IS – Israel Biometrics Database Bill Passes First Reading

Israelis are a step closer to having their fingerprints registered in a national database. A bill to create a biometric database passed its first Knesset reading earlier this week. The bill would require fingerprints and digital photos on Israeli identification cards and passports in order to prevent forgery and to allow citizens to conduct government business remotely. Opponents of the bill say it violates citizens’ rights to privacy by opening them up to data theft, and by the fact law enforcement agencies would have access to the information, which “would make potential criminals out of every law-abiding citizen,” said an Israeli Bar Association attorney. [Source]

WW – Newest Edition of its Voice ID Reports on Voice Biometrics

J. Markowitz, Consultants, the leading independent analyst in voice biometrics has released an in-depth report on voice biometrics vendors. The report is called Voice Biometrics Products and Companies: Vol. 1 Vendors. It is the newest edition of the company’s Voice ID series of reports. This report provides a detailed description and comparative analyses of 24 companies that sell products and services based on their own voice-biometrics technology. The report has a Foreword and three chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview that examines voice biometrics both as a set of speech-processing technologies and as biometric technologies. It explains how speaker verification and speaker identification systems operate, distinguishes among text-dependent and text-independent systems, describes the kinds of errors that are made by biometric technologies, accuracy, and addresses frequently-asked questions. It also contains a glossary of terms used in the report. Chapter 2 contains a comparative analysis of the twenty-four companies included in the report. It looks at intellectual property, markets, customers, products, pricing, and other technologies offered by the companies. Comparisons are presented both in text form and through the use of twelve tables. Chapter 3 presents detailed descriptions of each of the twenty-four vendors. The descriptions include contact information, background, markets, products and the environments in which they run, pricing, and publications by or about the companies and their products. Many of the descriptions also include a customer case study illustration how the vendor’s technology is being used. The report costs $650. [Source]

CA – Federal Privacy Commissioner Offers Guidance on Data Breach Disclosure

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada has published new guidance for businesses, entitled Privacy and Your Business: Privacy Breach Handbook, based upon the ten principles of the CSA Model Code. [Source] [PDF] See also: {OPC launches new privacy perspectives newsletter]

CA – Privacy Commissioners Offer Guidance on Emergency Disclosure of PII

University, college and school board professional staff tasked with making very difficult judgment calls, in what might possibly be a life or death situation, are being given a special resource designed by Ontario’s and British Columbia’s Information and Privacy Commissioners. Ontario’s Ann Cavoukian and B.C.’s David Loukidelis released a Joint Practice Tool for Exercising Discretion - Emergency Disclosure of Personal Information by Universities, Colleges and other Educational Institutions - to assist decision-makers faced with deciding whether to release a student’s personal information without consent in emergency circumstances. Commissioners Loukidelis and Cavoukian stress that privacy laws in both provinces permit the disclosure of personal information in compelling circumstances. The Practice Tool for Exercising Discretion, aimed specifically at educational institutions, provides three sample cases of where personal information may be disclosed without the student’s consent. [Source]

CA – Ontario Privacy Czar Backs Carleton in Kajouji Case

Ontario’s privacy commissioner says she is satisfied with Carleton University’s decision not to alert Nadia Kajouji’s family about the young student’s deteriorating mental state. Ann Cavoukian said she was told Carleton officials were up to date on disclosure laws when the 18-year-old woman went missing, and said that she accepted the university’s explanation that nothing they knew pointed to an impending crisis. Dr. Cavoukian’s comments came as she released a report, with the British Columbia privacy commissioner, David Loukidelis, aimed at dispelling widespread misconceptions among university, college and high school officials that they are bound to secrecy by privacy legislation. [Source] [Source]

CA – Uncle Sam Wants Data on Canadians, Intelligence Conference Told

In exchange for continued visa-free access to the U.S., U.S. officials are pressuring the federal government to supply them with more information on Canadians, an influential analyst on Canada-U.S. relations says. “Not only about (routine) individuals, but also about people that you may be looking at for reasons, but there’s no indictment and there’s no charge,” Christopher Sands of the Hudson Institute think tank told a security intelligence conference in Ottawa. “This raises privacy flags everywhere, but we’d like to know who your suspicious people are before they enter the United States.” [Source]

