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Privacy - page 2

Cybersecurity/Privacy

Senate Considers Recommendations for Data Privacy and Security Bills

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2011 – The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee assembled Wednesday its third hearing this legislative session on data privacy and security. In a hearing rushed so that members could make it to the Senate floor in time to vote, members and witnesses from government agencies and private sector entities testifying before the senate committee reiterated support for federal data security legislation. Consumer privacy bills such as the Do Not Track Online Act of 2011, Commercial Bill of Rights Act of 2011 and reintroduction of the Data Security and Breach Notification Act are all currently before the committee. Keep Reading

Cybersecurity/Privacy

Center for American Progress Panelists Explore FTC’s Role in Child Privacy Protection

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2011 – A Center for American Progress panel assembled Monday explored the challenges presented by emerging Internet technology privacy issues with respect to Federal Trade Commission enforcement, child safety and free speech rights. Julie Brill, FTC Commissioner, addressed private sector and government solutions for protecting consumer data privacy in her keynote speech to a packed house of policy analysts, advocacy groups and government officials at the Center’s Washington, D.C. headquarters. Keep Reading

Congress/Privacy/Senate

Franken Introduces Geolocation Privacy Bill

WASHINGTON June 16, 2011- Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), introduced a bill Wednesday that would make rules more stringent for collecting geolocation data on mobile device users. The Location Privacy Protection Act of 2011 would require companies to obtain users' expressed consent to collect location data and to notify users when they share location data with third parties. Keep Reading

Congress/Cybersecurity/House of Representatives/Privacy

House Subcommittee Weighs Consequences of New Obama Cybersecurity Proposal

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2011 - House Subcommittee members received answers long on ideas but short on specifics when they probed Obama administration officials during a hearing Wednesday on the President's cybersecurity review. The House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet explored the ramifications of the Obama administration’s Cyberspace Policy Review in an oversight hearing that featured two witness panels representing federal and private interests. Keep Reading

Congress/House of Representatives/Privacy/Wireless

Barton, Markey Release Draft of ‘Do Not Track’ Bill for Kids

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2011 - Reps. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Ed Markey (D-MD) released a discussion draft of to-be-introduced legislation that would update the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to reflect changes in current technology. The Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011 would make several changes to the existing law, which dates back to 1998. Since then, says Rep. Barton, the Internet landscape has changed dramatically. Keep Reading

People/Privacy

TechFreedom Aims To Fill Privacy Niche

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2011 - In a town where there are as many opinions as there are issues, TechFreedom, a new think tank, aims to provide a non-partisan approach to privacy issues from a free market, libertarian stance. The core focus of TechFreedom approaches privacy issues from two vantage points. One is to seek better protection from law enforcement intrusion, as seen in its efforts to reform the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Second is in facilitating the least invasive government regulation of how the private sector uses data. Keep Reading

Congress/House of Representatives/Privacy/Wireless

Barton, Markey to Wireless Carriers: ‘Do You Track Customers’ Location Info?’

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2011 - Reps. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Joe Barton (R-TX), Co-Chairmen of the House Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus sent letters Tuesday to Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T asking the wireless companies to disclose how the firms collect and stored user location data. The letters to all four major wireless carriers were sent response to a recent story in the New York Times, which reported that the German mobile provider Deutsche Telekom tracked the locations of German politicians. Keep Reading

Congress/Privacy

Reps. Barton, Markey Keep Watchful Eye On Facebook Privacy Settings

WASHINGTON, February 28, 2011 – Reps. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Edward Markey (D-MA), Co-Chairmen of the House Bipartisan Privacy Caucus, shared Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s response to a letter they wrote to him on February 2, 2011, questioning a particular privacy feature on Facebook that would potentially share mobile numbers and home addresses with websites and third party-applications. Keep Reading

International/Privacy/Wireless

RIM Agrees to Give India Access to Networks

WASHINGTON, August 19, 2010 - India is the latest nation to require Research in Motion to provide a government with access to the traffic across the RIM network. The nation gave the Canadian phone maker until the end of the month to comply with a request for access to its network. RIM has acquiesced and beginning Sept. 1 will give India access to the BlackBerry messenger service. Keep Reading

