September 30, 2005

GE Snags Homeland Security Privacy Chief

GE Snags Homeland Security Privacy Chief
By Tony Kontzer InformationWeek

Sept. 29, 2005

Hiring of Nuala O'Connor Kelly could signal GE's intent to make privacy a competitive differentiator.


General Electric Co. has snatched up one of the highest profile privacy execs around, luring Nuala O'Connor Kelly away from her post as chief privacy officer at the Department of Homeland Security. The move brings Kelly back to the private sector after four years overseeing privacy compliance for federal agencies, first at the Department of Commerce, and then at DHS for the past two years.

Prior to joining the Commerce Department, Kelly established her reputation as a skilled privacy leader during a two-year stint as privacy chief at online media firm DoubleClick, helping to transform the company from a favorite target among privacy advocates into a pioneer in the areas of online privacy and data-protection policies.

Full article at Information Week

Nuala O'Connor Kelly's interview at Wired

September 29, 2005

EU Data Chief Press Release

As The Washington Post published last monday "EU Data Chief Warns About Privacy":

"BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union's data protection supervisor Monday criticized EU plans to retain phone and e-mail data for use in anti-terrorism investigations, saying they failed to protect civil liberties and gave a free hand to national intelligence services.
Peter Hustinx said the proposals _ one drafted by EU governments, the other by the European Commission _ did not prove the need for EU-wide data retention rules"




Data retention: EDPS presents his Opinion on the Commission proposal for a Directive
Retention of traffic data of telecommunications has been high on the political agenda during the last months. Two rivalling proposals for EU-legislation are on the table - a draft framework decision proposed by four Member States and a Commission proposal for a Directive.


Peter Hustinx, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), who today presents his Opinion on the Commission proposal observes: "This is an incredibly sensitive issue. The Directive has a direct impact on the protection of privacy of EU citizens and it is crucial that it respects their fundamental rights, as settled by the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. A legislative measure that would weaken the protection is not only unacceptable but also illegal".

Although not convinced of the necessity of the proposed Directive, the EDPS presents his view on its main elements. If the Council and the European Parliament decide that data retention is necessary for the purpose of serious crime investigation, the following criteria should be met, for the Directive to be acceptable:

• strictly limited retention periods - the periods must reflect the needs of law enforcement and they must be harmonised in the Member States, laying down maximum periods of retention. Longer periods than 6 and 12 months as proposed, are not acceptable.
• a limited number of data to be stored - the number must reflect the needs of law enforcement and ensure that access to content data is not possible.
• adequate safeguards - specific provisions on access to the retained data by competent authorities are needed to ensure that no one but the relevant law enforcement services can use the data in individual cases.
• adequate technical infrastructure must be put in place to ensure the security of the data, including financial incentives to this effect.
• data subjects must be able to exercise their rights and data protection authorities must be enabled to supervise effectively.


The Opinion of the EDPS contains a detailed analysis of the proposed Directive along these lines and puts forward a number of constructive and concrete proposals to ensure respect for fundamental rights. It also mentions that co-decision of Council and Parliament is the only acceptable way forward in this highly sensitive area.

Links:

Data Retention Directive European Commission Press Release

Data Retention: Privacy International

September 28, 2005

Talks by Latanya Sweeney

I have found at Data Privacy Lab (Carnegie Mellon), all these talks, slides and papers given by Dr. L. Sweenwy



Invited talk: "Privacy Technologies for Large Research Databases" Spectrum Health and Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, September 23, 2005. Given by Lab Director, Latanya Sweeney. (Slides and Abstract)

Invited talk: "Biometrics Alone Won't Do: Developing Holistic Identity Management Solutions" Biometrics Symposium 2005, Arlington, VA, September 19, 2005. Given by Lab Director, Latanya Sweeney. (Slides and Abstract)

Invited talk: "Risk Assessments of PIN Technologies [unique personal identifiers] for Domestic Violence Shelters," National HMIS Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, September 13, 2005. Given by Lab Director, Latanya Sweeney. (Slides and Abstract)

Paper in IEEE Intelligent Systems about privacy and homeland security, entitled: Privacy-Preserving Surveillance using Selective Revelation. This paper describes an approach for sharing data for surveillance purposes while maintaining privacy. July 2005. Authored by Lab Director, Latanya Sweeney. (more)

