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EPIC DIGEST AT PRIVACY.ORG
EPIC-DIGEST is a weekly update of news, information, and action
items posted on privacy.org.
March 13-20, 2001
TOC------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS
FTC Hosts Consumer Data Conference
Nader Calls for Internet Bill of Rights
Disposable Cell Phones, Anonymous Credit Cards
Electronic Case Files Present Privacy Challenges
Spammers Face Felony Charges
Senator Reintroduces Profiling Bill
Representative Introduces Spam Legislation
Voter.com to Sell User Information
Senate Passes Bankruptcy Bill With Privacy Protection
State AGs Wish to Enforce Federal Privacy Laws
IRS Computers Penetrated by Investigators
Court Denies Access to AOL Subscriber Information
Hearing on Electronic Court Files Held
Consumers Desire More Online Privacy Protection
EPIC and ACLU to Challenge CIPA Tomorrow
Copyright Agent Attempts to Disconnect Users
UK Court Orders Web Sites to Reveal Userıs Identity
New Microsoft Software Stores Usersı Information Online
Debunking the Myths Behind Medical Privacy Protections
ACLU, EPIC, and ALA Challenge CIPA
ACTION
Support the Privacy Coalition's Privacy Pledge
NEWS-----------------------------------------------------------
FTC Hosts Consumer Data Conference
At a Federal Trade Commission workshop on the sharing of consumer data,
privacy advocates pushed for greater protections for individuals.
Privacy Groups Clash Over Consumer Data Trading, Newsbytes, March 13,
2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/163109.html
FTC Hosts Privacy Tug-of-War, The Standard, March 13, 2001.
http://www.thestandard.net/article/display/0,1151,22828,00.html
All That Data, All That Secrecy, Wired, March 14, 2001.
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,42406,00.html
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Nader Calls for Internet Bill of Rights
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader has called on officials to establish an
Internet Bill of Rights. The rights would provide individuals greater
protections from online fraud and privacy violations.
Nader calls for Internet users `Bill of Rights', Siliconvalley.com (AP),
March 13, 2001. http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/081623.htm
Nader Calls For Protection Of Online Privacy, TechWeb News, March 15,
2001. http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20010315S0011
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Disposable Cell Phones, Anonymous Credit Cards
New products may be employed to help protect privacy. A new company
called Telespree will begin selling $30 disposable cellular phones later
in 2001. Also, American Express offers an anonymous shopping card that
can be purchased at convenience stores.
Prepaid Phones and Privacy, Too, Wired, March 14, 2001.
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,42408,00.html
Disposable Cell Phone Unveiled, Yahoo! News (AP), March 14, 2001.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010314/tc/disposable_cell_phone.html
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Electronic Case Files Present Privacy Challenges
Courts increasingly are adopting electronic case file management, a
system that places all the filings from a court proceeding online.
Electronic case files may contain Social Security numbers, account
numbers, medical information, and other sensitive information. Online
access to this information may result in identity theft and unwarranted
invasions into privacy.
Intimate Details: Credit card, Social Security numbers and other data
left open to prying eyes when court documents are posted online, San
Francisco Chronicle, March 15, 2001.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/
2001/03/15/BU60727.DTL
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Spammers Face Felony Charges
Two men accused of sending unsolicited commercial e-mail are facing
felony charges in California. The two allegedly sent thousands of
e-mails to advertise home refinancing services. In sending the messages,
the pair allegedly accessed a remote computer without authorization and
crashed the mail server.
Spammers Face Jail Time, Slashdot, March 15, 2001.
http://slashdot.org/articles/01/03/15/1325251.shtml
S.D. men face felony counts, a rarity, in e-mail 'spamming',
Union-Tribune, March 13, 2001.
http://www.uniontrib.com/news/computing/20010313-9999_1n13spam.html
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Senator Reintroduces Profiling Bill
Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) reintroduced a bill that would restrict
the sharing of marketing and behavioral profiling information. The bill,
the Freedom From Behavioral Profiling Act, would amend the Financial
Services Modernization Act of 2001 (Gramm-Leach-Bliley).