CA – Privacy Commissioner Issues Wake-Up Call Over Disposal of Equipment

Newfoundland and Labrador’s privacy commissioner said he is giving the province’s public agencies a wake-up call over how they handle old equipment after a breast cancer testing machine ended up at an American university. Privacy commissioner Ed Ring said the Eastern Health Authority, former owner of the DAKO machine, didn’t break any privacy laws because there weren’t any when the machine that was destined for a landfill ended up at the University of Western Virginia. A computer in the machine has valuable medical records from the years when the testing mistakes were made that eventually led to the Cameron inquiry, but Eastern Health insists there is no patient information on it. Service technician Joe White told the inquiry that he was given the machine for free. He fixed it up and then sold it to the university. Eastern Health has launched an internal review to find out why proper procedures weren’t followed. [Source] [Cancer inquiry receives computer records; machine located in U.S.]

WW – Coalition Launches Effort to Respond to Gov’t Censorship and Threats to Privacy

In an effort to protect and advance the human rights of freedom of expression and privacy, a diverse coalition of leading information and communications companies, major human rights organizations, academics, investors and technology leaders today launched the Global Network Initiative. From the Americas to Europe to the Middle East to Africa and Asia, companies in the information and communications industries face increasing government pressure to comply with domestic laws and policies that require censorship and disclosure of personal information in ways that conflict with internationally recognized human rights laws and standards. The Initiative is founded upon new Principles on Freedom of Expression and Privacy – supported by specific implementation commitments and a framework for accountability and learning – that provide a systematic approach for companies, NGOs, investors, academics and others to work together in resisting efforts by governments that seek to enlist companies in acts of censorship and surveillance that violate international standards. [Source]

WW – International Data Protection Commissioners Adopt Seven New Resolutions

At Strasbourg, international privacy and Data Protection Commissioners adopted seven new resolutions dealing with: Accreditation; Children’s Online Privacy; establishing an International Privacy/Data Protection Day or Week; protecting privacy in a borderless world, and for reaching a Joint Proposal for setting International Standards on Privacy and Personal Data Protection; Privacy Protection in Social Network Services; and a resolution concerning the Establishment of a Steering Group on Representation at Meetings of International Organisations. The text of these resolutions, in three languages, can be found from the Conference website at: www.privacyconference2008.org [Source]

EU – Privacy Chiefs Update Rules for Overseas Data Transfers

The European Union’s data protection authorities have published amended guidance on how companies can legally share customer and staff personal data with parts of the firm located outside the European Union. The Article 29 Working Party has created a mechanism for transferring data within organisations but to countries to which it would usually be illegal to send personal information. The Working Party created Binding Corporate Rules to allow companies to send data to other parts of the organisation in countries whose data protection regime has not been designated as adequate. The Working Party has updated its guidance on the use of BCRs. Its list of frequently asked questions tells companies in what circumstances BCRs should be used, who is liable for breaches of them, and what rights people whose data is transferred have under the rules. [Source] [Updated BCR guidance] [Framework for the structure of Binding Corporate Rules] [FAQs on Binding Corporate Rules] [Table of elements and principles to be found in Binding Corporate Rules] and [Overseas transfers of personal data]

EU – French Spymaster’s Leaked Notes Reveal the Depth of Surveillance in France

FOR nearly 12 years as France’s domestic spy chief, Yves Bertrand filled spiral-bound notebooks with every rumour that came his way about the goings-on of the political elite. They were supposed to be a private aide-mémoire, he says. But this month they became public when extracts were published by Le Point magazine, prompting an outburst of denials, red faces and legal action which has gripped the Paris establishment. The disclosures so far are relatively coy, yet reveal the deeply pervasive culture of snooping in the country founded on the principle of liberté. Their publication in Le Point has stirred an uproar. [Source]

EU – ECJ Says Websites Need Phone Numbers On Web Forms

Companies have to provide a means of contact on their websites in addition to their postal and email addresses, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. A telephone number, or a contact form that is answered within 60 minutes, were deemed acceptable.. The European Union’s E-commerce Directive orders companies to publish certain information about themselves on their websites. The measures are intended to protect consumers and apply to almost all commercial websites. [Source]

