QuickLinks - Data Protection (privacy)

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Issue no. 156 - 20 May 2000

• Yahoo Hit With Novel Privacy Suit (The Recorder)
  When Aquacool_2000 badmouthed his bosses on a Yahoo message board, he did so thinking the cloak of anonymity would protect him. But soon his employers found him out - and fired him. Now Aquacool_2000 has filed a novel suit in Los Angeles federal court charging Yahoo with violating his constitutional and contractual rights to privacy when it disclosed identifying information about him to his employers without informing him first.

• Germany - Bundeskabinett regelt Datenschutz bei Telekommunikation (Heise Online)
  Das Bundeskabinett hat die Telekommunikations-Datenschutzverordnung beschlossen. Die Verordnung bedarf noch der Zustimmung des Bundesrates. Sie regelt den Schutz persönlicher Daten der an der Telekommunikation Beteiligten und bestimmt, in welchem Ausmaß und zu welchem Zweck Anbieter von Telekommunikationsdienstleistungen, Unternehmen und gewerbliche Nutzer persönliche Daten erheben, verarbeiten und speichern dürfen.

• USA - FTC Publishes Internet Privacy Rule (The Industry Standard)
  The Federal Trade Commission published a financial-services privacy rule, setting forth new regulatory guidelines that will for the first time regulate the information-sharing practices of some Internet sites. see also FTC Issues Final Rule on Privacy of Consumer Financial Information (Press release).

Issue no. 155 - 14 May 2000

• Getting to grips with privacy laws - survey results (IT Director)
  Whilst it may seem to US businesses that the European laws are too strict and act as a barrier to successful business activities, it is important to remember that customers will only spend their money in an environment that makes them feel comfortable.

• Protecting preteens' privacy (The Nando Times)
  In the midst of the recent brouhahas about e-mail viruses, copyright issues for online music and the potential Microsoft breakup, some very significant privacy regulations came into effect - although you would hardly know it from how little media attention they garnered. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule became effective on April 21. See also How to Comply With The Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule, The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (pdf) and FTC To Issue New Net Privacy Report, Recommendations

• USA - Top Internet CEOs Urge Better Privacy Policy (Newsbytes)
  A group of CEOs, representing several of the Internet's largest companies, have sent a joint letter to more than 400 of their colleagues, urging them to strengthen their online privacy policies.

Issue no. 154 - 7 May 2000

• Intel to phase out serial number feature (CNET News.com)
  Intel will phase out its practice of stamping serial numbers on its processors with the next generation of chips, the final chapter in a public relations fiasco. The company will not include serial numbers on the next generation of its processors, code-named Willamette, that will be released later this year. The identification numbers will continue to be used in the Pentium III.

Issue no. 153 - 1 May 2000

• U.S. Confused About Privacy (Wired)
  Differing attitudes and laws covering privacy rights and free speech are generating conflicting rules for governing the Internet in the United States and Europe, making it difficult to come up with a set of global standards to govern the new medium.

Issue no. 152 - 15 April 2000

• Corrigendum to Open call for tenders (Official Journal)
  B-Brussels: contract for a study on the application of Directive 95/46/EC relating to the protection of individuals within Member States. Final date for receipt of tenders: 25.4.2000.

• Odd Privacy Ratings Exposed (Wired)
  The Electronic Privacy Information Center site received only two of a possible four stars from enonymous, a company that published what it billed as a "comprehensive" privacy survey. EPIC isn't alone in finding bizarre errors and odd oversights in enonymous' database, designed to tell anyone using the company's "advisor" software what the privacy practices of websites are.

• France - La Cnil incite le commerce en ligne à plus de transparence (Nouvel Observateur)
  La transparence des sites de commerce électronique français doit drastiquement être améliorée. Voilà la conclusion d'une étude portant sur 100 sites français de commerce électronique réalisée par la Commission nationale de l'informatiques et des libertés (Cnil)

Issue no. 151 - 8 April 2000

• Digital signatures a threat to privacy? (ZDNN)
  Your ability to surf the Internet anonymously could be lost in the near future, if current plans to roll out digital signatures stay on track, warned a panel of experts at the Computers, Freedom and Privacy Conference.

