Privacy Law Matters Blog

Hintze Law and its lawyers have once again been recognized in Chambers & Partners for expertise in Privacy and Data Security in the 2026 Chambers Global Guide. These recognitions include Hintze Law’s fifth year being ranked as an Elite Law Firm for Privacy and Data Security as well as the firm’s third year receiving recognition…

by Sam Castic and Felicity SlaterA class action suit was recently filed against the companies that operate Uncle Ike's, a Seattle-area marijuana retailer. The suit filed in Washington federal court alleges common law tort claims, ECPA claims, and a claim under the My Health My Data Act (‘MHMDA’ or ‘the Act’).  Unlike the MHMDA claims…

By Cameron CantrellOn October 11, 2025, California’s Governor Newsom signed AB 489, a law designed to address health advice from artificial intelligence (“AI”). It will take effect on January 1, 2026. California Currently Prohibits Misrepresentations of License to Practice Medicine and Regulates Generative AI in Health CareSeveral California laws prohibit a person from using specified…

By Mason Fitch and Kate Black The California Attorney General’s Office (“OAG”) announced an enforcement action against Healthline.com on July 1 that marks a significant development in California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) enforcement. This action, accompanied by the largest fine under CCPA yet at $1.55 million, highlights critical areas of consideration for any company engaging…

by Cameron Cantrell and Felicity Slater  On June 19, 2025, the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas vacated the vast majority of the HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy (the “HIPAA Reproductive Privacy Rule” or “Rule”). The Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) published the Rule in the…

by Cameron Cantrell and Felicity Slater On March 24, 2025, Governor Youngkin (R) of Virginia signed SB 754—which amends the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (VCPA) to restrict the collection and processing of “reproductive or sexual health information” and is enforceable through a private right of action—into law. The law will take effect July 1, 2025.   Entities…

By Cameron Cantrell and Kate BlackOn March 12, 2025, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that (1) the information blocking prohibition in the federal 21st Century Cures Act (“Cures Act”) was plausibly violated when an Electronic Health Record (EHR) provider blocked bot access to its systems without sufficient justification, and (2) this violation may…

By Felicity Slater and Kate Black The Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (“MODPA” or the “Act”), which takes effect October 1, 2025, establishes a set of novel requirements that will have a particular impact for companies operating in the health and wellness sectors. Most notably, the MODPA: Bans the “sale” of “sensitive data,” a term which is…

Hintze Law and its lawyers have once again been recognized in Chambers & Partners for expertise in Privacy and Data Security in the 2025 Chambers Global Guide. These recognitions include Hintze Law’s fourth year being ranked as an Elite Law Firm for Privacy and Data Security as well as the firm’s second year receiving recognition…

By Mike Hintze and Felicity Slater Last year, we wrote about a proposed New York State law that would have significant impacts for entities that process health and wellness related data. That bill failed to pass before the 2024 legislative session ended. But today, in the early days of the 2025 session, the New York…