--------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC DIGEST AT PRIVACY.ORG EPIC-DIGEST is a weekly update of news, information, and action items posted on privacy.org. June 19-26, 2001 TOC------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS Profilers Amass Info on Movie Rentals, Medical data GPS Used to Track Speeding in Rental Cars Frequency of ID Theft Doubles Ashcroft Orders Review of FBI Safire: Opt-in Needed to Protect Privacy EPIC to Testify to Congress Privacy Rights Now Launched Admail Scans E-mail, Targets Ads ACTION Promote the Privacy of Domain Name Registrants NEWS----------------------------------------------------------- Profilers Amass Info on Movie Rentals, Medical data U.S. News and World Report has published an interview with Larry Ponemon, a former auditor of privacy practices with Pricewaterhouse-Coopers. In the interview, Ponemon recounts invasions of privacy perpetuated by American companies. These include a major hotel chain that collects and shares information on movie titles rented by guests, maintenance of massive collections of consumer profiles that often contain inaccurate information, companies that collect medical test data and profile consumers based on health conditions, and chat room operators who guarantee anonymity to users but secretly track them and reveal their anonymous communications to employers. Poneman concludes that most companies donıt take privacy seriously. Gospel of privacy guru: Be wary; assume the worst, U.S. News and World Report, June 25, 2001. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/010625/tech/privacy.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- GPS Used to Track Speeding in Rental Cars Acme Rent-A-Car, a company in Connecticut, has installed AirIQ Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in its fleet of rental cars. AirIQ GPS monitor the vehicleıs speed and can automatically fine the driver for exceeding the speed limit. GPS: Gotta Pay for Speeding, The New Haven Advocate, June 14, 2001. http://www.newmassmedia.com/nac.phtml?code=new&db=nac_fea&ref=16435 Rental-car firm exceeding the privacy limit?, CNET, June 20, 2001. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-6333149.html?tag=tp_pr AirIQ Web Site. http://www.airiq.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Frequency of ID Theft Doubles The number of identity thefts as reported by financial institutions more than doubled in 2000. The Treasury Department Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FINCEN) reported that 617 incidents of identity theft occurred during an 11 month period in 2000. Only 267 occurred in 1999. The SAR Activity Review, Treasury Department, June 2001 (PDF). http://www.treasury.gov/fincen/sarreview2issue4web.pdf ID Theft on the Rise, ABC News, June 29, 2001. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/idtheft010619_wire.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Ashcroft Orders Review of FBI Attorney General John Ashcroft has ordered a review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in light of high-profile errors that have tarnished the reputation of the top law enforcement agency. The Strategic Management Council, a group composed of government officials, will perform the review. Ashcroft Orders Review of FBI, Washington Post, June 21, 2001. http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23753-2001Jun20.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Safire: Opt-in Needed to Protect Privacy William Safire writes in support of an opt-in regime to protect privacy in todayıs New York Times. Scalia on Privacy, New York Times, June 21, 2001 (registration required). http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/21/opinion/21SAFI.html --------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC to Testify to Congress EPIC Executive Director Marc Rotenberg will testify today before the House Commerce Committee on Information Privacy. Rotenberg will urge Congress to enact strong privacy legislation and encourage the development of technological solutions. House Commerce Committee. http://www.house.gov/commerce/ Practical Privacy Tools, EPIC Web Site. http://www.epic.org/privacy/tools.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Privacy Rights Now Launched Privacy Rights Now is urging consumers to take action on financial privacy. The group is asking individuals to opt-out of financial information sharing and to write Congress in support of stronger privacy legislation. Privacy Rights Now. http://www.privacyrightsnow.com/ Opting Out - Or Not, ABC News, June 21, 2001. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/privacy_notices_010621.html Privacy Notices Criticized, Washington Post, June 22, 2001. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30104-2001Jun21.html Privacy: The Horse Has Left the Barn, Washington Post, June 25, 2001. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/opinion/A41200-2001Jun24.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Admail Scans E-mail, Targets Ads A new program called "Admail" has the ability to scan usersı e-mail communications and target advertisements based on message content. Admail places an advertisement directly in the e-mail of the user. Admail wraps messages in spam, CNET, June 22, 2001. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-6351563.html?tag=dd.ne.dtx.nl-hed.0 ACTION--------------------------------------------------------- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is conducting a survey on the Whois database. The Whois database contains contact information of all persons who have registered domain names. In its current form, the database prevents the anonymous registration of domain names and it exposes registrants1 personal information to the public where it is often either sold or "mined" for commercial purposes. Tell ICANN to limit the amount of information required by the Whois database and to promote the ability to register a domain name anonymously! ICANN Whois Survey. http://www.icann.org/dnso/whois-survey-en-10jun01.htm EPIC Letter on Privacy of Domain Name Registration Data. http://www.epic.org/privacy/internet/ICANN_privacy.html --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------- How to unsubscribe from EPIC-DIGEST: You can leave the EPIC-DIGEST by entering the subscription e-mail address at http://www.privacy.org/digest.php and selecting "unsubscribe." 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