• You've Got Inappropriate Mail (New York Times)
  Hundreds of companies are looking at their employee's e-mail on a routine basis. And their numbers are soaring. Whatever the reason, the snooping raises a number of questions about ethics and privacy.

• Microsoft Announces Internet Tools to Control Web Privacy (AP)
  Microsoft promised free Internet tools based on emerging privacy standards for controlling how much information Web users reveal. The World Wide Web Consortium, an Internet standards group, may finalize the Platform for Privacy Practices, or P3P this summer.

Issue no. 150 - 2 April 2000

• Open call for tenders (Official Journal)
  B-Brussels: contract for a study on the application of Directive 95/46/EC relating to the protection of individuals within Member States. Final date for receipt of tenders: 15.3.2000 plus 36 days. OJ S59 24/03/2000.

• Privacy Commissioner unveils Internet guidelines (Newswire)
  The Australian Privacy Commissioner has a developed the Guidelines on Workplace Email, Web Browsing and Privacy which recommend steps employers can take to ensure staff understand company policy with regards to email use and Web browsing.

• 'Safe Harbor' privacy plan -- not so safe? (ZDNet)
  The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue, or TACD, a group representing consumers in the United States and Europe said the "Safe Harbor" privacy provision between the European Union and the U.S. government doesn't go far enough to protect the rights of the citizens in either region.

• EU - Commission endorses "safe harbor" arrangement with US (RAPID)
  The European Commission has given the go-ahead to seek the support of EU Member States for accepting the United States' proposed "safe harbor" arrangement as providing adequate protection for personal data transferred from the EU to "safe harbor" participants. Before adopting a formal decision to this effect, the Commission must seek the support of a qualified majority of Member States. It must also consult their data protection commissioners and the European Parliament.

• USA - SEC’s plan to snoop for crime on Web sparks privacy debate (Wall Street Journal)
  The Securities and Exchange Commission is moving to create an automated surveillance system that would scour the Internet for people who violate securities law. The mechanism would monitor public Web sites, message boards and chat groups.

Issue no. 149 - 26 March 2000

• Genetics Scandal Inflames Iceland (Wired)
  Icelanders are accusing their government of taking huge payments from the company licensed to create a genetic database of the country's entire population.

• USA - Privacy Caucus Holds First Hearing (Newsbytes)
  The bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus (CPC) met for the first time. see also Privacy Pervasive in Policy (Wired).

• USA - TRUSTe Cracks the Whip (The Industry Standard)
  TRUSTe, the online privacy program is sending a sending a cease-and-desist letter to health-product site MotherNature.com, which continues to display the TRUSTe seal of approval even though its license expired in January, and has posted a public notice of MotherNature's expired license on its Web site.

Issue no. 148 - 18 March 2000

• Europe and U.S. Reach Data Privacy Pact (New York Times)
  The United States and Europe completed the wording yesterday on a data privacy agreement that will put strict new controls on how American companies collect personal information about European consumers. The more complicated issues of how that directive will apply to financial services and cyberspace remain in dispute.

• EU - Documents adopted by the Data Protection Working Party (Europa)
  Recommendation 1/2000 on the Implementation of Directive 95/46/EC, Opinion 2/2000 concerning the general review of the telecommunications legal framework, Opinion 1/2000 on certain data protection aspects of electronic commerce

Issue no. 147 - 11 March 2000

• "Opt-in rules!" (Salon)
  How does 24/7 Media CEO David Moore target ads without raising the ire of privacy activists? He asks permission.

