[Sigifp-l] Info Policy Digest 12/19/02

[TAMaxwell at aol.com]

This is the last Info Policy Post of the year.  Have a Happy Holiday!



HOMELAND SECURITY



What’s So Bad About Total Information Awareness?

<http://www.politechbot.com/p-04234.html>
Part of the Homeland Security Bill, TIA will gather information from various 
sources in the fight against terrorism.  The author points out that -the 
biggest nail in TIA's coffin, is the matter of database error are several 
orders of magnitude higher than the number of terrorists in the World-.

Target: Poindexter.
<http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,56860,00.html>
Online pranksters, taking their lead from a San Francisco journalist, are 
publishing John Poindexter's home phone number, photos of his house and 
other personal information to protest the TIA program.
See also: http://www.corante.com/policy/

Perspective: Tech's answer to Big Brother.
<http://news.com.com/2010-1069-977908.html>
Why is everyone so surprised that the U.S. government wants to create a 
Total Information Awareness database with details about everything you do?

DOJ Responds to Inquiry into 9/11.
<http://www.politechbot.com/p-04238.html>
Statement by Barbara Comstock, Director of Public Affairs, DOJ.
Includes a link to the background of the inquiry.

PRIVACY

We'll All Be Under Surveillance.
<http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0250/hentoff.php>
George Orwell -could not have imagined how advanced surveillance technology 
would become. His novel [1984] is now being actualized in real time at the 
Defense Department-.

Cameras Mulled for Neighborhood Watch.
<http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20021213-96845895.htm>
The D.C. Council yesterday debated a bill to put District neighborhoods 
under video surveillance under a pilot program to test the effectiveness of 
cameras on street crime.

Signing Away Rights.
<http://www.politechbot.com/p-04254.html>
Comments on the trend that parents are signing a -pledge that alcohol, loud 
parties, and late night activities will not be permitted at their homes and 
that schools and local police will be permitted to inspect the houses 
without warrants for violations-.

CDT Policy Post.
Volume 8, Number 28
<http://www.cdt.org/publications/pp_8.28.shtml>
Contents:
(1) Homeland Security Department Faces Steep Challenges, Poses Momentous 
Potential and Risk
(2) New Department Has Essentially Unlimited Access to Information for Data 
Mining and Data Analysis
(3) Act Includes Privacy Oversight Mechanisms
(4) Privacy Guidelines, Careful Oversight Required
(5) FOIA Exemption and Email Disclosure Provisions Also of Concern

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Thousands File Comments with FCC on Copyright Protection
<http://www.cdt.org/copyright/>
At issue is the proposed "broadcast flag" for new DTV systems, designed to 
protect copyright by limiting the use and copying of digital television 
programs.
Also: <http://www.cdt.org/copyright/021206broadcastflag.pdf>

Small Webcaster Settlement Act
<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:H.R.5469.ENR:>
On Wednesday, December 4, President Bush signed into law the Small Webcaster 
Settlement Act of 2002.

Guide to Copyright Battles.
<http://www.freeexpression.org/newswire/1212_2002.htm>
The report contains eight recommendations for a better-balanced public 
policy on copyright and free expression.
Report available at: 
<http://www.fepproject.org/policyreports/copyright.html>

Jury Instruction May Hold Key to Copyright Case.
<http://www.law.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/View&
c=LawArticle&cid=1039054444539&t=LawArticle>

Jurors will determine the outcome of the first criminal trial of the Digital 

Millennium Copyright Act and it could all come down to the definition that 

was given of –wilfully- surrounding whether -Russian software maker 

ElcomSoft knowingly violated American law when it sold a tool that cracked 

electronic book encryption-.



FREEDOM OF SPEECH / ACCESS



New Study Highlights Benefits and Limits of Internet Filtering Software

<http://www.cdt.org/speech/>
The Kaiser Family Foundation released "See No Evil: How Internet Filters 
Affect the Search for Online Health Information," an in-depth study of the 
ways in which Internet filters may impact young people's access to online 
health information.
The study: <http://www.kff.org/content/2002/20021210a/>

Librarians: Fighting Many Battles.
<http://www.wvgazette.com/news/Editorials/2002120424/>
This short editorial from early December highlights the plight of the modern 
librarian in relation to the Patriot Act and CIPA. Concludes that librarians 
are fighting some of the most important freedom of speech battles.

Quiet Censorship In Hollywood.
<http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=14752>
The movie -The Quiet American- was viewed before 9/11 and received rave 
reviews, yet Miramax chose not to release it in a post 9/11 environment.

Utah Attacks First Amendment Rights.
<http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&
STORY=/www/story/12-11-2002/0001856383&EDATE=>
Ian Lake, who operated a Web site on which he made disparaging remarks about 
his high school classmates and administrators, was arrested and charged with 
criminal libel, but now he has been issued a subpoena to answer to charges 
under defamation.

INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION POLICY

Chinese Student Detained for Publishing Articles Online.
<http://www.dfn.org/news/china/liudi.htm>
A college student was reportedly detained in Beijing after she published 
essays on a Web site criticizing Chinese restrictions on the Internet.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION POLICY

Epic Alert.
Volume 9.24, 12 December 2002
<http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_9.24.html>
Contents
[1] EPIC Files Suit for "No-Fly List" Information
[2] EPIC Submits Comments on TCPA, ENUM, FCC Broadcast Flag Mandate
[3] DC Council Hearing on Camera Regs; 12/24 is World Sousveillance Day
[4] ICANN Task Force Issues New Policy Report on WHOIS Data
[5] CA Senators Introduce Financial Privacy Legislation

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