March 2015 – TCPA Watch

Unmanned Aircraft–A Winged Threat to Privacy?

Mar 16 2015

By Tom DeCesar, Ed Fishman, Jim Insco, and Marty Stern

It is has been a busy time in the field of unmanned aircraft systems (a.k.a., drones). The Federal Aviation Administration recently released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would allow the widespread use of small unmanned aircraft for a variety of low-altitude, line-of-site commercial operations–something currently prohibited by the agency. However, the FAA does not typically deal with privacy issues. So, while the FAA will regulate the use of these devices, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum calling for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to begin a multi-stakeholder process to outline industry guidelines related to privacy, transparency, and accountability in the use of unmanned aircraft. (See our recent client alert on the FAA small UAS NPRM and the Presidential Memorandum by clicking here.) Although the NTIA’s typical focus is on telecommunications issues, it has convened a multi-stakeholder processes to address privacy issues involving such things as mobile app disclosures and facial recognition technologies. Read More

Supreme Court Won’t Review Class Arbitrability Question Now, But Second Circuit May Hear Case That Could Generate Circuit Split

Mar 11 2015

By Andrew C. Glass and Roger L. Smerage

The United States Supreme Court recently declined to review a Third Circuit decision holding that ordinarily a court, not an arbitrator, determines the availability of classwide arbitration. Opalinski v. Robert Half International, Inc. 761 F.3d 326 (3d Cir. 2014), cert. denied No. 14-625, — S. Ct. —-, 2015 WL 998611 (U.S. Mar. 9, 2015). The Opalinski decision is important to businesses that use consumer arbitration agreements. The benefits of traditional, individual arbitration – such as lower costs, confidentiality, and the limited scope of an arbitrator’s award – are typically not present in class arbitration. Having a judge, rather than an arbitrator, make the decision of whether to compel individual or class arbitration is meaningful because a judge’s ruling is subject to the regular appellate review process, while an arbitrator’s ruling is subject to only very limited judicial review.

FCC Net Neutrality and Muni Broadband Orders Examined in Upcoming Webcast

Mar 11 2015

The FCC’s recent net neutrality order, classifying broadband Internet access as a Title II common carrier offering, along with the FCC’s decision to preempt North Carolina and Tennessee state laws that placed limits on municipal broadband networks will be examined in a special live webcast on Broadband US TV on Friday, March 13th from 1pm-2:30pm (Eastern).

The webcast, entitled “FCC Takes Charge – Net Neutrality and Muni Broadband: New Title II Rules for Broadband Access and Preempting State Limits on Municipal Networks” will present details about the rulings, predictions on implementation and court challenges, and what these rulings are likely to portend for broadband in America over the next year and beyond.

Co-hosts Marty Stern of K&L Gates and Jim Baller of the Baller Herbst Law Group will be joined by two panels of prominent players and experts on both sides of these white hot issues.

Archive:March 2015