CA – Bell Giving Parents Option to Block Cellphone Porn

Bell Canada is looking to give parents the ability to block inappropriate websites on their children’s cellphones, for a fee. The Montreal-based company announced a content filtering service for both its Bell and Solo branded phones that parents can use to block websites they don’t want their children accessing, such as pornographic pages. Account holders can log onto a self-service website to register websites they don’t want showing up on the cellphones they pay for. The service, however, costs $5 a month on both prepaid and postpaid accounts.. Many other consumer electronics, including video game consoles, computers and television recorders, also feature parental controls, but at no additional, ongoing cost. [Source]

US – Ruthless Trojan Steals 500K Bank, Credit Card Log-Ons

A sophisticated cybercrime group that’s maintained an especially devious Trojan horse for nearly three years has stolen the log-ons to more than 300,000 online bank accounts and almost as many credit cards during that time, a security company said today. Researchers at RSA Security’s FraudAction Research Labs tracked the Sinowal Trojan, also known as Mebroot and Torpig, to a drop server that contained the stolen credentials. “The sheer enormity of this makes this unique,” said RSA. “And the scale is very unusual.” All told, the gang behind Sinowal managed to obtain access to nearly half a million bank accounts and credit cards, a volume RSA dubbed “ruthless” and “extraordinary.” [Source]

US – Test Finds Recertified Data Storage Tapes Expose Old Information

In a test of 100 erased and recertified data storage tapes conducted by storage media maker Imation, researchers were able to read sensitive bank and hospital information, as well as field research and Human Genome Project data. The test “confirms industry guidance that the only way to properly dispose of data is to destroy the media itself.” Other companies that sell data storage technology have conducted similar studies that drew similar conclusions, but a company that sells recertified tapes says that “any data that remains on the tape is not usable/readable.” [Source]

Genetics

CA – Sperm Donor Wants to Know Who’s Got His Genes

Dwight Jones estimates he sold his sperm on 300 to 400 occasions over 10 years to a Vancouver doctor who specialized in fertility treatments. Thirty years after Mr. Jones began providing his sperm, he has yet to meet any of his offspring.. But the 64-year-old man would now like to find those carrying his genetic code. He figures he provided sperm for at least 30 children. However, his efforts have been stymied by commitments of confidentiality to the donors and the women who received the sperm. However, those who want to find out should be entitled to the information, Mr. Jones said. Mr. Jones anticipates he will be part of a landmark lawsuit begun this week in B.C. that is pressing for the extension of the same rights to children of sperm and egg donors that are available to children of adoption. Offspring of sperm or egg donors are seeking a court order requiring physicians to keep medical records of donors indefinitely. They are also seeking recognition of their right to know the identity and medical and social history of the donors. This week, the B.C. Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction prohibiting physicians from destroying donors’ medical records until further court proceedings. The records are currently treated similarly to other medical records, which are required to be retained for only six years. If the court accepts the group’s application as a class-action lawsuit, a trial would be held on the issues in a year to 18 months. [Source]

UK – Memory Stick Containing Sensitive UK Government Passwords Found Outside Pub

The UK’s Government Gateway website was shut down after a memory stick containing pass codes for the system was found in a pub parking lot. The Gateway site allows citizens to access services from 50 government departments, including managing parking tickets, pension entitlements and tax returns; someone with those pass codes could access personally identifiable information of the 12 million people who have registered on the site. The system was restored after it was found that the data on the stick were encrypted. The stick belongs to Atos Origin, the company that manages the website; an investigation is underway. Atos said the employee violated company policy by taking the memory stick off business premises. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has taken some heat for remarking that “It is important to recognize that we cannot promise that every single item of information will always be safe because mistakes are made by human beings.” [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source]

EU – Bank of Ireland Acknowledges Missing USB Stick

Bank of Ireland has confirmed that a USB memory device containing personally identifiable information of nearly 900 customers has been lost. The drive contains names, addresses and contact numbers but no financial account information. Bank of Ireland policies and procedures do not allow storage of customer data on unencrypted memory devices. [Source]

WW – Trojan Responsible for Theft of Half a Million Records of Financial Account Data

