Microsoft Asking Congress to Referee Cloud Computing Privacy
Microsoft in a statement before a Committee asked Congress introduce legislation to address Cloud Computing privacy and security. The focus of the request was on modernization, which when translated could be a range of actions that protect consumers' privacy or diminish them. There is also the issue of the trend toward preemption of state law making and enforcement authority which weaken consumer rights and privacy protection. Steps taken by Data Protection Authorities in Canada and the EU have extended privacy protection to US consumers by requiring business to reform online business practices. Microsoft Urges Cloud-Computing Privacy Bill, Chloe Albanesius, PC Magazine, January 20, 2010
Chinese cyber-attackers assault Google network. The company determined that the attacks against it came from within China. The assumption is if the attack came from inside China then the government had something to do with it. There were significant privacy concerns regarding US citizens traveling to China for last Summer Olympics. The tiff is playing out as Google reconciles collaboration with Chinese authorities over content screening of Chinese users at their government's request.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau requested that the Federal Communications Commission not regulate privacy matters related to the national broadband plan. They expressed concern that they could face multiple agency regulatory efforts to protect consumer privacy. They could make this argument to all federal regulatory agencies, resulting in an environment where no privacy protective efforts are involved with the roll out of national broadband.
A Transportation Security Administration security check point screener pulled a passenger aside to show her a plastic bag with a white powder in it and said he had found it in her luggage. The passenger became upset, and he tried to brush it off as a joke. The screener was reported by the passenger and a witness which resulted in his dismissal. TSA prank and prayers aloft provoke reactions, Examiner.com, January 23, 2010
Where is the Federal Privacy Oversight Protection Board?
There are long standing privacy and civil liberties worries regarding the federal governments efforts to fight terrorism. Nagging problems first noted by DOJ Inspector General Reports in 2007 outlined the FBI's failure to follow the law. The White House Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Protection Board also investigated the matter and found serious lapses with FBI use of National Security Letters. Later Congress moved the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Protection Board from the White House. No new members of the board have been appointed.
Experts to Address Privacy Issues Related to Whole Body Scanner
Leading privacy law scholars Anita Allen and Jeffrey Rosen, acclaimed author and surveillance authority James Bamford, world renowned security technologist Bruce Schneier, and EPIC President Marc Rotenberg will be at the National Press Club, on Monday, January 25 at 8:30 a.m. for a panel discussion on "Body Scanners and Privacy." The event takes place as Congress is in the middle of hearings to determine whether to deploy full body imaging devices in US airports.
The Department of Justice Inspector General reported that the FBI repeatedly broke the law between April 2003 and November 2006, when it conducted warrantless domestic telephone surveillance programs against US citizens. Major telecommunication companies were reported to have contracted out employees to the agency to aid the government gaining access to telephone records. The telecom employees gave the FBI access to thousands of reporters' telephone numbers and call records from calling circles.
Both the House and Senate have recently passed bills to continue the surveillance authority provided the US PATRIOT Act.
Microsoft to Comply with EU Privacy Laws and Reduce Data Retention
In order to comply with European privacy law, Microsoft announced that it will delete user search data, including IP addresses, after six months. In 2008 the Article 29 Working Group, which includes data protection officials across the European Union, met with Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo to discuss their data retention practices. Following a determination that records are subject to European privacy law, the Article 29 Working Group asked the search engine companies to eliminate online user data, including IP addresses and search queries, after six months. Microsoft will redesign its new Bing search engine to comply with the request. It is unclear at this point what Google and Yahoo will do.
Supreme Court to Hear Case on Petition Signers' Right to Privacy
Petition signers seek relief from the Supreme Court in a case regarding the disclosure of petitioners names who signed in support of getting an initiative on the ballot California ballot in 2008. They cited concerns that should their names be made public they could become targets of opponents who opposed the initiative that was passed and bars gay marriage.
Google Considers Leaving China Over Attempted Breaches
After repeated attempts to break Google servers hosting Internet access to china, Google declared it was considering leaving that market. Google had cooperated with China's censorship laws by blocking access to certain Web content. Google announcement cited free speech, and surveillance as contributing factors of its reconsideration of the business relationship it has with China.
EU President Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba announced today that European countries would not rush to install body scanners as the United States has urged. He said that there will first be studies to determine whether the devices "are effective, do not harm health, and do not violate privacy." The European countries have agreed that they will adopt a unified position on the body scanner proposal. European Minister Viviane Reding stated that "Europe's need for security cannot justify an invasion of privacy. Our citizens are not objects: they are human beings." Previous post-9/11 disputes between the US and the EU have involved the transfer of Passenger Name Records and financial information.