Privacy

Facebook, Google, and Apple Ease Privacy Concerns of Senators

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2010 – Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation are worried about unclear consumer online privacy policies and the negative effects of targeted advertising. Representatives from Apple, Facebook, Google, The Cato Institute, AT&T, and the Annenberg School for Communication overviewed their current privacy policies and tools, and outlined the future of their privacy controls. Keep Reading

Europe/International/Privacy

Sweden’s Pirate Party to Launch ISP with Privacy Focus

WASHINGTON July 21, 2010- Sweden’s Pirate Party is planning to launch its own ISP which will be maintained by users. Subscribers will be responsible for fixing network issues and helping their fellow customers with technical support. The ISP will also not maintain any logs of usage. Users will access the ISP via an anonymous virtual private network service, iPredator, which famously manages The Pirate Bay. Keep Reading

Mobile Broadband/Privacy

Is Apple Big Brother?

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2010 – Buried within a 40 page privacy policy Apple says that it will share location data with its partners. “Apple and our partners and licensees may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device.” With increased concern by consumers about the collection and use of location data and other personal data being shared with advertisers Reps. Edward Markey and Joe Barton sent Apple CEO Steve Jobs a letter requesting information on the policy and services. Keep Reading

Broadband Updates/Broadband's Impact/Cybersecurity/National Broadband Plan/NTIA/Privacy

Experts Debate Causes, Cures for Cyber Bullying and High Risk Behaviors

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2010 – The best way to avoid cyber bullying is not to be a teenage girl, said an expert on Tuesday at a panel discussion hosted by the Progress and Freedom Foundation. The remarks, made by Michael McKeehan, Verizon’s executive director of internet and technology policy, were in response to a question on “high risk behaviors” that lead children to become targets of online bullies. Keep Reading

Broadband Updates/Broadband's Impact/International/Privacy

Europe Looks for Economic Growth Through Its Digital Agenda

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2010 - One half of European productivity growth over the last 15 years can easily be attributed to information and communications technology, according to the European Commission. The commission is hoping to continue this trend by unveiling last month the Digital Agenda for Europe - a plan outlining ways for the European Union to embrace technologies contributing to its economic growth and spread its benefits throughout European society. Keep Reading

Privacy/Recovery Act

Commerce Seeks Comment on Privacy Law, Creates Task Force

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2010 – The Commerce Department is seeking public comment on the impact of privacy laws in the United States and around the world to determine if current laws serve consumer interests and democracy. It also this week announced the formation of an Internet Policy Task Force to identify public policy and operational issues impacting the private sector’s ability to best achieve economic growth and job creation through the Internet. Keep Reading

Copyright/FCC/Official Broadband Plan Document/Privacy/Transparency/Universal Service/Wireless

Connecting America, Chapter 4: ‘Broadband Competition and Innovation Policy’

Twenty-five years ago, the World Wide Web did not exist. Very few Americans had even seen a mobile phone, and broadband networks were available only to a few businesses and research institutions. Today, innovations such as broadband and others like it drive the creation of a wide variety of products and services. The competitive forces that sparked these breakthroughs need to be nurtured so that the United States can continue to reap the benefits of its unrivaled culture of innovation. Keep Reading

Broadband Updates/Broadband's Impact/FCC/National Broadband Plan/Privacy

National Broadband Plan: A Look at Chapter 4 and Privacy

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2010 – Chapter Four of the plan focuses on broadband competition and innovation policy. It’s one of the most far-reaching sections in the entire document. It starts by addressing various mobile and fixed networks and moves on to discuss specific devices, privacy and identity theft. This third and final article summarizing Chapter 4 looks at the FCC’s take on set-top boxes, consumer privacy and digital taxation. Keep Reading

Broadband Data/Broadband Updates/Broadband's Impact/FCC/National Broadband Plan/Privacy/Transparency/Wireless

National Broadband Plan: A Look at Chapter 4 and FCC Recommendations

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2010 - Section Four of the plan focuses on broadband competition and innovation policy. It’s one of the most far-reaching sections in the entire 360-page document. This second article summarizing Chapter 4 looks at the FCC’s overall recommendations to enhance the nation’s broadband ecosystem. Keep Reading

