NIST Issues Major Revision of Core Computer Security Guide: SP 800-53

Thursday, May 9th, 2013

The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced a revision of the federal government’s computer security guide, “Security and Privacy Controls for Federal information Systems and Organizations (SP 800-53)” (pdf). The update includes “eight new families of privacy controls that are based on the internationally accepted Fair Information Practice Principles,” ...

Washington Post: FTC warns data brokers on privacy rules

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

The Washington Post reports that the Federal Trade Commission is warning data brokers (companies that gather, compile and sell or otherwise use consumers’ online and offline information for marketing or other purposes) about privacy: Federal officials have intensified their scrutiny of the data brokerage industry by issuing a series of ...

AdWeek: FTC Chair Calls for Universal Do Not Track, Stunning Advertisers

Monday, April 22nd, 2013

AdWeek reports that new Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez is calling for a universal Do Not Track system rather than the self-regulatory system that advertisers have been pushing: In her first speech before the advertising industry, newly minted Federal Trade Commission chairwoman Edith Ramirez called once again for a universal ...

FTC Charges 29 People Over Text Message Spam

Friday, March 8th, 2013

The Federal Trade Commission announced that it has charged 29 people in eight actions in courts in the United States over text message spam: The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on affiliate marketers that allegedly bombarded consumers with hundreds of millions of unwanted spam text messages in an effort ...

DHS Privacy Office Releases Annual Datamining Report

Monday, March 4th, 2013

The Department of Homeland Security has released the “2012 Data Mining Report to Congress” (pdf). The DHS Privacy Office said, “The Federal Agency Data Mining Reporting Act of 2007, 42 U.S.C. § 2000ee-3, requires DHS to report annually to Congress on DHS activities that meet the Act’s definition of data ...

FTC Settles with Compete Over Privacy, Tracking Charges

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

The Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement with Compete, Inc., concerning charges against the company over privacy and tracking of consumers. The complete FTC file on the case is here. The FTC said: Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that Compete, ...

ACLU of Maine Calls for Limits on Drone Surveillance

Monday, February 25th, 2013

Judiciary Committee To Hear Testimony on Bill Requiring a Warrant in Most Cases February 25, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666;

FTC Settles With a Cord Blood Bank Over Privacy Charges

Thursday, January 31st, 2013

The Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement with a cord blood bank, Cbr Systems Inc., over its security practices concerning its customers’ financial and other private data: The operator of a leading cord blood bank, Cbr Systems, Inc., agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it failed to protect the security ...

Law article: Open Book: The Failed Promise of Information Privacy in America

Friday, January 18th, 2013

In “Open Book: The Failed Promise of Information Privacy in America,” University of Indiana law professor James P. Nehf discusses the weakness of privacy laws in the United States at the federal and state level. Here’s the abstract: With financial and other personal information about us in countless databases, and with ...

FTC Orders 9 Data Brokers to Provide Info on Collection Practices

Wednesday, December 19th, 2012

The Federal Trade Commission has issued orders to nine companies to gather information on the data brokers’ practices of collecting data on consumers. In a news release, the FTC said: The nine data brokers receiving orders from the FTC are:  1) Acxiom, 2) Corelogic, 3) Datalogix, 4) eBureau, 5) ID ...

Washington Post: Campaigns’ use of supporters’ data worries privacy advocates

Monday, November 26th, 2012

We’ve discussed before the use of data-mining by the campaigns of President Obama and Mitt Romney to urge individuals to vote on Election Day and questions about how this affects the privacy of individuals’ personal data. Now, the Washington Post looks into the issue and notes that the Federal Trade Commission, an ...

FTC Settles With Equifax Over Charges of Improperly Selling Individuals’ Mortgage Data

Thursday, October 11th, 2012

The Federal Trade Commission announced that it has settled with credit-reporting agency Equifax over charges of improperly selling the mortgage data of individuals: One of the largest U.S. consumer reporting agencies, Equifax Information Services LLC, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it improperly sold lists of consumers who were ...