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EDPB Publishes Draft Guidelines on Use of Facial Recognition Technology in Law Enforcement

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) published for public comments draft guidelines on the use of facial recognition technology (FTR) by law enforcement authorities. According to the EDPB’s draft guidelines, an increasing number of law enforcement authorities use or intend to use FRT for various purposes, including searching for individuals on police watch lists or monitoring individuals’ movements in public ...

Israel: Banks Cannot Causelessly Refuse Transactions Involving Crypto

A new amendment to the Israeli Supervisor of Banks’ directive on money laundering and terror financing risks states that Israeli baking corporations may no longer refuse to provide payment services in transactions merely because they involve cryptocurrency, so long as the cryptocurrency service provider in the transaction is duly licensed to provide services in Israel. The amended directive further states ...

European Council Adopts the Data Governance Act

The European Council announced that it has approved the Data Governance Act, aimed at improving the availability of data and promoting data sharing between individuals, the private sector, and the public sector. The Act will enter into force within 15 months.

The Act establishes mechanisms for the safe reuse of certain categories of public-sector data (which complement the 2019 Open ...

Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation Authorizes Police use of Facial Recognition Technology

The Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill memorandum amending the Police Ordinance, which authorizes the Israel Police to deploy stationary and portable cameras enabling the identification of individuals in real time. The memorandum also authorizes the Police to transfer data from the cameras to the Israeli Security Agency (known as “Shabak”), the Military Intelligence Directorate, and other public ...

Connecticut Enacts a New Data Privacy and Online Monitoring Act

Connecticut is the fifth state in the U.S. to enact a comprehensive privacy protection law, following California, Virginia, Colorado, and Utah. The new act on personal data privacy and online monitoring will enter into force in July 2023. Its provisions are similar to those of the corresponding acts in Virginia and Colorado.

The new Act applies to any person who ...

The UK to Promote a Reform in Data Protection Regime

The UK government announced that it will promote a data reform bill, intended to create a data protection framework and data rights regime that reduces the burdens on businesses (e.g., by reducing limitations on data sharing by public bodies to improve their services), boosting the economy, and promoting innovation; modernize the Information Commissioner’s Office and expand its enforcement powers; and ...

Australia: AI System Cannot be a Patent Inventor

A full panel of judges of the Federal Court of Australia ruled that an Artificial Intelligence system is not a “natural person” and therefore cannot be named the inventor on a patent application, even if the invention was derived from it. The decision was delivered in an appeal on Dr. Stephen Thaler’s request to apply for patent protection for his ...

North Carolina Prohibits Ransomware Payments by Public Agencies

North Carolina became the first state in the U.S. to enact a law that prohibits state and local public agencies from engaging with ransomware hackers demanding ransom, and from paying them any ransom. Under the new statute, upon an agency’s discovery of ransomware in its systems, it must report the incident to the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (DoIT) ...

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