--------------------------------------------------------------- EPIC DIGEST AT PRIVACY.ORG EPIC-DIGEST is a weekly update of news, information, and action items posted on privacy.org. September 26-October 16, 2001 TOC------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS Sun, Others to Create Online ID Standard EU Prohibits Spam Davies: National ID Plan Violates Privacy Canadian Privacy Minister: No Video Surveillance in Kelowna FTC Abandons Support for Privacy Legislation ENUM: An Emerging Privacy Threat AOL to Use Cookies for Ad Placement CA Gov. Vetoes E-Mail Privacy Bill CA Passes ID Theft Law Senate and House Approve Versions of Anti-Terrorism Legislation Representatives Release Outline for Privacy Legislation RIAA Fails to Attach Piracy Language to Anti-Terrorism Bills ACTION Defend Your Freedoms NEWS----------------------------------------------------------- Sun, Others to Create Online ID Standard Sun Microsystems and a coalition of industry groups are developing a new online identification standard to rival Microsoftıs Passport. The Sun standard is "federated," meaning that different web sites can employ the system without storing personal information on a central server. The coalition is called "Project Liberty." Industry Leaders Form Network Identity Alliance, Project Liberty Press Release, September 26, 2001. http://www.projectliberty.org/ --------------------------------------------------------------- EU Prohibits Spam The Council of Ministers of the European Union (EU) has voted to prohibit the use of unsolicited commercial e-mail (Spam). Companies must obtain opt-in consent in order to send commercial e-mail messages. To become effective, this prohibition must be approved by the European Parliament. EU sets online marketing rules, CNN (IDG), September 28, 2001. http://www5.cnn.com/2001/TECH/internet/09/28/eu.onlinemarketing.idg/index.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Davies: National ID Plan Violates Privacy Simon Davies, Director of Privacy International, argues in the Daily Telegraph that a system of national identification cards will lead to privacy violations. Proposals for national ID also entail requirements that citizens submit a biometric identifier, the requirement that individuals produce the ID upon request, and a linkage between the card and data held by government. Reckless ID card plan will destroy nation's freedom, The Daily Telegraph, September 29, 2001. http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/09/29/wfor229.xml Privacy International ID Card Page. http://www.privacyinternational.org/issues/idcard/ National I.D. Cards: One Size Fits All, New York Times (AP), October 7, 2001. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/07/weekinreview/07WAKI.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Canadian Privacy Minister: No Video Surveillance in Kelowna Canadaıs Privacy Commissioner has found that the use of video cameras in Kelowna by police violates the countryıs Privacy Act. Privacy Commissioner releases finding on video surveillance by RCMP in Kelowna, Privacy Commissioner of Canada, October 4, 2001. http://www.privcom.gc.ca/media/nr-c/02_05_b_011004_e.asp --------------------------------------------------------------- FTC Abandons Support for Privacy Legislation Federal Trade Commission Chair Timothy Muris has announced that he does not support federal legislation to protect privacy. His announcement reverses the former FTC policy, that allowed industry to self-regulate for years before ultimately concluding that self-regulation proved ineffective. Instead of pursuing legislation, Muris plans to devote more resources to enforcing current law in the area of identity theft, pretexting, and credit reporting violations. F.T.C. Plans to Abandon New Bills on Privacy, New York Times, October 3, 2001. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/03/technology/03PRIV.html --------------------------------------------------------------- ENUM: An Emerging Privacy Threat Electronic Numbering (ENUM) is a standard that enables contact information to be retrieved through the use of a single number. The technology can enable people to communicate via e-mail, fax, voicemail, phone, pager, and other devices through the use of a single number. Phone number-to-e-mail service raises privacy concerns, Computerworld, October 5, 2001. http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO64475,00.html EPIC ENUM Page. http://www.epic.org/privacy/enum/ --------------------------------------------------------------- AOL to Use Cookies for Ad Placement America Online (AOL) has announced that the company will employ cookies in order to more effectively present advertisements to members. AOL to Use Cookies to Target Ads, Washington Post, October 5, 2001. http://www.washtech.com/cgi-bin/udt/WTW.PRINT.STORY?client=washtech-test&storyid=12924 --------------------------------------------------------------- CA Gov. Vetoes E-Mail Privacy Bill California Governor Gray Davis has vetoed Senate Bill 147, a measure that have required companies to give employees notice before monitoring their e-mail. Gov. Davis reasoned that giving notice to employees would place to great of regulatory burden on businesses. Gov. Davis Vetoes E-Mail Monitoring Bill, Tech Law Journal Daily E-Mail Alert, October 10, 2001. http://www.techlawjournal.com/alert/2001/10/10.asp California Senate Bill 147. http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_0101-0150/sb_147_bill_20010830_enrolled.html --------------------------------------------------------------- CA Passes ID Theft Law Governor Gray Davis has signed Senate Bill 168, a measure authored by Senator Debra Bowen (D-Redondo Beach), that will increase protections against identity theft in California. SB 168 will limit businesses from printing Social Security Numbers on identification cards and bills, and it allows consumers to issue a "fraud alert" on their credit reports. California Creates Identity Theft Law, Newsbytes, October 11, 2001. http://www.newsbytes.com/cgi-bin/udt/im.display.printable?client.id=newsbytes&story.id=171055 Senate Bill 168. http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_0151-0200/sb_168_bill_20010914_enrolled.html --------------------------------------------------------------- Senate and House Approve Versions of Anti-Terrorism Legislation Early Friday morning, the Senate passed the Uniting and Strengthening America (USA ) Act. On Friday, the House passed the Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (PATRIOT) Act. Both bills contain provisions that will implicate privacy and other civil liberties. Both bills will allow law enforcement to intercept the headers of e-mail messages without a warrant. S 1510, the USA Act, THOMAS Database. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:s.01510: HR 2975, the PATRIOT Act, THOMAS Database. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.r.02975: EPIC Page on Counter-terrorism Proposals. http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Representatives Release Outline for Privacy Legislation A bipartisan group of Representatives have formulated an outline for consumer privacy legislation. The outline includes provisions for notice, opt-out choice, and enforcement powers with the FTC. The Representatives plan to introduce a bill in 2002. Stearns Presents Outline for Federal Statement on Information Privacy, Rep. Stearns Press Release, October 12, 2001. http://www.house.gov/stearns/pr011012.htm Legislators renew push for privacy rules, CNET, October 12, 2001. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7507041.html --------------------------------------------------------------- RIAA Fails to Attach Piracy Language to Anti-Terrorism Bills The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) attempted but failed to insert anti-piracy language into the terrorism bills. The proposed language would have allowed copyright owners to mount counterattacks against piracy. Specifically, the language would have allowed content owners to engage in malicious hacking in order to prevent violations of copyright law. Music Firms Fail to Get Anti-Piracy Proposal on Bill, Los Angeles Times, October 15, 2001. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-000082201oct15.story Your Rights Online: RIAA Wants to Hack, Slashdot, October 15, 2001. http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/15/138258&mode=thread ACTION--------------------------------------------------------- Defend Your Freedoms Endorse the ten-point statement that has been joined by over 150 advocacy organizations. In Defense of Freedom Statement http://www.indefenseoffreedom.org/ Endorse the Statement http://www.indefenseoffreedom.org/endorse.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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