Privacy and data security remain significant issues in the U.S., Europe and in many other jurisdictions where we conduct or may in the future conduct our operations. The regulatory framework for the collection, use, safeguarding, sharing and transfer of information worldwide is rapidly evolving and is likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. Additional regulations and guidance requiring data localization and restrictions on data transfer increase complexity for global corporations. Globally, virtually every jurisdiction in which we operate has established its own data security and privacy frameworks with which we must comply. Notably, for example, in Europe, the European General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679, which is commonly referred to as GDPR applies to any company established in the European Economic Area, or EEA, as well as any company outside the EEA that collects or otherwise processes personal data in connection with the offering goods or services to individuals in the EEA or the monitoring of their behavior. The GDPR imposes data protection obligations on processors and controllers of personal data, including, for example, disclosures about how personal information is to be used, stricter requirements for processing special category data (such as health data), having a valid legal basis or condition to process personal data, maintaining records of our processing activities and documenting data protection impact assessments where there is high risk processing, limitations on retention of information, mandatory data breach notification requirements, ensuring appropriate technical and organizational measures are put in place to safeguard personal data and onerous obligations on services providers. Penalties under the GDPR include fines of up to €20 million or 4% of total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher. EEA Member States have adopted national laws to implement the GDPR which may partially deviate from the GDPR. Further, competent authorities in the EEA Member States may interpret GDPR obligations slightly differently from country to country. For these reasons, we do not expect to operate in a uniform legal landscape in the EEA.
Further to the UK's exit from the European Union on January 31, 2020, the UK incorporated the GDPR (as it existed on December 31, 2020 but subject to certain UK specific amendments) into UK law (referred to as the UK GDPR). The UK GDPR and the UK Data Protection Act 2018 set out the UK's data protection regime, which is independent from but currently still aligned to the EU's data protection regime. Non-compliance with the UK GDPR may result in monetary penalties of up to £17.5 million or 4% of worldwide revenue, whichever is higher. Although the UK is regarded as a third country under the EU's GDPR, the European Commission has issued a decision recognizing the UK as providing adequate protection under the EU GDPR and, therefore, transfers of personal data originating in the EEA to the UK remain unrestricted. Likewise The UK government has confirmed that personal data transfers from the UK to the EEA remain free flowing. The UK Government has introduced a Data Protection and Digital Information Bill which failed in the UK legislative process. A new Data (Use and Access) Bill (UK Bill) has been introduced into parliament. If passed, the final version of the UK Bill may have the effect of further altering the similarities between the UK and EEA data protection regime and threaten the UK Adequacy Decision from the European Commission. This may lead to additional compliance costs and could increase our overall risk. The respective provisions and enforcement of the EU GDPR and UK GDPR may further diverge in the future and create additional regulatory challenges and uncertainties.
Given the breadth and depth of changes in data protection obligations, complying with the GDPR requirements has required and will continue to require significant time, resources and a review of our technologies, systems and practices, as well as those of any third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants that process or transfer personal data collected in the UK or EEA.
Further, European data protection laws also regulates the transfer of personal data from the EEA, the UK and Switzerland to third countries that are not considered to provide adequate protections to personal data. On June 4, 2021, the European Commission, or the EC, issued Standard Contractual Clauses, or the SCCs, for data transfers from controllers or processors in the EEA (or otherwise subject to the EU GDPR) to controllers or processors established outside the EEA (and not subject to the EU GDPR). The UK is not subject to the EC's SCCs but has published its own standard clauses, the International Data Transfer Agreement, which enables transfers from the UK. We will be required to implement these new safeguards when conducting restricted data transfers under the EU GDPR and UK GDPR and doing so will require significant effort and cost. Where relying on the SCCs or UK IDTA for data transfers, we may also be required to carry out transfer impact assessments to assess whether the recipient is subject to local laws which allow public authority access to personal data.
On July 10, 2023, the EU adopted an adequacy decision for a new "Data Privacy Framework," which replaces the Privacy Shield, which the European Court of Justice invalidated in 2020 for personal data transferred from the EU to the U.S. On July 17, 2023 the U.S. Department of Commerce released registration means and requirements for U.S. companies to register. The Framework provides additional certification mechanisms to provide for UK and Swiss data transfers. We have registered and have active membership under the Framework, allowing for transfer of HR and non-HR data from Switzerland, UK and EEA member states. We will be required to maintain these new safeguards when conducting restricted cross-border data transfers and doing so will require significant effort and cost. These and other future developments regarding the flow of data across borders could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our services in some markets and may lead to governmental enforcement actions, litigation, fines, and penalties or adverse publicity, which could adversely affect our business and financial position.
While we have taken steps to mitigate the impact on us with respect to transfers of data, such as registering with the U.S. governing bodies managing the Data Privacy Framework, and implementing the SCCs where necessary in new contracts with our service providers, customers, subsidiaries, the validity of these transfer mechanisms remains uncertain. The previous data transfer mechanisms providing adequacy to enable cross-border transfers between the US and the EEA have been invalidated, and the Data Privacy Framework has already been challenged in several jurisdictions. Complying with this guidance as it exists today and evolves will be expensive and time consuming and may ultimately prevent us from transferring personal data outside Europe which would cause significant business disruption for ourselves and our customers and potentially require the changes in the way our products are configured, hosted and supported.
In addition, we are subject to Swiss data protection laws, including the Federal Act on Data Protection, or FADP. While the FADP provides broad protections to personal data, the Swiss federal Parliament enacted a revised version of the FADP which came into effect in September 2023. The new version of the FADP aligns Swiss data protection law with the GDPR. We have updated our agreements to reflect the new requirements per the FADP, but further modifications or changes may require revisiting these agreements.