Broadband Updates/Broadband's Impact/FCC/National Broadband Plan/Privacy/Wireless

National Broadband Plan: A Look at Chapter 4 and Networks

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2010 - Section Four of the plan focuses on broadband competition and innovation policy. It’s one of the most far-reaching sections in the entire 360-page document. It starts by addressing various mobile and fixed networks and moves on to discuss specific devices, privacy and identity theft. It concludes with discussion about the need for innovating and changing the current network. Keep Reading

Broadband's Impact/FCC/National Broadband Plan/Privacy/Smart Grid/Transparency

‘National Purposes’ Aspect of National Broadband Plan Aims For Bold Actions Without Much Spending

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2010 - Blair Levin, head of the Federal Communications Commission’s national broadband plan and the “national purposes” team at the agency previewed key points from the upcoming national broadband plan. The object of the plan, they said, is not just to expand broadband networks, but to enable the creation of applications and innovations built upon that network. The six primary objective areas presented were healthcare, education, energy, civic engagement, economic expansion, and public safety. Keep Reading

Copyright/National Broadband Plan/Net Neutrality/Privacy

Panelists Debate Copyrights, Open Internet in U.S. Broadband Plan

WASHINGTON, January 19, 2010 - Communication and intellectual property experts debated whether a national broadband plan is the right vehicle for addressing copyright and network neutrality issues and whether the FCC is overstepping its bounds by dabbling with copyright issues. Public Knowledge President Gigi Sohn sparred with officials from the Recording Industry Association of America, telling RIAA’s executive vice president and general counsel that the recording and Hollywood industries along with some song writers want iinternet service providers to filter networks for copyright infringement. Keep Reading

Broadband's Impact/Privacy

Advocate Alleges ‘Racial Labeling’ in Targeted Online Ads

WASHINGTON, December 9, 2009 - The ubiquity of online advertising is a product of its importance to the internet economy, said a group of consumer advocates Wednesday during a debate on the future of online advertising. But the impact of new targeted advertising methods on consumer privacy and its potential to manipulate online experiences was the subject of heated argument at the event, sponsored by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Keep Reading

Broadband Updates/Privacy

Technology Think Tank Launches ‘Take Back Your Privacy’ Campaign

The Center for Democracy & Technology this week launched a “Take Back Your Privacy” campaign to support the creation of more user-friendly privacy tools and push for the passage of a federal consumer privacy law. "It's time for privacy law and online practices to catch up with the seismic shifts in technology," CDT President and CEO Leslie Harris said in a statement Thursday. "We know that Americans want better privacy protections. Take Back Your Privacy will help them make sure that their voices a Keep Reading

Broadband's Impact/Privacy

Social Networks’ Explosive Growth Revives Decades-Long Debate On Digital Privacy

SAN FRANCISCO, December 2, 2009 - The phenomenal growth of online social networks is finally moving the decades-long debate over the nature of privacy in the digital world forward, said legal experts at an annual conference on innovation in San Francisco on Tuesday. Congress has threatened to enact and revamp consumer privacy laws for decades, but the complexity of the task has generally stumped the body, except for the areas of finance and health. Keep Reading

Broadband's Impact/Privacy

Ubiquitous Connectivity: Be Careful What You Wish For, Warn Researchers

SAN FRANCISCO, December 1, 2009 - Technophiles and U.S. policymakers have spent decades promising the public that a ubiquitously-networked society would be a people-powered-utopia filled with useful, actionable information. President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign is the most prominent example of how internet-enabled social networks have fundamentally changed the fabric of our society. But a thoughtless rush to make the internet pervasive, and to connect with one another socially online could in fact poison the delicately-balanced relationships that exist in the rapidly vanishing concept of the "offline" world, warned several leading thinkers at an annual conference on innovation on Tuesday. Keep Reading

Broadband's Impact/Privacy

Turkey Wants To Be The Internet Gatekeeper For Its Citizens

WASHINGTON, November 30, 2009 - Turkey’s government is working on a project that would give every child a designated email address at birth, according to reports coming from the country’s state news agency late Monday. Turkey is also looking to develop a homegrown Internet search engine to address government national security concerns related to citizens using search engines based in foreign countries. Keep Reading

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