--------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC DIGEST AT PRIVACY.ORG EPIC-DIGEST is a weekly update of news, information, and action items posted on privacy.org. April 24-May 1, 2001 TOC------------------------------------------------------------ NAAG Meeting Focuses on Privacy AMA Survey Shows Increase in Employee Monitoring COE Cybercrime Treaty Approved by Assembly Retailers Collecting Shoppersı E-Mail FTC Pursues Purchasers of Illegally-Obtained Info Cybercrime Funding Increased IBM Blue Eyes Monitors Customers Encryption Cannot Safeguard the Internet Alone Amazon Privacy Settlement Approved by Judge MS Tracking PCs Purchased Without Windows Commerce Department Will Create Privacy Position EPIC Uses FOIA to Evaluate Bushıs First 100 Days Annual Police Wiretap Report Released NEWS----------------------------------------------------------- NAAG Meeting Focuses on Privacy The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) meeting in Cambridge has focused on Internet privacy issues. Republican Senator Richard Shelby (AL) spoke at the conference, advocating strong federal privacy legislation that allows states to pass even tougher laws. Privacy tops agenda at Net symposium, Boston Globe, April 24, 2001. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/114/business/Privacy_tops_agenda_at_Net_symposium-.shtml --------------------------------------------------------------- AMA Survey Shows Increase in Employee Monitoring An American Management Association annual survey reports that 78% of major companies engage in workplace monitoring, an increase of 4% over last year. A related report by the Privacy Foundation details trends in workplace surveillance. 2001 AMA Survey: Workplace Monitoring & Surveillance, AMA Web Site. http://www.amanet.org/research/pdfs/ems_short2001.pdf More Companies Watching Employees, American Management Association Press Release, April 18, 2001. http://www.amanet.org/press/amanews/ems2001.htm Workplace Surveillance: the Tracking, the Money and the Law, Privacy Foundation Report. http://www.privacyfoundation.org/workplace/index.asp --------------------------------------------------------------- COE Cybercrime Treaty Approved by Assembly A parliamentary assembly has approved the Council of Europe Cybercrime treaty. The treaty will now return to committee for final drafting. As written, the treaty expands police powers and requires Internet Service Providers to retain records to aid law enforcement investigations. The final draft may also include language prohibiting the transmission of hate speech on the Internet. Draft COE Cybercrime Treaty, COE Web Site. http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/EN/cadreprojets.htm Racism ban urged for cybercrime treaty, CNET (Reuters), April 25, 2001. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-5728241.html Cybercrime treaty a step closer to becoming law, Infoworld, April 25, 2001. http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/01/04/25/010425hntreaty.xml Does the U.S. spy too much?, Salon, April 26, 2001. http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2001/04/26/espionage/index.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Retailers Collecting Shoppersı E-Mail Increasingly, retail sales stores have collected customersı e-mail addresses to conduct marketing. Data marketers are attempting to link off-line purchases with online personalities to build more comprehensive profiles of consumers. E-Mail Becomes Marketing Treasure For Retailers, Washington Post, April 26, 2001. http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2852-2001Apr25.html --------------------------------------------------------------- FTC Pursues Purchasers of Illegally-Obtained Info Last week, the Federal Trade Commission brought cases against three companies that obtained individualsı financial information illegally through pretexting. The FTC is now pursuing the purchasers of the information gained illegally. Purchasers of the information included Bank One, State Farm Insurance, and various law firms. FTC's Probe Of Data Brokers Turns to Clients, Washington Post, April 26, 2001. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1746-2001Apr25.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Cybercrime Funding Increased The fiscal year 2002 Department of Justice budget will include increased appropriations for fighting cybercrime. DOJ will receive $33 million more in funding, with the majority dedicated to anti-encryption efforts and digital evidence preservation. Cyber Crime, Tech Law Journal Daily Report, April 27, 2001. http://www.techlawjournal.com/alert/2001/04/27.asp --------------------------------------------------------------- IBM Blue Eyes Monitors Customers IBM has developed a customer tracking system that monitors eye movements and facial expressions to gauge product desire and marketing effectiveness. Behind BlueEyes, Techreview, May 2001. http://www.techreview.com/magazine/may01/innovation6.asp Big Blue's Big Blue Eyes Are Watching You, Slashdot, April 28, 2001. http://slashdot.org/articles/01/04/29/0319223.shtml IBM Blue Eyes Home Page. http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/blueeyes/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Encryption Cannot Safeguard the Internet Alone A panel of experts assembled at Columbia University argued that encryption technologies cannot protect privacy on the Internet with privacy protections. Compressed Data: A Pessimistic Assessment of Privacy, New York Times, April 30, 2001 (registration required). http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/30/technology/30PRIV.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Amazon Privacy Settlement Approved by Judge A federal judge has approved a settlement regarding Amazon.comıs Alexa service, which includes a program that can track usersı online movements to provide links to services and products. The plaintiffs in the suit alleged that Alexa illegally collected personal data in violation of federal statutes. Settlement of Data-Collection Lawsuit Receives Preliminary Approval by Judge, Wall Street Journal, April 30, 2001 (subscription required). http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB988412612343592699.htm Amazon Settles Lawsuit, Silicon Valley (Reuters), April 27, 2001. http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/063587.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- MS Tracking PCs Purchased Without Windows Microsoft has begun a pilot program to track companies that purchase computers without the Windows operating system. Microsoft awards points to system builders who forward orders for computers without Windows to Microsoft. The points are redeemable for prizes. Microsoft: Prizes for Rat Finks, Aaxnet, April 25, 2001. http://www.aaxnet.com/news/M010425.html MS Wants To Know Whose PC Is Windows-Free, Slashdot, April 30, 2001. http://slashdot.org/articles/01/04/30/1417237.shtml --------------------------------------------------------------- Commerce Department Will Create Privacy Position Commerce Department officials announced that a privacy position will be created to ensure that the agencyıs web sites conform with privacy policies. Commerce Department Creates 'Privacy Advisor' Position, Newsbytes, April 30, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/165119.html --------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC Uses FOIA to Evaluate Bushıs First 100 Days EPIC has sent a series of Freedom of Information Act requests to executive branch agencies to determine the Bush administrationıs commitment to privacy issues. One group of requests focuses on scheduling calendars of senior agency officials to determine the frequency with which they met with lobbyists and other interests. The other group of requests seek transition team memoranda, documents that direct agencies on policy decisions when a new administration takes office. EPIC FOIA Requests, EPIC Web Site. http://www.epic.org/open_gov/bushadmin/foiarequest.html Group To White House: Do You Care About Privacy?, Newsbytes, April 30, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/165117.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Police Wiretap Report Released The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts released an annual report on government wiretapping. The report shows that police made 1,190 applications for wiretaps in 2000. None of the applications were denied. In 22 cases, police encountered subjects who were using encryption to protect communications. In all 22 cases, police were able to obtain the plain text of the communication despite the encryption measures. Applications for Orders Authorizing or Approving the Interception of Wire, Oral, or Electronic Communications, Wiretap Report, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. http://www.uscourts.gov/wiretap00/2000wttxt.pdf Fewer, Briefer Wiretaps More Successful in Fighting Crime in 2000, Press Release, Administrative Offices of the U.S. Courts, April 30, 2001. http://www.uscourts.gov/Press_Releases/wiretap.pdf 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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