Our weekly take on some of the biggest stories in startup and tech policy.
ECJ Invalidates Data Safe Harbor. On Tuesday, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) invalidated the European Commission’s “safe harbor” rules that permitted U.S. companies to self-certify compliance with European data protection rules in order to legally transfer EU customer data to the U.S. The court determined that U.S. legislation permitting the NSA to secretly collect and review consumer data was inconsistent with the EU’s Data Protection Directive. Consequently, the safe harbor framework was itself inconsistent with the Directive, as U.S. companies could not claim to have adequate data security protections in place. While larger companies have quickly moved to establish new legal pathways for importing EU data or have secured data centers in the EU, smaller companies face a more daunting task in trying to comply with now unclear data protection rules.
Governor Brown Signs CalECPA. In a huge victory for startups and digital privacy, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (SB178), now the nation’s best digital privacy law, on Thursday. This landmark bill (which we’ve covered in past digests) updates digital privacy laws by requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant before accessing an individual’s electronic communications. We are hopeful that this action by California will prompt similar movement in other states or at the federal level.
Closing the Gender Gaps. California passed a (another) landmark piece of legislation that would require women to be paid the same as men for doing “substantially similar work.” Though the governor acknowledges that this bill won’t solve the problem, he expects it to “help accelerate [the] progress.” It’s an interesting development in light of the dialogue in Silicon Valley regarding the promotion and retainment of women in the tech industry. Meanwhile, on the federal level, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), David Vitter (R-LA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced a bill that would reauthorize and increase funding for the Women’s Business Center Program, which improves business training and counseling opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
Capital Formation Bills Pass in House. The House passed two bills earlier this week aimed at making raising capital just slightly easier for startups. H.R. 1525, the Disclosure Modernization and Simplification Act and H.R. 1839, the Reforming Access for Investments in Startup Enterprises Act, contain measures that simplify and codify some of the regulations that govern how growing private companies raise capital. It’s encouraging to see members of Congress seek out ways to support capital formation for our country’s emerging companies and we hope our senators follow suit.
Marco Rubio Addresses Tech in NYC. Civic Hall hosted Senator Marco Rubio this week to talk about the on-demand economy. He spoke to the advantages of working for on-demand services, (flexibility of hours, mobility of work,) and recognized the need for a middle ground status between W-2 employees and independent contractors. He also called out incumbents, such as the taxi and hotel industries, for hindering innovation. It is the role of the government, Rubio said, to help those displaced by the new economy access the new economy through education and other opportunities.
Regulating Drones. As the popularity and pervasiveness of drones, (or unmanned aerial systems, UAS,) increases, lawmakers are grappling with the best way to ensure safety and privacy without needlessly inhibiting innovation in this growing industry. On Wednesday, Representative John Garamendi (D-CA) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced the SAFE DRONE Act of 2015, which prohibits drone flights within two miles of an airport or active fire. While some argue these sorts of rules should be left to the Federal Aviation Administration to craft, others are growing tired of waiting on the agency to act after it missed a Sep. 30 deadline to implement drone rules.
