The ACLU of Southern California is urging individuals to contact their state representatives in support of SB 773. SB 773, sponsored by Senator Jackie Speier, would establish an opt-in requirement before financial institutions can share personal information with unaffiliated companies. The bill has a weaker, opt-out standard for information sharing among affiliated companies. The bill carries civil penalties for violations.
Earlier this year, residents of North Dakota voted overwhelmingly in favor of similar protections.
Take Action! Protect Personal Financial Privacy, ACLU of Southern California.
SB 773, California Legislature.
ND: 72% Opt for Opt-In, Privacy.org, June 12, 2002.
A series of federal and state lawsuits have been brought against junk faxer Fax.com (FDC) for sending advertisements to facsimile machines. The suit also names Cox Business Services and Fax.com's clients. Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, it is illegal to send an unsolicited commercial advertisement to a facsimile machine. The plaintiffs alleged that FDC "war dialed" a hospital, causing over 1,000 calls to be made to University of Washington Medical Center.
FDC was recently fined $5.3 million by the Federal Communications Commission.
Lawsuits Seek $2.2 Trillion Over Junk Faxes, New York Times (Reuters), August 22, 2002.
Lieff Cabraser Announces $2.2 Trillion Class Action Lawsuit Filed to Stop Junk Faxes, Plaintiff Press Release, August 22, 2002.
Junkfax.org News Items.
EPIC Telemarketing Page.
The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) will allow campaigners to send text messages to cell phones. The FEC's approval primarily addresses campaign disclosures, not whether individuals have a right to opt-in or opt-out of political messaging to their cellphones. The ruling allows text messages to be sent without required disclosures that specify who paid for the advertisement.
FEC Decision Could Jump-Start SMS Political Ads, Washington Post, August 22, 2002.
Agenda Item 02-58, FEC, August 22, 2002.
EPIC Spam Page.
The Federal Communications Commission has just issued a notice alleging that notorious Junkfax company, Fax.com, is liable for $5,379,000 in fines. According to the FCC, Fax.com sent unsolicited ads 489 times to fax machines in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991. That law requires opt-in consent before commercial advertisements can be sent to fax machines.
Complaint Against Fax.com (.DOC), FCC, August 7, 2002.
EPIC Telemarketing Page.
The government of Pakistan is drafting rules to regulate cybercafes. Under the rules, Pakistan's thousands of unregulated cybercafes will be required to register with the government. Then, starting a month from now, the cafes will have to ask every customer for proof of identity. The idea is to provide a way of tracking terrorists and deny them the use of computers in perfect anonymity. But critics say that the Internet in Pakistan provides a vital new zone of privacy for young people to communicate and to learn things the socially strict society severely limits. Experts also note that terrorists are likely to easily find loopholes in the system, and in any event their communications are not dependent on cybercafes. Most people, however, access the Internet through cybercafes in South Asia and it is their browsing habits that will be recorded. Neighboring India attempted to pass similar rules last year, but that measure failed after widespread public criticism.
Cybercafe Crackdown May Trip Up Leering Boys New York Times, August 1, 2002
