InfoBytes Blog
Maryland AG Establishes Privacy Unit
On January 28, Maryland Attorney General (AG) Doug Gansler announced a new unit in his office dedicated to online privacy enforcement and policy. The AG stated that the new unit will (i) monitor companies to ensure they are in compliance with state and federal consumer privacy laws, (ii) examine weaknesses in online privacy policies and work alongside major industry stakeholders and privacy advocates to provide outreach and education to businesses and consumers to broaden awareness about privacy rights, and (iii) pursue enforcement actions where appropriate. The unit announced by the AG appears similar to one formed by California Attorney General Kamala Harris, which recently has been active with regard to mobile application privacy. Last year, AG Gansler announced “Privacy in the Digital Age” as his central initiative as President of the National Association of Attorneys General.