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Daily Archives: January 24, 2008

Sensitive Data Retrieved From Used Government Tapes

Press release: “Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04), has sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office asking that it reopen its investigation of the privacy and national security risks posed by government agencies reselling used magnetic data tapes that may once have contained large amounts of sensitive personal and government information. Researchers working for Imation, an Oakdale, MN-based corporation that produces magnetic data tapes, were able to recover a wide range of sensitive information from used data tapes that were supposedly wiped clean before being re-sold. Using readily available equipment and information, Imation investigators found out where the tapes originated and recovered bank account numbers, expense reports, employee tax and benefit information, and other sensitive data.”

Committee Releases Updated Schedule of Depositions and Interviews for Major League Baseball Players

Follow-up to previous postings on the baseball investigation, “Today the Oversight and Government Reform Committee released an updated schedule of depositions and interviews related to allegations in Senator Mitchell’s Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League… Continue Reading

White House and Congressional Documents on Economic Stimulus Package

White House Fact Sheet: New Growth Package Meets Criteria to Keep Our Economy Healthy “Today, President Bush announced his Administration reached a bipartisan agreement with House leadership on an economic growth package, and he encouraged Congress to deliver a bill to his desk as soon as possible to bolster the economy this year. The President’s… Continue Reading

DOJ Summaries of New FOIA Decisions — December 2007

“As announced previously by Office of Information and Privacy, we are now posting up-to-date summaries of new court decisions. To facilitate their review, the cases are broken down by FOIA Exemption or procedural element and internal citations and quotations have been omitted. OIP provides these case summaries as a public service; due to their nature… Continue Reading

FCC Requires Television Broadcasters to Provide More Local Programming Information to the Public

Press release: “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today adopted a Report and Order (Order) which requires television broadcasters to provide more information on the local programming they are broadcasting and facilitate the public’s access to that information. The Commission is committed to establishing and maintaining a system of local broadcasting that is responsive to the… Continue Reading

Coalition for Patient Privacy: Resources for Consumers

Coalition for Patient Privacy: “Our mission is to ensure that Americans control all access to their health records.” “National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics report, Enhanced Protections for Uses of Health Data: A Stewardship Framework for ‘Secondary Uses’ of Electronically Collected and Transmitted Health Data. The report recommends that Americans have NO control over… Continue Reading

UN Report: The State of the World’s Children 2008

“The State of the World’s Children 2008 assesses the state of child survival and primary health care for mothers, newborns and children today. These issues serve as sensitive barometers of a country’s development and wellbeing and as evidence of its priorities and values. Investing in the health of children and their mothers is a human… Continue Reading

Privacy Impact Assessment for the Use of Radio Frequency Identification Technology for Border Crossings

DHS: Privacy Impact Assessment for the Use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology for Border Crossings, January 22, 2008. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology that is to be used in cross border travel documents to facilitate the land border primary inspection process. A unique number is embedded in… Continue Reading