• Big Brother unsettles German TV watchdog (FT)
  A German prime-time television programme that shows in intimate detail the lives of 10 volunteers incarcerated for 100 days in a makeshift home is facing possible black-out by media watchdogs.

• Documents adopted by the Data Protection Working Party (Europa)
  Most recent publication: Opinion 7/99 on the Level of Data Protection provided by the "Safe Harbor" Principles as published together with the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and other related documents on 15 and 16 November 1999 by the US Department of Commerce, 3 Dec.1999

• Iceland sells its medical records (CNN)
  Iceland has sold the medical and genealogy records of its 275,000 citizens to a private medical research company.

• USA - 2 flight attendants appeal search of their home computers (Star Tribune (Minneapolis))
  A court-sanctioned search of computers owned by two Northwest Airlines flight attendants was a company fishing expedition that violated the workers' personal privacy, claims an appeal that seeks destruction of the copied computer data. US court orders seizure of Northwest flight attendants' home computers

• USA - Clinton Urges Stronger Internet Privacy Policies (LA Times)
  President calls for firms to do more to protect the electronic spread of personal information. He says some records deserve special legal protections. see also Clinton Sees Chances as Good for Online Privacy Bill This Year (Washington Post) and President gives online privacy some perspective (Mercury News) 'I don't do e-mail with Chelsea Absolutely not -- I don't think it's secure.'

• USA - Consumer advocates to head DoubleClick privacy efforts (CNET News.com)
  Amid heightened criticism and scrutiny from privacy groups and regulators, online advertising giant DoubleClick today said it has hired two prominent New York consumer advocates to spearhead its online privacy efforts.

• Doubleclick´s Competitors Relieved, for Now (New York Times)
  Privacy advocates were relieved when DoubleClick, the Internet's biggest supplier of banner advertising, announced that it would put a hold on its plan to link personal identities and other information to anonymous data it collects about Internet users. Some of DoubleClick's competitors were just as relieved.

Issue no. 146 - 4 March 2000

• DoubleClick puts off its plan for wider use of personal data (New York Times)
  Yielding to pressure from privacy advocates and Wall Street, DoubleClick, the nation's largest online advertising company, will put a hold on its plan to link personal information to anonymous data it collects about consumers on the Internet. "I made a big mistake," said Kevin O'Connor, DoubleClick's chief executive. "It was wrong to try to match that information in the absence of government or industry standards, so until there's agreement on it, we will not." see also Consumer group blasts DoubleClick in report to FTC (CNET News.com) , DoubleClick held at arm's length by partners (Reuters) and Intuit plugs leaks to DoubleClick (CNET News.com).

• USA - FTC restricts firm's sale of personal data (Chicago Tribune)
  The Federal Trade Commission ordered Trans Union Corp., the Chicago-based credit reporting giant, to stop selling personal information to companies that use the data to target consumers.

• Secretary Rejects Privacy Bills (Newsbytes)
  Keeping true to his agency's encouragement of Net self-regulatory privacy initiatives, Commerce Secretary William Daley opposes online privacy legislation currently circulating in Congress.

• USA - Time Running Out on Kid Email (Wired)
  The day is quickly approaching when online services and Web sites must obtain parental consent before they can obtain and use a child's personal information. And companies that provide free email services are scrambling to figure how they can bring their kiddie accounts into compliance with the new law.

Issue no. 145 - 26 February 2000

• U.S. and Europe Reach Tentative Pact on Personal Data (New York Times)
  The United States and the European Union have reached a tentative agreement on privacy laws governing the gathering of personal data about European consumers by American companies.

Issue no. 144 - 19 February 2000

• USA - DoubleClick opt-out plan (USA Today)
  DoubleClick, the largest Internet ad-serving company, moved to try to defuse a growing storm of criticism over its practice of tracking Web users by name. The company will use 50 million Web banner ads to tell Web surfers who don't want to be tracked how to "opt out" of the database. see also DoubleClick Moves to Quell Privacy Debate (New York Times), Is DoubleClick privacy plan adequate? (CNET News.com) Click Here for More Web Suits (National Law Journal) and Michigan begins legal action against DoubleClick (FT).

