Category «Privacy»

Massive AT&T Consumer Privacy Violation Results in $25 Million FCC Penalty

EPIC – “The Federal Communications Commission has settled an enforcement action against AT&T for the company’s massive consumer privacy violations. According to the Commission, employees at AT&T call centers around the world accessed the “CPNI” (call record information) of nearly 280,000 U.S. customers without their permission. Then AT&T distributed that information to traffickers of stolen …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Privacy

Legislating for Drones: A Guide and Model Ordinances

McNeal, Gregory S. and Rule, Troy A., Legislating for Drones: A Guide and Model Ordinances (April 2, 2015). Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2589975 “Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, present enormous benefits for local government officials, but they are also creating new conflicts with existing land uses. The growing popularity of drones necessitates …

Subjects: Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy

DHS – Privacy Impact Assessment for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Privacy Impact Assessment for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection 1:1 Facial Recognition Air Entry Pilot, DHS/CBP/PIA-025. March 11, 2015. “The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is conducting the 1:1 Facial Recognition Air Entry Pilot to allow Customs and Border Protection Officers stationed at air ports of entry to use facial recognition technology as …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Privacy, Transportation

Brookings Essay – Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Terrorists

The Big Snoop – The divergent views of four respected experts help frame the debate over the future of the NSA in the Snowden Era – Stuart Taylor, Jr.:  “With the approach of the first anniversary of the most copious and sensational leakage of intelligence secrets in history, the consequences of his actions continue to …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Defense, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy

EFF – Automakers Say You Don’t Really Own Your Car

News release: “EFF is fighting for vehicle owners’ rights to inspect the code that runs their vehicles and to repair and modify their vehicles, or have a mechanic of their choice do the work. At the moment, the anti-circumvention prohibition in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act arguably restricts vehicle inspection, repair, and modification. If EFF …

Subjects: Copyright, Digital Rights, Intellectual Property, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy, Transportation

CRS – Cyberwarfare and Cyberterrorism

Cyberwarfare and Cyberterrorism: In Brief, Catherine A. Theohary, Specialist in National Security, Policy and Information Operations. John W. Rollins, Specialist in Terrorism and National Security. March 27, 2015. “Recent incidents have highlighted the lack of consensus internationally on what defines a cyberattack, an act of war in cyberspace, or cyberterrorism. Cyberwar is typically conceptualized as …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Defense, E-Government, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Patriot Act, PC Security, Privacy

Eyes in the Sky: The Domestic Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems, House Judiciary Committee

Eyes in the Sky: The Domestic Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems, House Judiciary Committee, May 17, 2013. Serial No. 113–40. “The United States remains at the forefront of technological progress. Every day we hear of some advancement in communications or computer technology that promses vast improvements in our daily lives. We have become a much …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy, Transportation

White House Announces A New Tool Against Cyber Threats

“It’s one of the great paradoxes of our Information Age — the very technologies that empower us to do great good can also be used by adversaries to inflict great harm. The same technologies that help keep our military strong are used by hackers in China and Russia to target our defense contractors and systems that support …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Defense, E-Government, Government Documents, Internet, Privacy

EPIC Sues FAA, Challenges Failure to Create Drone Privacy Safeguards

EPIC – “Today EPIC filed suit in the federal appeals court in Washington, DC arguing that the Federal Aviation Administration failed to establish privacy rules for commercial drones as mandated by Congress. Congress had required the FAA to develop a “comprehensive plan” for drone deployment. In 2012 EPIC and more than 100 organizations and experts …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Privacy, Transportation

Facebook tracks all users in breach of EU law

theguardian, Samuel Gibbs: “Facebook tracks the web browsing of everyone who visits a page on its site even if the user does not have an account or has explicitly opted out of tracking in the EU, extensive research commissioned by the Belgian data protection agency has revealed. The report, from researchers at the Centre of …

Subjects: E-Commerce, EU Data Protection, Government Documents, Health Care, Internet, Privacy

What Went Wrong with the FISA Court

Brennan Center for Justice – What Went Wrong with the FISA Court by Elizabeth (Liza) Goitein, Faiza Patel, March 18, 2015. “The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court is no longer serving its constitutional function of providing a check on the executive branch’s ability to obtain Americans’ private communications. Dramatic shifts in technology and law have …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research, Privacy