--------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC DIGEST AT PRIVACY.ORG EPIC-DIGEST is a weekly update of news, information, and action items posted on privacy.org. May 8-15, 2001 TOC------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS EU Wonıt Delay Implementation of Model Contracts Armey Asks Norton to Stop Photo Radar Systems Court Upholds FTC Ban on Sharing Credit Info Study: Few Businesses Have a Privacy Plan Industry Funded Study Overstates Cost of Privacy Senators Introduce Bill to Outlaw SSN Sales European Echelon Delegation Departs Early Court Orders SSNs Removed from Justicefiles.org Information Broker Files Often Inaccurate AT&T Added to Spam Blackhole List Shop for Financial Privacy Fading Privacy Series Published ACTION Support the Privacy Coalition's Privacy Pledge NEWS----------------------------------------------------------- EU Wonıt Delay Implementation of Model Contracts The European Union has denied the request of US officials to delay the implementation of model contract terms designed to protect EU citizensı data. In April, Treasury and Commerce Department officials asked for delay in the implementation. EU 'no' to data privacy delay, Financial Times, May 6, 2001. http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3M0NO0FMC --------------------------------------------------------------- Armey Asks Norton to Stop Photo Radar Systems Majority Leader Armey (R-TX) has asked Interior Secretary Norton to halt plans to implement photo radar systems on park property. Armey argued that using photo radar systems may lead to a surveillance state where the cameras could be used to monitor the travels of citizens. Photo Radar Program Undermines Privacy, Letter to Interior Secretary Norton from Majority Leader Armey, Majority Leader Web Site, May 8, 2001. http://www.freedom.gov/library/technology/radarletter.asp Rep. Armey questions Interior Department photo radar system, Declan McCullagh's politechbot.com, May 8, 2001. http://www.politechbot.com/p-01998.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Court Upholds FTC Ban on Sharing Credit Info A federal district court judge has upheld FTC-imposed restrictions on the sale of personal financial information. The court held that credit bureaus and data brokers must gain individualsı express consent before selling names, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, and other information from credit records. IRSG v. FTC, (PDF) District Court Opinion, EPIC Web Site. http://www.epic.org/privacy/consumer/IRSGvFTC.pdf Federal Court Upholds FTC Ban On Sale of Personal Credit Data, Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2001 (subscription required). http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB989265867873656323.htm FTC Can Restrict the Use of Consumer Data, Judge Rules, The Standard, May 7, 2001. http://www.thestandard.com/article/0,1902,24284,00.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Study: Few Businesses Have a Privacy Plan Computer Economics, a technology research firm, has found that only one in three businesses has implemented a formal privacy plan. The study covered 518 U.S. businesses in a variety of sectors including the insurance industry, professional service firms, the banking industry, and retail organizations. Privacy Planning Underway in All Sectors But Many Companies Lag Behind, eFLASH Newsletter, Computer Economics Web Site, May 3, 2001. http://www.computereconomics.com/cei/01/eflash/050301.htm#1a Only One-Third Of US Firms Have Privacy Plans, Newsbytes, May 9, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/165509.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Industry Funded Study Overstates Cost of Privacy A recently released industry-funded study estimates that the cost of complying with privacy legislation will be in the billions. Professor Peter Swire and others have analyzed this study, and set forth arguments to refute its claims. New Study Substantially Overstates Costs of Internet Privacy Protections, Peter Swire Web Page, May 9, 2001. http://www.osu.edu/units/law/swire1/hahn.doc Responses to cost of privacy study from Swire, Smith, Sholtz, Declan McCullaghıs Politechbot.com, May 9, 2001. http://www.politechbot.com/p-02005.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Senators Introduce Bill to Outlaw SSN Sales Senators Feinstein (D-CA) and Gregg (R-NH) have introduced a bill that would prohibit the sale or public display of a Social Security number without individual express consent. S. 848, Social Security Number Misuse Prevention Act of 2001, THOMAS Database. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:s.848: Senate Bill Would Ban Sale Of Social Security Numbers, Newsbytes, May 10, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/165572.html --------------------------------------------------------------- European Echelon Delegation Departs Early Members of an European Parliament (EP) delegation commissioned to investigate Echelon have left the United States early because government officials refused to meet with the delegation. The Echelon surveillance system captures commercial communications, and EP members suspect the system has been used for industrial espionage. Europeans Leave U.S. In Huff Over Spy Network Update, Newsbytes, May 10, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/165569.html Echelon Watch. http://www.echelonwatch.org/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Court Orders SSNs Removed from Justicefiles.org A state court in Washington has ordered a web site operator to remove Social Security numbers of police officers from Justicefiles.org. The city of Kirkland had brought suit against the web site operator, alleging that the posting of personal information about the officers would result in harassment and identity theft. Judge limits police data online, Seattle Times, May 11, 2001. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134294456_website11m0.html Justicefiles.org. http://www.justicefiles.org/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Information Broker Files Often Inaccurate Richard Smith, the Chief Technology Officer of the Privacy Foundation, requested and received his own profile from ChoicePoint. ChoicePoint sells profiles to private investigators, attorneys, and federal law enforcement agencies. A review of the profile led Smith to conclude that it contain more misinformation than truthful information. And, Smith learned, he cannot opt-out from the ChoicePointıs collection of personal data. My FBI File, Richard Smith Tipsheet, Privacy Foundation, May 11, 2001. http://www.privacyfoundation.org/commentary/tipsheet.asp What They (Don't) Know About You, Wired, May 11, 2001. http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,43743,00.html --------------------------------------------------------------- AT&T Added to Spam Blackhole List AT&T has been added to the Mail Abuse Prevention System (MAPS) anti-spam blackhole list. As a result, any e-mail sent from AT&T IP addresses will be blocked by ISPs that subscribe to the MAPS service. AT&T's hand caught in spam jar?, CNET, May 11, 2001. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-5905139.html MAPS, Mail Abuse Prevention System. http://mail-abuse.org/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Shop for Financial Privacy The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has published a fact sheet for choosing privacy-friendly financial institutions. Fact Sheet No. 24(c): How to Shop for Financial Privacy, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, May 11, 2001. http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs24c-ShopFin.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- Fading Privacy Series Published The St. Petersburg Times has published a series of articles titled "Fading Privacy." The series includes articles on the future of privacy, financial privacy, medical privacy, and privacy resources. Fading Privacy, St. Petersburg Times. http://www.sptimes.com/News/webspecials/privacy/ 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 last week. The Pledge calls upon legislators to promulgate laws that effectively protection personal privacy. 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