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Ezra Steinhardt advises on data protection, technology, and trade laws and policy.
Mr. Steinhardt provides clients, including major technology and life sciences companies, NGOs and trade consortia, with compliance advice, and strategic representation in internal and regulatory investigations and public affairs outreach.
Mr. Steinhardt has experience advising on a diverse range of digital technology issues, including, among others, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, online advertising, digital consumer protection, cybersecurity, web content filtering, telecommunications, the Internet of Things, and law enforcement access to data.
Mr. Steinhardt also advises on trade related issues including EU and UK economic sanctions, export controls, and other international trade and treaty matters.
- Working with clients to respond to investigations by national privacy, competition, consumer protection, and trade regulators, including across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously.
- Assisting clients to carry out related internal compliance investigations.
- Advising on EU GDPR and e-privacy requirements, including in relation to novel technologies and services, updates to privacy policies and terms of use, privacy settings, and cross-border data transfers.
- Legislative advocacy and advice on tech law reforms, including for example current European initiatives on e-privacy (E-Privacy Regulation), digital consumer rights (Digital Content Directive) and law enforcement access to data (E-Evidence initiative), and now-enacted laws, such as the GDPR and the UK Investigatory Powers Act.
- Providing guidance on European and UK financial trade sanctions and asset freezing measures.
Pro Bono
- Advising Evidence for Development, a charity dedicated to improving the effectiveness of development aid through economic analysis.
- Advising Privacy International, a leading privacy NGO, on a range of law reform privacy-related matters.
- Advising Internews, an NGO that empowers local media worldwide, on the implementation of freedom of information and online media content laws.
Memberships and Affiliations
- International Association of Privacy Professionals
Previous Experience
- Internship as a speechwriter for the U.S. Secretary of Defence, Robert Gates, at the Office of the Secretary of Defence Public Affairs (OSDPA) in 2009.
- Other internships at urban policy think tank in San Francisco and at a leading Seattle labour law firm.
January 31, 2019, Global Policy Watch
On January 23, 2019, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) announced that it had secured undertakings from 16 social media influencers, including well-known names such as Ellie Goulding, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Rita Ora, that commit each influencer to increased transparency when they promote or endorse brands or services on social media on ...
January 31, 2019, Inside Tech Media
On January 23, 2019, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) announced that it had secured undertakings from 16 social media influencers, including well-known names such as Ellie Goulding, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Rita Ora, that commit each influencer to increased transparency when they promote or endorse brands or services on social media on ...
January 28, 2019, Inside Privacy
On January 24, the European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) adopted a report (“Report”) regarding the second annual review of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield (“Privacy Shield”). In a press release accompanying the Report, the EDPB welcomed efforts by EU and U.S. authorities to implement the Privacy Shield, including in particular the recent appointment of a ...
December 20, 2018, Covington Digital Health
On 18 December 2018, the EU High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (the “AI HLEG”) published new draft guidance on “AI Ethics” (the “guidance”). The AI HLEG is a European Commission-backed working group made up of representatives from industry, academia and NGOs, and was formed as part of the Commission’s ongoing work to develop EU...… Continue ...
December 20, 2018, Inside Tech Media
On 18 December 2018, the EU High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (the “AI HLEG”) published new draft guidance on “AI Ethics” (the “guidance”). The AI HLEG is a European Commission-backed working group made up of representatives from industry, academia and NGOs, and was formed as part of the Commission’s ongoing work to develop EU...… Continue ...
December 20, 2018, Inside Privacy
On 18 December 2018, the EU High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (the “AI HLEG”) published new draft guidance on “AI Ethics” (the “guidance”). The AI HLEG is a European Commission-backed working group made up of representatives from industry, academia and NGOs, and was formed as part of the Commission’s ongoing work to develop EU...… Continue ...
December 17, 2018, Inside Tech Media
On 4 December 2018, the Council of the European Union (the “Council”) formally approved a major reform of the European telecom regulatory framework, the European Electronic Communications Code (the “EECC”). The Council also approved an associated regulation on the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (“BEREC Regulation”). The Council’s ...
November 14, 2018, Inside Privacy
Earlier this year, in the run-up to the General Data Protection Regulation’s (“GDPR”) May 25, 2018 date of application, a major question for stakeholders was how zealously the GDPR would be enforced. Now, as the GDPR approaches its six-month birthday, an answer to that question is rapidly emerging. Enforcement appears to be ramping up significantly. ...… ...
February 12, 2018, Inside Tech Media
This post was originally published on the Covington InsidePrivacy blog on January 19, 2018. On January 12, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas closed its doors for another year. Each CES raises a new set of technology themes, ranging from robots to smart fridges — and this year, the winner was voice...… Continue Reading
January 19, 2018, Inside Privacy
On January 12, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas closed its doors for another year. Each CES raises a new set of technology themes, ranging from robots to smart fridges — and this year, the winner was voice technologies. Such technologies, while not entirely new, are now becoming mainstream: sales of smart...… Continue Reading
UK Imposes New Sanctions Disclosure Obligation on Legal Professionals, Certain Other Businesses
August 7, 2017, Covington Alert
On July 18, 2017, the UK published a new statutory instrument, The European Union Financial Sanctions (Amendment of Information Provisions) Regulation 2017 (S.I. 2017/754) (hereinafter, the “AIP Regulation”). The Regulation comes into force on August 8, 2017.