Testimony: "Privacy Technologies for Homeland Security", Testimony before the Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee of the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), Boston, MA, June 15, 2005. Testimony by Lab Director, Latanya Sweeney. (Testimony and Appendices)

Invited talk: "HIPAA Strategies for De-Identifying Patient Data for Research," American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), National Conference, Group on Information Resources, Philadelphia, PA. April 12, 2005. Given by Lab Director, Latanya Sweeney. (Slides and Abstract)

Invited talk: "Privacy Technology in the Face of Information Warfare", Guest Lecture in Course 19-601, Information Warfare, Carnegie Mellon University. Pittsburgh, PA. March 29, 2005. Given by Lab Director, Latanya Sweeney. (Slides and Abstract)

Invited talk: "Privacy Technology: Artificial Intelligence to Save the World", AAAI Spring Symposium. Stanford. Palo Alto, CA. March 23, 2005. Given by Lab Director, Latanya Sweeney. (Slides, References and Abstract).

Invited talk: "Beyond Ickiness is Risk: The Exasperation of Data Privacy Problems by Implanted RFIDs", The Concealed I Conference, University of Ottawa, Ontario Canada. March 4, 2005. Given by Lab Director, Latanya Sweeney. (Slides, References and Abstract).

September 27, 2005

Trust and Confidence in European Union

From European Commission.

Measures to increase trust and confidence of consumers in the Information Society
(22/09/2005) Consumer protection in the online area is a wide field. The study needs to show to what extent trust-related issues keep users out of the information society today. A clear definition of the covered field based on existing consumer protection regulation and definitions will be necessary in the study. The study will have to focus on issues of consumer protection as well as how they specifically affect trust in and willingness to use information society services. Trust is a notion that can encompass a number of factors such as confidence, awareness, identity protection, security, privacy etc, including subjective apprehension as well as practical experience of various situations.

Measures to increase trust and confidence of consumers in the Information Society

Reference: B-Brussels: measures to increase trust and confidence of consumers in the information society - Official Journal

Text from Tender Specifications " A STUDY ON MEASURES TO INCREASE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE OF CONSUMERS IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY"

" Consumer protection in the online area is a wide field. A clear definition of the covered field based on existing consumer protection regulation and definitions will be necessary in the study. The study will have to focus on issues of consumer protection as well as how they specifically affect trust in and willingness to use information society services.

There are several specific areas of possible consumer concern that already present themselves for inclusion in the study, like protecting privacy online, reliability and liability of purchased products and product packages, language and usability problems as well as effects of spyware, spam and other forms of malware. There are reasons to believe some of these issues will have considerable effects on the real use of purchased products, and hence a mapping of actual effects on consumers’ ability and willingness to use computer and online products and services is needed. An example issue would be how a specific issue like spyware affects the ability to use a computer, how it affects the users’ trust, and what are the liabilities and protections involved when a user is rendered unable to use services due to such infections. A study of the areas which cause consumer problems, not limited to, but including the above, will be included in the study. Specific areas covered by other initiatives, like eAccessibility for groups with special needs and protection of minors, will be outside the scope of this study.

Trust is a notion that can encompass a number of factors such as confidence, awareness, identity protection, security, privacy etc, including subjective apprehension as well as practical experience of various situations. The lack of trust can also be seen as a barrier for e-inclusion in that it will keep users from participation, empowerment and involvement which is necessary for e-inclusion. The study needs to show to what extent trust-related issues keep users out of the information society today. In order to do this it will also be necessary for the study to clarify what is meant by trust in this context – a clear definition for the purposes of this study will be necessary.

User for the purposes of this study should cover consumers.
There are a number of surveys showing what kind of problems consumers have encountered when shopping online. To a large extent these problems are the same as the ones consumers encounter when purchasing through traditional channels, i.e. non-delivery and defective products, but also on-line payments give rise to complaints.
[1] In the on-line environment, however, the same issues might have greater implications than in the traditional commerce environment, due to the special features of the internet (e.g. anonymity of the responsible people behind various services, physical distance, varying legislation and languages etc). There is a need to know to what extent these problems keep people from using not only on line services but also IT-products in general.

