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Compliance Spotlight

This is the Troubled Teen Industry

In 2020, many millennials turned to YouTube to watch what we thought would be a behind-the-scenes look into the life of Paris Hilton. What we didn’t expect was to learn that, just like thousands of teenagers across this country, Paris endured trauma while living in a “troubled teen” home. Since then, along with Congress, Paris has lobbied to enact laws to regulate the troubled youth facilities as it uses loopholes to get around what some would consider to be cruel punishment against kids.

A Fresh Perspective: How FSMA Compliance is Revolutionizing Large Food Distribution Corporations

As the world becomes increasingly concerned with food safety, large food distribution corporations find themselves grappling with a novel challenge: the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Mandated by the FDA, the FSMA aims to prevent foodborne illnesses through stringent regulations, thus compelling food corporations to adapt or face penalties. This writing will delve deeper into how the FSMA will reshape the food distribution landscape by influencing operational strategies, implementing accountability measures, and fostering an environment ripe for innovation.

Hey U.S. Government, The Romance Scammers Are Eating Americans Dry

The rise of online dating and social media has brought people closer together but has also given rise to a growing threat: romance scams. These fraudulent schemes prey on individuals seeking love and companionship, resulting in emotional and financial devastation. These scams involve perpetrators who create fake online personas to deceive individuals into forming romantic connections. Once trust is established, scammers exploit emotions to extract money from their victims, often under the pretense of financial emergencies or travel expenses.

Federal Trade Commission Rule Would Make it Easier to Cancel Subscriptions

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is proposing a rule that would make it easier for consumers to cancel subscription services and free trials they no longer want. This proposal, the “click to cancel” provision, was announced on March 22 and is part of the FTC’s ongoing review of its 1973 Negative Option Rule. This Rule regulates any and all unfair and deceptive practices related to subscriptions, memberships, and other recurring-payment programs. 

The Rise of AI: Why Congress Must Regulate Artificial Intelligence Before it is too Late

In November of last year, Open AI launched ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that engages users with dialogue to answer questions, write responses to prompts, and interacts with the user. Google quickly responded to the technological advancement by creating their own version of a chatbot called Bard that Google claims will draw “on information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality response.” AI has quickly embedded itself into most everyday activities. Additionally, in light of recent mass layoffs, experts predict that AI could displace tens of millions of jobs in the United States in the coming years. And with new chatbots run by AI, AIs have gone from simply replacing people to assisting people with tasks. As with all emerging technology, the general public may worry about regulating something that can be so intrusive and yet powerful and helpful to society. With the unsurmountable amount of knowledge provided by AI in seconds, it is necessary that Congress catch up to the emerging technology and create regulations for AI that can respect intellectual property and copyright laws and eradicate how AI adds to racial and gender disparities in the United States.

OFAC Publishes New Guidelines Regarding the Russia Investment Ban

On June 6, 2022, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released new and revised guidelines regarding the Russian investment ban established by Executive Orders 14071, 14066, and 14068. As a result of the executive orders, sanctions can be imposed on individuals or entities determined to have operated in the accounting, trust and corporate formation services, or management consulting sectors of the Russian Federation economy. OFAC has consistently been updating and revising the guidelines to keep the guidelines as clear and consistent as possible, in an attempt to keep Americans doing business in Russia out of legal trouble. 

Fan Tokens: What to Know About the Emerging Blockchain Technology

While a new category of digital assets has become mainstream in Europe, regulatory concerns in the U.S. have largely kept American sports enthusiasts out of the market for now. These new digital assets are referred to as “fan tokens”, a blockchain-based technology that allows teams to enhance their fan engagement.

Dua Lipa is Under Copyright Fire

Singer and songwriter, Dua Lipa has come under two copyright infringement lawsuits over the past month. Both lawsuits allege the pop star’s hit song “Levitating” infringed upon copyrighted work. While the two suits allege infringement against the same song, their outcomes may differ based on the allegation brought forth in each complaint.

Compliance Spotlight: William Hanning, CISSP, CISO

William Hanning is a Chief Information Security Officer with Groups360 and close to twenty years of Information Security experience. Mr. Hanning has built and managed security programs in multiple industries in organizations of varying sizes, as well as within Fortune 100 companies. Here, he gives insight about the separation between data privacy and cybersecurity, the role of information security teams, and how cybersecurity relates to and supports the work of legal and compliance departments.