Category: Privacy

Cybersnooping legislation regulates when it will be permissible for employers to monitor the electronic activities — such as email, web surfing and outbound data transmissions — of their employees. Currently, however, the regimes adopted among the states differ widely, making it all but impossible for national employers to confidently establish a uniform monitoring protocol: ‘NSW… Read more →

The Australian Federal Government has announced a review of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Attorney–General Philip Ruddock says the Australian Law Reform Commission will look at existing laws and practices across the country and consider changes in technology since the Act was introduced in 1988. Given that technological developments pose the single greatest threat to… Read more →

‘Tech-boom multimillionaire John Gilmore cut an appropriately iconoclastic profile last week as the centerpiece of a notebook-wielding gaggle in front of the 9th Circuit. A star of the electronic privacy movement, Gilmore has been at the [centre] of an increasingly strange piece of litigation for the past three years since he sued the government, claiming… Read more →

CCH Australia is running an article about impending federal privacy legislation that would protect genetic material from employers. In response to a recent report on genetic privacy, the law would prevent employers obtaining information about an employee’s genetic disabilities without their consent. Originally by CCH Australia, 2:37 PM Read more Read more →

‘stupefaction writes “The New York Times reports on recent successful court challenges to police use of cellphone tracking information in the course of an investigation. From the article:’ In the last four months, three federal judges have denied prosecutors the right to get cellphone tracking information from wireless companies without first showing “probable cause” to… Read more →

‘Armadni General writes “CNN is reporting that a new Italian law requires that all businesses offering public internet access, such as web cafes, to identify and record all customers. While supporters of this law trumpet its anti-terrorism potential, still others see no such advantage and bemoan this invasion of personal privacy.’ They must be able,… Read more →

According to this Associated Press article, the copy-protection software used by Sony on its consumer audio compact discs is secretly sending usage data from internet-connected computers when a disc is played: The software transmits the name of the CD being played to an office of Sony’s music division in Cary, NC. The software also transmits… Read more →

In what was a significant week for privacy law, new email monitoring laws were introduced in NSW and foreshadowed in Victoria. Tim Dixon reports on the changes. Originally by CCH Australia, 9:58 PM Read more Read more →

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC) president believes the Federal Government’s counter-terrorism bill needs to be reconsidered because it does not have the same protections available under international human rights laws. Originally by ABC News: Politics, 9:46 PM Read more Read more →

San Francisco – The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a brief this week in support of one of its previous court opponents, DirecTV, arguing that a federal appeals court should throw out a lawsuit against the company for accessing a public website. DirecTV is being sued by Michael Snow, the publisher of an anti-DirecTV website… Read more →