EU puts off reply to US request for airport body scanners, Chirstian Spillmann, AFP
The Electronic Privacy Information Center received documents from the Department of Homeland Security on whole body scanning technology the agency proposed to use on all air travelers. The agency reported that it would not collect, retain, or share images of passengers. However, documents obtained by EPIC show that the specifications required technology vendors to include data retention capability.
Facebook CEO Says If He Could Do It Again: All Users' Pages Would Be Public
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook creator and CEO said that if he had it to do over again users' content would be defaulted to public. He began his remarks by talking about Facebook privacy policy. Facebook has over 350 million users worldwide who were told that no one would view their pages without their consent. The company recently made changes to its privacy policy that changed the privacy settings of users to extensively sharing content on their private pages.
Obama Says Christmas Day Incident Could Have Been Disrupted
President Obama said that the government had sufficient information to uncover the plot to blow up a commercial jet on Christmas Day had it used the information it received. Echoing what was said about the attacks of September 11, 2001, he said "This was not a failure to collect intelligence," but it was "It was a failure to integrate and understand the intelligence that we already had."
Obama Says Christmas Day Incident Could Have Been Disrupted
President Obama said that the government had sufficient information to uncover the plot to blow up a commercial jet on Christmas Day had it used the information it received. Echoing what was said about the attacks of September 11, 2001, he said "This was not a failure to collect intelligence," but it was "It was a failure to integrate and understand the intelligence that we already had."
Obama Says Christmas Day Incident Could Have Been Disrupted
President Obama said that the government had sufficient information to uncover the plot to blow up a commercial jet on Christmas Day had it used the information it received. Echoing what was said about the attacks of September 11, 2001, he said "This was not a failure to collect intelligence," but it was "It was a failure to integrate and understand the intelligence that we already had."
TSA Works to Reduce Public Tension Over Whole Body Scanners
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is working to reduce public anxiety about security of air travel by pushing for the use of whole body scanners at US Airports. After the Christmas Day attempted attack on a domestic air flight destined for Detroit federal government agencies have faced an array of questions regarding failures to relay information about the suspect to other agencies charged with securing air travel.
TSA Works to Reduce Public Tension Over Whole Body Scanners
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is working to reduce public anxiety about security of air travel by pushing for the use of whole body scanners at US Airports. After the Christmas Day attempted attack on a domestic air flight destined for Detroit federal government agencies have faced an array of questions regarding failures to relay information about the suspect to other agencies charged with securing air travel.
FTC Chair Leibowitz Says It Does Not Green Light Facebook Proposals
An interview with Federal Trade Commission Chair Jon Leibowitz about reports that the agency took some position on Facebook's new privacy policy. Leibowitz rely to the question was "We aren't generally in the business of giving general advisory opinion in advance. I certainly don't think anyone would suggest that we would pre-clear their new privacy policy."
Obama Administration Addresses Secrecy of Classified Documents
The Obama Administration declared that "no information may remain classified indefinitely," a sharp departure from previous administrations. One of President Obama first official acts was to signal a new era regarding Federal open government policy. The problem of over use of government classification that restrict public disclosure was a hotly contested issue between open government advocates and the Bush Administration.
Obama Administration Addresses Secrecy of Classified Documents
The Obama Administration declared that "no information may remain classified indefinitely," a sharp departure from previous administrations. One of President Obama first official acts was to signal a new era regarding Federal open government policy. The problem of over use of government classification that restrict public disclosure was a hotly contested issue between open government advocates and the Bush Administration.
Network Neutrality advocates have worked to raise awareness of the potential for content discrimination by Internet service providers. When digital content is sent over the Internet it is possible to determine the nature of the communication. Internet service providers can then influence the delivery of communications or charge higher rates. The Federal Communications Commission proposed rules that would prohibit Internet service providers such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc from discriminating against certain web information transactions or charging higher rates for services.
Network Neutrality advocates have worked to raise awareness of the potential for content discrimination by Internet service providers. When digital content is sent over the Internet it is possible to determine the nature of the communication. Internet service providers can then influence the delivery of communications or charge higher rates. The Federal Communications Commission proposed rules that would prohibit Internet service providers such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc from discriminating against certain web information transactions or charging higher rates for services.
