The Move Toward Electronic Health Records

A Congressional subcommittee voted to move a bill forward to create a national electronic health information exchange system. The bill titled the PRO(TECH) Act must still gain the approval of the full House, Senate, and the President's signature before it would become law. The bill as written would require all US citizens to have electronic health records by the year 2014. Medical records privacy in a digital sharing environment poses privacy risks especially when patients are not given control over who may access their health information.

U.S. House Pushes For National E-Health Record, June 26, 2008

$5.8 Million Awarded to Former Army Scientist

Once called "a person of interest" by the US Attorney General, Dr. Steven Hatfill will now receive millions in damages for the harms caused to him and his family. The DOJ settled the case, which arose from repeated leaks in the media of Dr. Hatfill's name and details of the federal investigation into anthrax related deaths. Following 9-11 a number of illnesses and deaths were attributed to weaponized anthrax laced letters sent through the mail. The anthrax was traced back to a US bio-weapons laboratory. It was the first case of bioterrorism in the United States, and impacted the Congressional debate on what actions the US should take post-September 11, 2001.

Justice Dept. to pay scientist $5.8 million in anthrax lawsuit, Washington Post, June 28, 2008

Reagan National Airport's Plans to Peer Under Travelers' Clothes

The airport plans to deploy body imaging devices that use millimeter wave length technology in an effort to virtually disrobe air travelers. The technology allows very detailed scans of persons entering the device and may disclose personal medical devices, surgeries, and medical conditions that are not otherwise apparent. Earlier versions of the technology were known as Backscatter X-ray systems.

Get Ready to Strip At Reagan National, Washington Post, June 22, 2008

Former Employer Caught Snooping on Employee's Private Email

A former employee of Structured Settlement Investments filed a lawsuit against the company claiming that the company had been reading his personal yahoo e-mail messages. The company prohibited the former employee from engaging in a similar line of work for 3 years post employment. The case, filed in a Connecticut federal court, alleges that the company gained access to the personal e-mail on a private account, while the company claims to have knowledge about the employee because it was on his computer screen where others could see.

A Company Computer and Questions About E-Mail Privacy, New York Times, June 27, 2008

50th Anniversary of Landmark Ruling in NAACP v Alabama

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in NAACP v. Alabama, one of the most important privacy cases of the last century. Professor Anita L. Allen, a leading privacy scholar, author of many books and articles, and a member of the EPIC Board of Directors, wrote an essay to celebrate the golden anniversary of the decision.

DC Goes for a Universal City ID Document

The District of Columbia has announced an ambitious plan to link multi-use documents to a centralized tracking system that would span a wide range of city services including summer jobs programs, public schools, attendance at public meetings, metro fare cards, and city health service offices. The citywide ID plan is proposed in a climate where a national ID debate is advanced under the scheme called REAL ID.

New ID Card Serves Students, Rec Centers, Libraries in D.C., Washington Post, June 27, 2008

Laptop Searches at Airports Raises Privacy Questions

TSA agents' search of air travelers' laptops is under scrutiny by the US Senate. The search of air travelers' luggage is routine, while the search of electronic devices is not. The practice by government agents at airports of accessing and copying the content of computers and other digital devices have raised 4th Amendment questions. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing Laptop Searches and Other Violations of Privacy Faced by Americans Returning from Overseas Travel explored the issue.

Laptop Searches in Airports Draw Fire at Senate Hearing, New York Times, June 26, 2008