[1] E.g. Special Eurobarometer 60.0, European Union public opinion on issues relating to business to consumer e-commerce, March 2004 and European Consumer Centre Network; The European Online Marketplace; consumer complaints."

September 26, 2005

Privacy & Data Protection as Human Rights

FROM EPIC NEWS


Privacy commissioners from around the world called on governments and international organizations to establish data protection and privacy as fundamental human rights. At a privacy conference in Montreux, Switzerland, they also called for effective safeguards to limit the use of biometric passports and identity cards so that centralized database will not be established. They also urged greater cooperation with NGOs.

A day before the large privacy conference started, EPIC and other European and American civil liberties groups sponsored a conference entitled "Strategies for International Privacy Protection -- Issues, Actors, and Future Cooperation." Its principal aim was to debate one of the two most sensitive privacy issues governments are grappling with and to reinforce cooperation between non-governmental organizations and data protection authorities. Privacy officials, NGOs, and representatives from the industry all participated to the discussion.

In the first panel on data retention, a speaker pointed to the many security risks and high costs for the industry -- Internet Service Providers and telecommunications providers -- and police and security agencies that a regime of retention of traffic and location data would introduce. A high risk also exists for police agencies themselves, since their traffic and location data would be stored in one place, and create a tempting target for criminals. In the second panel on biometrics, the Swiss Privacy Commissioner Hanspeter Thur described the pilot biometric passports project Switzerland had launched that was ended because of the high privacy risks that are inherent in the central database of the biometric passports program. Speakers also discussed the lack of transparency and the absence of public debate that supra-national organizations and governments around the world showed when they introduced proposals for biometric passports.

In a resolution, a group of privacy commissioners called for effective safeguards to limit the risks inherent to biometrics. They sought to restrict the use of biometrics in passports and identity cards to verification purposes -- the biometric data in the document would be compared with the data provided by the holder when presenting the document -- thereby prohibiting any centralization of data. The privacy commissioners suggested that governments make a "strict distinction between biometric data collected and stored for public purposes," such as border patrol, "on the basis of legal obligations, and for contractual purposes on the basis of consent."

Declaration of Montreux (pdf):
http://www.edsb.ch/e/aktuell/konferenz/declaration-e.pdf

Resolution on Biometrics (pdf):
http://www.edsb.ch/e/aktuell/konferenz/biometrie-resolution-e.pdf

Privacy Conference 2005:
http://www.privacyconference2005.org/

"Strategies for International Privacy Protection - Issues, Actors, and Future Cooperation":
http://www.edri.org/panels

September 23, 2005

Data Retention is no Solution

Net ID 2006


net_id_2006
Originally uploaded by carlosgarea.
Identity Management: Building Trust in the Internet

European Conference on Identity, Trust, Privacy & Security


January 30-31, 2006 Hotel Palace Berlin/Germany

Website: www.computas.de

September 22, 2005

Data Retention Directive

FROM EUROPEAN COMMISSION

PRESS RELEASE

Commission proposes rules on communication data retention which are both effective for law enforcement and respectful of rights and business interests

(21 September 2005) The European Commission has adopted today a proposal for a Directive on the retention of communications traffic data. The proposal provides for an EU-wide harmonisation of the obligations on providers of publicly available electronic communications, or a public telecommunications network, to retain data related to mobile and fixed telephony for a period of one year, and internet communication data, for six month. The proposed Directive would not be applicable to the actual content of the communications. It also includes a provision ensuring that the service or network providers will be reimbursed for the demonstrated additional costs they will have.

See also: Data Retention Directive - background memo

September 21, 2005

Más seguridad, pero menos privacidad, debido al uso de datos biométricos

Artículo publicado en El Mundo

Más seguridad, pero menos privacidad, debido al uso de datos biométricos

EFEBRUSELAS.- La Comisión Europea reconoce la contribución a la seguridad de las técnicas biométricas, pero considera que no es un sistema "totalmente exacto" y presenta problemas que atentan contra la privacidad, por lo que habría que buscar procedimientos alternativos.Esta conclusión está contenida en un informe hecho público por Bruselas sobre el impacto en la sociedad de la introducción de sistemas de identificación biométricos (huellas digitales, reconocimiento del iris o de imagen facial), como los que se pretende generalizar en los pasaportes o documentos de viaje.

