Concurring Opinions hosting Online Symposium on Configuring the Networked Self

I'm honored and thrilled to be a part of an online symposium featuring Julie Cohen's important new book, Configuring the Networked Self: Law, Code, and the Play of Everyday Practice, hosted at Concurring Opinions the week of March 5. Thanks…

Global Network Initiative Promises to Protect Privacy and Freedom of Expression Online

A collection of information and communication companies, advocacy groups, and academic centers have announced the formation of the Global Network Initiative, aimed at protecting free expression and privacy on the Internet on a global scale. From the announcement: In an…

Yale ISP’s “9.5 Theses for Technology Policy in the Next Administration”

In preparation for next month's Computers, Freedom & Privacy conference on “Technology Policy ‘08“, the Yale Information Society Project has released "9.5 Theses for Technology Policy in the Next Administration": 1. Privacy. Protect human dignity, autonomy, and privacy by providing…

Germany’s High Court Protects Computer Privacy

The German Constitutional Court, ruling on the constitutionality of secret online searches of computers by government agencies, has created a new "basic right to the confidentiality and integrity of information-technological systems" as derived from the German Constitution. The AP reports:…

Computers, Freedom, & Privacy: Technology Policy ’08

The call for papers for the 2008 Computers, Freedom & Privacy conference has been released. This year's theme is "Technology Policy '08". Details below: COMPUTERS, FREEDOM, AND PRIVACY: TECHNOLOGY POLICY '08 http://cfp2008.org/ 18th Annual CFP conference May 20-23, 2008 Omni…

Yale ISP Reading Group: Technology, Law, Society, Values and Design

This spring I am running a reading group at the Yale Information Society Project (but open to all) titled "Technology, Law, Society, Values and Design." The description and draft syllabus are below -- comments and suggestions are welcome! Technology, Law,…

Privacy Protection in the Network Society: “Trading Up” or a “Race to the Bottom”?

In many of my recent presentations on privacy and information policy, I've drawn on differences in the legal and regulatory frameworks applied to the flows of personal information in the United States compared to the European Union. In short, the…

Justice Department Says F.B.I. Misused Patriot Act

In what should not come as that big of a surprise, AP reports: The FBI improperly and, in some cases, illegally used the USA Patriot Act to secretly obtain personal information about people in the United States, a Justice Department…

Judge Restricts New York Police Surveillance of Public Spaces

A federal judge ruled that the police must stop the routine videotaping of people at public gatherings. Reversing (and clarifying) an earlier ruling, the judge stated that such public surveillance is allowable only if there was an indication that unlawful…

House Introduces Privacy Bill Foursome…With One Runt in the Litter

27B Stroke 6 outlines four important pieces of privacy-protecting legislation that have either been recently introduced or received new life in the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives: * The Prevention of Fraudulent Access to Phone Records Act, introduced by Dingell and…