Sun Microsystems and a coalition of industry groups are developing a new online identification standard to rival Microsoft�s Passport. The Sun standard is "federated," meaning that different web sites can employ the system without storing personal information on a central server. The coalition is called "Project Liberty."
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will hold a workshop in December 2001 intended to assist companies with writing privacy policies that comply with Gramm-Leach-Bliley. In July 2001, financial, insurance, and brokerage institutions were required by federal law to send customers a privacy policy and the opportunity to opt-out from information sharing. Many of the policies sent were written in confusing legalese.
Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) is advocating more use of encryption among citizens and government to increase security on the Internet. Goodlatte�s exhortation comes after proposals to mandate the use of "key-escrow" encryption, a system where the government would hold the key to open all encrypted communications.
A broad coalition of civil liberties, religious, consumer, and other advocacy groups has organized to defend American freedoms in the wake of terrorist attacks against the country. The coalition has released a ten-point statement that urges legislators to consider new proposals calmly and deliberately and to protect the civil liberties that define the American way of life.
The Bush Administration will introduce a major anti-terrorism package in Congress today. The package, titled the �Mobilization Against Terrorism Act,� will have serious
privacy and civil liberties implications.
The Judicial Conference of the United States, the main policymaking body for the federal courts, has released policies on employee Internet monitoring and the administration of electronic case files (ECF). The Judicial Conference withdrew a policy for further consideration in committee that eliminated all expectation of privacy in the workplace. Electronic case file policy mandates that the courts restrict personal identifiers on files in order to increase privacy protection.
Microsoft has announced that the company will open the Passport system so that it will be compatible with rival identification systems. This will allow users to authenticate their identity using the Passport system without a data transfer to Microsoft.
Law enforcement agents possess broad authority to detain persons when investigating acts of terrorism. Federal law allows police to detain a person as a material witness where there is probable cause showing that the suspect has information important to an investigation.
Congress is approving new legislation that would greatly expand wiretapping powers of police as a result of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In response, a number of civil liberties activists have opposed new restrictions on freedoms.
Wired news reports that federal police have stepped-up surveillance of the Internet after devastating terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. FBI agents approached a major network service provider with the Carnivore system and requested to install the monitoring device. Also, the Hotmail web-based e-mail service is providing information about specific accounts under suspicion.
A coalition of civil liberties groups sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee warning that new technologies applied in the war on drugs may diminish privacy and other rights. The coalition urged the Committee to consider privacy when evaluating John Walters, the current nominee for the Director of National Drug Control Policy.
X10 cameras, tiny surveillance devices that can be monitored remotely, increasingly are being used by voyeurs to spy on people. The company employs irresponsible advertising that suggests that the cameras can be used to spy on women. One ad pictures the bare back of a woman and reads, �Quit spying on people! (we never told you to do that).� The cameras have been found in college shower rooms, attorneys� offices, and corporate offices.
A suit has been brought against Citibank for the disclosure of private information about accountholders to telemarketers. The suit alleges that Citibank provided information that would allow telemarketers to charge customers� credit cards without authorization.
Congress has authorized $30 billion in anti-crime spending over the past six years despite the fact that crime has decreased consistently since 1994. Crime spending is largely arbitrary, based on current fads in the criminal justice profession, and is rarely examined for effectiveness in stemming criminal behavior.
Professor Philip Agre has published an essay in opposition to the use of facial recognition in public places. Agre argues that use of the technology should be outlawed, as it could be used for tracking humans� movements, the data from the systems could be combined with other biometric identifiers, the systems are employed without effective notice or consent, and it can be used by governments to oppress citizens.
Senator Hollings (D-SC), Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, is planning to introduce legislation that would compel electronics manufacturers to embed copy protection controls in their products. The Security Systems Standards and Certification Act (SSSCA) will have significant effects on privacy, free speech, and the rights of content owners.
Ira Rothken, a California attorney who has brought suit against online profiler DoubleClick, is now challenging a privacy-invasive copy protection system. Rothken is suing Fahrenheit Entertainment and Sunncomm for violating the privacy of music purchasers by employing copy protection systems that eliminate the possibility of anonymous music listening. The copy protection system gives no warning to consumers that they cannot listen to compact disks on a computer anonymously. In addition, it is bundled with a program that tracks user identity, listening habits, and downloading habits. Rothken alleges that these practices violate privacy law and California consumer protection law.
Over 80% of respondents in a Canada-wide survey reported that they favored an opt-in system for use and sharing of personal information. 61% reported that they wanted an end to all telemarketing calls, even if such a prohibition resulted in loss of opportunity.
The September issue of the Internet Law Journal (TILJ) includes writings on Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) compliance, Cybercrime, the HIPAA Privacy Rule, and online profiling.
EPIC Executive Director Marc Rotenberg urged the Judicial Conference of the United States to end workplace monitoring of judges and their staff. Rotenberg argued that such monitoring could violate the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA)
The Twelfth Conference on Computers, Freedom, and Privacy is to be held in San Francisco in April 2002. The conference organizers are requesting proposals for panel topics. Any member of the public can suggest a topic on issues including global activitism; technology and monopoly; voting technology and democracy; technology and weapons; ICANN and Internet governance; borders and censorship; digital divide; biometric systems; consumer privacy; wireless privacy and security; hacktivism; intellectual property and intellectual freedom; digital rights management and privacy; public records and private lives. CFP organizers are also soliciting papers on Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies and the Fair Use doctrine.
A newly-release report by the Privacy Foundation has found that Monster.com, the online employment web site, presents serious privacy risks to users. Monster.com has considered selling personal information from resumes to marketers.
The European Union (EU) voted to accept a report alleging that the Echelon surveillance network exists. The EU has recommended that European countries develop encryption systems to counter Echelon.
Michigan Attorney General Jennifer Granholm has brought a case against a man who allegedly used spyware to monitor his former spouse. The spyware automatically e-mailed the former spouse�s keystokes and Internet communications on regular intervals.
The Bush administration is preparing a position on privacy policy and spam and will announce it shortly. In addition, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has been directed to propose a system to address spam.
An article in the New York Times reports that although the public shows strong support for privacy, government has been unwilling to pass legislation to protect privacy.
Police have been monitoring gang communications on the web as more gang members are creating web sites complete with membership applications and threats to rival gangs.
The Official Secrets Act (OSA), statutory language that proscribes the leaking of classified information, will not be included in a intelligence authorization bill. The Bush administration indicated that it would not support the provision.
ENUM, or Electronic Numbering, is a technology that enables a person to link personal information to a single number. ENUM can bring great convenience in communications, however, it raises significant privacy risks.
A poll reported in the New York Times shows that 67% of Americans identify online privacy as a big concern. 55% identified crime as a big concern, and only 22% were concerned with building an antimissile shield. The poll was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies.
The Computer Science Telecommunications Board (CSTB) has issued a call for nominations for a study on Privacy in the Information Age. CSTB is seeking experts in a variety of fields to assist with the study.
Judge Kozinski has written an editorial in the Wall Street Journal advocating an end to monitoring of computers and other equipment used by judges. Such monitoring will endanger confidentiality and worker morale.
