Category «Privacy»

Industry Coalition Report Calls for Increased Gov’t Action to Protect Cybersecurity

“Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the only advocacy group dedicated to ensuring the privacy, reliability and integrity of information systems, today called on the federal government to assert greater leadership in the protection our information infrastructure in 2006. Its release of the National Agenda for Government Action on Information Security (11 pages, PDF) identifies 13 …

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

FTC Enforcement For Do Not Call Violation

FTC press release: “Satellite television provider DIRECTV will pay $5,335,000 to settle FTC charges that, since October 2003, DIRECTV and companies it hired to promote DIRECTV programming have been violating the Do Not Call (DNC) provisions of the Commission’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). This is the largest civil penalty the FTC has ever announced in …

Subjects: Privacy

Senate Patriot Act Reauthorization Vote Scheduled For Friday?

Following up on yesterday’s Bipartisan Coalition Seeks 3 Month Extension on Expiration of Patriot Act Provisions, today EPIC posted internal FBI documents obtained from a FOIA lawsuit against the DOJ, detailing government use of controversial sections of the Patriot Act scheduled for reauthorization by year’s end. EPIC’s requests for further documents are pending, and may …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Legislation, Libraries, Patriot Act, Privacy

Bipartisan Coalition Seeks 3 Month Extension on Expiration of Patriot Act Provisions

Follow-up to Deal Reached on Patriot Act Reauthorization Amid Wide Disagreement, this press release today: “Senator Patrick Leahy, (D-Vt.), the ranking Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee, has forged a coalition of Republican and Democratic senators that introduced a bill Monday to extend the expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act to give Congress more …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Legislation, Libraries, Patriot Act, Privacy

UK Firm Promotes Self Destructing Text Messages

This text will self-destruct in 40 seconds – Next year self-deleting emails and photo messages too.: “Staellium UK said that its StealthText service will allow business executive dealing in sensitive information to send texts which will delete themselves from the recipient’s mobile phone as soon as the person has read them.” Details

Subjects: E-Mail, E-Records, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Privacy

Canada Moves to Exercise Data Protection Guidelines With U.S.

Canada drafts proposals to shield personal data from U.S. anti-terror law, Jim Bronskill, Canadian Press, December 11, 2005: “A federal proposal would allow government departments to immediately cancel a contract with an American firm if it hands personal information about Canadians to U.S. anti-terrorism investigators.” Related links: Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) …

Subjects: Patriot Act, Privacy

Report Finds Increased Use of Antispyware But Risk Still Extremely High

Press release: Phishing attacks aimed at identity theft now affect roughly one in four Americans (23%) each month, according to the second annual AOL/National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) Online Safety Study (11 pages, PDF). Additionally, more than two-thirds of consumers (70%) who received such scam e-mails thought they were from legitimate companies, putting them at …

Subjects: Cybercrime, ID Theft, PC Security, Privacy

IRS Issues Proposed Regs on Disclosure of Taxpayer Info

IRS press release: “The Internal Revenue Service…issued proposed guidance on the disclosure or use of tax return information by tax return preparers. A key principle underlying the proposed guidance is that tax return preparers may not disclose or use tax return information for purposes other than tax return preparation without the knowing, informed and voluntary …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents, Privacy

Deal Reached on Patriot Act Reauthorization Amid Wide Disagreement

News reports this afternoon on the compromise reached by the House and Senate on Patriot Act reauthorization include the strong caveat that not all Senators are satisfied (see statements as follows, from Leahy and Feingold), and opposition continues (specifically from the so-called gang of six). Although 16 provisions will now sunset in four as opposed …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Patriot Act, Privacy