New Mexico has a new privacy law going into effect this summer which bars state employees from disclosing sensitive personal data without a clearly defined need. The Nondisclosure of Sensitive Personal Information Act will be applicable to insurers, contractors and government service providers who will be liable for civil penalties and criminal sanctions if the data is mishandled.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has just published the updated and more forceful rule for the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), putting more pressure on businesses, apps and websites to protect children’s privacy and data confidentiality. The stronger rules, which will go into effect this summer, include new disclosure requirements, required creation of information security programs, and additional restrictions designed to keep data from being shared with advertisers and data brokers.