[Sigifp-l] Information Policy Post 11/27

[TAMaxwell at aol.com]

PRIVACY / SECURITY

Homeland Security Bill Threatens Privacy; CDT Pursues Oversight and 
Guidelines.
<http://www.cdt.org/wiretap/021119homelandsecurity.shtml>
Legislation to create the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is 
nearing passage -- the House passed the bill on November 13 and the Senate 
is likely to follow suit on November 19 -- but the new Department's 
considerable authority for data collection and analysis raises numerous 
privacy concerns.

CDT Opposes Government Computer Security Mandates; WH Seeks Ongoing 
Comments.
<http://www.cdt.org/security/critinfra/021118nssc.shtml>
The federal government's strategy for securing cyberspace properly avoids 
government regulation of the private sector entities that own and operate 
the communications networks and other critical infrastructures of the 
country

Pentagon to Track American Consumer Purchases.
<http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/11.23A.penta.track.htm>
Follow-up to last week - A massive database that the government will use to 
monitor every purchase made by every American citizen is a necessary tool in 
the war on terror.

Agency Weighed, but Discarded, Plan Reconfiguring the Internet.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/22/politics/22TRAC.html>
The Pentagon considered but rejected another surveillance idea: tagging 
Internet data with unique personal markers to make anonymous use of some 
parts of the Internet impossible.

Epic Alert.
Volume 9.23, 19 November 2002
<http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_9.23.html>
Contents
[1] Public Protest Over Pentagon Surveillance System Mounts
[2] Appeals Court Permits Broader Electronic Surveillance
[3] Homeland Security Bill Limits Open Government
[4] Circuit Court Approves Faxed Warrants
[5] DC City Council Attacks Camera System, Adopts Regulations
[6] California Passes Database Privacy Legislation

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Academy Seizes Computers From Nearly 100 Midshipmen.
<http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/live/11_23-19/NAV>
Officials at the Naval Academy have seized nearly 100 midshipmen's computers 
that allegedly contained illegally downloaded music and movies.

ANTI-TRUST

An Antitrust Rule for Software Integration.
<
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID268508_code010430130.pdf?abstr

actid=268508>
This paper asks -What is the proper legal standard for product integration 
involving software?- And suggests that -The Supreme Court's existing 
antitrust rules on tying arrangements are inappropriate.-

INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION POLICY

Cuban Opposition Group Campaigns to Promote the Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights
<http://www.dfn.org/news/cuba/promote-udhr.htm >
The launch of the Campaign to Promote the Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights (UDHR) in Cuba will test the government's tolerance of civil society 
and pro-democracy movements within the country.

Silenced voices: Siamak Pourzand
<http://www.dfn.org/news/iran/silenced-pourzand.htm>
This monthly column about imprisoned authors focuses on the Iranian Siamak 
Pourzand who was held incommunicado for months, and then sentenced to 11 
years imprisonment for -undermining state security through links with 
monarchists and counter-revolutionaries-.

GENERAL INFORMATION POLICY

CDT Policy Post.
Volume 8, Number 25, November 21, 2002
<http://www.cdt.org/publications/pp_8.25.shtml>
Contents:
(1) New Law to Require Privacy Impact Assessments for U.S. Agencies
(2) Privacy Notices, Including P3P Statements, Now Required for Agencies
(3) E-Government Act Includes Other Important Provisions

CDT Policy Post.
Volume 8, Number 26, November 25, 2002
<http://www.cdt.org/publications/pp_8.26.shtml>
Contents:
(1) CDT and infoDev Publish E-Government Handbook for Developing Countries
(2) Handbook Outlines Three Phases of E-government and Its Transformative 
Potential
(3) Online Version Highlights E-Government Resources

Is It Time For a GeekPAC?
<http://news.com.com/2010-1023-971115.html>
Geeks are beginning to realize they need to punish the Luddites in Congress 
who are standing in the way of progress.

Compiled by Dylan Thomarie

For information, contact:

Terrence Maxwell
Assistant Professor
School of Information Science and Policy
University at Albany
113D Draper, Albany, NY 12222
e-mail: tamaxwell at albany.edu