|
Legislation Authorizing "Do Not Call" List Introduced in House - The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Billy Tuazin (R-LA), has introduced a bill to fund a national "Do Not- Call" list, removing a potential obstacle to an effort by the Federal Trade Commission to help consumers block unwanted calls from telemarketers. The FTC believes the Do Not Call registry it has proposed would cost about $16 million in its first year. It would be funded with fees collected from telemarketers, but congressional approval is required to collect the fees. CDT has supported establishement of the national Do Not Call list. Jan. 30, 2003
Burglary and Bribery Problems Persist at Local DMV Offices - Internal fraud and physical security have been a consistent problem at State Motor Vehicle Offices around the Country. CDT believes that this issue needs to be the top priority in driver's license security since it has posed the greatest threat and will continue to undermine all other security reforms at the DMV. CDT has created a new page tracking selected cases of burglary and bribery since September 11, 2001. Jan. 30, 2003
FTC Announces National "Do-Not-Call" Registry for Telemarketing - The Federal Trade Commission on December 18 announced its plan to institute a national do-not-call registry to help consumers minimize unwanted telephone solicitations. Telemarketers would be barred for five years from calling consumers who sign up to the list. Consumers would then be required to renew their registration. Those on the list who receive calls will be able to call a toll-free number to complain to the FTC. An FTC investigation could result in a fine of $11,000 for each prohibited telemarketing call. The FTC must ask Congress for permission to collect fees from telemarketers to pay for the registry. The Direct Marketing Association has said that it will challenge the initiative. December 18, 2002
On Telemarketing, FCC Seeks Comments on National Do-Not-Call List - The Federal Communications Commission is seeking public comments on whether to take further action to limit telemarketing calls by telephone companies and others under its jurisdiction. The deadline for comments is November 22. The FCC is also seeking comments in general on whether to revise or clarify its rules governing unwanted telephone solicitations and the use of automatic telephone dialing systems, prerecorded or artificial voice messages, and telephone facsimile machines. It is also asking for comments on the effectiveness of company-specific do-not-call lists. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a companion proposal to adopt a national do-not-call list for entities under its jurisdiction. October 28, 2002
House Committee Passes Bipartisan Government Privacy Bill - The House Judiciary Committee passed the Federal Agency Protection of Privacy Act (H.R.4561). The measure would require all agencies putting forward new rules and regulations to create a "privacy impact analysis." The bill now heads to the House floor. A similar provision was included in the E-Goverment Act (S.803) that passed the Senate unanimously in June. However, the Senate provision required impact assessments for newly purchased computer systems and not regulations. Therefore, both bodies will still need to act on each others proposals if they are to move forward. September 11, 2002
CDT Calls Electronic Access to Court Records "A Quiet Revolution,"
Raising Questions of Privacy, Cost and Equity - CDT has released a new report entitled "A Quiet Revolution in the Courts: Electronic
Access to State Court Records," on the rapidly expanding use of the Internet by state governments to provide public access to court records. The report finds that more state and county courts are turning to the Internet as a tool to handle caseloads and to open judicial proceedings to the public. The trend represents a quantum leap in the openness and thus the accountability of the judicial branch at the local level where most cases arise. However, as the state courts dramatically increase the amount of information available online, they are contending with difficult and yet unresolved issues of cost, equity,
and especially privacy. August 21, 2002
Microsoft Settles with FTC -
Microsoft has entered into a settlement decree with the Federal Trade Commission requiring it to implement a comprehensive information security program for Passport web services. The consent order, which addresses charges raised by a coalition led by the Electronic Privacy Information Center related to the privacy and security of personal information collected from consumers through Passport, emphasizes the critical importance of clarity and transparency in privacy notices and strong security to authentication systems. CDT applauds this effort, and will look to Microsoft and other industry leaders to meet these standards. CDT looks forward to working with the Internet industry to address the broader governance issues related to authentication system security. August 12, 2002
Financial Privacy Regulations Upheld - The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit upheld a decision by a lower court that limited the ability of credit reporting agencies to share individualsÕ financial information. Rejecting a challenge by Trans Union, it established that credit reporting agencies must abide by federal financial privacy regulations promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. The decision means, among other things, that names, addresses, telephone and social security numbers are protected as nonpublic personal information under the GLBA - financial institutions must notify consumers and provide an opt-out before sharing such information with a third party. August 12, 2002
FCC Issues New Rule on Customer Data - Adopting a dual opt-in/opt-out approach, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on July 16 adopted rules limiting phone company use and sale of information about customers calling habits. The FCC action responded to a 1999 federal appeals court decision vacating the FCC's opt-in rule for so-called "customer proprietary network information" (CPNI), data about local and long distance calling patterns useful for customer profiling. Under the new rule, carriers can use or disclosure CPNI to affiliates, third-party agents and joint venture partners providing communications-related services if they provide customers with adequate notice and the opportunity to opt-out. However, carriers can disclosure of CPNI to unrelated third parties or to others for purposes not related to the providing of communications services only with prior opt-in approval. July 16, 2002
Privacy Legislation Approved by Senate Committee - On May 17, the Senate Commerce Committee approved S. 2201, the Online Privacy Protection Act, introduced by Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC). The vote was a decisive 15-8 in favor of a new version of the bill that would also ask the FTC to make rules for the privacy of offline information. CDT has created a page with links to the Hollings bill including all of the amendments that were adopted by the committee.May 17, 2002
Senator Hollings Introduces Online Personal Privacy Act - Sen. Fritz Hollings (D-SC), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced his long awaited privacy bill on April 18. The bill addresses the collection, use and disclosure of personally identifiable information, requiring notice, opt-in consent for collection and sharing of sensitive personally identifiable information and opt-out for nonsensitive information, as well as security, and consumer access to information. The bill would pre-empt state law regulating Internet privacy, and would provide for a private right of action for persons whose sensitive information has not been treated in accordance with the bill's provisions. A hearing on the legislation is scheduled for April 25, 2002. April 22, 2002
ConsumerPrivacyGuide.org Sponsors File Comments with FTC on Do-Not-Call Proposal - The Center for Democracy and Technology today joined with its fellow co-sponsors of ConsumerPrivacyGuide.org to file comments in support of the Federal Trade Commission's proposed "Do-Not-Call" list, an initiative that would provide consumers with a straightforward, easy-to-exercise mechanism to remove their name from telemarketing lists. The "Do-Not-Call" list would address a real and long-felt consumer need to stop the unwelcome invasion of unwanted telemarketing calls to the home. March 28, 2002
Previous Headlines
|
