A constant theme of the recent press discussion of “sportsman’s privacy injunctions” has been the suggestion that judges have created a privacy law by stealth and that this raises serious questions about democratic accountability. I have already commented on some of the issues arising from this coverage but it is worth looking at the background…
Category: Non-U.S.
In: Personal details sold for a song
Sameer Ranjan Bakshir reports: Personal data of people, whether address, email ID or phone number, cannot be sold. But you can still buy a ‘database’ that includes two crore email IDs and 10 lakh phone numbers of IT professionals for as low as Rs 2,500. The Reserve Bank of India and Telecom Regulatory Authority of…
UK: Tabloid Hack Attack on Royals, and Beyond
Don Van Natta Jr., Jo Becker, and Graham Bowley report: In November 2005, three senior aides to Britain’s royal family noticed odd things happening on their mobile phones. Messages they had never listened to were somehow appearing in their mailboxes as if heard and saved. Equally peculiar were stories that began appearing about Prince William…
China requires ID to buy mobile phone numbers in anti-spam campaign; move raises privacy fears
Alexa Olesen reports: China began requiring identification on Wednesday from anyone purchasing a new mobile phone number in what it says is a bid to stamp out rampant junk messages but that some say gives the government a new tool for monitoring its citizens. The rules apply to everyone, including foreigners visiting China for a…