PATA Act Would Require Facebook and Twitter To Hand Over Reams of Information (Free Preview)

Michael Kans

May 6, 2022 • 5 min read

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In yesterday's edition, we examined the the Platform Accountability and Transparency Act (PATA), a bill that would change how the United States (U.S.) government would oversee large social media platforms. One of the notable features is that a government run research approval system would be established with which platforms would need comply. Moreover, platforms would need to regularly submit specified information and data to a government agency. Finally, there is a discretionary rulemaking that seems very much like a Sword of Damocles to get platforms to comply. Subscribe to read the article.

And, here are developments and articles from last month. Being subscribed would mean getting these in a more timely fashion.

Other Developments

The European Parliament passed the “Data Governance Act” that “aims to increase trust in data sharing, create new EU rules on the neutrality of data marketplaces…facilitate the reuse of certain data held by the public sector…[and] will set up common European data spaces in strategic domains such as health, the environment, energy, agriculture, mobility, finance, manufacturing, public administration, and skills.”

Britain’s government “announced moves that will see stablecoins recognised as a valid form of payment as part of wider plans to make Britain a global hub for cryptoasset technology and investment.”

The United States (U.S.) Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee marked up a number of bills, including: the “Healthcare Cybersecurity Act of 2022” (S.3904), the “Satellite Cybersecurity Act” (S.3511), and the “Legacy IT Reduction Act of 2022” (S.3897).

France’s Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) issued guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in the context of the General Data Protection Regulation.

The United States (U.S.) Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a “Request for Information (RFI) to solicit public comment on certain provisions of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, namely: The consideration of recognized security practices of covered entities and business associates when OCR makes determinations regarding fines, audits, and remedies to resolve potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule; and the distribution to harmed individuals of a percentage of civil money penalties (CMPs) or monetary settlements collected pursuant to the HITECH Act, which requires the Secretary of HHS (Secretary) to establish by regulation, and based upon recommendations from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a methodology under which an individual who is harmed by an act that constitutes an offense under certain provisions of the HITECH Act or the Social Security Act relating to privacy or security may receive a percentage of any CMP or monetary settlement collected by OCR with respect to such offense.”

The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office published a fact sheet on “Russia's FSB malign activity.”

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) met and adopted the following documents: EDPB letter on the draft national legislation impacting the Belgian Supervisory Authority, Rules of Procedure, version 8, and Statement 01/2022 on the announcement of an agreement in principle on a new Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework.

United States (U.S.) Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan made remarks at a conference in Brussels, Belgium on how “[t]he growing adoption of a newer set of technologies—including voice assistants, cloud computing, and virtual reality—impel us to learn from past missteps and prevent incumbents from unlawfully capturing control over emerging markets.”

Australia’s government “released draft legislation and explanatory material to implement a new Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO).”

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report titled “Critical Infrastructure Protection: DHS Actions Urgently Needed to Better Protect the Nation's Critical Infrastructure.”

The United Kingdom’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport released its “Cyber security breaches survey 2022.”

The United Kingdom’s (UK) Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has opened a consultation on “data security incident trends.”

The United States (U.S.) Government Accountability Office’s Office of the Inspector General found that privacy program improvements could enhance the agency’s efforts to protect data and systems.

United States President Joe Biden renominated Travis LeBlanc to serve on the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.

Tweet of the Day

wow, what a Facebook read. On request of federal Judge, plaintiffs filed sanctions in super important case vs FB. Originally sealed 55pgs + 1,500 in exhibits, it showed up this wknd when FB filed redactions.
Let me show you the highlights - I'll try to keep to a dozen tweets. /1 pic.twitter.com/lbLoqmBQfs
— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) April 6, 2022

PATA Act Would Require Facebook and Twitter To Hand Over Reams of Information (Free Preview)

Michael Kans

Other Developments

Tweet of the Day

Further Reading

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