--------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC DIGEST AT PRIVACY.ORG EPIC-DIGEST is a weekly update of news, information, and action items posted on privacy.org. May 24-29, 2001 TOC------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS NAI Establishes Opt-Out Pages EP Writes Echelon Report FTC Rejects Amazon Privacy Complaint ACTION Support the Privacy Coalition's Privacy Pledge NEWS----------------------------------------------------------- NAI Establishes Opt-Out Pages The Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) has created web sites that enable Internet users to opt-out from online profiling from participating businesses. However, the site requires users to plant a cookie on their browser that will identify the computer as having opted-out. Junkbusters criticizes banner ad companies offer of multi-tracker opt-out, Junkbusters Corp Web Site. http://www.junkbusters.com/new.html#NAIM Web form allows people to opt out of data collection, Siliconvalley.com (AP), May 24, 2001. http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/026787.htm Ad Industry Creates Web Sites to Allow Consumers to Opt Out of Data Collection, Wall Street Journal (AP), May 25, 2001. http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB99074973962136224.htm Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out, NAI Web Site (cookies required). http://www.networkadvertising.org/optout_nonppii.asp --------------------------------------------------------------- EP Writes Echelon Report A delegation of European Parliament (EP) has written a report on the Echelon system, a surveillance program that can intercept electronic communications globally. The report asserts that the Echelon system does exist, but that media accounts of the systemıs capabilities are overblown. Echelon is operated by the US, Canada, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Media reports alleged that Echelon was employed to steal trade secrets from European businesses, however, the report concludes that no substantiated evidence points to the use of the system for industrial espionage. Working Paper on Echelon, European Parliament Temporary Committee on the Echelon Interception System, Cryptome Web Site. http://cryptome.org/echelon-ep.htm Report Downplays Echelon Effect, Wired, May 24, 2001. http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,44072,00.html Euro Parliament calls ECHELON a paper tiger, The Register, May 24, 2001. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/19193.html --------------------------------------------------------------- FTC Rejects Amazon Privacy Complaint The Federal Trade Commission has rejected the requests of EPIC and Junkbusters Corp to investigate Amazon.com, a leading online bookseller. EPIC and Junkbusters Corp alleged that Amazon engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices in December 2000 after the company changed its privacy policy. Under the old privacy policy, Amazon promised never to sell customersı data. In the revised privacy policy, Amazon reserves the right to sell customer data in the future. The FTC found that the company did not materially violate its privacy policy. FTC Letter to EPIC and Junkbusters Corp, EPIC Web Site. http://www.epic.org/privacy/amazon/ftc_letter.html Amazon and Privacy, Junkbusters Web Site. http://www.junkbusters.com/amazon.html FTC: Amazon privacy switch didn't break law, ZDNet (Reuters), May 25, 2001. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,5083551,00.html?chkpt=zdnn_rt_latest Amazon Wins Privacy Victory, Internetnews, May 25, 2001. http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0,,4_773601,00.html FTC Clears Amazon Privacy Policy, Seattle Times, May 26, 2001. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/134299495_amazon260.html FTC Halts Probe of Amazon, San Francisco Chronicle, May 26, 2001. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=chronicle/archive/2001 /05/26/BU170619.DTL&type=business EPIC Ends Relationship with Amazon, Press Release, EPIC Web Site, September 13, 2001. http://www.epic.org/privacy/internet/amazon/letter_pr.html --------------------------------------------------------------- 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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