--------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC DIGEST AT PRIVACY.ORG EPIC-DIGEST is a weekly update of news, information, and action items posted on privacy.org. February 6-13, 2001 TOC------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS Internet Law Journal on Search and Seizure, Cyber Crime, and Web Seals Security Breached at World Economic Forum New Amazon Affiliate Program Can Track Users EFF and Liberty Project Urge Court to Protect Anonymous Critics Companies Mount Challenge to VT Internet Law FBI: Carnivore Doesn't Endanger Privacy UK Insurance Company Using Genetic Screening Napster, Gnutella Users May Be Scanned, Spammed EPIC to Establish Public Interest Project Cyber-Terrorism Resolution Calls for Increased Vigilance FBI Renames Carnivore School Privacy Legislation Reintroduced Privacy-Promoting Programmers Win Anti-Censorship Award Health Care Industry Mounts Attack on Medical Regulations The Privacy Coalition Launches Privacy Pledge HP Joins US-EU Safe Harbor SafeWeb to Provide Privacy to CIA Nazis Allegedly Monitored Citizens with IBM Technology ACTION Support the Privacy Coalition's Privacy Pledge NEWS----------------------------------------------------------- Internet Law Journal on Search and Seizure, Cyber Crime, and Web Seals The February issue of the Internet Law Journal has just been published online. It includes articles on the new federal guidelines for searching and seizing computers, the Council of Europe Cyber Crime Convention and web privacy seals. New Federal Guidelines for Searching and Seizing Computers-from servers to PDAs, Internet Law Journal, February, 2001. http://www.tilj.com/content/litigationheadline02050102.htm Cracking Concerns Over Cyber Crime Treaty, Internet Law Journal, February, 2001. http://www.tilj.com/content/litigationheadline02050101.htm Privacy Standards for Web Sites: Web Seals, Internet Law Journal, February, 2001. http://www.tilj.com/content/ecomarticle02050103.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- Security Breached at World Economic Forum Computer hackers were able to circumvent security precautions at the World Economic Forum and gain access to information on 1,400 prominent leaders. 80,000 pages of information, including the cell-phone and credit card numbers of Bill Clinton and Bill Gates were accessed. Database Hacked at Davos Forum, Washington Post, February 6, 2001. http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29969-2001Feb5.html --------------------------------------------------------------- New Amazon Affiliate Program Can Track Users Amazon's new "honor system," a scheme that allows Internet users to donate money to their favorite web sites, also increases the ability of the company to track users. An Amazon spokesperson claims that the company will "hobble" their servers to prevent the collection of personally-identifiable information from the program. Is Amazon's Honor Plan Honorable?, Wired, February 6, 2001. http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,41660,00.html Amazon to collect donations for poor Web sites - at a price, Register, February 6, 2001. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/7/16697.html --------------------------------------------------------------- EFF and Liberty Project Urge Court to Protect Anonymous Critics The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Liberty Project have asked a court to protect the identities of two persons who posted criticism of an ambulance company on an Internet bulletin board anonymously. The groups argue that the right of the "John Does" to speak anonymously is protected by the constitution, and that the company is simply attempting to expose the identities of its critics. Free Speech Advocates Join Forces to Protect Anonymous Speech in Cyberspace, EFF Press Release, EFF Web Page. http://www.eff.org/Legal/Cases/RMC_v_Does/20010207_eff_pressrel.html Speech Groups Fight for Chat Anonymity, Newsbytes, February 7, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/161615.html Free speech advocates push for anonymous chat rooms, CNET, February 7, 2001. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-201-4743831-0.