--------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC DIGEST AT PRIVACY.ORG EPIC-DIGEST is a weekly update of news, information, and action items posted on privacy.org. June 5-12, 2001 TOC------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS Defense Department Sites Fail on Privacy Mobile Phone Tracking May be Opt-In Software Detects Web Bugs Ashcroft: Bush DOJ to Pursue Obscenity, Cybercrime Representatives Introduce Resolution Supporting P3P COE Cybercrime Treaty Opposed by Civil Liberties Groups Internet Law Journal on Cookies and Filtering Supreme Court: Thermal Imaging Constitutes a Search Sample Opt-Out Letters Available Online ACTION Support the Privacy Coalition's Privacy Pledge NEWS----------------------------------------------------------- Defense Department Sites Fail on Privacy A recent audit of Defense Department web sites by the Office of Inspector General showed that the pages employed unauthorized cookies and web bugs. Many of the sites lacked a privacy policy. Lawmaker Disturbed By Defense Dept. Privacy Violations, Newsbytes, June 5, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/166488.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Mobile Phone Tracking May be Opt-In "Enhanced 911" service alerts police to the location of a mobile phone when the user dials 911. This location tracking technology may increase safety, but it may also enable marketers, government, and others to monitor the travels of persons who use wireless devices. Wireless industry groups are considering an opt-in standard for commercial tracking of mobile devices to address privacy problems. Privacy-US Wireless Firms Choose Opt-in to Protect Privacy, Washtech (Reuters), June 5, 2001. http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/10264-1.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Software Detects Web Bugs New freeware developed by the Privacy Foundation can detect web bugs. Web bugs are imperceptible graphics on web pages or embedded in e-mail that are designed to collect user data. The program, Bugnosis, is a plug-in to the Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser. Bugnosis Web Bug Detector, Privacy Foundation Web Site. http://www.bugnosis.org/ Web Bug Detector, Slashdot, June 8, 2001. http://slashdot.org/articles/01/06/08/1220230.shtml --------------------------------------------------------------- Ashcroft: Bush DOJ to Pursue Obscenity, Cybercrime At a House Judiciary hearing, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that the Department of Justice would vigorously pursue online obscenity cases. Ashcroft also said that the prosecution of cybercrime would be a priority under the Bush Administration. Statement of the Honorable John Ashcroft, Attorney General, Before the Committee on the Judiciary, House Judiciary Committee Web Site, June 6, 2001. http://www.house.gov/judiciary/ashcroft_060601.htm Ashcroft's Hard Line on Hardcore, Wired, June 9, 2001. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,44398,00.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Representatives Introduce Resolution Supporting P3P House Democrats have introduced a resolution that supports the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) standard. H. Res. 159, THOMAS Database. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.res.159: House Democrats Back 'P3P' Privacy Resolution, Newsbytes, June 8, 2001 http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/166651.html Pretty Poor Privacy, EPIC Web Site, June 2000. http://www.epic.org/reports/prettypoorprivacy.html --------------------------------------------------------------- COE Cybercrime Treaty Opposed by Civil Liberties Groups ACLU, Privacy International, and EPIC have urged European Commission and the US government to add privacy and civil liberties protections to the Council of Europe Cybercrime Treaty. Comments of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Privacy International on Draft 27 of the Proposed CoE Convention on Cybercrime, Global Internet Liberty Campaign Web Site, June 7, 2001. http://www.gilc.org/privacy/coe-letter-0601.html Privacy groups try to rally opposition to "cybercrime" treaty, Declan McCullaghıs Politechbot.com, June 9, 2001. http://www.politechbot.com/p-02126.html European Commission Mulls Antihacking Legislation, Newsbytes, June 8, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/166636.html Treaty could stifle online privacy, BBC News, June 11, 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1378000/1378482.stm --------------------------------------------------------------- Internet Law Journal on Cookies and Filtering The June issue of the Internet Law Journal covers the class action lawsuit against DoubleClick and challenges to internet filtering requirements under the Childrenıs Internet Protection Act (CIPA). The Cookie Monster Strikes Back!, The Internet Law Journal, June 2001. http://www.tilj.com/content/ecomheadline06030102.htm CIPA's Internet Filter Software Mandate Takes Effect, The Internet Law Journal, June 2001. http://www.tilj.com/content/ecomheadline06030101.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- Supreme Court: Thermal Imaging Constitutes a Search The Supreme Court ruled today that police use of a thermal image device constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment. In Kyllo v. United States, police used a heat-sensing device to determine that a resident was using high-power lamps to grow marijuana. Kyllo attempted to exclude evidence inferred from the use of the imaging device by arguing that use of the device constituted a warrantless search. The Courtıs decision will require police to obtain a warrant before employing thermal imaging devices in the future. Kyllo v. United States, US Supreme Court Web Site. http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/00pdf/99-8508.pdf Court Rules on Heat-Sensor Searches, Washington Post (AP), June 11, 2001. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51082-2001Jun11.html Can't Scan Without a Warrant, Wired, June 12, 2001. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,44444,00.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Opt-Out Letters Available Online The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse and Junkbusters Corp. now offer sample letters that enable to sender to opt-out from information sharing under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Sample Opt-Out Letters, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse Web Site. http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs24a-letter.htm Junkbusters Opt-Out Service, Junkbusters Web Site. http://www.junkbusters.com/optout.html 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 protect personal privacy. The Privacy Pledge http://www.privacypledge.org/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Privacy.org is a joint project of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (http://www.epic.org) and Privacy International (http://www.privacyinternational.org). 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