--------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC DIGEST AT PRIVACY.ORG EPIC-DIGEST is a weekly update of news, information, and action items posted on privacy.org. August 8-16, 2001 TOC------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS MS Plans Changes to Passport EPIC Motions for Carnivore Discovery Toll Info Released to Police in Mass. South Africa Considering Repressive Monitoring Legislation Technology Imposing New Challenges to Privacy Surveys Finds Privacy Important Among Australians Filters and Freedom 2.0 Review Swire Responds to Cato Geocities Places Web Bugs on Personal Web Pages Panel Approves Electronic Monitoring of Judges Judicial Conference to Protect Electronic Case Files EPIC Renews Objections to Windows XP and Passport ACTION Promote the Privacy of Domain Name Registrants NEWS----------------------------------------------------------- MS Plans Changes to Passport Microsoft (MS) is planning changes to the Passport authentication service. Specifically, the company plans to reduce the amount of information required for registering a Passport account and to move user profiles outside Passport into the Hailstorm service. MS will also include the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) in Internet Explorer 6, which will be bundled with the Windows XP operating system. Microsoft Doesn't Satisfy Critics With Changes to Passport System, Wall Street Journal, August 10, 2001 (subscription required). http://interactive.wsj.com:80/articles/SB997394276629722987.htm Microsoft to alter Passport, MSNBC (WSJ), August 10, 2001. http://www.msnbc.com/news/611917.asp?0si=-&cp1=1 --------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC Motions for Carnivore Discovery EPIC has filed a motion to compel the Department of Justice to begin discovery in the Carnivore case. Through discovery, EPIC will be able to determine the adequacy of the document search performed by the agency. Carnivore is a surveillance tool used by law enforcement that can capture Internet communications. Last year, EPIC filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain all records regarding the system. Since filing the request, EPIC has received documents on Carnivore, however, it is clear from the documents that the search performed by the agency was incomplete. EPIC Motion to Stay Proceedings Pending Discovery, EPIC Web Site, August 9, 2001. http://www.epic.org/privacy/carnivore/discovery_motion.pdf EPIC Carnivore litigation page. http://www.epic.org/privacy/carnivore/ EPIC Seeks Discovery from DOJ in its Carnivore FOIA Suit, Tech Law Journal Daily Report, August 10, 2001. http://www.techlawjournal.com/alert/2001/08/10.asp Group Asks Court To Get Info On FBI E-Mail Snooping Tool, Newsbytes, August 10, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/168926.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Toll Info Released to Police in Mass. The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA) has released information from its automatic toll-collection system to police investigators. The system, called "Fast Lane," bills drivers for their use of toll highways. Since Fast Lane records the date and time of each passage through the system, it can also be used to track vehicles as they travel. MTA gives court toll-use data, Boston Globe, August 13, 2001. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/225/business/MTA_gives_court_toll_use_data+.shtml --------------------------------------------------------------- South Africa Considering Repressive Monitoring Legislation South Africa is considering granting new powers to security services to monitor citizens in an effort to fight terrorism and crime. A bill recently passed by the Cabinet provides for state monitoring of all telecommunications systems. Opponents claim that the new bill will eliminate anonymous Internet access and extend new powers to police that exceed those used by the former apartheid government. Republic of South Africa Interception and Monitoring Bill. http://www.pmg.org.za/bills/Interception0107.htm Protests over SA snooping bill, BBC News, August 13, 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/world/africa/newsid_1484000/1484698.stm South Africa moves to increase Net-surveillance, limit encryption, Declan McCullaghıs Politechbot.com, August 13, 2001. http://www.politechbot.com/p-02384.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Technology Imposing New Challenges to Privacy Heather Green writes in Business Week Magazine that emerging technologies, such as E-ZPass, Keystroke logging, and facial recognition are posing new challenges to protecting privacy. Technology's Creeping Threats to Privacy, Business Week, August 13, 2001. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2001/tc20010813_691.