[huridocs-tech] EPIC Releases 2003 Privacy and Human Rights Report

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                             E P I C  A l e r t
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Volume 10.18                                          September 4, 2003
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                              Published by the
                Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
                              Washington, D.C.

              http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_10.18.html

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Table of Contents
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[1] EPIC Releases 2003 Privacy and Human Rights Report
[2] Passenger Profiling Information Sought in New EPIC FOIA Suit
[3] EPIC and Friends File Brief In Supreme Court Privacy Case
[4] FTC Releases Identity Theft Statistics
[5] Federal Court Invalidates Washington Phone Privacy Rules
[6] Congress to Consider Critical Affiliate Sharing Privacy Issues
[7] EPIC Bookstore: The Governance of Privacy
[8] Upcoming Conferences and Events

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[1] EPIC Releases 2003 Privacy and Human Rights Report
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The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and Privacy
International will release the sixth annual Privacy and Human Rights
survey this Friday, September 5.  The report reviews the state of
privacy in over fifty-five countries around the world.  It is the most
comprehensive report on privacy and data protection ever published.
The report will be released at a press conference at the National
Press Club in Washington, DC.

Privacy and Human Rights 2003 documents several new challenges and
developments in the international privacy arena in the past year.
Advancements in technology, combined with a shifting international
political climate, have set the stage for increased government
experimentation with new systems of surveillance, affecting many
fundamental human rights, including privacy.  Under the banner of
anti-terrorism, several nations have implemented traveler profiling
tools and databases, and new systems of identification.  Most
prominent among these is the United States' CAPPS II system, an
airline passenger profiling system that uses passengers' personal data
and records in an attempt to detect potential security threats.

Other surveillance methods gaining prominence include the use of
biometrics and computerized national ID databases and cards.
Biometrics -- the science of using physical identifiers such as
fingerprints, iris/retina, or facial patterns -- has received
increasing attention from governments and law enforcement agencies in
the past year.  Several nations are also developing new identification
and authentication systems, such as smart cards and digital
identification cards.  Japan launched a computerized national ID
system which compiles the personal data of residents into a
centralized national database that can be accessed by the government.
Other countries, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hong Kong,
Russia and Spain are establishing similar systems.

The WHOIS database is another system threatening privacy rights.
Originally intended to allow network administrators to find and fix
problems with minimal hassle to maintain the stability of the
Internet, it now exposes the personally identifiable information of
domain name registrants' to spammers, stalkers, criminal
investigators, and copyright enforcers.

But while nations have taken advantage of the unstable international
environment to promote privacy-endangering policies, individuals and
advocacy groups have made headway in opposing many of these efforts.
In the United States, public outcry over the Pentagon's Total
Information Awareness program led to a curb in its funding and the
eventual resignation of the program's chief, retired admiral John
Poindexter.  In Taiwan, a coalition successfully fought against a
next-generation national ID system.  In Canada, advocacy efforts led
to a modification of a government data gathering scheme on travelers
entering the country.

The 2003 Privacy and Human Rights press conference will be held at 1
p.m. ET on Friday, September 5, at the National Press Club in
Washington D.C.  There will be a live web cast which can be accessed
from EPIC's website.

To learn more about the report or purchase copies go to:

       http://www.epic.org/bookstore/phr2003/

To access the webcast go to:

       http://www.epic.org


<snip>


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About EPIC
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The Electronic Privacy Information Center is a public interest
research center in Washington, DC.  It was established in 1994 to
focus public attention on emerging privacy issues such as the Clipper
Chip, the Digital Telephony proposal, national ID cards, medical
record privacy, and the collection and sale of personal information.
EPIC publishes the EPIC Alert, pursues Freedom of Information Act
litigation, and conducts policy research.  For more information,
e-mail info@epic.org, http://www.epic.org or write EPIC, 1718
Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009. +1 202 483 1140
(tel), +1 202 483 1248 (fax).

If you'd like to support the work of the Electronic Privacy
Information Center, contributions are welcome and fully
tax-deductible.  Checks should be made out to "EPIC" and sent to 1718
Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009. Or you can
contribute online at:

       http://www.epic.org/donate/

Your contributions will help support Freedom of Information Act and
First Amendment litigation, strong and effective advocacy for the
right of privacy and efforts to oppose government regulation of
encryption and expanding wiretapping powers.

Thank you for your support.

---------------------- END EPIC Alert 10.18 ----------------------

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