Hey there, What's Next readers! Law.com senior tech editor Ian Lopez here, and I'll be with you for the next few weeks while your usual host, Ben Hancock, takes some much-deserved R&R time. Like Ben, I take a bird's eye view of the intersection of law and technology and obsess over the various ways technology is changing the law and the legal profession. On my radar this week: federal regulators are scrutinizing cryptocurrency, Facebook is battling privacy headaches, and e-discovery is the new black. Tell me what you're watching. Email me at [email protected] or find me on Twitter: @ianmichaellopez.

Federal Regulators Grappling With Crypto

William Hinman, director of the SEC's Division of Corporate Finance, gave some much-needed clarity Hinman shared views on when an initial coin offering is legally considered a security plagued the market from the get go ➤ Notably, Hinman declared that Etherium's ether tokens are not a security joining the SEC The announcement comes amid ongoing SEC investigations Hinman's comments aren't the only recent signal from federal regulators. executive branch nominees are required to disclose their cryptocurrency holdings. legal advisory Ross Todd writes taken a closer look at digital currencies ➤ Meanwhile, on the murky frontiers cryptocurrency trading … CCN report told CCN >>Think Ahead.

Facebook's Mounting Privacy Perils

Facebook's been facing a world of trouble with privacy playing out in the Northern District of California use of photo identification technology company's mounting legal problems over its handling of user information. Engadget reports change their privacy settings Still, challenges persist. Wall Street Journal Facebook missed a Senate deadline to respond to questions Fortune reports by famed privacy activist and lawyer Max Schrems Facebook's current practices, like those of many big U.S. tech companies, are inherently challenged by GDPR Article 17 Ross McKenzie Addleshaw Goddard >>Takeaway:

E-Discovery Sees Its Second Wave

the first wave of ubiquitous legal technology may be seeing a second coming fueled by rapid industry consolidation. Epiq has acquired Garden City Group for $42M Tokyo discovery group Ji2 Catalyst acquired TotalDiscovery Consilio merged with Advanced Discovery there may be upsides for users. The industry is also riding a multiyear contract relying on OpenText's Axcelerate document review system >> Takeaway:

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