Food, Beverage, Hospitality & the Internet

While the food, beverage and hospitality industry tries to reinvent itself to survive the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, using the internet to interact with customers and promote business has become increasingly important. The industry has dramatically expanded its use of social media marketing, apps and third-party sites in 2020. However, using technology to interact with customers and collect their data is becoming increasingly regulated, which could create risks for the unprepared.

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) of 2018 is the strictest privacy law in the U.S. and requires businesses to rethink how they collect, manage and protect their consumers' personal information. The California Attorney General's Office began enforcing this Act on July 1, 2020 with penalties as much as $7,500 or more per violation. Find out which businesses need to comply, how the law is being enforced and what you need to do to be compliant with the CCPA.

Additionally, we will discuss data security regulations and recent industry lawsuits, and complications posed by the use of third-party delivery apps.

Food, beverage and hospitality businesses are also facing a slew of lawsuits related to web accessibility claims made under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Recent court rulings have interpreted the ADA to require that website and app content be accessible to disabled users who require assistive technologies.

Join attorneys from ECJ's Food, Beverage & Hospitality and Technology Law Departments for this timely discussion on how to navigate these regulations, recent industry examples and what steps you should be taking to avoid hefty fines for noncompliance.