Date: Sat, 09 Sep 95 08:47:54 EST Errors-To: Comp-privacy Error Handler From: Computer Privacy Digest Moderator To: Comp-privacy@uwm.edu Subject: Computer Privacy Digest V7#020 Computer Privacy Digest Sat, 09 Sep 95 Volume 7 : Issue: 020 Today's Topics: Moderator: Leonard P. Levine Employer American Express Cards Computers and the Law Conference Law of the Internet Conference Internet Survey Re: Social Security Number Linking 20/20 Security Camera Report Info on CPD [unchanged since 08/01/95] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: tpeters@hns.com (Thomas Peters) Date: 05 Sep 1995 15:58:14 GMT Subject: Employer American Express Cards Organization: Hughes Network Systems Inc. Also, my employer just notified me and many of my coworkers that applications for AmEx cards had been submitted in our names and we could come pick up the cards. Read the fine print. I had one of those cards some years ago. If my employer could not or would not pay, AmEx had recourse to me for anything billed on the card, including airline tickets which were ordered by a secretary and billed directly to the company. You may also find that your rights to dispute charges for defective goods and services do not apply. -- Tom Peters ------------------------------ From: sales@sug.org (Charles Sumner) Date: 06 Sep 1995 15:25:20 GMT Subject: Computers and the Law Conference Organization: Sun User Group SUN USER GROUP Second Annual Technical Symposium "Computers & The Law" November 12-15, 1995 Tampa, FL As computers are utilized in more and more aspects of everyday life, the once distinct areas of technology, legislature, and law enforcement draw closer together. This unique technical conference provides a forum in which members of these three fields can meet to share experiences and ideas. The four day technical program (a day of tutorials, two days of talks, and another day of tutorials) will provide you with essential knowledge, whether your field is technical, legal, or law enforcement. Copies of this information are available via email at conference@sug.org or on the World Wide Web at http://sug.org. ------------------------------ From: eapu533@aldebaran.oac.uci.edu (Michael Olsberg) Date: 07 Sep 1995 07:52:19 GMT Subject: Law of the Internet Conference Organization: GI Law of the Internet: Compliance in Cyberspace November 15-16, 1995 - Stouffer Renaissance Hotel - Arlington, VA - $949 At this conference, you will gain a clearer understanding of the emerging area of "cyberlaw" and it's many elements. See how legal guidelines are being adapted to the growing Internet, and how they will affect you as you do business and communicate via the Internet. -Learn about copyright law and intellectual property rights, and how they are being applied to industries like publishing and multimedia; -Examine the basics of communications law, and how these laws are being rewritten by the technology of the Internet, as well as how they will impact people like access providers and others who operate on the Internet; -Discuss security concerns, including available and developing technologies for protecting your information and funds, as well as the concept of "privacy" in such an open forum; -Understand the electronic signature, and discuss the future of on-line transactions and contracts, and; -Explore the hottest issues affecting everyone who operates on the Internet...libel, defamation and freedom of speech. Introduction to the Internet November 14, 1995 - Stouffer Renaissance Hotel - Arlington, VA - $399 This course is designed for professionals with a basic understanding of personal computers. You will learn: -What is the Internet and how it can be used to obtain information valuable to your business; -What equipment and capabilities (hardware and software) are needed to access and use the services provided on the Information Superhighway; -Which access methods are available, including on-line services (i.e. Compuserve, America On-line, etc.) and commercial access providers; -How to access Internet resources like electronic Bulletin Board Services (BBSs), World Wide Web sites, government sources, and other databases, many of which are free; -and, much more. If you need more information or to register for the course(s) send email to giinfo@aol.com or call us at (301) 921-2345. ------------------------------ From: d92perfo@ida.liu.se (Per-Erik Forssen) Date: 07 Sep 1995 09:03:07 GMT Subject: Internet Survey Organization: CIS Dept, Linkoping University, Sweden I'm part of a group who are writing an essay on what impact the Internet has had, and might have in the future on the world-wide information flow. As part of the basis for our essay we are now conducting a survey among the people who use the net. This survey consists of six questions, and won't take long to fill in. We are particularly interested in replies from people outside the main Internet region (USA,Canada,Europe,Japan,Australia,New Zeeland etc). Please mail me for a copy of the survey. -- Per-Erik Forsse'n, d92perfo@und.ida.liu.se ------------------------------ From: disposable Date: 08 Sep 95 18:46:08 GMT Subject: Re: Social Security Number Linking Organization: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star Maryjo Bruce writes: I phoned the number in a customer service rep job ad in the paper to [snip] got the information about me, given that I had no relationship with his firm. He hung up on me. Is this legal in America? In the UK we have the Data Protection Act which attempts to protect us from this sort of thing. We have National Insurance Numbers which may be similar to SSNs, the information stored with this number is not readily available, at least, thats what they say. -- Cheers. Dean. o Privacy is a right not a privilege ! PGP is free net privacy. o /o \_/ | Learn about PGP: http://vinca.cnidr.org/software/pgp/pgp.html o) _ | PGP KeyID:1024/95e81db5 94/08/07. Fingerprint available. `-----' `-' ------------------------------ From: "Prof. L. P. Levine" Date: 09 Sep 1995 08:27:19 -0500 (CDT) Subject: 20/20 Security Camera Report Organization: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee On September 8th ABC Television on its weekly 20/20 show produced a piece describing closed circuit TV cameras that are now being installed in England for public security purposes. The piece was introduced by Hugh Downs with the question "What is more important to you, your safety or your privacy?" Their reporter Lynn Sherr describes the system as "sweeping England" and "pervasive". She indicates that more than one hundred communities have introduced cameras in their city centers, along streets and even in private gardens. [We see views through these cameras.] Most of the show allows us to view ordinary folks in their ordinary lives and to view criminals stealing bags, breaking into stores and beating people up. She shows pictures of the command room with its ranks of monitors, points out that the staff personnel are civilians who report by telephone to police when they see something needing attention. She compares the system with that in the US where most cameras are installed by private parties for business reasons but points out that one such camera provided a picture of what might well have been the truck used in the Oklahoma bombing and another, in England, identified the ten year old killers of a 2 year old child. She traces the British use of security cameras in the town of Kings Lynn from a few in an industrial park to the installation of more than 60 cameras in the town center. [We are given views of simple theft, car break ins, windows being kicked in, goods being fished out through mail slots and bad guys being picked up minutes later.] She points out that crime has dropped in some areas by 75%. [We see a radio talk show where the announcer talks about where parking spaces are available.] This is a clear indication that the video cameras are meant to be known by the public, not hidden from their attention. Ms. Sherr spends a good deal of time discussing Glasgow where high resolution color cameras with night vision were installed in the city centers. Victims pointed out that they did not have to go to court, the TV usually got guilty pleas from the perpetrators. One victim considered this a real and a positive feature. Critics point out that crime did not disappear, it just moved. She interviews three folks; Simon Dadies, a Fellow at the University of Essex and Director of Privacy International; a unnamed criminal who knows where most of the cameras are and a police officer responsible for Glasgow. All agreed that the crime just moves, the officer hoping that the criminal will ultimately be driven "into the sea". [:-) Insert local ominous music here :-)] The negative aspects of these systems occupied the last 5 minutes of the 13 minute show. Ms. Sherr addressed the "creepy feeling" of being watched. She asks the operator if he likes to watch people [we see a young woman fixing her hair in her fenced yard] and he indicates [with some embarrassment] that he does not try to date the folks he watches. Simon Dadies is given a chance to address these issues. He discusses the feeling of being watched and the fact that the data is being held by the authorities for a long time, and can be used for reasons that no one can foresee. [We see pictures of well dressed drunks being helped up, of two women walking intimately together.] He points out that in the UK there are no national laws that govern video surveillance; Glasgow has issued rules on just how long tapes may be kept and that try to protect privacy. The officer's voice states "... they are not big brother ... those cameras are there to replace the police that I haven't got. ... When crime, disorder and people's fear become so acute that they are crying out for something to be done about it then perhaps they have to give up just a little bit more of those freedoms in order to counteract it." She ends this segment with a discussion with Barbara Walters about what is happening in the US. Virginia Beach has 10 cameras installed. New Jersey disbanded a monitor designed to catch people who run red lights as a result of public opposition. All in all, I judge that it was a well balanced report addressing an ominous topic. -- Leonard P. Levine e-mail levine@cs.uwm.edu Professor, Computer Science Office 1-414-229-5170 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Fax 1-414-229-6958 Box 784, Milwaukee, WI 53201 PGP Public Key: finger llevine@blatz.cs.uwm.edu ------------------------------ From: "Prof. L. P. Levine" Date: 11 Aug 1995 09:39:43 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Info on CPD [unchanged since 08/01/95] Organization: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee The Computer Privacy Digest is a forum for discussion on the effect of technology on privacy or vice versa. The digest is moderated and gatewayed into the USENET newsgroup comp.society.privacy (Moderated). Submissions should be sent to comp-privacy@uwm.edu and administrative requests to comp-privacy-request@uwm.edu. This digest is a forum with information contributed via Internet eMail. Those who understand the technology also understand the ease of forgery in this very free medium. Statements, therefore, should be taken with a grain of salt and it should be clear that the actual contributor might not be the person whose email address is posted at the top. Any user who openly wishes to post anonymously should inform the moderator at the beginning of the posting. He will comply. 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Mosaic users will find it at gopher://gopher.cs.uwm.edu. ---------------------------------+----------------------------------------- Leonard P. Levine | Moderator of: Computer Privacy Digest Professor of Computer Science | and comp.society.privacy University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Post: comp-privacy@uwm.edu Box 784, Milwaukee WI 53201 | Information: comp-privacy-request@uwm.edu | Gopher: gopher.cs.uwm.edu levine@cs.uwm.edu | Mosaic: gopher://gopher.cs.uwm.edu ---------------------------------+----------------------------------------- ------------------------------ End of Computer Privacy Digest V7 #020 ****************************** .