• USA - F.T.C. Probes Health Web Sites on Privacy (Reuters)
  The Federal Trade Commission is reviewing some health care Web sites following allegations they shared personal information collected from consumers with other companies without proper warnings.

• USA - FTC Warns Against Anti-Privacy (Newsbytes)
  E-commerce firms may ultimately hamstring themselves if they continue to oppose any and all forms of federal online privacy legislation, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Robert Pitofsky warned.

• USA - Call for nominations - Big Brother awards (Privacy International)
  In April 2000, the second annual "U.S. Big Brother Awards" will be presented to the government and private sector organizations which have done the most to invade personal privacy in the United States. The judging panel, consisting of lawyers, academics, consultants, journalists and civil rights activists, are inviting nominations from members of the public.

• USA - Lawsuit Says Web Cookies Allow Illegal Stalking (New York Times)
  Under the law of Texas, a person who follows another person around repeatedly in a way that is calculated to cause the victim to fear for his safety or the safety of his family or property is guilty of the crime of stalking. But in the Internet age, can the Texas law be applied to a Web site owner that is accused of electronically monitoring the browsing habits of its customers?

Issue no. 143 - 12 February 2000

• USA - Critics Press Legal Assault on Tracking of Web Users (New York Times)
  DoubleClick, a company that tracks consumers as they make their way around the Web, has never been popular with privacy advocates. In recent weeks, though, mere tension has grown into all-out war with the announcement that the company has begun adding information about consumers' offline behavior to its vast database.

• USA - Do You Yahoo? (Texas Lawyer)
  The fear of a cyberspy watching a Web surfer's every move is leading to litigation in the untested legal realm of Internet privacy. A suit filed in Dallas against Yahoo! and broadcast.com seeks class-action status for some 50 million subscribers or users of those Web sites and contends they're being illegally monitored.

• USA - Feds, States Grow Receptive to Privacy Legislation (The Industry Standard)
  Even as Congress struggles to come to grips with whether and how to regulate online privacy, federal agencies show no signs of slowing down their duties as cyberspace traffic cops.

• USA - FTC probes Amazon's data system (Bloomberg)
  The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Amazon.com's software unit that collects information about how people use the Internet.

• USA - New Complaints on Tracking of Web Surfers (New York Times)
  In two separate efforts targeting Internet companies that quietly collect personal information about Web surfers, a privacy group asked federal regulators to investigate a major online advertiser and a senator introduced a bill that would regulate such tracking technology, known as "cookies." see also Senate bill to target Web cookies (ZDNN).

• USA - Privacy issues raised (Silicon Valley News)
  Internet experts and civil liberty advocates are raising concerns that the recent rash of Web-site attacks may provoke the kind of technological fixes that could make the online world more secure at the expense of damaging individual privacy.

• USA - Now It Is EBay's Turn to Face Government Scrutiny (New York Times)
  News that the Justice Department has opened a preliminary investigation into potentially anti-competitive behavior by the online auction giant eBay may offer a vindication of sorts for one of its smaller competitors. Last month, ReverseAuction.com settled charges by the Federal Trade Commission that it violated consumer privacy and the deceptive trade practices act. The FTC said the company harvested user names and e-mail addresses from eBay's database of more than 7 million registered users, then used them to solicit customers for its own service.

• Blocking software firms to release new programs (CNET News.com)
  Consumer privacy fears are turning into a marketing opportunity as more companies develop programs that prevent advertisers from culling personal information online. AdSubtract is a service that blocks advertisements and unique computer identifiers, called cookies, that are used to track a consumer's habits online whether shopping or just surfing the Net. Another program by McAfee promises to protect users' privacy while at the same time allowing advertisements targeted to an individual's preferences.

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