comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations we could be subject to costs and liabilities and our business may be adversely impacted.
Certain of our operations and products are subject to environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, which may result in substantial
compliance costs or otherwise adversely affect our business.
Our operations are subject to numerous federal, state,
local and foreign laws and regulations relating to protection of the environment, including those that impose limitations on the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, establish standards for the use, treatment, storage and disposal of
solid and hazardous materials and wastes, and govern the cleanup of contaminated sites. We have used and continue to use various substances in our products and manufacturing operations, and have generated and continue to generate wastes, which have
been or may be deemed to be hazardous or dangerous. As such, our business is subject to and may be materially and adversely affected by compliance obligations and other liabilities under environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. These
laws and regulations affect ongoing operations and require capital costs and operating expenditures in order to achieve and maintain compliance.
As the result of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, we have been required by U.S. federal and state governmental authorities and governmental authorities in non-U.S.
jurisdictions, as well as our own desire to adhere to best health and safety practices, to implement a number of policies and procedures that have increased our costs and added complexity and inefficiency to our manufacturing operations and all
administrative and office-based functions.
Our operations are subject to anti-corruption laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act, and any determination that the Company or any of its subsidiaries has violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the UK Bribery Act and similar worldwide anti-corruption laws generally prohibit companies
and their intermediaries from making improper payments to government officials and others for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Our internal policies mandate compliance with these anti-corruption laws. We operate in parts of the world
that have experienced governmental corruption to some degree, and in certain circumstances, strict compliance with anti-corruption laws may conflict with local customs and practices. Despite our training and compliance programs, there can be no
assurance that our internal control policies and procedures will protect us from reckless or criminal acts committed by those of our employees or agents who violate our policies.
Unauthorized access to personal data could give rise to liabilities as a result of governmental regulation, conflicting legal requirements or differing views of personal privacy rights and
compliance with laws designed to prevent unauthorized access of personal data could be costly.
AstroNova collects and
stores certain data, including proprietary business information, and may have access to confidential or personal information that is subject to privacy and security laws, regulations and customer-imposed controls. Security breaches or other
unauthorized access to, or the use or transmission of, personal user information could result in a variety of claims against us, including privacy-related claims. There are numerous federal, state, local, and international laws and regulations
regarding privacy and the storage, sharing, use, processing, disclosure and protection of this kind of information, the scope of which are changing, inconsistent and conflicting and subject to differing interpretations.
We also expect that there will continue to be new laws, regulations, and industry standards concerning privacy, data protection, and
information security proposed and enacted in various jurisdictions. For example, in 2016 the European Commission adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a comprehensive privacy and data protection reform that became effective in
May 2018. The GDPR, which is applicable to all companies processing data of European Union residents, imposes significant fines and sanctions for violations. Similarly, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 , which was enacted in June 2018 and
came into effect
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