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Ireland: Data Protection Complaints Soared in 2007
According to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner's annual report, which was published this morning, 1,037 new complaint investigations were initiated last year, up from 658 in 2006. The Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes attributed the substantial increase in cases to a rise in complaints in relation to unsolicited text (SMS) messages. A total of 390 complaints about unsolicited text messages were received in 2007, equivalent to 38 per cent of all complaints received.
Data protection complaints rise in 2007, Irish Times, May 8, 2008.
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EPIC, Privacy Groups, Technical Experts, and Legal Scholars Support Opt-In for Telephone Services
EPIC filed a “friend of the court” brief (pdf) today in federal appellate court urging support for opt-in safeguards for telephone customers. The brief was filed on behalf of consumer and privacy organizations, technical experts, and legal scholars. At issue is the Federal Communications Commission’s Order that protects consumers' telephone record information, which the National Cable and Telecommunications Association has challenged. "Consumers have a legitimate expectation of privacy with respect to sensitive personal information such as whom they call on a telephone," the brief said. "An opt-out policy would provide neither adequate protection for consumer data nor sufficient notice to consumers."
NCTA v. FCC, Electronic Privacy Information Center, May 6, 2008.
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D.C. Council Committee Cuts Funding for Mayor's Controversial Surveillance Network Proposal
D.C. Council members bypassed by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty in his plans to consolidate thousands of city cameras have moved to block funding for the program until it is better regulated. "That's what we're trying to do," said council member Phil Mendelson, chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, which agreed last week to remove funding for the program in the fiscal 2009 budget. The Fenty administration's Video Interoperability for Public Safety program will consolidate roughly 5,200 cameras operated by District agencies into one network managed by the city's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.
Panel to block camera funds, Washington Times, May 6, 2008.
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Arizona Passes ID Theft Law
Speaker Pro Tem Bob Robson's latest battle against identity theft was signed into state law April 16. HB2587 requires creditors to verify a consumer's address before extending credit if the address differs from the one on record and verify the identity of a consumer if they do not use consumer credit reports. "Identity theft is all too prevalent in Arizona and companies need to take every reasonable step to prevent this fraud," Robson, R-Chandler, said.
Robson bill to fight identity theft signed into state law, White Mountain Independent, May 6, 2008.
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UK Police Official: Camera Surveillance Network Has Failed to Cut Crime
Massive investment in CCTV cameras to prevent crime in the UK has failed to have a significant impact, despite billions of pounds spent on the new technology, a senior police officer piloting a new database has warned. Only 3% of street robberies in London were solved using CCTV images, despite the fact that Britain has more security cameras than any other country in Europe. The warning comes from the head of the Visual Images, Identifications and Detections Office (Viido) at New Scotland Yard.
CCTV boom has failed to slash crime, say police, Guardian UK, May 6, 2008.
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Washington D.C. Creating Massive Surveillance Network
The D.C. government is launching a system today that would tie together thousands of city-owned video cameras, but authorities don't yet have the money to complete the high-tech network or privacy rules in place to guide it. The system will feature round-the-clock monitoring of the closed-circuit video systems run by nine city agencies. In the first phase, about 4,500 cameras trained on schools, public housing, traffic and government buildings will feed into a central office at the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. Hundreds more will be added this year. Civil libertarians and D.C. Council members say the network is being rushed into place without sufficient safeguards to protect privacy.
D.C. Forging Surveillance Network, Washington Post, May 1, 2008.
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Recent Stories
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May 08, 2008
Ireland: Data Protection Complaints Soared in 2007
May 08, 2008
EPIC, Privacy Groups, Technical Experts, and Legal Scholars Support Opt-In for Telephone Services
May 08, 2008
D.C. Council Committee Cuts Funding for Mayor's Controversial Surveillance Network Proposal
May 08, 2008
Arizona Passes ID Theft Law
May 08, 2008
UK Police Official: Camera Surveillance Network Has Failed to Cut Crime
May 06, 2008
Investigators: Missouri Governor Accused of Trying to Destroy Evidence
May 01, 2008
Washington D.C. Creating Massive Surveillance Network
April 28, 2008
US Supreme Court Upholds Indiana Voter ID Law
April 24, 2008
US Senate Passes Genetic Nondiscrimination Act
April 24, 2008
FBI Director Wants Broad Power to Monitor Internet Activity
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