Company: STAA
Filing Date: 2025-02-21
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000950170-25-024813
Chunk: 52

Company: STAAR SURGICAL CO
Filing Date: 2025-02-21
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 52
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 failure by a third party to prevent security breaches could have adverse consequences for us.

We are subject to various data protection and privacy regulations in different jurisdictions, including the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act. We have made and continue to engage in compliance efforts to satisfy these and other regulations, however, we may be unsuccessful in complying with applicable requirements, and may be at risk of enforcement actions and/or subject to fines, including those imposed by a data protection authority. As a result, we may incur substantial expense in complying with data protection and privacy regulations, exposure resulting from a data breach, ransomware or non-compliance and may be distracted from other aspects of our business.

The increased use of social media platforms and mobile technologies presents additional risks and challenges.

Social media platforms and mobile technologies are increasingly being used to communicate about our products and the health conditions they are intended to treat. Their use poses risks to our business and requires specific attention and monitoring. For example, patients, surgeons, competitors, or others may use these channels to comment on our products, including the safety or effectiveness of a product and to report an alleged adverse event. Negative posts or comments about us or our business on any social networking web site could harm our reputation. In addition, our employees may use social media tools and mobile technologies inappropriately, which may give rise to liability, or which could lead to the exposure of sensitive information. In either case, such uses of social media and mobile technologies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Acquisitions of technologies, products, and businesses could disrupt our operations, involve increased expenses and present risks not contemplated at the time of the transactions.

We may consider and, as appropriate, make acquisitions of technologies, products, and businesses that we believe are complementary to our business. Acquisitions typically entail many risks and could result in difficulties in integrating the operations, personnel, technologies, and products acquired, and mitigating the risk of unknown liabilities some of which may result in significant payments or charges to earnings.

If we are unable to successfully integrate our acquisitions with our existing business, we may not obtain the advantages that the acquisitions were intended to create, which may materially adversely affect our business, and our ability to develop and introduce new products. Actual costs and sales synergies, if achieved at all, may be lower than we expect and may take longer to achieve than we anticipate. Acquisitions may also divert management’s attention