Category «Privacy»

EPIC Recommends That Congress Suspend Body Scanning Program

Follow up to previous postings on government implementation of whole body scanning technology at airports, via EPIC: “In testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security, EPIC President Marc Rotenberg urged Congress to halt the plan to deploy body scanners in the nation’s airports. “Based on the documents we’ve obtained, the views of experts, the …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, Government Documents, Privacy

CRS — Satellite Surveillance: Domestic Issues

Satellite Surveillance: Domestic Issues, Richard A. Best Jr. Specialist in National Defense, Jennifer K. Elsea, Legislative Attorney, February 1, 2010 “This report provides background on the development of intelligence satellites and identifies the roles various agencies play in their management and use. Issues surrounding the current policy and proposed changes are discussed, including the findings …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Privacy

FinCEN Provides Anti-Fraud Information for 12th Annual National Consumer Protection Week

News release: “FinCEN joins with other Federal, State and Local government agencies and consumer protection organizations to recognize the 12th Annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 7-13. This coordinated consumer education campaign encourages individuals across the country to take full advantage of their consumer rights. FinCEN provides a number of special resources to educate …

Subjects: Cybercrime, E-Government, Government Documents, ID Theft, Privacy

EPIC v. DHS: EPIC Obtains Complaints About Airport Body Scanners

Follow up to previous postings on government implementation of whole body scanning technology at airports – “In response to an EPIC Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released more documents about body scanners in US airports. The documents include many complaints from travelers who went …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Freedom of Information, Legal Research, Privacy

Declassified Version of U.S. Cybersecurity Plan Released by White House

The Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative: “President Obama has identified cybersecurity as one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation, but one that we as a government or as a country are not adequately prepared to counter. Shortly after taking office, the President therefore ordered a thorough review of …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Cybercrime, E-Government, Government Documents, Internet, Privacy

FTC, Partners Launch 12th National Consumer Protection Week

News release: “The Federal Trade Commission and other government agencies and national consumer groups are sponsoring the 12th annual National Consumer Protection Week from March 7-13, 2010. The event is a coordinated consumer education campaign that encourages individuals across the country to take full advantage of their consumer rights. This year’s theme, Dollars & Sense: …

Subjects: Cybercrime, E-Government, Government Documents, ID Theft, Privacy

GAO Calls for Further Analysis Before Deploying Whole Body Imaging Machines

Follow up to previous postings on government implementation of whole body scanning technology at airports, via EPIC: “The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report regarding the deployment of body scanners. The GAO cited its 2009 recommendations to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA): that the TSA conduct operational tests to ensure that the whole …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, Government Documents, Privacy

Study Ranks Top 20 Companies for Privacy in 2010, Facebook Drops Off List

EPIC: “Ponemon Institute released its annual study identifying the top twenty companies that are most trusted for privacy. American Express was ranked first, earning the Most Trusted for Privacy distinction for the fifth year in a row. Facebook suffered several privacy missteps over the last year, including a recent change in privacy settings at the …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Privacy, Search Engines

Hearing: The Collection and Use of Location Information for Commercial Purposes

“The Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection and the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet held a joint hearing titled, The Collection and Use of Location Information for Commercial Purposes, on Wednesday, February 24, 2010, in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing examined privacy and other issues related to the commercial collection, …

Subjects: Congress, E-Government, Internet, Privacy

NetWitness Discovers Massive ZeuS Compromise

News release: “NetWitness, the world leader in advanced persistent threat detection and real-time network forensics, announced today that its analysts have discovered a dangerous new ZeuS botnet affecting 75,000 systems in 2,500 organizations around the world. The newly-discovered infestation, dubbed the “Kneber botnet” after the username linking the infected systems worldwide, gathers login credentials to …

Subjects: Cybercrime, E-Mail, PC Security, Privacy

EPIC Files Complaint With FTC Allegeding Google Buzz Privacy Violations

Follow up to Google Buzz Social Media Integrated into Gmail, news that “EPIC has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, urging the FTC to open an investigation into Google Buzz. Last week, Google tried to transform its popular email service into an untested social networking service. As a consequence, Google displayed social networking …

Subjects: E-Mail, Government Documents, Legal Research, Privacy