Childrens

State Legislatures Continue to Tackle Privacy Issues With New Consumer, Children’s, Biometric, and Health Data Bills

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Madison, Wisconsin – As state legislatures across the country get underway with their 2024 sessions, lawmakers are already focusing on a range of privacy bills, including those related to consumer data, children’s privacy, biometric data, consumer health data, and data brokerage. This marks the fifth year of tracking proposed state privacy legislation, with Husch Blackwell providing weekly updates, a state privacy law tracker map, and additional resources for clients. In an effort to make information more accessible, Husch Blackwell is changing its format this year. Instead of lengthy blog posts, the firm will provide bill … Read more

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Fights for New Trial Against Maya Kowalski in Landmark Case, Alleging Juror Bias

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SARASOTA, Fla. – Attorneys representing Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital are pushing for a new trial in the ‘Take Care of Maya’ case, citing juror bias and misconduct as grounds for their demand. In November, the Kowalski family was awarded over $260 million in damages after a jury found Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (JHAC) guilty of falsely imprisoning Maya, fraudulently billing her family, causing significant emotional distress, and subjecting her to abuse from social worker Catherine Bedy and medical negligence from Dr. Sally Smith. Following the verdict, JHAC’s legal team has filed various motions … Read more

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Controversial Ohio Law Requiring Parental Consent for Children’s Social Media Use

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal judge temporarily halted the enforcement of an Ohio law on Tuesday that would have required children to obtain parental consent in order to use social media apps. The Ohio law is similar to ones signed by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, which prohibit minors from using social media between certain hours and require age verification to open and maintain an account. These restrictions aim to protect children from targeted advertisements and addictive features that can have negative impacts on their mental health. The temporary restraining order was issued after a lawsuit … Read more

Ohio Federal Judge Issues Temporary Injunction on Law Mandating Parental Consent for Children’s Online Accounts

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Columbus, Ohio – An Ohio federal judge has issued a temporary injunction on a new state law that requires social media platforms and other websites to obtain parental consent before allowing children to open accounts. The law, which was set to take effect immediately, has been put on hold pending further legal consideration. The decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed by major tech companies, including Facebook and Twitter. They argue that the law, known as the Parental Consent Act, violates the First Amendment rights of children and restricts the ability of platforms to … Read more