A woman who campaigned against the contentious north-south pipeline has won a public apology from Melbourne Water for collecting personal information about her. Yea farmer and “Plug the Pipe” campaigner Jan Beer says the water company has admitted it collected 88 documents containing personal and private information about her. She says the “appalling behaviour” included…
Category: Breaches
Alberta, Ca: Startling Statistics from Mandatory Breach Notification
Alberta’s Privacy Commissioner issued the following press release today: The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has received more than 90 breach notification reports in the past 16 months. Breach notification became mandatory under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) in May of 2010. Any personal information breach that presents a real risk of…
Microsoft stops secretly tracking users’ browsing habits
Stuart Sumner reports: Microsoft has removed code from its MSN web site that tracked its users’ browsing habits, even if those users intentionally deleted their cookies in order to preserve their privacy. Mike Hintze, associate general counsel, regulatory affairs, Microsoft, announced in a blog that the firm investigated the code once it was brought to its attention…
Investigation, privacy at odds in Vermont search case
Sam Hemingway reports: John A. Kacur is frustrated. Last summer, the 84-year-old resident of Lyon Mountain, N.Y., discovered that someone in Burlington had obtained his Social Security number and other personal information and was applying for credit cards under his name. Burlington police investigated the case, and Detective Michael Warren acknowledged last week that he…