On September 12, Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook requesting a meeting with the company to discuss the privacy implications of the new Apple Watch. In seeking answers to questions about how the device will be secured and how Apple will obtain appropriate consent for data collection and sharing, the attorney general is acting a lot like the Federal Trade Commission.
In July, we noted that FTC Commissioner Julie Brill issued a challenge to state attorneys general to become more active in the area of privacy and data security. Though the FTC continues to be active in that space, Commissioner Brill identified a role for the states to fill the gaps left by the sector-specific federal privacy law framework. That Attorney General Jepsen has answered the challenge is no surprise. In 2013, he sent a letter to Google inquiring about the privacy and security aspects of Google Glass. And, as the attorney general himself noted in a recent IAPP Q&A, one ongoing mission of his office's Privacy Task Force is to "proactively promote the protection of personal data and information."
The letter stresses that it is not an accusation against Apple, but rather an invitation to discuss the privacy aspects of this new technology.
This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.