Further, in addition to existing European data protection law, the European Union also is considering another draft data protection regulation. The proposed regulation, known as the Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications (ePrivacy Regulation), would replace the current ePrivacy Directive. It is unclear whether and/or when the Draft Regulation will enter into force.
Further, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act or AI Act came into force on August 1, 2024 with provisions effective between 2025 and 2026. The AI Act prescribes requirements on companies that publish, deploy or use AI systems to perform assessments and to ensure governance of process to ensure the transparency, fairness and accuracy of AI systems.
Preparing for and complying with the evolving application of the GDPR, national laws in Switzerland and the UK, ePrivacy Regulation (if and when it becomes effective) and the EU AI Act has required and will continue to require us to incur substantial operational costs and may require us to change our business practices. Despite our efforts to bring practices into compliance with the GDPR, appliable national data protection laws and before the effective date of the ePrivacy Regulation, we may not be successful either due to internal or external factors such as resource allocation limitations. Non-compliance could result in proceedings, fines or penalties against us by governmental entities, customers, data subjects, consumer associations or others.
In addition to European data protection requirements, we are subject to US federal and state laws relating to privacy and data security. At the federal level, failing to take appropriate steps to keep consumers' personal information secure may constitute unfair acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (the FTCA), 15 U.S.C § 45(a). The FTC expects a company's data security measures to be reasonable and appropriate in light of the sensitivity and volume of consumer information it holds, the size and complexity of its business and the cost of available tools to improve security and reduce vulnerabilities. Through executive and legislative action, the federal government has also taken steps to restrict data transactions involving certain sensitive data categories – including health data, genetic data, and biospecimens – with persons affiliated with China, Russia, and other countries of concern.
In addition, certain state laws govern the privacy and security of personal information. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which took effect on January 1, 2020 and imposed sweeping privacy and security obligations on many companies doing business in California that meet one of three thresholds and provides for substantial fines for non-compliance and, in some cases, a private right of action to consumers who are victims of data breaches involving their unredacted or unencrypted personal information. While there is currently an exception for protected health information that is subject to HIPAA and clinical trial regulations, as currently written, the CCPA may impact our business activities. The CCPA was amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) which became effective on January 1, 2023. The CPRA imposed additional obligations on companies covered by the legislation and significantly modified the CCPA, including by expanding consumers' rights with respect to certain sensitive personal information. The CPRA also created a new state agency that is vested with authority to implement and enforce the CCPA. The effects of the CCPA are significant and requires us to incur substantial costs and expenses in an effort to comply and increase our potential exposure to regulatory enforcement and/or litigation.
In addition to the CCPA, similar laws have been passed in numerous other states, reflecting a trend toward more stringent privacy legislation in the U.S., which may accelerate. Further, other states have proposed new privacy laws which, if enacted, may add additional complexity, variation in requirements, restrictions and potential legal risk, require additional investment of resources in compliance programs, impact strategies and the availability of previously useful data and could result in increased compliance costs and/or changes in business practices and policies. The existence of comprehensive privacy laws in different states in the country would make our compliance obligations more complex and costly and may increase the likelihood that we may be subject to enforcement actions or otherwise incur liability for noncompliance.
Furthermore, a smaller number of states have passed or are considering laws that are specifically focused upon health privacy, such as Washington's My Health My Data Act which took effect on March 31, 2024 and regulates the collection and sharing of health information. This law also has a private right of action, which further increases the relevant compliance risk. Connecticut and Nevada have also passed similar laws regulating consumer health data. In addition, other states have proposed and/or passed legislation that regulates the privacy and/or security of certain specific types of information. For example, a small number of states have passed laws that regulate biometric data specifically.
These various privacy and security laws may impact our business activities, including our identification of research subjects, relationships with business partners and ultimately the marketing and distribution of our products. The effects of the CCPA and other state and federal privacy laws are significant and may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies and to incur substantial costs and potential liability in an effort to comply with such legislation. State laws are changing rapidly and there is discussion in the U.S. Congress of a new comprehensive federal data privacy law to which we may become subject, if enacted.
The widespread use of generative AI and natural language processing tools have significant risk when used in the healthcare space. We are exposed to risks associated with employees utilizing generative AI in methods and ways that are contrary to the framework laid out by the Executive Order or the subsequent complementary laws. We will need to invest resources to ensure appropriate development and use of any generative AI, or like-technology, and to develop internal compliance policies and procedures addressing this use.
The Department of Justice, or DOJ, issued the final rule carrying out Executive Order 14117, Preventing Access to Americans' Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern. This rule imposes restrictions on data considered sensitive to certain countries. As a result, we are exposed to risks associated with required data sharing between ourselves and a vendor in a country of concern, and we will need to invest resources to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place prior to any sharing of sensitive data.
Cybersecurity presents an ongoing risk vector for our company. A cybersecurity incident or data breach impacting our internal systems or network could compromise sensitive information of patients and employees, requiring additional resources to enable us to ensure remediation and proper notification. Additionally, we rely on vendors to provide many services where they collect, use or process sensitive data on our behalf or jointly. An incident compromising the databases of our internal network or our vendor's information may materially impact our ability to continue development of our products or have appropriate data to complete FDA submissions. If data related to drug development is compromised, the integrity of that data might be impacted in such a way to render it unusable or potentially modified to a degree it will not be reliable. This type of attack may have material financial impacts resulting from a cybersecurity incident or data breach disclosing or making unavailable IP related to our drug development through a ransomware attack or similar method. The continued development and management of our Information Security function may require additional investment of resources to mature our ability to prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents or data breaches.
The increasing number and complexity of regional, country and U.S. state data protection laws, and other changes in laws or regulations across the globe, especially those associated with the enhanced protection of certain types of sensitive data, such as healthcare data or other personal information from our clinical trials, could lead to government enforcement actions and significant penalties against us and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.