Washington, D.C. – A former State Department employee was sentenced today to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine for illegally accessing more than 50 confidential passport application files, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division announced. On Jan. 27, 2009, Gerald R. Lueders, 65, of Woodbridge, Va.,…
Will courts rein in TSA?
Former Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr comments: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has become increasingly aggressive in expanding its responsibility from simply searching passengers to ensure no weapons or explosives are brought on board commercial aircraft. The agency, housed in the federal Department of Homeland Security, has moved in recent years to assume for itself…
VeriChip supports bill barring forced implantation
Healthcare IT News reports that VeriChip Corporation is supporting the Pennsylvania bill that would ban the forced implantation of identification devices in people (see previous coverage here). The bill, which passed the House, has yet to go to the state Senate. “In general, we are supportive of legislation that prohibits forced implants,” said Silverman. “VeriChip,…
Can’t spell “Ixquick?” Try “Startpage”
IxQuick, which bills itself as “the world’s most private search engine,” has changed its name to the much-easier-to-remember Startpage. Startpage is a meta search engine that’s tried to differentiate itself from the pack by using privacy as a marketing feature. In 2006, shortly before the mistaken release of three months of AOL search data, the…