Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Latest News
    • Storage

    Left, Right Push for New Commercial-Data Laws

    Written by

    Caron Carlson
    Published August 11, 2003
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      A critical mass of policy advocates on opposite ends of the political spectrum have teamed up to press for new laws restraining the governments use of commercial data, fearing that technology is pushing data usage faster than the legal framework can protect privacy, accuracy and network security.

      Even with the Privacy Act of 1974 in place, the current administration is not demonstrating a respect for data accuracy, seeking exclusions for new government systems, said Ari Schwartz, associate director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, in Washington.

      “Were seeing a lot more of the public-sector databases exempting themselves from accuracy,” Schwartz said, citing as an example the governments CAPPS II, or Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, designed for airline transportation safety but now also slated for law enforcement uses.

      There are no restrictions that would prevent aggressive surveillance programs from being used domestically, according to Robert Barr, privacy advocate and a former U.S. congressman from Georgia.

      “Its bad enough when the government has a paper file on people,” Barr said, alluding to efforts during the 1960s to compile dossiers on law-abiding citizens. “In the Digital Age, there is virtually no limit to the damage the government could do with information.”

      Since leaving Congress, the Georgia Republican has worked as a privacy policy consultant for the American Civil Liberties Union. He is urging Congress to pass the Defense of Privacy Act, a bill resembling one that he sponsored while in Congress, requiring federal agencies to assess the privacy impact of proposed actions.

      The governments reliance on commercial data also affects the balance of power, Barr said. “It puts private industry in cahoots with government so there is no check at all on the gathering and dissemination of private information,” he said.

      The administration has responded to criticism by changing the names of its controversial initiatives. Data mining under the Total Information Awareness program is now called “factual data analysis” under the Terrorism Information Awareness program.

      But those cosmetic adjustments are not enough for privacy-concerned lawmakers. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ark., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., this month introduced legislation that would limit the FBIs ability to look at sensitive, personal information, including medical, library and Internet records, without demonstrating specific suspicion to a judge. It would also require congressional approval for data mining.

      Separately, Wyden introduced a bill that would require law enforcement to disclose contracts for commercial data.

      Caron Carlson
      Caron Carlson

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.