In an opinion article at NJ.com, Frank Askin – law professor and director of the Constitutional Litigation Clinic at Rutgers Law School-Newark — discusses new privacy guidelines for the Federal Bureau of Investigation:

Twenty-five years ago, Congress passed and President Gerald Ford signed the Federal Privacy Act. In an effort to end the abuses committed by the FBI against anti-war and civil rights activists that director J. Edgar Hoover disliked, Section (e)(7) of that Act prohibited any agency of the federal government from “maintaining records describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment . . . unless pursuant to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.”

The FBI and the federal courts have spent the last 25 years honoring that statute in the breach; and Congress seems perfectly satisfied to let them do so. And as reported in the New York Times on June 13, the FBI is again about to amend its Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide to further thumb its nose at the privacy act. Read more »

The Washington Post reports on a movement in Congress for legislation to protect kids’ online privacy:

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) said Thursday that amid the many proposals for online privacy laws, the first step should be protecting children.

But even though most lawmakers agree that young Internet users should have clear protections of their privacy, experts say current proposals will be difficult to turn into laws.

“We need a comprehensive approach to privacy, and it may be appropriate to start by updating the rules protecting children online,” said Eshoo, ranking member of House subcommittee on communications and technology. [...] Read more »

CNet News reports on legislation concerning Internet privacy:

Controversial legislation to require Internet providers to store logs about their customers for 18 months has run into an unexpected obstacle: a former supporter. [...]

The bill in question is H.R. 1981, which says Internet providers must store for “at least 18 months the temporarily assigned network addresses the service assigns to each account,” unless it’s a wireless provider like AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon.

[The concerns of Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican and previous chairman of the House Judiciary committee,] are noteworthy because he has been a prominent sponsor of data retention legislation before. [...] Read more »

In the wake of the scandal about accusations of phone hacking by the News of the World, the Scotsman takes a look at how a person can protect herself from such attacks:

PUBLIC uproar over the phone hacking scandal has re- ignited fears about our personal privacy and security as we struggle against the white-hot heat of technology. Many will this weekend be wondering how secure are their land and mobile telephones, their nternet bank, credit card, savings and mortgage accounts?

They are about as safe as swimming with sharks. Phone hacking devices can be easily bought on the internet or at specialist security shops for less than £50. Read more »

There are allegations that the News of the World illegally tampered with the phone and voicemail of slain schoolgirl Milly Dowler. Now, there are more charges of widespread hacking of numerous victims’ telecommunications services by the British tabloid. The Associated Press reports:

Britain’s phone hacking scandal intensified Wednesday as the scope of tabloid intrusion into private voice mails became clearer: Murder victims. Terror victims. Film stars. Sports figures. Politicians. The royal family’s entourage.

Almost no one, it seems, was safe from a tabloid determined to beat its rivals, whatever it takes.

The focal point is the News of the World — now facing a spreading advertising boycott — and the top executives of its parent companies: Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News International, and her boss, media potentate Rupert Murdoch. [...] Read more »

Guardian, Missing Milly Dowler’s voicemail was hacked by News of the World

The Guardian reports on disturbing allegations in Britain concerning hacking into a dead teenage girl’s cellphone:

The News of the World illegally targeted the missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler and her family in March 2002, interfering with police inquiries into her disappearance, an investigation by the Guardian has established.

Scotland Yard is investigating the episode, which is likely to put new pressure on the then editor of the paper, Rebekah Brooks, now Rupert Murdoch’s chief executive in the UK; and the then deputy editor, Andy Coulson, who resigned in January as the prime minister’s media adviser.

The Dowlers’ family lawyer, Mark Lewis, this afternoon issued a statement describing the News of the World’s activities as “heinous” and “despicable”. He said this afternoon the Dowler family was now pursuing a damages claim against the News of the World. [...] Read more »