Privacy in India

It´s true that is not a lot of information about privacy in India. I have found 3 interesting links.

1. N Vitall writes an article at Mumbai Mirror: "Privacy in the cyber age"

2. And there is this presentation by Ponnurangam Kumaraguru and Lorrie Cranor. Privacy in India: Attitudes and Awareness. In Proceedings of the 2005 Workshop on Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PET2005), 30 May - 1 June 2005, Dubrovnik, Croatia.

“Very little information has been published about privacy attitudes in India. As India is becoming a leader in business process outsourcing, increasing amounts of personal information from other countries is flowing into India” (Kumaraguru & Cranor)

3. Privacy International 2003 Report. Republic of India

Identity and Identification in a Networked World

On September 29-30, 2006 will take place in New York this symposium: Identity and Identification in a Networked World at New York University.

The symposium will examine critical and controversial issues surrounding the socio- technical systems of identity, identifiability and identification. The goal is to showcase emerging scholarship of graduate students at the cutting edge of humanities, social sciences, artists, systems design & engineering, philosophy, law, and policy to work towards a clearer understanding of these complex problems, and build foundations for future collaborative work.

The symposium will feature a keynote talk by Ian Kerr, Canada Research Chair in Ethics, Law & Technology at the University of Ottawa.


Program chairs:

- Tim Schneider, JD Student, NYU School of Law
- Michael Zimmer, PhD Candidate, Dept. of Culture & Communication, NYU (I recommend you his blog)

Faculty advisor:

- Helen Nissenbaum, Dept. of Culture & Communication, NYU

Sponsors:

- Coordinating Council for Culture and Communications, Journalism, and Media Studies, New York University
- Department of Culture and Communication, New York University
- Information Law Institute, New York University School of Law

Pharmacy & Privacy

Eyewitness News publishs a special report about pharmacies with secure dumpsters

" Do you trust your local pharmacy with your sensitive personal information? If you do, you might have second thoughts based on an Eyewitness News investigation.

The nation's largest pharmacy chains are apologizing because of what we found in their trash."

More at: Eyewitness News

Part One: Trashing your privacy

Part Two: Trashing your privacy

HP: The Memory Spot chip

Image Source: HP Labs website

Text HP Press Release

HP Labs researchers have developed a wireless data chip that could revolutionize the way you think about information stored on paper and other physical objects.

The tiny Memory Spot chip – less than half the size of a grain of rice -- makes it possible to attach digital information to any surface, object or document. So a seaside postcard could be accompanied by photos of your family at the beach. A wedding photo could contain excerpts of the wedding video or an audio recording of the ceremony.

Image Source: HP Labs website

Memory Spot chips have numerous possible consumer and business-based applications. Some examples are:

Medical records: Embed a Memory Spot chip into a hospital patient’s wrist band and full medical and drug records can be kept securely available.

Audio photo: Attach a chip to the prints of photographs and add music, commentary or ambient sound to enhance the enjoyment of viewing photos.

Digital postcards: Send a traditional holiday postcard to family and friends with a chip containing digital pictures of a vacation, plus sounds and even video clips.

Document notes: A Memory Spot chip attached to a paper document can include a history of all the corrections and additions made to the text, as well as voice notes and graphical images.

Perfect photocopies: A Memory Spot chip attached to a cover sheet eliminates the need to copy the original document. Just read the perfect digital version into the photocopier and the result will be sharp output every time, no matter how many copies are needed, and avoiding any possibility of the originals jamming in the feeder.

Security passes: Add a chip to an identity card or security pass for the best of both worlds --- a handy card with secure, relevant digital information included.

Anti-counterfeit tags: Counterfeit drugs are a significant problem globally. Memory Spot chips can contain secure information about the manufacture and quality of pharmaceuticals. When added to a drug container, this can prove their authenticity. A similar process could be used to verify high-value engineering and aviation components.

More info:

HP Labs

BBC Online: Tiny wireless memory chip debuts

New Scientist: Tiny radio chip can stores video clips

Wikipedia: Memory Spot

El Mundo: Su historial, en un chip de menos de un milímetro cuadrado

What's the Future of Desktop Sotware?

Knowledge Wharton (KW) is the Wharton School's online business journal, and my favorite one. There are available podcasts, special sections, and there are two versions: Spanish/Portuguese and Chinese.

KW published yesterday an article What's the Future of Desktop Software -- and How Will It Affect Your Privacy?

This article is base on questions that were posed during two panels at the recent Supernova 2006 conference, co-hosted by Wharton in San Francisco.

Read more about Supernova 2006

Full article at Knowledge Wharton

Schools & Privacy

Schools in internet privacy battles Wiretap ruling, nation student database proposal are two of the issues raising concerns

From eSchool News staff and wire service reports


A new law requiring Virginia's colleges to hand over prospective students' personal information to police for cross-checking against sex-offender lists is coming under fire from privacy advocates and education leaders. As the debate goes on over internet privacy, educators and privacy proponents are alarmed over two federal proposals likely to have an impact on schools.

Read complete article at eSchoolNews

VI Computer Law World Conference

Image Source: VI Computer World Conference

The VI Computer Law World Conference will be hosted by the AHRC Research Centre for Studies in Intellectual Property and Technology Law, located in the School of Law at the Universituy of Edinburgh.

Papers

Workshops

Programme

Clipped Tag

IBM and the Toronto-based Marnlen RFiD have agreed to explore the future use of the Clipped Tag technology for radio frequency tagging labels

The Clipped Tag technology, developed at IBM's Watson Research Center, allows consumers to tear off a section of the tag.

The tags, essentially tiny radio transmitters, are predicted by many to play an increasing role in retail merchandising. Privacy advocates, however, are worried that the tags would continue to transmit after they’ve left the store, potentially revealing information about consumers.