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Companies Mount Challenge to VT Internet Law A coalition of Internet companies and public interest groups have filed a complaint alleging that a recently-enacted Vermont law violates free speech rights. The law prohibits the communication of nudity or sexual content where it may be considered "harmful to minors." Civil Libertarians Attack Yet Another State Cyber-Porn Law, Newsbytes, February 7, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/161652.html Suit Challenges Vermont's Internet Law, Internet World, February 8, 2001. http://www.internetworld.com/news/archive/02082001b.jsp --------------------------------------------------------------- FBI: Carnivore Doesn't Endanger Privacy According to the FBI, Carnivore can be fine-tuned to capture only the network packets of a specific suspect. Further, to capture both the content and headers of a suspect's online communications, the agency must gain approval from a judge and senior Justice Department officials. In Tapping the Net, the F.B.I. Insists Privacy Is Not a Victim, New York Times, February 8, 2001 (registration required). http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/08/technology/08CARN.html Wiretap Laws: Defining Limits of Privacy Rights, New York Times, February 8, 2001 (registration required). http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/08/technology/08LEGA.html --------------------------------------------------------------- UK Insurance Company Using Genetic Screening Norwich Union Life, one of Britain's largest insurance companies, revealed at a House of Commons Committee meeting that genetic tests were used for screening potential buyers of life insurance. Insurance firm admits using genetic screening, The Times, February 8, 2001. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-80582,00.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Napster, Gnutella Users May Be Scanned, Spammed BigChampagne, a marketing company, has been scanning the MP3 collections of Napster users and targeting ads based on their music tastes. The company apparently also targets ads based on users' search criteria. In a related story, Gnutella, a popular peer-to-peer file sharing program, may allow others to acquire users' cookies and other files. Let Others Sue, Marketer BigChampagne Licks Chops Over Rich Napster Data, Inside.com, February 8, 2001. http://www.inside.com/jcs/Story?article_id=23081 The Napster parasites, Salon, February 9, 2001. http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/02/09/napster_parasites/index.html Gnutella swapping cookies, too, CNET, February 8, 2001. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4762138.html --------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC to Establish Public Interest Project The Electronic Privacy Information Center has announced the creation of the Internet Public Interest Opportunities Program (IPIOP). The program, made possible by a $1,000,000 grant from Professor Pamela Samuelson and Robert Glushko, will provide opportunities for law students to pursue public interest issues associated with technology and the Internet. EPIC Press Release, EPIC Web Site. http://www.epic.org/ipiop_pr.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Cyber-Terrorism Resolution Calls for Increased Vigilance Citing an exponential growth in online crimes, Representatives Saxton (R-NJ) and Chambliss (R-GA) introduced a House Resolution declaring that "cyberterrorism" is an emerging threat to national security. The Resolution calls for public-private partnerships to combat the "cyber menace," a revised legal framework for prosecuting "hackers," and a new interagency study to assess the treat posed by cyberterrorists. House Concurrent Resolution 22, THOMAS Database. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.c.r.022: Reps. Saxton, Chambliss Intro Cyber-Terrorism Measure, Newsbytes, February 8, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/161746.html --------------------------------------------------------------- FBI Renames Carnivore The FBI has renamed Carnivore in an apparent attempt to minimize public concern over the Internet monitor tool. Carnivore is now called "DCS1000," which is short for "digital collection system." FBI takes the teeth out of Carnivore's name, CNET, February 9, 2001. http://two.digital.cnet.com/cgi-bin2/flo?y=eBUz0BINIf0U0aRbf Your Rights Online: A Privacy Invasion By Any Other Name, Slashdot, February 12, 2001. http://slashdot.org/yro/01/02/12/1545236.shtml --------------------------------------------------------------- School Privacy Legislation Reintroduced Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) reintroduced legislation that would require that schools obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children for commercial use. S. 290, the Student Privacy Protection Act, THOMAS Database. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:s.00290: Sens. Shelby, Dodd Reintroduce Student Privacy Bill - Update, Newsbytes, February 8, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/161731.