Congressional Hearing on Employment Verification
The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on employment verification. Several hearings have be held by the committee on the proposal to create a mandatory national government employment eligibility system. The current private sector system is voluntary.
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Homeland Security Releases Final REAL ID Rules
The Department of Homeland Security released the long awaited final rule on state issued drivers licenses and identification documents. The rule indicated that the new federal REAL ID will be used for a variety of purposes unrelated to the law that resulted in the federalization of state issued drivers licenses. If states do not comply with the agency rule the drivers’ licenses held by state residents will not be accepted for air travel or to access federal government buildings. As a cost saving measure the Department of Homeland Security decided not to require encryption of the digital data stored on the REAL ID. The Privacy Coalition led a major anti-REAL ID public education campaign. EPIC's page on REAL ID and the ACLU's analysis of the new agency rule..
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House Votes to Halt Digital Strip Searches
The House of Representatives approved by a vote of 310 to 118 a bill that will limit the use of Whole-Body Imaging machines, installed by the Transportation
Security Administration, in US airports. The devices photograph American air travelers stripped naked and could easily be programmed to record images. Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) sponsored the bill that will prohibit the use of the devices as the sole or primary method of screening aircraft passengers; require that passengers be provided information on the operation of such technology and offered a pat-down search in lieu of such screening; and prohibit the storage of an image of a passenger after a boarding determination is made. Privacy Coalition members supported a campaign to raise public awareness about Whole Body Imaging.
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Computers Freedom and Privacy Annual Meeting
The Computers Freedom and Privacy Annual meeting will be held in Washington, DC June 1-4, 2009. This year's meeting is co-chaired by Cindy Southworth with the National Network to End Domestic Violence, and Jay Stanley with the ACLU. This year's theme is Creating the Future.
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TSA Responds to Whole Body Imaging Objections
The Transportation Security Administration has replied to the Privacy Coalition statement on whole body imaging systems. The agency claims that the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) provides adequate protection. The Privacy Coalition letter pointed out that "the devices are designed to capture, record, and store detailed images of individuals undressed" and said that "If the public understood this, they would be outraged by the use of these devices by the US government on US citizens." The Privacy Coalition said that the use of the devices should be suspended pending an investigation. The letter was prompted by the TSA's announcement that Whole Body Imaging would replace metal detectors as the primary screening technique at US airports. The House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would establish clear privacy safeguards for the devices.
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September 28 Privacy Coalition Meeting
The September 28, 2007 meeting of the Privacy Coalition featured presentations by David Gersten Director of the Department of Homeland Security's Civil Rights and Civil Libertieis Programs, Robert Mocny, Director of the Department of Homeland Security's US VISIT Program. The meeting also featured presentations by Susan Hunkler a privacy rights activist, Jim Harrision Director of the Identity Project, Lew Motby President, Work Rights Institute and a discussion on Fusion Centers.
View past meeting information...
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Campaigns Archives
TSA Responds to Whole Body Imaging Objections
The Transportation Security Administration has replied to the Privacy Coalition statement on whole body imaging systems. The agency claims that the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) provides adequate protection. The Privacy Coalition letter pointed out that "the devices are designed to capture, record, and store detailed images of individuals undressed" and said that "If the public understood this, they would be outraged by the use of these devices by the US government on US citizens." The Privacy Coalition said that the use of the devices should be suspended pending an investigation. The letter was prompted by the TSA's announcement that Whole Body Imaging would replace metal detectors as the primary screening technique at US airports. The House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would establish clear privacy safeguards for the devices.
House Votes to Halt Digital Strip Searches
The House of Representatives approved by a vote of 310 to 118 a bill that will limit the use of Whole-Body Imaging machines, installed by the Transportation
Security Administration, in US airports. The devices photograph American air travelers stripped naked and could easily be programmed to record images. Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) sponsored the bill that will prohibit the use of the devices as the sole or primary method of screening aircraft passengers; require that passengers be provided information on the operation of such technology and offered a pat-down search in lieu of such screening; and prohibit the storage of an image of a passenger after a boarding determination is made. Privacy Coalition members supported a campaign to raise public awareness about Whole Body Imaging.
