Financial Privacy

On February 26, 2020, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau hosted a symposium titled “Consumer Access to Financial Records.”  Video of the Symposium is available here.  The agenda included discussion among panelists from large financial institutions, fintechs, consumer groups, policy centers, and the CFPB.  Director Kathleen L. Kraninger also delivered brief opening remarks describing the history of regulation of financial data access.

Much of the symposium’s discussion focused on Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which governs consumers’ rights to access their financial data.  While the CFPB has the authority to issue rules interpreting Section 1033, it has not done so (although it has issued non-binding “Consumer Protection Principles” on financial data sharing and aggregation).…

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On March 5, 2019 the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) published requests for comment on proposed amendments to two key rules under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA”).  Most significantly, the FTC is proposing to add more detailed requirements to the Safeguards Rule, which governs the information security programs financial institutions must implement to protect customer data.

In addition, the FTC is proposing to expand the definition of “financial institution” under the Safeguards Rule and the Privacy Rule to include “finders.”  Finally, the FTC is proposing to amend the Privacy Rule to make technical and conforming changes resulting from legislative amendments to GLBA in the Dodd-Frank Act and FAST Act of 2015.

Proposed Revisions to the Safeguards Rule’s Information Security Program Requirements

The Safeguards Rule establishes requirements for the information security programs of all financial institutions subject to FTC jurisdiction.  The Rule, which first went into effect in 2003, requires financial institutions to develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive information security program.  As currently drafted, the Safeguards Rule has few prescriptive requirements, but instead generally directs financial institutions to take reasonable steps to protect customer information.

The FTC’s proposed revisions would add substantially more detail to these requirements.  Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, explained that the purpose of the proposed changes is “to better protect consumers and provide more certainty for business.”  The new requirements are primarily based on the cybersecurity regulations issued by New York Department of Financial Services (“NYSDFS”), and the insurance data security model law issued by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Some of the specific proposed changes include:…

Continue Reading FTC Proposes to Add Detailed Cybersecurity Requirements to the GLBA Safeguards Rule

On January 28, 2019, Senator Mike Crapo (R.-Id.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, published a column signaling his support for data privacy and security legislation in the 116th Congress.

In his column, Senator Crapo emphasizes what he sees as the “incredibly positive” developments associated with the development of…

On August 31, 2018, the California Senate approved a “clean-up” bill that, if signed by the governor, would amend the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), California’s sweeping new privacy law enacted in June.  The amendments fall short of addressing many of the most significant criticisms of the CCPA, and are, on the whole, relatively minor.…

On August 10, 2018, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (the “Bureau”) issued a final rule implementing a December 2015 amendment to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA”), titled “Eliminate Privacy Notice Confusion,” which created an exception to Regulation P’s annual notice requirement for financial institutions that meet certain conditions.

The GLBA and Regulation P generally require…

In response to questions from a Member of the European Parliament, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has provided much needed clarification on the overlap between the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the EU Payment Services Directive (PSD2) in an open letter.  As we identified in a previous blog post on this topic, the interaction between PSD2, aimed at increasing the seamless sharing of data, and the GDPR, aimed at regulating such sharing, raises complicated compliance concerns.  The EDPB’s letter aims to clarify some of these difficult compliance questions.
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Continue Reading European Data Protection Board Provides Clarification On PSD2