"La biometría va a contribuir a hacer las fronteras de Europa más seguras; facilitará el paso de fronteras y reforzará la fiabilidad de los documentos de identificación, contribuyendo así a la creación del Espacio europeo de justicia, libertad y seguridad", señala un comunicado del Ejecutivo comunitario.

Sin embargo, también argumenta que hay que tener en cuenta algunos problemas que presentan estas técnicas.

Problemas
Entre ellos, el hecho de que no son eficaces en un 100% de los casos, ya que hay un 5% de la población que, por minusvalías de diferentes tipo, no puede ser identificada por la huella o el iris, resaltó en una rueda de prensa la portavoz comunitaria de Investigación, Antonia Mochan.
Además, se dan algunos casos en los que dos personas tienen el mismo iris, por lo que es necesario tener en cuenta esa posibilidad de error o no reconocimiento y hay que buscar un sistema que permita incluir a esas personas y garantizar su identificación, agregó.
Al mismo tiempo, La Comisión considera que es necesario adoptar estos sistemas "en pleno respeto a los derechos fundamentales" de los ciudadanos, precisó el portavoz europeo de Justicia, Libertad y Seguridad, Friso Roscam, que recordó que ya existe un supervisor europeo de protección de datos.

Garantías
No obstante, el informe de la Comisión indica que son los Estados miembros los que deben proporcionar las garantías necesarias en materia de respeto a la vida privada y de protección de datos, de forma que se controle el uso de los datos biométricos y se impida su uso ilegal.
Todas estas garantías son especialmente importantes si se tiene en cuenta el aumento de la presencia de los identificadores biométricos en la vida cotidiana de los ciudadanos.

El futuro está muy cerca

En un plazo medio, como puede ser 2015, los alumnos tendrán que pasar un sistema de entrada biométrico en el colegio; los adultos encenderán los coches mediante un escáner que identificará su huella dactilar y los abuelos deberán identificarse a la puerta de las guarderías para poder recoger a sus nietos.

En el hogar, un instrumento que acumulará toda la información técnica sobre la casa se activará mediante un escáner del iris, que podrá también utilizarse para permitir o impedir la entrada de visitantes.

Los sistemas de reconocimiento de caras podrán usarse en los transportes públicos para detectar a los viajeros que no han pagado su billete; los pagos a través de Internet serán más seguros y se evitarán problemas tan sensibles como el intercambio de bebés al nacer en los hospitales.

Pero ante todos estos avances, los expertos de la Comisión que han elaborado el informe consideran que la pregunta esencial es: "¿Qué coste estamos dispuestos a pagar para lograr una alta seguridad?".

September 20, 2005

Mobile aspects of our Security By Design

The purpose of the SecurIST project is to deliver a Strategic Research Agenda for ICT Security and Dependability R&D for Europe. It will do this through meeting the following objectives:

Establish and co-ordinate a European ICT Security & Dependability Taskforce
Drive the creation of an "ICT Security & Dependability Research strategy beyond 2010"
Leverage the knowledge base of existing/future ICT Security and Dependability researchers and projects.

Last April Security Task held the 2nd Workshop in Brussels, and now presentations are available:

One of these presentations is:


Wireless Device Id in the Ambient World From Identification to Context Adaptable Recognition By Stephan J. Engberg

Thanks for the link ¡¡¡

Another papers by Engberg:

RFIDSEC announced (english) 2005-04-13
RFID security paper presented at PST2004
Stephan Engberg talks on Dependability at Newcastle Colloquium Series 2005-08-24

September 19, 2005

Windows Vista: Privacy & DRM

Technology Review publish an article about the new Windows Vista:

Will Windows Upgrade Hand Power to Big Media?

" So what you'll hear about Vista depends on whom you ask. According to Microsoft representatives, the new operating system (which was known until recently by its Microsoft code name, Longhorn, and is now scheduled to ship in late-2006) will be a vastly more secure platform for delivering high-quality entertainment content.

