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Daily Archives: July 4, 2013

UK ICO update on Google Privacy Policy

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A UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) spokesperson said on July 4, 2013:

“We have today written to Google to confirm our findings relating to the update of the company’s privacy policy. In our letter we confirm that its updated privacy policy raises serious questions about its compliance with the UK Data Protection Act.

“In particular, we believe that the updated policy does not provide sufficient information to enable UK users of Google’s services to understand how their data will be used across all of the company’s products.

“Google must now amend their privacy policy to make it more informative for individual service users. Failure to take the necessary action to improve the policies compliance with the Data Protection Act by 20 September will leave the company open to the possibility of formal enforcement action.”

ALA Resources Guide on the Affordable Care Act

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“The Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress and then signed into law by the President on March 23, 2010.  On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court rendered a final decision to uphold the health care law… Role of Libraries – ALA Policy B.8.11, The Role of Libraries in Providing E-Government and Emergency Services (Old… Continue Reading

Best Places to Work Snapshot: Satisfaction with Performance-Based Rewards and Advancement

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“In the current climate of pay freezes, budget reductions and furloughs, it’s become more challenging and more important for federal leaders to find ways to reward and recognize high performing employees. Unfortunately, only four out of 10 federal workers believe they will be rewarded or promoted for doing good work, according to a new Best… Continue Reading

NYT- Postal Service Is Watching, Too: Outside of All Mail Is Recorded

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Postal Service Is Watching, Too: Outside of All Mail Is Recorded,” by Ron Nixon: “Under “the Mail Isolation Control and Tracking program…Postal Service computers photograph the exterior of every piece of paper mail that is processed in the United States – about 160 billion pieces last year. It is not known how long the government… Continue Reading

UK Guardian – France ‘runs vast electronic spying operation using NSA-style methods’

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Angelique Chrisafis in Paris – Intelligence agency has spied on French public’s phone calls, emails and internet activity, says Le Monde newspaper “France runs a vast electronic surveillance operation, intercepting and stocking data from citizens’ phone and internet activity, using similar methods to the US National Security Agency’s Prism programme exposed by Edward Snowden, Le… Continue Reading

State Dept – Inspection of Bureau of International Information Programs

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United States Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors Office of Inspector General ISP-I-13-28 Office of Inspections May 2013 –Inspection of the Bureau of International Information Programs –Key Judgments: “Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) leadership failed to convey its strategic vision to staff members, despite formalized communications. Leadership created an atmosphere of… Continue Reading

Curious about surveillance? FOIA has answers.

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Sunshine in Government Initiative – June 27, 2013 “Many Americans are curious about electronic surveillance by the federal government. Conveniently, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has already helped provide some answers. Although much of the interest and attention arises from journalism in recent days (here, here, here, and here, and related stories), America has… Continue Reading

BIS Working Paper – Credit and growth after financial crises

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Credit and growth after financial crises, by Előd Takáts and Christian Upper Working Papers No 416 July 2013 “We find that declining bank credit to the private sector will not necessarily constrain the economic recovery after output has bottomed out following a financial crisis. To obtain this result, we examine data from 39 financial crises,… Continue Reading

FCC Grants Google, Inc.’s TV Bands Database System for Operation

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FCC Office of Engineering and Technology Announces the Approval of Google, Inc.’s TV Bands Database System for Operation ET Docket No. 04-186, June 28, 2013 “The Commission’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) announces that it has granted  approval for Google, Inc. to operate its “TV bands database system” to provide service to the public.… Continue Reading

The World Meteorological Organization Global Climate Report

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The Global Climate 2001–2010 A Decade of Climate Extremes World Meteorological Organization, 2013 WMO-No. 1119 “The first decade of the 21st century was the warmest decade recorded since modern measurements began around 1850. It saw above-average precipitation, including one year – 2010 – that broke all previous records. It was also marked by dramatic climate… Continue Reading

Pew – The Myth and Reality of the Evolving Patron(s)

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The Myth and Reality of the Evolving Patron(s) – Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Research Internet Project: “Just how well do you know the people who use your library? Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and co-author of Networked: The New Social Operating System, shares the latest data about… Continue Reading