Hello. Uber says it is standing up for the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unlawful search and seizure of private property, in a lawsuit against Los Angeles. The city wants real-time information about the use of Uber’s scooters, it says, to manage traffic and safety. Uber argues that such data could let governments peek into residents’ lives. The legal battle could influence how cities balance policing companies that use their streets with safeguarding people’s privacy, WSJ’s Preetika Rana and James Rundle report.

Other news: Cyber investors adjust course; HHS revises privacy rules for Covid-19 patients; lawyers working at home advised to turn off Alexa and similar devices; and researchers see uptick in corporate spying attempts.

Uber sues Los Angeles over rules for sharing data in real time. The company says live data from its dockless scooters could be misused and invade customer privacy.

Los Angeles officials have said they need this data from Uber’s dockless scooters to better manage traffic on streets and reduce safety hazards from scooters and bikes. The information is treated as classified, they say, and stripped of personal details.

A spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Transportation declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying “it is not business as usual for the city” as it wrestles with the coronavirus pandemic. She said Uber recently began complying with the rules that it was challenging.

Read more here.

Amid market turmoil, cyber investors explore a range of options. A sector that has raised record amounts of funding in recent years should brace for a drop in deal activity amid the coronavirus-related economic turmoil, WSJ Pro Venture Capital reports, citing research from venture firm DataTribe. Gula Tech Adventures isn’t taking meetings for new deals and is thinking about which of its existing portfolio companies have realistic chances of surviving, said Ron Gula, the firm’s president. “Nobody is starting due diligence on companies right now,” he said.

Then again: ForgePoint Capital Management, which raised a $450 million fund to target cybersecurity startups in late February, is pouncing on deals with more investor-friendly terms, co-founder and Managing Director Alberto Yepez said. The San Mateo, Calif.-based firm is in the process of closing investments into two cybersecurity startups, Mr. Yepez said.

Chinese hacking group allegedly behind surge in corporate spying attempts. Cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc. said it has seen an uptick in activity since January from a group known as APT41, linked to China, Reuters reports. Since January, at least 75 FireEye customers in industries such as manufacturing and health care have been targeted by APT41, which is known for corporate espionage. FireEye declined to name the customers but said their networks are in several countries including the U.S., Britain and Singapore. The Chinese embassy didn’t respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Law firms tell housebound attorneys to turn off Alexa, other smart speakers. Amazon.com’s Alexa, Google’s voice assistant and similar devices could overhear confidential legal conversations or be compromised by hackers, Bloomberg reports. Baby monitors and Amazon’s Ring video doorbells also present risks to attorney-client privilege as lawyers work from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Certain health data can be disclosed for Covid-19 patients without violating privacy law. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week revised privacy rules to allow some caregivers to share protected health information about individuals exposed to or suffering from Covid-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Guidance issued this week allows health professionals to share a patient’s name and other identifying information without the individual’s permission in some common scenarios:

• When needed to provide treatment;
• When required by law;
• When first responders may be at risk for an infection; and
• When disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat.

Write to the WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Team: Kim S. Nash, James Rundle, Catherine Stupp and David Uberti. 

Follow us on Twitter: @knash99, @JimRundle, @catstupp and @DavidUberti. Also, @WSJCyber.

Contact Enterprise Technology Editor Steve Rosenbush at steven.rosenbush@wsj.com or follow him on Twitter: @Steve_Rosenbush.