The posting will be light this week, since I’ll be at Computers, Freedom and Privacy 2009 through Thursday. 

Computers, Freedom and Privacy is an annual conference to discuss the privacy, security and civil liberty questions raised by emerging technologies or new uses of old technologies. This year’s theme is “Creating the Future.” Check out the interesting panels on the program, including two panels that I am moderating, on airport behavior detection programs and a global information privacy regime.

Computers, Freedom and Privacy is an annual conference to discuss the privacy, security and civil liberty questions raised by emerging technologies or new uses of old technologies. This year’s theme is “Creating the Future.”

The conference runs from June 1 to June 4 in Washington, DC. You can still register. Note that government employees and the press may attend for free, but you will have to show identification proving your status when you check in at the registration table. 

There are a number of interesting panels on the program, including two panels that I am moderating: 

On Wednesday June 3 from 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., I will be moderating a panel on airport behavior detection programs. The panelists are:

Paul Ekman, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, UCSF Manager, Paul Ekman Group LLC 
Peter Pietra, Director, Privacy Policy & Compliance, Transportation Security Administration 
Peter Swire, Ohio State University, Center for American Progress; former Chief Counselor for Privacy for US Government 
Bruce Schneier, CSTO, BT 

Here’s the blurb: (more…)

Privacy Lives joins the Center
 for 
Digital 
Democracy, Center
 for 
Science 
in 
the 
Public 
Interest, 
Consumers
 Union, 
Electronic 
Privacy 
Information 
Center, 
Privacy 
Times, and U.S. 
Public 
Interest 
Research
 Group 
in a letter (pdf) urging new Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz to appoint a new Director of Consumer Protection.

The director should have a track record as a genuine champion of consumer rights, someone whose experience reflects not simply a broad familiarity with industry procedures in the area of consumer relations, but a deep commitment to proactively protecting the public from all manner of unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent practices.    

We believe it is especially important that the new Director be someone who has demonstrated throughout his or her career both knowledge of and commitment to consumer protection. [...]

President Obama has made clear that American consumers deserve effective regulatory oversight of businesses, reversing the absence of federal vigilance over crucial sectors of the marketplace that affect the public’s welfare. The position of Director of Consumer Protection is one of such profound importance to consumers that the American public can ill‐afford any unnecessary delays in appointing a suitable candidate to fill the position.  

I’m quoted today in a USA Today story about body scanners being used by TSA at airports, “Body scanners replace metal detectors in tryout at Tulsa airport.” The scanners use millimeter wave technology, which scan a person to create a “three-dimensional image of the body, with facial features blurred for privacy, [which] is displayed on a remote monitor for analysis,” TSA says. 

Unfortunately, most of my comments were not included in the story. Basically, I believe there needs to be more public information. My personal experience has been: a polite TSA officer asking me to step over to a machine, having me stand there while I’m scanned, and then telling me I’m free to go. This scan was done after I went through a metal detector without setting it off. I was not told what the machine was nor was I told that I had the option to decline the scan. In fact, it all happened so fast that I didn’t realize what the machine was until after it was over and I was sitting in a chair a few feet away from the scanner while putting my shoes back on. 

There is little hard data about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the machines. How long does it take to use these machines compared to other forms of security? Are they as effective as other types of security? Are they as cost-effective once you add up not just the cost of the machines, but the cost of training, taking officers from other security jobs to operate the scanners, upkeep or other administrative needs? Read the full story.

Today, Privacy Lives joins 12 civil liberty groups (including the ACLU, EPIC and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse) in sending a letter (pdf) to the US Senate urging the chamber to “request[] accession to the Council of Europe’s Convention 108 for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data.”

Founded in 1949, the Council of Europe “seeks to develop throughout Europe common and democratic principles.” The US is one of five observer countries; there are 47 member countries. The United States has signed onto other COE conventions, such as the 2001 Convention on Cybercrime, which was ratified by the Senate in 2006.

Convention 108 sets out a framework for protecting all data, especially focusing on data-sharing among countries. There are three main parts: (1) basic principles, which are substantive law provisions; (2) special rules on transborder data flows; and, (3) mechanisms for mutual assistance and consultation between the parties (countries).

The Convention covers data processing and collection by both government agencies and private sector companies. Its Articles are a floor for data protection laws, not a ceiling.

The Council of Europe recently decided to allow non-member countries to sign on to the Convention, and we are urging the Senate to take steps to do so. As part of this process, the US must create an independent data protection authority, because that is a requirement for states to be a party to Convention 108.

Here are a few stories of interest that were published recently but were not posted because Privacy Lives went dark for the holidays.

“City Will Use Cameras to Monitor Trinidad Area,” Washington Post. The District of Columbia will add surveillance cameras provided by businesses to a neighborhood for the usual reason — to prevent crime. 

The Trinidad neighborhood will be getting up to 30 video cameras on the streets to deter crime, officials announced today.

The cameras, which will allow D.C. police to constantly monitor the area, are part of a Safe City program, which is funded by Target and Sprint Nextel. Installation will begin in May, officials said.

“Mexican congress approves widening police powers,” Associated Press. The Mexican Senate seeks to create a registry of mobile phone owners, including their fingerprints.

Mexico’s Congress on Tuesday voted to broaden police powers, allowing law enforcement agencies to use undercover agents and taped conversations as evidence in a bid to help them fight increasingly bloody drug cartels. [...]

Also Tuesday, the Senate voted to create a registry of cell phone owners to combat kidnappings and extortions in which gangs often use untraceable mobile phones to make ransom demands. (more…)