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EPIC Urges Senate Judiciary to Examine FBI Response to Russian Cyber Attacks
Fri, 2018-06-15 17:23PIC has sent a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee ahead of Monday's hearing "Examining the Inspector General’s First Report on Justice Department and FBI Actions in Advance of the 2016 Presidential Election." EPIC urged the Committee to explore the FBI's ability to respond to future cyberattacks. According to documents obtained by EPIC, the FBI is to notify victims of cyberattacks "even when it may interfere with another investigation or (intelligence) operation." But an AP investigation found that the FBI failed to notify hundreds of officials whose email was hacked during the 2016 election. EPIC obtained the FBI's Victim Notification Procedures through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, EPIC v. FBI. Last month, a federal court ruled that the agency may withhold records still sought by EPIC but said that lawmakers should pursue threats to democratic institutions described in the EPIC lawsuit.
Categories: Privacy
EPIC Urges Safety Commission to Regulate Privacy and Security of IoT Device
Fri, 2018-06-15 16:33EPIC submitted comments to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, urging the agency to regulate the privacy and security of Internet of Things devices. EPIC advised the Commission to require IoT manufacturers to (1) minimize data collection, (2) conduct privacy impact assessments, and (3) implement Privacy Enhancing Techniques (“PETs”). EPIC recently told Congress that “CPSC should establish mandatory privacy and security standards, and require certification to these standards before IoT devices are allowed into the market stream.” EPIC has also called out the CPSC for its reluctance to address the privacy and security challenges of IoT. In the statement to Congress, EPIC described the increasing risks to American consumers.
Categories: Privacy
EPIC to House Committee: The "Digital Advertising Ecosystem" is Not Healthy
Thu, 2018-06-14 19:10EPIC has submitted a statement to the House Energy & Commerce Committee regarding today's hearing on "Understanding the Digital Advertising Ecosystem." EPIC told the Committee "The 'Digital Advertising Ecosystem' today is not healthy. Two companies dominate the market. The privacy of Internet users is under assault. The revenue model that sustained journalism is broken. The ad platforms are manipulated by foreign adversaries. Secrecy and complexity are increasing as accountability is diminished. It would be foolish to imagine that the current model is sustainable." In 2000, EPIC opposed Doubleclick's acquisition of Abacus. In 2007, EPIC told the FTC that Google's proposed acquisition of DoubleClick would lead to consumers being tracked and profiled by advertisers across the web.
Categories: Privacy
Apple Will Bolster Encryption Of Devices, Prevent Apps From Selling Contact Lists
Thu, 2018-06-14 18:00Apple announced two measures to strengthen the privacy and security of its devices: it will close a loophole that allowed law enforcement to access devices and it will prevent apps from secretly selling contact lists. In 2016, Apple refused a demand by the FBI to build backdoor access to iPhones to allow the FBI to unlock the phone of a criminal suspect. The FBI sued Apple, and EPIC filed an amicus brief in support of Apple, arguing that the FBI's demand "places at risk millions of cell phone users across the United States." The FBI eventually dropped the case. In a privacy complaint to the FTC, EPIC also opposed Google's plan to launch "Buzz," a social networking service, with private address book information. Google later backed off the plan and shuttered Buzz. In 2015, EPIC gave the Champion of Freedom Award to Apple CEO, Tim Cook, for his work protecting privacy and promoting encryption.
Categories: Privacy
EPIC Advises FCC on Robocalls Regulation
Wed, 2018-06-13 17:25EPIC advised the FCC on how to interpret the Telephone Communications Protection Act to best protect consumers in light of a recent decision in ACA Int'l v. FCC. EPIC filed a friend of the court brief in that case arguing that consumers could revoke consent by any "reasonable means." The court agreed but vacated other aspects of the rule. EPIC's comments argue that the FCC should require callers to meet three conditions to simplify the revocation of consent: (1) inform consumers of their right to revoke, (2) provide a simple means of revocation, and (3) comply in a timely manner. EPIC contributed to the development of the Telephone Communications Protection Act and regularly submits comments to the FCC.
Categories: Privacy
EPIC to Senate Committee: Suspend Action on Drone Bill Until Agency Reports Complete
Wed, 2018-06-13 11:25As the Senate Commitee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs considers S. 2836, the Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018: Countering Malicious Drones, EPIC has sent a statement to the Committee urging that action on the bill be suspended until DHS and other federal agencies establish and publish drone privacy procedures as required by a 2015 Presidential Memorandum. EPIC has brought a series of open government cases against the DHS and the Department of Defense to determine the use of drones by the federal government in the United States. EPIC's cases have determined that drones operated by the DHS intercept private communications, conduct human identification at a distance, and may include military payloads.
Categories: Privacy
EPIC to Senate Commerce: Work with NTIA to Update U.S. Privacy Laws
Tue, 2018-06-12 17:30EPIC sent a statement to the Senate Commerce Committee in advance of a hearing on the NTIA, a key technology policy agency. EPIC warned that "American consumers face unprecedented privacy and security threats," citing both data breaches and "always on" devices that record users' private conversations. EPIC said that Congress and the NTIA should establish protections that minimize the collection of personal data and promote security for Internet-connected devices. EPIC urged Congress and the NTIA to work together to update U.S. privacy laws and establish a data protection agency. EPIC has testified before Congress, litigated cases, and filed complaints with the FTC regarding connected cars, "smart homes," consumer products, and "always on" devices.
Categories: Privacy
European Civil Liberties Committee: 'Privacy Shield' Should Be Suspended
Tue, 2018-06-12 14:40Members of European Parliament are calling for the suspension of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield if the U.S. does not comply in full by September 1, 2018. The Civil Liberties Committee ("LIBE") passed a resolution stating that the pact, which permits the flow of European consumers' personal data to the U.S, does not adequately protect privacy. LIBE urged US authorities to respond without delay to the Cambridge Analytica breach of 87 million Facebook users. The groups also expressed "strong concerns" about the CLOUD Act which permits US law enforcement to unilaterally access personal data stored in Europe. EPIC recently told the FTC that the Cambridge Analytica breach could have been avoided had the agency enforced a 2011 Consent Order that EPIC and a coalition of consumer privacy groups obtained.
Categories: Privacy
EPIC FOIA: EPIC Obtains Documents About Decision to Add Census Citizenship Question
Mon, 2018-06-11 19:00Through a Freedom of Information Act request, EPIC has obtained documents (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) considered by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. Following a request from the Department of Justice, the Census Bureau announced that it would ask about citizenship status for the first time in over 50 years. The documents obtained by EPIC, and others who made similar requests, reflect the varying opinions from lawmakers, scientists, and immigration groups about the proposal. The documents also reveal that Kris Kobach, former Vice Chair of the now-defunct Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, urged Secretary Ross "on the direction of Steve Bannon" to add the citizenship question. According to an analysis conducted by the Census Bureau, the impact of asking about citizenship would be "very costly, harms the quality of the census count, and would use substantially less accurate citizenship data than are available" from other government resources. In a FOIA case against DHS, EPIC previously obtained documents which revealed that the Census Bureau transferred the personal data of Muslim Americans to the Department of Homeland Security after 9-11. As a consequence, the Census Bureau revised its policy on sharing statistical information about "sensitive populations" with law enforcement or intelligence agencies.
Categories: Privacy