S. 536, The Freedom From Behavioral Profiling Act, THOMAS Database.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:S.536:
Sen. Shelby Intros New Privacy Bill, March 15, 2001.
http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/163210.html
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Representative Introduces Spam Legislation
Representative Goodlatte (R-VA) has introduced legislation that would
prohibit the transmission of unsolicited commercial e-mail with
falsified headers. The legislation includes criminal penalties.
H.R. 1017, The Anti-Spamming Act, THOMAS Database.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.r.01017:
Rep. Goodlatte Intros Anti-Spam Bill, Newsbytes, March 15, 2001.
http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/163192.html
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Voter.com to Sell User Information
Voter.com, a failed politics web site, has announced plans to sell its
list of user information. The user information includes party
affiliation, areas of political interest, e-mail addresses, sex, and zip
codes.
Voter.com to Sell Membership List, The Standard, March 15, 2001.
http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,22894,00.html
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Senate Passes Bankruptcy Bill With Privacy Protection
The Senate Bankruptcy Bill would provide greater protections to
individuals who reveal personal information to a company that later
files for bankruptcy. Under the bill, a company that had promised never
to transfer individualsı information could not later use the information
as a transferable asset in bankruptcy without judicial approval. The
House version of the Bankruptcy bill does not contain this language.
S. 220, Senate Bankruptcy Reform Bill, THOMAS Database.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:s.00220:
House Bankruptcy Reform Bill, THOMAS Database.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:HR00333
Bankruptcy Reform, Tech Law Journal Daily Report, March 16, 2001.
http://www.techlawjournal.com/alert/2001/03/16.asp
Senate OKs measure to keep dot-coms from selling personal customer data,
Siliconvalley.com, March 16, 2001.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/depth/priv031601.htm
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State AGs Wish to Enforce Federal Privacy Laws
The National Association of Attorney Generals (NAAG) have passed a
resolution urging Congress to enact federal privacy legislation that can
be enforced by state attorney generals. NAAG fell short of supporting
preemption, a doctrine that allows individual states to supplement
federal protections with stronger laws.
State Attorneys General Compromise on Privacy, The Standard, March 16,
2001. http://tm0.com/thestandard/sbct.cgi?s=111676330&i=315939&d=1201603
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IRS Computers Penetrated by Investigators
A General Accounting Office report shows that government investigators
were able to access IRS files and gain access to Social Security numbers
and tax information.
Information Security: IRS Electronic Filing Systems, GAO Web Site.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d01306.pdf
Agency Hacked Into IRS E-File System Flaws Found by GAO Said to Be
Fixed, Washington Post (AP), March 16, 2001.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12224-2001Mar15.html
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Court Denies Access to AOL Subscriber Information
The Supreme Court of Virginia has refused to grant the request of an
unidentified company seeking information on an AOL subscriber. The court
held that company must identify itself before obtaining the information,
and that anonymous plaintiffs could only be granted subpoena power where
exceptional harm would result from a release of their identity.
Virginia Court's Decision in Online 'John Doe' Case Hailed by
Free-Speech Advocates, New York Times, March 16, 2001 (registration
required). http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/16/technology/16CYBERLAW.html
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Hearing on Electronic Court Files Held
The Judicial Conference of the United States held a hearing on the
privacy issues involved in providing public access to electronic case
files. The federal courts are developing a comprehensive system that
will allow users to search all court documents at a central site.
Privacy advocates noted the challenges presented by such a system, such
as an increase in identity theft and unwarranted invasions into personal
privacy.
Panel Stirs Privacy Debate Over Online Court Records, Newsbytes, March
16, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/163276.html
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Consumers Desire More Online Privacy Protection
Consumers report an unwillingness to purchase items online as a result
of security and privacy violations. Online profiling and the use of
cookies and web bugs are discouraging consumers from entering the
Internet marketplace.