But ask analysts at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the well-known Internet civil-rights organization based in San Francisco, and you'll hear talk of Vista turning into a highly restrictive sandbox--where only the major movie studios decide who can play. "

Full article at Tech Review

Links:


Seth Schoen's articles at www.eff.org

Microsoft's explanation of DRM features in Windows Vista

Freedom to Tinker, a blog by Princeton U. computer scientist Ed Felten on restrictions on user-modifiable technology

"Why would MS do Hollywood's Bidding?," a blog entry by the EFF's Fred von Lohmann

September 16, 2005

e-smart05


e-smart05
Originally uploaded by carlosgarea.

Join the most reputable smart card conference (6th annual eSmart) and its sister conference "World e-ID"- in September 21, 22 & 23 2005, French Riviera.

September 15, 2005

Privacy and prejudice: whose ID is it anyway

Privacy and prejudice: whose ID is it anyway

FROM New Scientist Magazine issue 2517 by Duncan Graham-Rowe


Who will be the winners and losers of the identity revolution, in an age when each of us is assigned a digital identity?

In the second part of New Scientist's special report into the identity revolution, Duncan Graham-Rowe investigates what impact the widespread introduction of biometrics will have on society.

Who will be the winners and losers in an age when each of us is assigned a digital identity? How will our lives change, and what impact will this revolution have on our personal privacy?

IN JUST a few years from now, every citizen of most western countries, and probably many more besides, will be required to carry their digital identity with them wherever they go. Our digital personas will be derived from biometrics that are unique to each of us, such as fingerprints, iris patterns and facial profiles. And this digital identity will open doors, in some cases literally, giving us access to our home, workplace, finances and medical records. It is designed to give each of us instant access to the ...

The complete article is 2905 words long.
To continue reading this article, subscribe to New Scientist. Get 4 issues of New Scientist magazine and instant access to all online content for only $4.95

September 14, 2005

Law & Technology 2005

Last april was, The Bay Area Law School Technology Conference:

Audio recordings of the conference panels are now available online!

TRACKS AND PANELS

NanotechnologyWhat Law Is Needed for Nanotechnology? Are We in Danger of a Nanotechnology Patent Thicket? What Are the Social and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology? What Nanotech Developments Are on the Immediate Horizon?

Fair Use in the 21st CenturySoftware after Copyright Trademark Fair Use Online Peer-to-Peer at the Supreme CourteDemocracyThe Role of Blogs and Online Activists in 2004Out with the Hanging Chad, in with the Black Box

When Government Goes OnlineInternational IPInternational Adoption of Free and Open Source Software and Its Implications for Worldwide Business

September 13, 2005

RFID, presence and privacy

Joanie Wexler, publish at Network World,

RFID, presence and privacy

Where should location tracking start and stop?

I think location tracking in general and perhaps RFID in particular have the potential to become the most revolutionary set of technologies since the cell phone itself, bringing us truly into the Star Trek age. We are now wise to the foibles that can arise with any communication and information technology, so it makes sense to anticipate the potential abuses up front so we can minimise the downsides.


It's not going to be easy, though. Much of that work boils down to ethics, a topic that is very difficult for society to agree upon.

Full article at: TECHWORLD

More about Privacy & RFID.

RFIDSEC

EICTA (European Information & Communications Technology Industry Association) Position paper on RFID

JUNKBUSTERS

SPY.ORG

CASPIAN

RFID JOURNAL

September 12, 2005

Vie privée : Les nouveaux pièges de la technologie

NOUVO C' est une magazine multimédia de la Télévision Suisse romande (TSR),

Dans l'emission du 6 sept 2005 TSR a fait le reportage sur la vie privée

Vie privée : Les nouveaux pièges de la technologie.
6 sept 2005 Texte:

La généralisation du mobile a considérablement modifié la frontière entre temps libre et travail. Nouveaux venus dans l'univers des télécommunications, les «smartphones» font encore reculer la limite. Ces appareils qui combinent téléphone, ordinateur, agenda et surtout accès à l'internet, permettent de recevoir les mails en flux continu. Plus besoin de manœuvres compliquées, les courriels s'affichent d'eux-mêmes, comme sur un ordinateur. Une laisse électronique accrochée jour et nuit au cou de l'esclave contemporain? Pas si sûr, répondent les principaux concernés, généralement des cadres supérieurs.

