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Cyber-critics, free speech and online anonymous web postings have become a combustable combination. The result is cyberSLAPP law suits, which seek to force ISPs to reveal the names of those who have posted anonymous statements critical of high profile individuals. An example of just such a case involves a Pennsylvania judge and a now defunct …
North Carolina State Attorney General Roy Cooper has secured the support of the state Senate, and now the House, for an identity theft bill. See House Bill 1100 for the text of the legislation.
Internet Community Supports Verizon’s User Privacy Defense. See my previous related posting which provides background on this case.
House Judiciary Chairman Sensenbrenner, sponsor of H.R. 5469, a bill that would have given webcasters a six month grace period before enactment of copyright royalty fees, pulled his bill before the vote. He did so based on a potential agreement under discussion between the recording industry and webcasters.
CNN is reporting that the NSA will shell out $282 million to significantly enhance technology applications used to monitor and evaluate e-mail, telephone and other communications in its ongoing anti-terrorism efforts.
The Electronic Government Act of 2002 (H.R. 2458), was passed by the House Technology and Procurement Policy Subcommittee , and sent it on to the House Government Reform Committee. The Senate companion bill is S. 803.
Federal agencies are issuing their information quality guidelines as specified by OMB (see my previous posting here.) The Patent Office guidelines are available at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/infoqualityguide.html. The Federal Register notice about these guidelines is here.
The ACLU placed an ad in publications including the Congressional Quarterly Daily Monitor and Congress Daily, demanding “that any Homeland Security bill contain five basic civil liberties protections.”
According to this Washington Post article, “From now on, virtually every piece of information that the federal government makes public — through a rulemaking, a publication or a Web site — becomes open to challenge for its accuracy and veracity.” See the OMB guidelines at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/iqg_oct2002.pdf.
ZDNet UK is reporting that a coalition of prominent U.S. high tech companies, calling themselves the Global Privacy Alliance (no web site available) wants the EU to relax its data protection laws to stimulate international e-commerce through the transfer of personal data collected on customers.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act H.R.556, passed the House and was referred to the Senate. The bill would prevent banks, financial institutions and credit card companies from transferring payments to Internet gambling sites, most of which are offshore.
If you are interested in following the developments in the Enron case, a former hot news story that has been moved to the back burner in recent months, then visit The Daily Enron. This public interest site maintains an active collection of news, commentary, book reviews and documents on corporate and government accountability.
