FTC Amends Safeguards Rule to Expand Notification Requirements for Data Breaches and Information Security Events

On October 27, 2023, the FTC announced amendments to its Safeguards Rule requiring non-banking financial institutions—such as mortgage brokers, accountants, investment advisers, car dealers, and payday lenders—to maintain comprehensive information security programs and report breaches involving unencrypted data of 500 or more consumers within 30 days. The amendments, effective 180 days after publication, aim to enhance transparency and incentivize stronger protection of sensitive consumer financial information.

Conversational Privacy – It’s A Thing in Illinois

Illinois’ amended eavesdropping statute, enacted in December 2014, reflects the General Assembly’s effort to preserve conversational privacy while correcting the unconstitutional overbreadth of the former law. By limiting criminal liability to the surreptitious recording of “private conversations” where at least one participant reasonably expects privacy, the revised statute excludes public interactions—such as street arguments, debates, or many encounters with law enforcement—from its reach. The amendments underscore Illinois’ commitment to protecting genuinely private communications without criminalizing the recording of conversations that occur in public settings.