Privacy and data rules
122 of 521 companies dropped a paragraph in Risk Factors that uses one of these words:
privacy, GDPR, personal data, personal information.
The paragraph was in the earlier 10-K and nothing like it is in the latest.
It counts text; it does not say how serious a risk is. Words in capitals only (such as AI) must be in capitals.
By sector
Sector is the SEC's industry description of the company. Each count opens that sector's quotes below.
| Sector | Companies | Compared |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Peripheral Equipment, NEC | 2 | 2 |
| Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments | 2 | 2 |
| Rubber & Plastics Footwear | 2 | 2 |
| Transportation Services | 2 | 2 |
| Air Courier Services | 1 | 1 |
| Aircraft | 1 | 1 |
| Communications Equipment, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Electrical Industrial Apparatus | 1 | 1 |
| Electronic Connectors | 1 | 1 |
| Farm Machinery & Equipment | 1 | 1 |
| Leather & Leather Products | 1 | 1 |
| Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment | 1 | 1 |
| Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products | 1 | 1 |
| Newspapers: Publishing or Publishing & Printing | 1 | 1 |
| Paper Mills | 1 | 1 |
| Real Estate | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Eating & Drinking Places | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Radio, Tv & Consumer Electronics Stores | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Advertising Agencies | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Telephone & Telegraph Apparatus | 1 | 1 |
| Television Broadcasting Stations | 1 | 1 |
| Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies | 1 | 1 |
| Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus | 7 | 10 |
| Computer Communications Equipment | 2 | 3 |
| Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies | 2 | 3 |
| Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. | 3 | 5 |
| Investment Advice | 4 | 8 |
| Retail-Eating Places | 2 | 4 |
| Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys | 2 | 4 |
| Accident & Health Insurance | 1 | 2 |
| Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts | 1 | 2 |
| Industrial Organic Chemicals | 1 | 2 |
| Oil & Gas Field Services, NEC | 1 | 2 |
| Printed Circuit Boards | 1 | 2 |
| Pumps & Pumping Equipment | 1 | 2 |
| Refuse Systems | 1 | 2 |
| Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses | 1 | 2 |
| Retail-Family Clothing Stores | 1 | 2 |
| Services-Computer Programming Services | 1 | 2 |
| Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, NEC | 1 | 2 |
| Services-Medical Laboratories | 1 | 2 |
| Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings | 1 | 2 |
| Ship & Boat Building & Repairing | 1 | 2 |
| Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products | 1 | 2 |
| Beverages | 2 | 5 |
| Biological Products, (No Diagnostic Substances) | 2 | 5 |
| Computer Storage Devices | 2 | 5 |
| Hospital & Medical Service Plans | 2 | 5 |
| Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies | 2 | 5 |
| Finance Services | 11 | 28 |
| National Commercial Banks | 4 | 11 |
| Semiconductors & Related Devices | 5 | 15 |
| Computer & office Equipment | 1 | 3 |
| Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics | 1 | 3 |
| Services-Prepackaged Software | 5 | 19 |
| Services-Business Services, NEC | 4 | 16 |
| Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) | 1 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicles & Passenger Car Bodies | 1 | 4 |
| Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services | 1 | 4 |
| Hotels & Motels | 1 | 5 |
| Laboratory Analytical Instruments | 1 | 5 |
| Pharmaceutical Preparations | 2 | 11 |
| Electric & Other Services Combined | 2 | 12 |
| Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance | 2 | 12 |
| Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service | 1 | 6 |
| Petroleum Refining | 1 | 6 |
| State Commercial Banks | 1 | 6 |
| Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas | 1 | 7 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts | 2 | 27 |
301 paragraphs · Retail-Eating Places show all sectors
For example, Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the U.K. General Data Protection Regulation (which implements the GDPR into U.K. law), impose stringent data protection requirements and provide for significant penalties for noncompliance. Additionally, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) requires, among other things, covered companies to provide specified disclosures to California consumers and allows them to exercise certain rights in connection with their personal information, such as the right to opt-out of certain sales of personal information and to request deletion of personal information (subject to certain exceptions). The CCPA also provides for civil penalties for violations as well as a private right of action for data breaches that may increase data breach litigation. Further, the California Privacy Rights Act, which became effective in January 2023, significantly modified the CCPA to include additional compliance obligations. Since the CCPA was first passed, 19 other states have enacted similar data privacy legislation, eight of which are in effect as of the end of 2024. In addition, a number of other states have passed or are considering additional privacy laws, including laws on health data and biometric data that are in effect, or are expected to take effect in the near future. These state privacy laws will require us to incur additional costs and expenses in our efforts to comply.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 5, 2025 ↗
The increasingly complex, restrictive and evolving regulatory environment at the international, federal and state level related to data privacy and data protection may require significant continued effort and cost, changes to our business practices and impact our ability to obtain and use data to provide personalized experiences for our customers. In addition, failure to comply with applicable requirements may subject us and our Concepts’ franchisees to fines, sanctions, governmental investigation, lawsuits and other potential liability, as well as reputational harm.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 19, 2025 ↗
• Laws relating to information and data security, privacy, cashless payments, consumer protection, and the use of AI and other emerging technologies.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 19, 2025 ↗