Category «Privacy»

Advocacy Group Continues to Demand Public Disclosure on Air Passenger Data Collection Program

“In a letter (PDF) to the Transportation Security Administration’s privacy officer, EPIC has asked why the Secure Flight Privacy/IT Working Group is not being operated in accordance with federal law intended to ensure transparency of government advisory committees. “EPIC has urged TSA, since the earliest days of its existence, to develop aviation security policies and …

Subjects: Privacy

Updated CRS Report on Spyware and Privacy

CRS Report – Spyware: Background and Policy Issues for Congress, Updated December 22, 2004. “Internet privacy issues encompass concerns about the collection of personally identifiable information (PII) from visitors to government and commercial websites, as well as debate over law enforcement or employer monitoring of electronic mail and Web usage. This report discusses Internet privacy …

Subjects: Government Documents, Privacy

Advocacy Group Asks New Congress for Privacy Protection and Action Against Spyware

“Testifying at the year’s first hearing of the House Commerce Committee, CDT reiterated that baseline privacy legislation was the best way to deal with the snowballing spyware epidemic and head off further threats to online privacy. CDT also highlighted the growing problem of affiliate networking, and called for stepped up enforcement against spyware purveyors and …

Subjects: Congress, Legislation, Privacy

Digital Medical Records Offer Benefits and Risks

From Business Week, Between You, The Doctor, And The PC – “More physicians and hospitals are putting their medical records online.” As the digitization of health care records steadily increases, there are consequences for physicians and patients alike. As diagnositic data and patient health records are made available online via hospital intranets, they are vulnerable …

Subjects: E-Records, Privacy

Washington Post Examines Data Aggregator ChoicePoint

In Age of Security, Firm Mines Wealth Of Personal Data (reg. req’d): the Post provides an overview of ChoicePoint, described as a “little-known information industry giant.” However, many librarians and researchers are well acquainted with the company’s products, and it has been in the bulls-eye of privacy advocates for selling its vast databases of personal …

Subjects: E-Commerce, E-Government, Privacy

FBI’s Net Surveillance Tool Abandoned in Favor of ISP Provided Data

From EPIC: “Through the Freedom of Information Act, EPIC has obtained FBI reports to Congress stating that the agency did not use its DCS 1000 Internet monitoring system — formerly known as Carnivore — during fiscal years 2002 (pdf) and 2003 (pdf). According to the reports, the FBI used commercially available software to conduct court-ordered …

Subjects: E-Government, Freedom of Information, Privacy

FOIA Case Yields Info On Collection of Passenger Data

“EPIC has learned through Freedom of Information Act litigation that the FBI obtained 257.5 million Passenger Name Records following 9/11, and that the Bureau has permanently incorporated the travel details of tens of millions of innocent people into its law enforcement databases. The FBI made the revelation as it explained (29 pages, PDF) why it …

Subjects: E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Privacy