Legislative, Regulatory & Legal

Washington, D.C. -- The Future of Privacy Forum, a Washington, DC-based think tank seeking to advance responsible data use and consumer privacy, and The Wireless Registry Inc., the first global registry of wireless names and identifiers, announced the launch of a new platform that will allow consumers to easily and quickly opt-out of mobile location analytics at thousands of locations in the U.S.
 

New York – Social fundraising platform Kickstarter.com suffered a data breach that exposed personal data of some users to hackers. On a corporate blog post, Kickstarter CEO Yancey Strickler said that on Wednesday, Feb. 12, law enforcement notified the company that hackers had sought and gained unauthorized access to some of its customers' data.

Stellarton, Canada — Sobey’s Inc. has entered binding purchase and sale agreements with Overwaitea Food Group and Federated Co-operatives Limited that will see Sobeys sell 22 of the 23 stores it is required to divest as part of its consent agreement with the Competition Bureau related to its purchase of Canada Safeway.

 In addition, Sobeys has signed a binding letter of intent with Federated for the sale of its Price Chopper location in Winnipeg, which the company is also required to divest as part of its October consent agreement.

Bentonville, Ark. — Wal-Mart is reportedly halting its Indian expansion plans, at least for now. According to the Financial Times, Wal-Mart has not opened any new cash-and-carry stores in India since October 2013 or any new convenience stores there since November 2013.

Washington, D.C. – During a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 11, the National Retail Federation called for widespread adoption of chip-and-PIN payment card technology by U.S. retailers and their partners.

“The chip validates that it’s the real card,” said Tom Litchford, VP retail technologies for NRF. The PIN provides two levels of validation.”

Against the backdrop of a growing national debate over the minimum wage and part-time versus full-time workers, Home Depot has begun a huge seasonal hiring surge in preparation for spring.

The nation's largest home improvement retailer said it planned to hire approximately 80,000 seasonal employees, many of whom are part-time, the same day that President Barack Obama was expected to sign an executive order unilaterally increasing to $10.10 the minimum wage the federal government pays contract workers.

At a press conference this week, the National Retail Federation called for widespread adoption of chip-and-PIN payment card technology by U.S. retailers and their partners.

“The chip validates that it’s the real card,” said Tom Litchford, VP retail technologies for NRF. “The PIN provides two levels of validation.”

With usage of electronic cigarettes on the rise, a new study by e-cig manufacturer Mistic contends the majority of Americans are not opposed to second hand vapor.
 

Los Angeles – The “Dumb Starbucks” parody store which opened in Los Angeles on Saturday, Feb. 8 has been revealed to be a prank for a Comedy Central TV show. According to the Associated Press, comedian Nathan Fielder made a public announcement on Feb. 10 that he opened the store for use in his TV show “Nathan for You.”

Washington, D.C. – The National Retail Federation (NRF) is applauding a decision by the Treasury and IRS to delay implementation of some employer requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) until 2015 and eliminate other requirements for small businesses.