--------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC DIGEST AT PRIVACY.ORG EPIC-DIGEST is a weekly update of news, information, and action items posted on privacy.org. June 26-July 3, 2001 TOC------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS AG to Shorten Record Retention for Gun Ownership Checks Bush Supports Anti-Genetic Discrimination Legislation CDD: Television Will Watch Viewers EBay CEO Supports Ban on E-mail Mining Ybor City Adopts Face Recognition in Public Areas Gallup Poll: E-mail Users Support Privacy Laws Intel Joins Safe-Harbor DC Police to Install Photo-Radar Devices GPS Can Be Used to Track Rental Car Users in CT ACTION Promote the Privacy of Domain Name Registrants NEWS----------------------------------------------------------- AG to Shorten Record Retention for Gun Ownership Checks Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that he will reduce the length of time that the government can retain records on instant background checks for firearm purchasers. Under the new plan, the government will hold instant check records for one day. Ashcroft Would Abbreviate Gun Buyer Record-Keeping, Washington Post, June 29, 2001. http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60395-2001Jun28.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Bush Supports Anti-Genetic Discrimination Legislation President Bush has expressed support for legislation to protect individuals from genetic discrimination. Radio Address by the President to the Nation, White House Press Release, June 23, 2001. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/06/20010623.html --------------------------------------------------------------- CDD: Television Will Watch Viewers The Center for Digital Democracy reports that the interactive television industry is deploying new technologies that will collect personal information from TV viewers. The interactive television industry will combine viewer information, including age, employment, income, and parental status, with viewing habits to create detailed profilers of TV viewers. Report on Interactive Television Technologies Documents New Threats to Privacy, Center for Digital Democracy, June 26, 2001. http://www.democraticmedia.org/ Is your TV set watching you?, MSNBC, June 25, 2001. http://www.msnbc.com/news/592190.asp?cp1=1 Viewer-Data Collection Sparks Concern, Multichannel News, July 2, 2001. http://www.tvinsite.com/multichannelnews/index.asp?layout=story_stocks &articleid=CA91104&doc_id=34063&pubdate=07/02/2001&display=features& --------------------------------------------------------------- EBay CEO Supports Ban on E-mail Mining The CEO of Ebay has asked Congress to pass legislation that would prohibit the "harvesting" of e-mail addresses from web sites. Net Auction Executive Wants E-Mail Harvesting Ban, Newsbytes, June 27, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/167354.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Ybor City Adopts Face Recognition in Public Areas Police in Ybor City, Florida are installing remote-control cameras equipped with facial recognition software in public areas. When the software detects a facial resemblance to a person in a "mug shot" database, the police are summoned to accost the suspect. Tampa Police Scan Public, Slashdot, July 1, 2001. http://slashdot.org/articles/01/07/01/0348226.shtml Ybor police cameras go spy-tech, St. Petersburg Times, June 30, 2001. http://www.sptimes.com/News/063001/TampaBay/Ybor_police_cameras_g.shtml Tampa uses cameras to scan for wanted faces, CNN (AP), July 2, 2001. http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/ptech/07/02/high.tech.security.ap/index.html Tampa Implements Big Brother, Majority Leader Web Site, July 2, 2001. http://www.freedom.gov/library/technology/tampa.asp --------------------------------------------------------------- Gallup Poll: E-mail Users Support Privacy Laws A recent Gallup Poll shows that two-thirds of e-mail users think that the federal government should pass laws to ensure online privacy. Majority of E-mail Users Express Concern about Internet Privacy, Gallup Poll, June 28, 2001 http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr010628.asp --------------------------------------------------------------- Intel Joins Safe-Harbor The Intel Corporation has entered into the European Union-United States safe harbor. 71 Companies have joined the safe harbor thus far. Intel Signs Up For EU Safe Harbor Agreement, Newsbytes, July 2, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/167541.html --------------------------------------------------------------- DC Police to Install Photo-Radar Devices District of Columbia police plan to add six photo-radar devices to catch speeding drivers. The city has chosen 40 to 60 sites for enforcement. Locations of the cameras will be posted on the DC Police Web Site. Washington D.C. Police Department Web Site. http://www.mpdc.org D.C. Aims To Catch Speeders On Camera, Washington Post, July 2, 2001. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6255-2001Jul1.html Drivers in Dark on Red-Light Cameras, Washington Post, July 2, 2001. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6744-2001Jul1.html --------------------------------------------------------------- GPS Can Be Used to Track Rental Car Users in CT The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection has ruled that Acme Rent-A-Car cannot use GPS devices installed in rental cars to fine users for speeding. However, the company will be able to continue tracking rental car users with GPS devices. Using GPS To Catch Speeders Found Illegal, Slashdot, July 3, 2001. http://slashdot.org/articles/01/07/03/0423218.shtml Car rental GPS speeding fines illegal, ZDNet, July 2, 2001. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,5093616,00.html 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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