A l'époque où seul le téléphone nous reliait au monde, on considérait qu'il était familial, et un patron n'appelait jamais à la maison. Les choses étaient claires: un employé était au travail lorsqu'il était assis derrière son bureau et au repos dès qu'il avait franchi la porte de l'entreprise. L'arrivée des natels a changé la donne et les coups de fil professionnels en dehors des heures ne sont plus rares. L'engouement des Suisses pour les smartphones risque de ne pas améliorer cette incursion dans la vie privée. «Les cadres se jettent dessus», indique Enrique Font, responsable des ventes chez Codalis, société qui commercialise l'un des objets les plus populaires. «C'était la course à celui qui l'aurait le premier, de la folie furieuse», se souvient Daniel Pillard, directeur de Ringier Romandie (éditeur de L'Hebdo).

Mais le cordon ombilical électronique créé avec l'entreprise comporte un risque pour la paix de l'âme – et des ménages. «Lire son courrier à tout bout de champ peut devenir un tic», remarque Pierre-Yves Revaz, directeur du marketing et de la communication de la banque Synthesis, à Genève. «Si l'on se précipite sur l'appareil toutes les deux minutes, on se met une pression constante», note Patrick Zanello, directeur de la publicité dans une société romande. Ce cadre ajoute que «le piège, au début, consiste à répondre tout de suite aux messages reçus». Mais avec le temps, la plupart des utilisateurs s'inventent des filtres.

Text complet á: NOUVO

September 09, 2005

27th International Conference on Privacy and Personal Data Protection

The 27th International Conference on Privacy and Personal Data Protection, will take place from the 14th to the 16th September 2005 in Montreux, Switzerland.

PROGRAMME


Wednesday, 14 September 2005
Thursday, 15 September 2005
Friday, 16 September 2005

SPEAKERS

Hanspeter Thür, Federal Data Protection Commissioner

Bertil Cottier: Un régime unique de protection des données pour une pluralité de systèmes politiques, économiques, juridiques et culturels: utopie ou réalité?
Herbert Burkert: Globalisation - Strategies for Data Protection
Ann Cavoukian: The New Breed of Practical Privacy: An Evolution
Fernando Argüello-Téllez: Protección de Datos Personales: "Una regulación del primer mundo"


Jean-Marc Dinant: L'autodétermination informationelle à l'heure d'Internet
Peter Schaar: New invasive technologies, are new data protection standards needed?


Ray Freeman
Jari-Pascal Curty: RFID
Hansjürgen Garstka: Forderung und Ansätze
What can organisational and evaluation techniques offer to guarantee data protection?


John Karat: SPARCLE Privacy Policy Workbench
John Borking: Privacy Standards for Trust
David J. Trower: IMS Health's Experience of Multi-National Data Protection Audits in Europe


Armgard von Reden: Enterprise Privacy Challenges in an 'on demand' world
Joel Reidenberg:
Thomas Pletscher: Unternehmen im Dschungel der Datenschutzregulierungen


Richard Thomas: How do we know we are effective as Commissioners?
Malcolm Crompton: Are comparisons possible? A Framework for assessing the performance of data protection supervisors
Gabriela Krader: Synergy Potential of Internal and External Data Protection Supervision


Georges de La Loyère: Le rôle des autorités de protection des données en matière de transferts internationaux de données
Ariane Mole: Why go for Binding Corporate Rules?
Anne Carblanc: La réglementation des flux transfrontières de données à l'épreuve de la globalisation: exercice de comparaison


Klaus Rainer Kalk: Data protection and the fight against terrorism reconcilable?
Nuala O'Connor Kelly: Building Privacy Protections into Counterterrorism Structures
Gus Hosein: Strategies for Privacy Protection in the face of Anti-Terrorism Policy
The role of the private sector in data processing to fulfil public tasks, or when private companies become "Big Brother"


Emilio Aced Félez: The future of private data in private companies
Barry Steinhardt: Outsourcing Surveillance — How Governments Use the Private Sector to Construct the Surveillance Society.
Peter Swire

September 08, 2005

Government Accountability Office report

FROM EPIC WEBSITE

Government Report: Agencies' Privacy Protections Lacking in Data Mining Projects

A recent Government Accountability Office report (pdf) found that federal agencies are failing to adequately protect privacy rights when using data mining or knowledge discovery tools to find patterns and associations in massive amounts of information. The report said that although most agencies are notifying the public that they are using personal information, few are notifying people about the intended uses of that information. A previous government program that sifted though troves of personal information, the Total Information Awareness project, was shut down amidst privacy and security criticism. For more information, see EPIC's Total Information Awareness page.

