Reference
A glossary of acronyms, terms, laws, and regulations used across the courses.
A
ADA
Law
Americans with Disabilities Act
Prohibits disability discrimination; limits employer collection of medical information.
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ADEA
Law
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Prohibits employment discrimination against workers age 40 and older.
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APEC
Acronym
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Regional body behind the Cross-Border Privacy Rules system.
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B
BCRs
Acronym
Binding Corporate Rules
Internal rules enabling lawful intra-group international data transfers.
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BIPA
Law
Biometric Information Privacy Act
Illinois law regulating the collection and use of biometric identifiers, with a private right of action.
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BSA
Law
Bank Secrecy Act
Requires financial recordkeeping and reporting to help detect money laundering.
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C
CALEA
Law
Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act
Requires telecommunications carriers to enable lawful electronic surveillance.
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CAN-SPAM
Law
Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act
Sets rules for commercial email, including opt-out and labeling requirements.
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CBPR
Acronym
Cross-Border Privacy Rules
APEC system for accountable cross-border transfers of personal information.
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CCPA
Law
California Consumer Privacy Act
Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.100
Grants California residents rights to know, delete, and opt out of the sale of their personal information.
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CFAA
Law
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Criminalizes unauthorized access to protected computer systems.
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CFPB
Acronym
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Regulates consumer financial products and related data practices.
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COPPA
Law
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
15 U.S.C. § 6501
Restricts online collection of personal information from children under 13.
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CPNI
Acronym
Customer Proprietary Network Information
Telecommunications customer data protected under FCC rules.
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CPPA
Acronym
California Privacy Protection Agency
State agency that implements and enforces the CCPA/CPRA.
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CPRA
Law
California Privacy Rights Act
Amended and expanded the CCPA and created the California Privacy Protection Agency.
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CalOPPA
Law
California Online Privacy Protection Act
Requires websites and online services to post a conspicuous privacy policy.
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D
DAA
Acronym
Digital Advertising Alliance
Self-regulatory body governing online behavioral advertising (the AdChoices program).
DNC
Acronym
Do Not Call Registry
Registry allowing consumers to opt out of most telemarketing calls.
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DNT
Acronym
Do Not Track
A browser signal requesting that a site not track the user.
DPF
Acronym
EU-US Data Privacy Framework
Mechanism for lawful EU-to-US personal data transfers; successor to Privacy Shield.
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DPIA
Acronym
Data Protection Impact Assessment
A GDPR assessment required for high-risk processing of personal data.
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DPO
Acronym
Data Protection Officer
Designated individual responsible for overseeing privacy compliance.
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DPPA
Law
Driver's Privacy Protection Act
Protects personal information held by state motor vehicle departments.
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E
ECPA
Law
Electronic Communications Privacy Act
Restricts interception of and access to electronic communications.
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EEOC
Acronym
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Enforces federal anti-discrimination laws affecting employee data.
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EFTA
Law
Electronic Fund Transfer Act
Establishes consumer rights and protections for electronic fund transfers.
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ePHI
Acronym
Electronic Protected Health Information
PHI created, stored, or transmitted electronically, covered by the HIPAA Security Rule.
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F
FACTA
Law
Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act
Amended FCRA to address identity theft; source of the Red Flags and Disposal Rules.
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FCC
Acronym
Federal Communications Commission
Regulates interstate communications and enforces TCPA and CPNI rules.
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FCRA
Law
Fair Credit Reporting Act
15 U.S.C. § 1681
Regulates the collection, dissemination, and use of consumer credit and report information.
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FCRA Disposal Rule
Regulation
FACTA Disposal Rule
Requires reasonable measures to properly dispose of consumer report information.
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FERPA
Law
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
20 U.S.C. § 1232g
Protects the privacy of student education records.
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FIPPs
Acronym
Fair Information Practice Principles
Foundational principles (notice, choice, access, security, accountability) for responsible data handling.
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FISA
Law
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
Governs electronic surveillance of foreign intelligence targets.
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FISMA
Law
Federal Information Security Modernization Act
Requires federal agencies to secure their information systems.
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FOIA
Law
Freedom of Information Act
Provides public access to federal agency records, with privacy exemptions.
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FTC
Acronym
Federal Trade Commission
Primary US federal authority for privacy and consumer-protection enforcement (Section 5, unfair or deceptive practices).
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G
GCC High
Acronym
Government Community Cloud High Security
test
GDPR
Regulation
General Data Protection Regulation
Regulation (EU) 2016/679
EU regulation governing personal data processing; frequently contrasted with US sectoral law.
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GINA
Law
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
Prohibits discrimination based on genetic information in employment and health coverage.
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GLBA
Law
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
15 U.S.C. § 6801
Governs how financial institutions handle nonpublic personal information; includes the Privacy and Safeguards Rules.
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H
HHS
Acronym
US Department of Health and Human Services
Enforces HIPAA through its Office for Civil Rights.
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HIPAA
Law
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Sets national standards for protecting individually identifiable health information.
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HITECH
Law
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act
Strengthened HIPAA enforcement and introduced breach notification requirements.
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I
N
NAI
Acronym
Network Advertising Initiative
Self-regulatory body setting standards for online advertising.
NIST
Acronym
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Publishes widely used security and privacy frameworks.
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NPI
Acronym
Nonpublic Personal Information
Consumer financial information protected under the GLBA.
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O
OCR
Acronym
Office for Civil Rights
HHS office that enforces the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules.
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OECD
Acronym
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Issued influential international privacy guidelines underpinning the FIPPs.
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OMB
Acronym
Office of Management and Budget
Issues privacy and information-management guidance for federal agencies.
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P
PCI DSS
Acronym
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard
Industry security standard for organizations that handle payment card data.
PHI
Acronym
Protected Health Information
Individually identifiable health information protected under HIPAA.
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PIA
Acronym
Privacy Impact Assessment
A structured analysis of how a system or project handles personal information.
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PII
Acronym
Personally Identifiable Information
Information that can identify, or be linked to, a specific individual.
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R
RFPA
Law
Right to Financial Privacy Act
Protects the confidentiality of customer financial records held by banks.
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Red Flags Rule
Regulation
FACTA Red Flags Rule
Requires certain creditors and financial institutions to maintain an identity-theft prevention program.
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S
SCA
Law
Stored Communications Act
Governs access to stored electronic communications and records (Title II of ECPA).
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SCCs
Acronym
Standard Contractual Clauses
Pre-approved contract terms enabling lawful cross-border data transfers.
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SEC
Acronym
Securities and Exchange Commission
Regulates securities markets, including cybersecurity and breach disclosure.
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SHIELD Act
Law
Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act
New York law expanding breach-notification obligations and data-security requirements.
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SOX
Law
Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Imposes corporate financial reporting, records, and internal-control requirements.
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Safeguards Rule
Regulation
GLBA Safeguards Rule
Requires financial institutions to develop and maintain an information security program.
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T
TCPA
Law
Telephone Consumer Protection Act
Restricts telemarketing calls, autodialers, prerecorded messages, and texts.
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TSR
Regulation
Telemarketing Sales Rule
FTC rule implementing telemarketing restrictions and the National Do-Not-Call Registry.
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U
USA PATRIOT Act
Law
Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act
Expanded government surveillance and information-sharing authorities after 9/11.
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V
VCDPA
Law
Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act
Virginia's comprehensive consumer privacy law.
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VPPA
Law
Video Privacy Protection Act
Restricts disclosure of video rental and viewing records.
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