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From Government Computer News: “The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia again has ordered the Interior Department to disconnect most of its systems from the Internet to protect American Indian trust data. The department has disconnected at least 3,000 computers from the Internet as a result of the order..” See my previous posting …
The following Freedom of Information Act decisions were received by the Office of Information and Privacy (DOJ) during the months of April through June 2003: New FOIA Decisions, April-June 2003
Are Public Court Records Too Public in Cyberspace?: “As state court officials across the nation ponder whether and how to make courthouses Internet-friendly, policymakers from California to New York are shielding many otherwise readily available records from cyberspace.” Resources referenced in the article include: New York State Commission on Public Access to Court Records Reporters …
Two new articles on e-filing that address issues of technology standards, e-courts (there are currently 20 accepting such filings), security, and contracting with service providers: E-Filing – Coming to a Court Near You e-Filing and Issues Relating to Electronic Filing Service Providers
From the press release: “The U.S. Department of Commerces United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced today that effective June 30, 2003, all newly filed patent applications will be converted to electronic applications and processed electronically. Additionally, over the next 15 months, the USPTO will scan more than a half million pending applications into …
A new Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project involves the deployment of innovative data collection software that would provide law enforcement with the ability to track, monitor and “identify vehicles by size, color, shape and license tag, or drivers and passengers by face,” according to this AP article. The DARPA contracting document for Combat …
A Citizen’s Guide on Using The Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974 to Request Government Records (text version, pdf version), First Report by the Committee on Government Reform, June 23, 2003, House Report 108-172. The Freedom of Information Act Privacy Act of 1974
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Before and After the USA PATRIOT Act, from the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, June 2003 (via Secrecy News). “…care must be taken to ensure that the new tools provided by Congress in the USA PATRIOT Act are employed within the constraints of the Constitution. The Supreme Court has said “the police …
FTC Outlines Steps to Assist Identity Theft Victims. Prepared Statement of the Federal Trade Commission on Identity Theft: Prevention and Victim Assistance, Presented by J. Howard Beales, III, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Before the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee of the Financial Services Committee, United States House of Representatives, June 24, 2003.
From the June 16 Federal Register: GSA Discontinues Printing and Distribution of the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: The Internet and GSA’s free CFDA Web site will be the primary means of disseminating the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. In addition to what is already there, the Web site will soon contain a version of …
An interview with Steven Aftergood, Project on Government Secrecy, Federation of American Scientists: Government Secrecy in the Age of Information, by Joe Fitzgerald and Antonia Badway, Biodefense Quarterly, Summer 2003 (a publication of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies).
According to this June 14 Washington Post article, the controversial CAPPS II airline passenger data collection and surveillance program will be scaled back as a result of considerable opposition from the public and advocacy groups. The article also states that “new details about the system are expected to be included in a Privacy Act notice …