Letter Sent to Secretary of Homeland Security to Halt Digital Strip Searches
The Privacy Coalition sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, urging the agency to halt use of Whole Body Imaging. The program captures detailed naked images of all passengers at airports. The Transportation Security Administration had earlier stated that Whole Body Imaging would only be used as a voluntary alternative. Tomorrow, June 4, 2009, Congress will vote on a bill to halt the use of Whole Body Imaging. The measure is sponsored by Representative Jason Chaffetz.
Join the Letter to Stop Whole Body Imaging at US Airports
The Coalition is urging that the Secretary of Homeland Security stop using technology that takes nude photographs of American air travelers. The campaign is in response to a policy reversal by the TSA, which would now make the "virtual strip search" mandatory, instead of voluntary as originally announced. EPIC and others joining the letter say that there are inadequate safeguards to prevent the misuse of the images.
Privacy Groups Successfully Challenge Facebook
Hours before about a dozen members of the Privacy Coalition led by EPIC planned to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission regarding changes to Facebook’s Terms of Service, the social network service announced that it will restore the original policy. The new Terms of Service were announced on Feb. 4, were widely criticized, and were to be the subject of the EPIC complaint. Facebook users observed that, under the revised policies, Facebook asserted broad, permanent, and retroactive rights to users' personal information - even after they deleted their accounts.
Privacy Campaign - Real Problems Real Solutions Jan. 28, 2009
The Public Voice is marking the January 28 anniversary of the Council of Europe Convention on Data Protection (No. 108), the most important international law for privacy. More than 40 countries have ratified the Convention. Many more countries around the world should support the Convention (including the United States). A Privacy advocacy call to Action.
International Human Rights Day 2008
International Human Rights Day - Privacy is a Fundamental Right. December 10, International Human Rights Day, commemorates the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human Rights Day 2008 marks the start of a year-long commemoration of the 61st anniversary of the Declaration. The document is the foundation of international human rights law, the first universal statement on the basic principles of inalienable human rights, and a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. Article 12 of the Declaration includes privacy as a fundamental human right.
UPDATE: More Than 50 Groups Join Anti-National ID Campaign
A number of groups, including the Coalition Against Prosecutorial Abuse and Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, have joined a campaign against REAL ID. Fifty-four groups are urging the public to submit comments against the illegal national identification system created by the Department of Homeland Security under the REAL ID program. DHS seeks to create a massive system filled with sensitive personal data on 240 million license and ID cardholders nationwide, yet has failed to include adequate privacy and security safeguards.
Over Forty Groups Announce National REAL ID Public Campaign
Today, 45 organizations representing transpartisan, nonpartisan, privacy, consumer, civil liberty, civil rights, and immigrant organizations have joined to launch a national campaign to solicit public comments to stop the nation's first national ID system: REAL ID. The groups joining in the anti-REAL ID campaign are concerned about the increased threat of counterfeiting and identity theft, lack of security to protect against unauthorized access to the document's machine readable content, increased cost to taxpayers, diverting of state funds intended for homeland security, increased costs for obtaining a license or state issued ID card, and because the REAL ID would create a false belief that it is secure and unforgeable.
The draft regulations to implement the REAL ID Act are open for comment until 5 p.m. EST on May 8, 2007. For more information on how to take action, visit the Privacy Coalition's Stop REAL ID! Campaign page.
Coalition Joins to Demand Hearings on NSA Surveillance
A coalition of organizations representing consumer rights, privacy, peace, enviornmental, civil liberties, and civil rights joined a letter requesting that the House Committee on Energy and Commerce investigate the actions of telecommunication companies in the NSA domestic spying scandal.
Coalition Launches Medical Records Privacy Protection Campaign
The Privacy Coalition has joined Patient Privacy Rights in launching launched a joint campaign to strengthen protections for patients' medical information. Congress is rushing to pass legislation to establish a national Health Information Network without patient privacy safeguards. Yet a recent poll found that 69 percent of adults do not believe strong enough data security will be installed. Sign an
online petition in opposition of this legislation.