Study: Most Internet users wary of e-commerce, CNN.com (AP), March 18,
2001.
http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/internet/03/18/anonymous.internet.ap/
index.html
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EPIC and ACLU to Challenge CIPA Tomorrow
EPIC and ACLU will file a lawsuit in a federal district court tomorrow
to challenge the Childrenıs Internet Protection Act (CIPA). CIPA
requires public schools and libraries that receive e-rate funding to
implement Internet filtering technology. EPIC and ACLU allege that the
law violates the First Amendment and Due Process.
Internet Filters Used to Shield Minors Censor Speech, Critics Say, New
York Times, March 19, 2001 (registration required).
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/19/technology/19FILT.html
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Copyright Agent Attempts to Disconnect Users
Copyright.netıs "Copyright Agent" quietly scans hard drives for
unauthorized copies of media. Upon finding copyrighted media, the
program notifies the userıs Internet Service Provider.
Stealthy Software Robot Puts Bootleggers on Notice, Violatorsı ISP
Connections at Risk, San Jose Mercury News, March 19, 2001.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/printedition/article/
0,2669,SAV-0103190188,FF.html
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UK Court Orders Web Sites to Reveal Userıs Identity
A UK court has ordered the Motley Fool and Interactive Investor web
sites to identify a user who posted allegedly defamatory statements.
Websites forced to identify forum posters, The Register, March 19, 2001.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/17703.html
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New Microsoft Software Stores Usersı Information Online
Microsoftıs new HailStorm software allows users to store their account,
financial, and scheduling information on the Internet. Microsoft
spokespersons claim that the new software allows users to control how
their personal information is used. However, questions remain regarding
Microsoftıs control of personal information in light of recent security
breaches and other privacy risks.
Microsoft Announces "HailStorm," a New Set of XML Web Services Designed
to Give Users Greater Control, Microsoft Press Release, Microsoft Web
Page.
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2001/mar01/03-19hailstorm.asp
Microsoft unveils awaited software, CBS.MarketWatch.com, March 19, 2001.
http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?print=1&guid=
{BAF153AC-EAF5-4449-8DC8-C837376B5912}&siteid=mktw
Microsoft Confronts Privacy Fears, New York Times, March 20, 2001
(registration required).
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/20/technology/20SOFT.html
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Debunking the Myths Behind Medical Privacy Protections
In this opinion-editorial, the writer argues that health insurers,
pharmacists, and marketers are circulating myths to prevent the adoption
of medical privacy protection.
Bogus scare tactics delay medical-privacy reforms, USA Today, March 20,
2001. http://www.usatoday.com/news/comment/2001-03-20-nceditf.htm
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ACLU, EPIC, and ALA Challenge CIPA
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and EPIC have filed a First
Amendment and Due Process challenge to the Childrenıs Internet
Protection Act (CIPA or CHIPA). CIPA mandates public schools and
libraries receiving E-rate funds to implement Internet filters. The
American Library Association (ALA) will file suit separately to
challenge the provisions as well.
ACLU/EPIC Complaint, EPIC Web Page.
http://www.epic.org/free_speech/CIPA/complaint.pdf
ALA CIPA Page, ALA Web Site. http://www.ala.org/cipa/
Suit Planned Against Filtering Law, New York Times (AP), March 19, 2001
(registration required).
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Internet-Filtering.html
Libraries to take on anti-smut Internet law, CNN (Reuters), March 20,
2001.
http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/internet/03/20/internet.filtering.reut/
index.html
Curbs on Web Access Face Attack, Washington Post, March 20, 2001.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28922-2001Mar19.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 protection
personal privacy.
The Privacy Pledge
http://www.privacypledge.org/
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Privacy.org is a joint project of the Electronic Privacy
Information Center (http://www.epic.org) and Privacy
International (http://www.privacyinternational.org). For more
information, e-mail Chris Hoofnagle at digest-editor@privacy.org.
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