addresses the newly introduced facial recognition bill and how it measures up to the Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”). BIPA currently offers the strongest biometric data privacy protections in the nation, and the newly enacted facial recognition bill is a step into the right direction in terms of federal biometric privacy protection. … Read More The Race to Save Face: Senate introduces Facial Recognition Privacy Bill

Are Violent Video Games to Blame for the Wave of Gun Violence in Schools?

Unfortunately, there has been a wave of school shootings in the United States in the past twenty to thirty years. There has been a significant debate after each school shooting regarding the causes of such heinous acts. One debate centers around the effect that violent video games may have on individuals. Some studies suggest that violent video games cause aggressive behavior, leading to violence by players of those games. Other studies suggest the complete opposite, that video games do not cause individuals to commit school shootings.… Read More Are Violent Video Games to Blame for the Wave of Gun Violence in Schools?