On June 6, the Texas Attorney General published a news release announcing that the Attorney General has opened an investigation into several car manufacturers.  The news release states that the investigation was opened “after widespread reporting that [car manufacturers] have secretly been collecting mass amounts of data about drivers directly from their vehicles and then selling that data to third parties.”  Further, the release states that “car manufacturers and the third parties to whom they sold data are being instructed to produce documents relevant to their conduct. . .[and] to produce documents showing the disclosures they made to customers about the extent of their data collection practices and subsequent sale of their customers’ data.”  This announcement follows an earlier news release from the Attorney General describing the launch of a data privacy and security initiative, which will enforce Texas’s privacy protection laws, including the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act that goes into effect on July 1.

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Photo of Libbie Canter Libbie Canter

Libbie Canter represents a wide variety of multinational companies on privacy, cyber security, and technology transaction issues, including helping clients with their most complex privacy challenges and the development of governance frameworks and processes to comply with global privacy laws. She routinely supports…

Libbie Canter represents a wide variety of multinational companies on privacy, cyber security, and technology transaction issues, including helping clients with their most complex privacy challenges and the development of governance frameworks and processes to comply with global privacy laws. She routinely supports clients on their efforts to launch new products and services involving emerging technologies, and she has assisted dozens of clients with their efforts to prepare for and comply with federal and state privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act.

Libbie represents clients across industries, but she also has deep expertise in advising clients in highly-regulated sectors, including financial services and digital health companies. She counsels these companies — and their technology and advertising partners — on how to address legacy regulatory issues and the cutting edge issues that have emerged with industry innovations and data collaborations.

As part of her practice, she also regularly represents clients in strategic transactions involving personal data and cybersecurity risk. She advises companies from all sectors on compliance with laws governing the handling of health-related data. Libbie is recognized as an Up and Coming lawyer in Chambers USA, Privacy & Data Security: Healthcare. Chambers USA notes, Libbie is “incredibly sharp and really thorough. She can do the nitty-gritty, in-the-weeds legal work incredibly well but she also can think of a bigger-picture business context and help to think through practical solutions.”

Photo of Jennifer Johnson Jennifer Johnson

Jennifer Johnson is a partner specializing in communications, media and technology matters who serves as Co-Chair of Covington’s Technology Industry Group and its global and multi-disciplinary Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) Groups. She represents and advises technology companies, content distributors…

Jennifer Johnson is a partner specializing in communications, media and technology matters who serves as Co-Chair of Covington’s Technology Industry Group and its global and multi-disciplinary Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) Groups. She represents and advises technology companies, content distributors, television companies, trade associations, and other entities on a wide range of media and technology matters. Jennifer has almost three decades of experience advising clients in the communications, media and technology sectors, and has held leadership roles in these practices for almost twenty years. On technology issues, she collaborates with Covington’s global, multi-disciplinary team to assist companies navigating the complex statutory and regulatory constructs surrounding this evolving area, including product counseling and technology transactions related to connected and autonomous vehicles, internet connected devices, artificial intelligence, smart ecosystems, and other IoT products and services. Jennifer serves on the Board of Editors of The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law.

Jennifer assists clients in developing and pursuing strategic business and policy objectives before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress and through transactions and other business arrangements. She regularly advises clients on FCC regulatory matters and advocates frequently before the FCC. Jennifer has extensive experience negotiating content acquisition and distribution agreements for media and technology companies, including program distribution agreements, network affiliation and other program rights agreements, and agreements providing for the aggregation and distribution of content on over-the-top app-based platforms. She also assists investment clients in structuring, evaluating, and pursuing potential investments in media and technology companies.

Photo of Lily Katharine Hines Lily Katharine Hines

Lily Hines focuses on licensing, collaborations and other commercial transactions in which intellectual property, data and technology are central. She works with clients across industries, including automotive, energy, and fintech.

Prior to law school, Lily earned an engineering degree in Operations Research from…

Lily Hines focuses on licensing, collaborations and other commercial transactions in which intellectual property, data and technology are central. She works with clients across industries, including automotive, energy, and fintech.

Prior to law school, Lily earned an engineering degree in Operations Research from Princeton, which is an area of applied math that encompasses machine learning, probabilistic modeling and data science. Core to her approach to client service is her focus on understanding the technology driving the transaction. She enjoys collaborating across business, technical and legal teams.

Lily is a member of the Automotive Women’s Alliance Foundation, the Society of Women Engineers, and was recently selected as a member of the drafting team for the Sedona Conference’s (a legal industry thought leader) study on the contours of trade secret protection. Lily was recognized for intellectual property law in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for 2024.

Photo of Christina Higgins Christina Higgins

Christina Higgins is an associate in the firm’s Washington, DC office and a member of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. Christina advises leading businesses on a wide array of cyber security and data privacy compliance issues across various industries, including technology…

Christina Higgins is an associate in the firm’s Washington, DC office and a member of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. Christina advises leading businesses on a wide array of cyber security and data privacy compliance issues across various industries, including technology services, big pharma, professional sports, and financial services. Her practice also includes providing strategic advice on internal investigations and cyber security incident response, ranging from advance persistent threats to theft or misuse of internal information.

Christina’s practice also focuses on regulatory matters and government investigations, where she presents clients in FTC and State AG investigations involving allegations of unfair or deceptive privacy, data security, and marketing practices.

Christina is a member of the Bar of Connecticut. District of Columbia bar application pending; supervised by principals of the firm.

Photo of Jorge Ortiz Jorge Ortiz

Jorge Ortiz is an associate in the firm’s Washington, DC office and a member of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity and the Technology and Communications Regulation Practice Groups.

Jorge advises clients on a broad range of privacy and cybersecurity issues, including topics related to…

Jorge Ortiz is an associate in the firm’s Washington, DC office and a member of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity and the Technology and Communications Regulation Practice Groups.

Jorge advises clients on a broad range of privacy and cybersecurity issues, including topics related to privacy policies and compliance obligations under U.S. state privacy regulations like the California Consumer Privacy Act.