More information at EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center )

September 07, 2005

11th German-Japanese Symposium on Security & Privacy

The MÜNCHNER KREIS is a non-profit supra-national association dedicated to communications research. It supports the development, testing and introduction of new communication systems through objective examination and critical discussion.


The German-Japanese Symposium represents an actual forum for challenges in the Information Society. They address all areas of industries (users and vendors), science, technologies and governments. The very successful symposia in 2001 and 2003 had more than 250 attendees. Their next symposium focuses on one of the most challenging areas today and in future. The expectations and business perspectives around the Information Society require Security, Privacy and Safety.

Call for Participation
Registration Form


Since its founding in 1977, the Joint German-Japanese Symposium on the Information-Oriented Society has been successfully facilitating exchanges of viewpoints on Information and Communication Technologies among German and Japanese specialists as well as among technical and socio-economic leaders. This 11th Symposium will focus on Security, Privacy and Safety aspects.

September 06, 2005

Privacy & Genetic

Text from The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)


From the beginning of genetic research, scientists and the public alike have worried about its non-medical consequences. Questions arise about the privacy of an individual's genetic information, the ability of employers or insurers to screen potential workers or policy holders who might be susceptible to certain diseases because of their genetic makeup, and what laws or government regulations society might adopt to ensure the confidentiality of genetic information.

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) supports highly technical genetic research that is rapidly advancing our understanding of the human genome. This new information, although potentially beneficial to the health of Americans, also has the potential to be misused. NHGRI created the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Research Program in 1990 as an integral part of the Human Genome Project (HGP). Through the ELSI Research Program, NHGRI supports a variety of ethics- and policy-related research studies, workshops, and conferences to further explore and address such issues. One goal of the ELSI research program is to inform the development of federal guidelines, regulations and legislation to safeguard against misuse of genetic information.

The Policy and Program Analysis Branch, in the director's Office of Policy, Communications and Education analyzes and tracks federal and state policy, public policy and legislation that may have an impact on the mission of NHGRI, and helps to develop recommendations to the director for legislative proposals.

Privacy of Genetic InformationProtecting genetic information about individuals and their families.

Genetic Discrimination in Health Insurance or EmploymentThe potential use of genetic information to discriminate against people in the workplace and in health insurance.

September 01, 2005

Roberts: The future of privacy

Roberts: The future of privacy
by Steve Chapman
Published at Chigaco Tribune September 1, 2005



Privacy is one of those things, like the 10 Commandments, that Americans revere without necessarily feeling the need to observe. We are not terribly insistent on our privacy: Sit down next to a perfect stranger on an airplane and you may get a report on her miserable childhood before the wheels are up. Nor do we get hung up on the privacy of others, judging from all the slick magazines we buy to learn intimate secrets of the stars.

But it's a bad idea to be seen as the sworn enemy of privacy, just as it's unwise to publicly disparage what God said to Moses. So in the fight over John Roberts' U.S. Supreme Court nomination, opponents are trying to cast him as Robert Bork with fashion sense--the sort of guy who would burst into your bedroom, rifle through your dresser and ask what you're doing under the sheets.

The best example is a TV ad put out by NARAL Pro-Choice America. It opens with "Privacy" emblazoned across the screen and proceeds to suggest that if Roberts has his way, the only place you'll find it is in the dictionary.

"John Roberts dismisses one of our established liberties as the `so-called right to privacy,'" says the narrator, as we see an attractive couple holding hands. "Roberts' legal record raises questions on whether he accepts the right to privacy." Subliminal message: If Roberts gets to the Supreme Court, couples will not be allowed to hold hands

Full article at Chicago Times

Privacy saved my life

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