Paul Moskowitz, IBM Research, said, "The Clipped Tag puts privacy protection into the hands of the consumer. It gives the consumer a visual confirmation of the tags' modification."

Learn more: Marnlen to Embrace IBM Invention for Privacy-Enabled Product Tracking Labels (press release)

British ID Card Plan Stalls

According EPIC News "Plans for a mandatory national ID card in the United Kingdom have stalled after internal emails revealing severe problems with the plan were leaked from the UK's Home Office".

Read complete story at EPIC.

Links:

EPIC's National ID Card Page
London School of Economics 2006 Study of the ID Card Plan
Privacy International on National ID Cards

Subscribing to the EPIC Alert

SWAMI: Threats, Vulnerabilities and Safeguards in Ambient Intelligence.

The SWAMI (Safeguards in a World of Ambient Intelligence) Project has just released a new publication:

Friedewald, M., R. Lindner & D. Wright (eds.),
Policy Options to Counteract Threats and Vulnerabilities in Ambient Intelligence, SWAMI Deliverable D3: A report of the SWAMI consortium to the European Commission under contract 006507, June 2006. http://swami.jrc.es

See SWAMI Partners

Alfa Redi: Monitor de Privacidad

Fuente de la imagen web alfa-redi

Alfa-Redi es una organización de la Sociedad Civil, de base en Latinoamérica, dedicada investigación, discusión, formulación de propuestas y acción en temas de Políticas de Sociedad de la Información.

Desde el pasado mes de febrero, llevan a cabo el Monitor de Privacidad y Acceso a la Informacion en America Latina y el Caribe, sin duda la mejor recopilación en español de privacidad, elaborado por un equipo coordinadodo por el abogado y profesor Diego Sanchez.

Los objetivos del Monitor como definen en la web son:

• Desarrollar y Publicar informes situaciones sobre Políticas y Regulación de la Privacidad y el Acceso a la Información Pública en Latinoamérica y el Caribe

• Mantener un Monitoreo con recopilación de legislación, jurisprudencia y noticias sobre Privacidad y Acceso a la Información Pública en Latinoamérica y el Caribe

• Establecer una Comunidad Digital de expertos en las temáticas del Monitor

• Realizar foros presénciales sobre Privacidad y Acceso a la Información Pública en Latinoamérica y el Caribe.


Desde aquí nuestra felicitación.

UK: Information Commissioner's Office

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is an independent supervisory authority reporting directly to the UK parliament. The ICO regulates and enforces the Data Protection Act 1998, the freedom of Information Act 2000, the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) regulations 2003 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.


The ICO has published updated guidance to companies and other organisations on transferring personal information outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

They have also a E-alerts and E-newsletters service available.

New HBS Working Knowledge

Since this week there is a new and improved HBS (Harvard Business School) Working Knowledge.

And there is a Working Paper Spotlight: The Framing Effect of Price Format by Marco Bertini and Luc Wathieu (who wrote "Marketing and Privacy Concerns." Marketing Science.

How do consumers evaluate different pricing scenarios? This study looks at different pricing models to see which is more likely to result in positive customer perception.

Microsoft Removes WGA

Microsoft Removes WGA 'Phone Home' Component

Article published at Eweek by Ryan Naraine


Microsoft has removed the controversial "phone home" notifications component from its WGA(Windows Genuine Advantage) anti-piracy tool.

The software maker June 27 announced the release of an updated WGA Notifications package that will be delivered to millions of Windows XP users via Automatic Updates with one major change.

Read full article at eweek.com

International Conference on Business, Law and Tecnology Issues (IBLT)

Image source: International Conference on Business, Law and Technology Issues (IBLT)

The International Conference on Business, Law and Technology (IBLT) will be held on December 5-7, 2006 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Conference welcomes all scholastic researches addressing current and emerging trends in business, law and technology.

The conference committee is seeking submissions of papers for oral presentations. All accepted papers will be published in the book, Business, Law and Technology: Current Trends and Challenges (ISBN 87-991385-0-6 and ISBN 87-991385-1-4) and nominated to 9 international journals. Submission Deadline: October 20, 2006

Further details about the conference is available at www.iblt.eu

Ireland to reform libel laws

Guardian Unlimited publishs today the irish project to reform the privacy law: "Ireland to reform libel laws" by Lisa O'Carroll

Sweeping reforms to defamation legislation and the creation of a new privacy law that could have far-reaching implications for UK newspapers were announced last night in Ireland.

A new press council, which will have statutory powers, will also be established by the Irish government, despite advice from the UK Press Complaints Commission that this would stifle press freedom.

Read more at: Guardian Unlimited

Commission opens online public consultation on RFID

European Commission Press Release

An online public consultation on how the European Commission can help to ensure that the growing use of radio frequency identification devices (RFID) boosts the competitiveness of the Europe's economy and improves the quality of life of its citizens, whilst safeguarding their basic rights, and in particular their privacy, was launched today on the ‘Your Voice in Europe’ website.

PI launched a campaign against the illegal actions of SWIFT

Privacy International (PI) has launched a campaign against the illegal actions of SWIFT in its transfer of financial transactional data to the U.S. Government. This campaign will be launched in 33 countries.

Privacy International allege that the activity was undertaken without regard to legal process under European Data Protection law, and that the disclosures were made without any legal basis or authority whatever. The scale of the operation, involving millions of records, places this disclosure in the realm of a fishing exercise rather than legally authorised investigation.

The general complaint text can be seen at Privacy International.org.

USA: Call for Federal Privacy Law

Source EPIC news

On June 16, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) announced plans to introduce comprehensive privacy legislation. At a meeting of the American Constitution Society, Clinton called for a "Privacy Bill of Rights" that would create privacy protections in the private sector .... (read full article at epic.org).