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- Surveys Finds Privacy Important Among Australians The Australian Privacy Commissioner has announced the results of three surveys assessing attitudes on privacy. The studies focused on community, business, and government attitudes towards privacy. Among other things, the studies show that when Australians purchase products, they consider respect for personal information as important as product quality. Research into Community, Business and Government attitudes towards Privacy in Australia, Australia Privacy Commissioner. http://www.privacy.gov.au/research/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Filters and Freedom 2.0 Review Spiked Magazine has published a review of Filters and Freedom 2.0: Free Speech Perspectives on Internet Content Controls. Filters and Freedom 2.0: Free Speech Perspectives on Internet Content Controls, EPIC Book Store. http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/partner?partner_id=24075&cgi=biblio&show=TRADE%20PAPER:NEW:1893044114:20.00 Not in front of the children?, Spiked, August 9, 2001. http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/00000002D1DE.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- Swire Responds to Cato Professor Peter Swire has written a report in response to a Cato position paper that was critical of privacy protections in law. Swire argues that self-help remedies for privacy protection are ineffective, and that the Cato paper misstated the relevant law governing privacy protection. Internet Privacy and Self-Regulation Lessons from the Porn Wars, Cato Institute Briefing Paper. http://www.cato.org/pubs/briefs/bp-065es.html Cato Privacy Paper Not Persuasive, Peter Swire Web Page. http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/units/law/swire1/cdt-bell.doc --------------------------------------------------------------- Geocities Places Web Bugs on Personal Web Pages Geocities and other providers of free personal web pages have placed web bugs on othersı pages in order to track Internet users. Web Bugs Are Tracking Use of Internet, New York Times, August 14, 2001 (registration required). http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/14/technology/ebusiness/14WEB.html? Web Bugs, A Study of the Presence and Growth Rate of Web Bugs on the Internet, Cyveillance, August, 2001 (requires identification for access). http://www.Cyveillance.com/web1/us/forms/request.asp?form_type=download_wp&wp=web_bugs --------------------------------------------------------------- Panel Approves Electronic Monitoring of Judges A panel of federal judges has recommended that all judicial branch computers should be electronically monitored. In May, a group of judges in the Ninth Circuit ordered their technical staff to disable monitoring systems, claiming that the monitoring violated privacy and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Monitoring of Judiciary Computers Is Backed, New York Times, August 14, 2001 (registration required). http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/14/national/14COUR.html Judges committee: Computer monitoring should continue in all federal courts, Silliconvalley.com, August 13, 2001. http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/svfront/060305.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- Judicial Conference to Protect Electronic Case Files The Administrative Offices of the US Courts has released a proposed policy that will increase privacy protections of electronic case files. The policy requires that personal identifiers, such as Social Security Numbers, be removed from electronic documents to prevent aggregation and identity theft. The proposed policy will be reviewed by the Judicial Conference at a September convention. Report on Privacy and Public Access to Electronic Case Files, Administrative Offices of the US Courts. http://www.uscourts.gov/Press_Releases/att81501.pdf Know Your Neighbor's Court Case, Wired (AP), August 15, 2001 http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46098,00.html --------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC Renews Objections to Windows XP and Passport EPIC and 13 other civil liberties and consumer protection groups renewed objections to the Microsoft Windows XP operating system and the Passport identification and authentication system. In supplement to the original complaint, the groups alleged that Microsoftıs new operating system and identification system will be privacy invasive, weaken user control over data, and result in the degradation of Internet anonymity. Supplemental Materials in Support of Pending Complaint and Request for Injunction, Request for Investigation and for Other Relief, EPIC Web Site. http://www.epic.org/privacy/consumer/MS_complaint2.pdf Groups to detail privacy complaints about Windows XP to FTC , Mercury News, August 14, 2001. http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/svfront/ms081501.htm Groups expand XP privacy complaint, USA Today (Reuters), August 15, 2001. http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2001-08-15-xp-privacy-complaint.htm Microsoft's One-ID Plan Again Draws Fire Over Privacy, Washington Post, August 16, 2001. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16617-2001Aug15.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). 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