Evan Perez reports: The Patriot Act, one of most prominent expansions of federal authority in the past decade, received overwhelming Republican backing in 2006 when it was first up for renewal. This year, even as the surge of the tea party brought to Washington a new legion of lawmakers suspicious of government power, the law…
Category: Laws
The Personal Data Protection Act: Everyone Has Something to Hide
Wendy Kaminer comments that we all need to be more concerned about protecting our privacy from state or government surveillance. A bill introduced in the Massachusetts legislature offers an opportunity for Massachusetts residents to push back against increasing surveillance and fusion centers: Massachusetts has a chance to take the lead in protecting individual privacy and…
UK: ICO Deputy exposes Data Protection law wish list
Amberhawk Training writes: Comment Last Friday, data protection day, was commemorated with a meeting organised by the Ministry of Justice in Whitehall. At that meeting, David Smith, the Deputy Information Commissioner (DIC), reviewed the Information Commissioner’s wish list of changes to data protection law. This blog reports on the content of that list. Regulation or…
UK: Yeates Coverage Prompts Call For Anonymity
Ruth Barnett reports: Suspects arrested by police should have anonymity until they are charged, an MP said as she launched an attack on press reporting of the Joanna Yeates murder case. Anna Soubry, Conservative MP for Broxtowe and a former journalist and barrister, said coverage of suspects in the case had been “unacceptable and plain…