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Privacy-Promoting Programmers Win Anti-Censorship Award Lorrie Cranor, Avi Rubin, and Marc Waldman, the creators of Publius, were honored with an award for the "Best Circumvention of Censorship" by the Index on Censorship. Publius is a web-publishing system that distributes files in fragments on the Internet. The system allows for anonymous publishing that is almost impossible to censor. Best Circumvention of Censorship, Index on Censorship Web Page. http://www.indexoncensorship.org/ Publius Censorship Resistant Publishing System, Publius Web Page. http://cs1.cs.nyu.edu/waldman/publius/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Health Care Industry Mounts Attack on Medical Regulations Lobbyists from the health care industry are attempting to weaken or delay the implementation of regulations adopted during the final weeks of the Clinton administration. Among other things, the rules specify that health care providers must obtain consent before using or disclosing patients' medical records. The Bush administration is reportedly looking for ways to revise and simplify the rules. Medical Industry Lobbies to Rein In New Patients Privacy Rules, February 12, 2001 (registration required). http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/12/politics/12PRIV.html Getting Personal: Medical privacy reform in jeopardy, CBS Marketwatch, February 12, 2001. http://www2.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B1EBB2C21%2 DE965%2D4193%2DAA93%2D7CE1CAEA415E%7D&source=htx/http2_mw Health-care Industry Lobbies Bush To Erode Patients New Privacy Code, Chicago Tribune, February 12, 2001. http://chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/article/0,2669,SAV- 0102120143,FF.html --------------------------------------------------------------- The Privacy Coalition Launches Privacy Pledge The Privacy Coalition, a nonpartisan coalition of consumer, civil liberties, educational, library, labor, and family-based groups, launched the Privacy Pledge. The Pledge calls upon legislators to support laws that guarantee effective privacy protection. The Privacy Pledge, The Privacy Coalition. http://www.privacypledge.org/ The Privacy Coalition Press Release, EPIC Web Site. http://www.epic.org/privacycoalition/coalition_press_release.html Privacy Coalition Asks Lawmakers to Sign Pledge, February 12, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/161811.html Privacy Coalition Wants Legislators to Sign a Pledge, Tech Law Journal, February 12, 2001. http://www.techlawjournal.com/privacy/20010212.asp Coalition to Urge Officials to Endorse Privacy Pledge, Los Angeles Times, February 12, 2001. http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/natpol/20010212/t000012895.html --------------------------------------------------------------- HP Joins US-EU Safe Harbor Hewlett Packard has joined the US-EU Safe Harbor, an agreement purporting to protect flows of personal data between the two regions. Safe Harbor, Department of Commerce Web Site. http://www.export.gov/safeharbor/ HP to bridge US and EU privacy policies, Vnunet.com, February 13, 2001. http://www.vnunet.com/News/1117629 --------------------------------------------------------------- SafeWeb to Provide Privacy to CIA SafeWeb, a commercial provider of online privacy tools, is now providing privacy protection to the CIA. The CIA reportedly is using a SafeWeb program called "Triangle Boy" to gain online anonymity. SafeWeb http://www.safeweb.com/ Small Start-Up Helps the CIA To Mask Its Moves on the Web, Wall Street Journal, February 12, 2001 (subscription required). http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB981939629132013437.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- Nazis Allegedly Monitored Citizens with IBM Technology In a new book titled "IBM and the Holocaust," Edwin Black argues that the Nazis employed IBM technology to organize personal data on citizens and target them for extermination. IBM hit with Holocaust victims' lawsuit, Mercury Center (AP), February 11, 2001 http://www0.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/ibm021101.htm IBM implicated in Nazi extermination of Jews, The Register, February 12, 2001. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/16810.html Chief Auschwitz historian denies that IBM system was used in Auschwitz, Mercury Center (AP), February 12, 2001. http://www0.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/059024.htm ACTION--------------------------------------------------------- Support the Privacy Coalition's Privacy Pledge The Privacy Coalition, a nonpartisan coalition of consumer, civil liberties, educational, library, labor, and family-based groups unveiled the Privacy Pledge this week. The Pledge calls upon legislators to promulgate laws that effectively protection personal privacy. 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