January 11, 2017, Inside Privacy
On January 10, 2017, the European Commission unveiled the “last major Digital Single Market initiatives” addressing Europe’s digital future. These initiatives comprise the following: A proposal for a Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications (E-Privacy Regulation) (see our post here); A Communication on “Building a European Data Economy” (see our post ...
January 11, 2017, Inside Privacy
On January 10, 2017, the European Commission unveiled the “last major Digital Single Market initiatives” addressing Europe’s digital future. These initiatives comprise the following: A proposal for a Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications (E-Privacy Regulation) (see our post here); A Communication on “Building a European Data Economy”; and A ...
January 11, 2017, Inside Privacy
On January 10, 2017, the European Commission unveiled the “last major Digital Single Market initiatives” addressing Europe’s digital future. These initiatives comprise the following: A proposal for a Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications (E-Privacy Regulation) ; A Communication on “Building a European Data Economy” (see our post here); and A ...
November 17, 2016, Inside Privacy
By Ezra Steinhardt and Gemma Nash On November 11, 2016, a Russian court in Moscow upheld the decision of an earlier court to block online access to the website LinkedIn throughout Russia. This decision, which affirms a decision to penalize LinkedIn by the Russian data protection regulator, the Roskomnadzor, was based on the court’s view that...… Continue Reading
April 13, 2016, Inside Privacy
By Ezra Steinhardt and Vera Coughlan Following the expected approval of the final text of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) in the European Parliament this week, the Commission is now turning its attention towards the ePrivacy Directive. On Monday (April 11, 2016), the Commission launched a public consultation to review and propose changes to ...
February 3, 2016, Inside Privacy
On February 3rd, the Article 29 Working Party, representing Europe’s data protection authorities, published its reaction to the announcement of a new “Privacy Shield” political agreement between the European Commission and the U.S. Government. The Privacy Shield agreement, announced on February 2nd (and further described in our blog post here), is intended to ...
August 2015, Data Protection Law & Policy
August 2015, Privacy Laws & Business International Report
April 22, 2015, Covington Digital Health
The Article 29 Working Party has published a letter (with Annex) to the European Commission, clarifying the scope of the key legal term “health data” in relation to lifestyle and wellbeing apps. Background Article 8 of the EU Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC) qualifies health data as a “special” (i.e. sensitive) category of data to which...… Continue Reading
August 13, 2014, Global Policy Watch
Events are moving quickly in the Middle East, and much has changed since the last blog post on Iraq over a week ago. During that time, ISIS has been engaged in multiple fronts across Iraq. It continues to battle the Iraqi army, Shiite militias, and the Kurdish fighters known as peshmerga in the north. The...… Continue Reading
March 21, 2014, Covington E-Alert
United States and European Union Impose Additional Sanctions in Response to the Crisis in Ukraine
March 18, 2014, Covington E-Alert
November 27, 2013, Covington E-Alert
November 20, 2013, Inside Tech Media
Written by Ezra Steinhardt and Colin Warriner On 29 October 2013, the Republic of Ireland’s Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (DJEI) published a report containing proposed amendments to its copyright laws, named “Modernising Copyright” (“the Report”). Taking account of submissions received during a public consultation that ran between February and ...
October 31, 2013, Inside Tech Media
Written by Ezra Steinhardt and Colin Warriner On 3 October 2013, in the case of Peter Pinckney vs. KDG Mediatech AG, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) confirmed that, with certain qualifications, when a copyrighted work is reproduced in one Member State, and offered for sale online by companies established in another,...… Continue Reading
October 8, 2013, Inside Tech Media
Written by Ezra Steinhardt and Colin Warriner On 12 September, 2013, the European Commission formally adopted a proposal for a new Telecommunications Regulation (the “Regulation”). The Regulation would, if enacted, reform the European Union’s telecommunication rules, including in areas such as net neutrality, spectrum allocation, roaming charges, and consumer ...
September 30, 2013, Inside Tech Media
Written by Ezra Steinhardt and Colin Warriner On 12 September, 2013, the European Commission formally adopted a proposal for a new Telecommunications Regulation (the “Regulation”). The Regulation would, if enacted, reform the European Union’s telecommunication rules, including in areas such as net neutrality, spectrum allocation, roaming charges, and consumer ...
September 17, 2013, Inside Tech Media
Written by Ezra Steinhardt and Colin Warriner On 12 September, 2013, the European Commission formally adopted a proposal for a new Telecommunications Regulation (the “Regulation”). The Regulation would, if enacted, reform the European Union’s telecommunication rules, including in areas such as net neutrality, spectrum allocation, roaming charges, and consumer ...
June 11, 2013, Inside Tech Media
By Ezra Steinhardt and Oliver Grazebrook On 22 May 2013, the Supreme Court issued a ruling on the English law of confidential information. The case represents a helpful guide as to how confidential information may be protected by a business after the end of an employment contract. The case, Vestergaard Frandsen A/S (now called MVF...… Continue Reading
October 19, 2012, Covington E-Alert
July 26, 2012, Covington E-Alert
December 8, 2011, Bloomberg Technology Law Report