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Ezra Steinhardt advises on European privacy, 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 and health issues, including, among others, wearables, cloud computing, online advertising, mobile health, cybersecurity, web content filtering, telecommunications, the Internet of Things, pseudonymization, doping in sports, and law enforcement access to data.
Mr. Steinhardt also advises on trade related issues including EU economic sanctions, export controls, and other international trade and treaty matters.
- Working with clients to respond to investigations by privacy, trade and consumer protection authorities.
- Advising firms on implementation of the European General Data Protection Regulation.
- Advising on updates to privacy policies and terms of use, cookie requirements, privacy settings, app features, cloud computing services, data breaches, and cross-border data transfers.
- Advising pharmaceutical companies on the treatment of clinical health data, new e-health services and devices, and the implementation of binding corporate rules.
- Advising on law reforms, including the European Commission’s Digital Single Market Strategy proposals, reform of UK and EU rules governing confidentiality of communications and interceptions, and other technology-related legal and policy initiatives.
- Providing guidance on European trade sanctions and asset freezing measures, including those relating to Iran, Syria, Ukraine, Russia, North Korea, and Belarus.
- Assisting multiple major financial services companies in conducting internal investigations and preparing filings to regulators in relation to EU trade compliance issues.
- Assisting a major medical devices company to advocate on IP and medical devices issues at the World Health Organization.
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.
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 ...
European Court of Human Rights Rules That Employers Can Monitor Employee Private Communications
January 14, 2016, Inside Privacy
On January 12, 2016, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that an employer who had monitored an employee’s private communications during working hours had not breached the employee’s right to privacy (under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights). This judgment will influence how other European national courts and regulators view...… ...
August 2015, Privacy Laws & Business International Report
August 2015, Data Protection Law & Policy
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
January 6, 2015, Inside Privacy
UPDATED: This post was first published on December 19, 2014; it is now being updated to reflect President Putin’s signature of the bill discussed below on 31 December, 2014. In July 2014, Russia enacted Law 242-FZ (the “Localization Law”). The Localization Law amends the Russian Federal Law on Information, Information Technology and Information Protection, ...
December 19, 2014, Inside Privacy
In July this year, Russia enacted Law 242-FZ (the “Localization Law”). The Localization Law amends the Russian Federal Law on Information, Information Technology and Information Protection, and would introduce a new requirement for certain businesses (including in particular those processing data concerning Russian citizens and also maintaining offices in ...
Article 29 Working Party Publishes Full Guidance On CJEU Right To Be Forgotten Ruling Against Google
December 2, 2014, Inside Privacy
Late last week, the Article 29 Working Party released a short press statement announcing that it had agreed guidance for the implementation of the May 2014 CJEU ruling against Google on the “right to be forgotten.” See our first post on the Working Party’s guidance here. The Working Party has now published a full 20-page...… 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
May 13, 2014, Covington E-Alert
April 29, 2014, Covington E-Alert
April 28, 2014, Covington E-Alert
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
January 22, 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 ...
July 1, 2013, The Law Society Gazette
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
February 18, 2013, Inside Tech Media
By Fredericka Argent and Ezra Steinhardt On 14 February 2013, ENISA announced the release of a new report titled “Critical Cloud Computing – A CIIP Perspective on Cloud Computing Services”. The report sets out new cyber-security measures for cloud providers and users to implement when protecting “CII systems” against outages, disruptions and cyber-attacks. “CII ...
February 11, 2013, Inside Tech Media
By Bonnie Drury and Ezra Steinhardt Controversy continues over WHO negotiations for a binding global medical research & development treaty — and the negotiations may now stall until May at the earliest. In late November 2012, members of the Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination (the CEWG) agreed the text...… ...
January 9, 2013, Inside Tech Media
By Fredericka Argent and Ezra Steinhardt On 21 December 2012, the European Commission published a Code of EU Online Rights (the “Code”) as part of its on-going Digital Agenda for Europe initiative. The aim of the Code is to set out in a single, user-friendly document the minimum rights of consumers in the digital environment. ...… Continue Reading
January 9, 2013, Covington E-Alert
November 29, 2012, Inside Tech Media
By Bonnie Drury and Ezra Steinhardt On 28 November 2012, following an 18-month investigation, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced that it had fined the joint owners of Tetrus Telecoms (Tetrus) a total of £440,000 under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). The fine penalized Tetrus for sending millions of unsolicited ...
October 19, 2012, Covington E-Alert
July 26, 2012, Covington E-Alert
December 8, 2011, Bloomberg Technology Law Report
July 2011, Privacy Laws & Business