News & Commentary

Late yesterday afternoon, September 3, 2009, Google finally issued a privacy policy for Google Books, both the current service and the extensive new book-related services they hope to have a federal court approve in October.

Last week, in response to an inquiry by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Facebook announced plans to enhance user privacy over the next year. Some of these plans address third party applications, like quizzes and games, that have access to a lot of your personal information.

Did you know? Facebook apps can collect a lot of data about you and your friends. Take our quiz.

Brittany Dalton's high school flute ensemble won at a prestigious statewide competition. But her school tried to keep her from playing in the competition because Brittany refused to submit to a drug test.

Unlike other cities, implementation of municipal wireless in San Francisco began in a very promising manner when the city stated in its request for proposals that they were interested in a network that protects the privacy of its users and respects the choices made by consumers. The city also required vendors who submitted proposals to answer specific questions in regards to how they would protect the privacy and information transmitted by users. Unfortunately, the proposals that were received proposed few limitations on the amount of information collected, the length of which it could be kept, and how the companies would protect information from third party demands.

In April 2006, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a non-profit business government coalition in San Jose, California, released a request for proposals for it's new initiative, Wireless Silicon Valley, an ambitious project to create a region-wide wireless system to "anyone, anywhere, involving any device."

by Christopher CalabreseACLU Nationwide

Although the technology has been around since World War II, state and local governments have recently begun incorporating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices into identification documents such as student IDs and passports. Citizens are compelled to carry these RFID-enabled devices, which broadcast personal information and often lack meaningful privacy and security protections. As a result, government is forcing citizens to carry devices that compromise their safety.

Although the technology has been around since World War II, state and local governments have recently begun incorporating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices into identification documents like driver's licenses and passports. Citizens are compelled to carry these RFID-enabled devices, which broadcast their personal information and often lack meaningful privacy and security protections. As a result, government is forcing citizens to carry RFID-enabled devices that compromise their safety. SB 30 responds to this problem by requiring privacy and security safeguards on RFID-enabled, government-issued identification documents