Researchers have uncovered a trove of financial account data stolen by a Trojan horse program known as Sinowal over the last several years. As many as half a million accounts have been compromised; more than 20 percent were stolen in the last six months alone. Sinowal, which is also known as Torpig and Mebroot, spreads through websites onto unpatched PCs without any user interaction. That the Trojan had been operating for nearly three years has been called “extraordinary.” It lies in wait on infected PCs; when a user enters a banking URL, it offers up a phony site to collect the pertinent data and then sends the information back to a drop server. [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source]

US – Contact List for Obama Campaign Left In Trash

At first, all Adam Silver saw was that someone had dumped their trash in his trash bin. Then he looked closer and got a little worried. 25 to 30 pages of contact information - names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mails – were near the top of the pile, left there by the Obama “Campaign for Change” headquarters at 372 Main St, Silver said. None of the pages was shredded. “My goal is not to get upset at people,” said Silver, who manages nearby at 380 Main St. “I’d rather be the nicer guy and say, ‘Do your due diligence with your campaign paperwork.’ ... All that stuff should be shredded properly.” [Source]

US – State Department Warns of Passport Application Data Theft

The US State Department has notified 383 people that their personal information supplied when applying for a passport may have been compromised. A man arrested earlier this year was found to have credit cards in nearly 20 different names; several passport applications in his possession matched the names on some of the cards. The information from the applications was allegedly used to open the fraudulent credit card accounts. The suspect told authorities at the time that he had two accomplices, one at the State Department and the other at the US Postal Service. [Source] [Source] [Notification letter] See also Inspector General’s June 2008 report on the State Department’s Passport Information Electronic Records System (PIERS)]

US – Patient Information Posted on Web

The personal information of 1,600 Portland, Oregon Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center patients was accidentally posted onto a public Web site. Computerworld reports that the exposed data included patient names or partial names and, in some cases, Social Security numbers. The information was inadvertently transferred to a federal portal that lets the public review government contracts and spending. [Source]

US – Info of 40,000 Kids on Stolen Hard Drives

Arizona’s Department of Economic Security said five hard drives stolen from a storage unit contained the personal information of up to 40,000 children. The department sent letters to parents who had submitted their children for its “Early Intervention Program” informing them the children may be at risk of identity theft as a result of the October break-in at the public storage unit. “The hard drives contained info that might include name, address, insurance info, child disability, date of birth and Social Security number,” the letters stated. [Source] See also: [US: Baylor Health Care says laptop with 100,000 patient data stolen]

CA – Fast-Track Cards a Licence to Smuggle, Border Guards Fear

Canada’s border guards are skeptical about a card that fast-tracks travellers across the Canada-U.S. border, fearing it’s become a “licence to smuggle,” says a new report. First issued in 2000, NEXUS cards have become a boon to frequent travellers who use them to skip long queues and get waved through Canada-U.S.. customs stations. The cards, along with so-called Fast cards used by truckers, are issued by both American and Canadian authorities to travellers who are screened as low-risk. But an internal evaluation by the Canada Border Services Agency found that front-line officers have seen too many card-carrying travellers cheating. As a result, they’ve lost faith in the system. The evaluation found numerous problems with the Nexus cards, carried by about 172,000 Canadian travellers for use at land border stations, international airports and ferry terminals. Fast cards are being used by another 65,000 Canadian commercial drivers. Canada’s border agency, for example, did not run annual checks on card-holders who are already in the Nexus program. By contrast, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency runs automated checks every 24 hours for criminal convictions and other violations. The cards are valid for five years. Investigators sent surveys out to 2,000 Nexus travellers, but had 500 returned because the addresses were wrong — a clear indication the agency did not keep up-to-date files on card members. “There were letters returned with notes saying that the person had not lived at the given address for more than three years,” says the report. [Source]

CA – Fake IDs Used To Defraud Health System

Criminals are exploiting lax security in government databases to assume false identities and take advantage of Canada’s health care system, a leading expert in identity fraud warns. But such scams go largely unprosecuted because there is no concerted effort by government agencies to go after bogus health care claimants, says former Edmonton police detective Joe Pendleton. Mr. Pendleton, who helped uncover one of the country’s most notorious identity-theft schemes, told an Ottawa conference of privacy experts yesterday that existing federal and provincial privacy laws hinder criminal investigations by keeping even the most basic patient health records out of the reach of police. The situation is made worse by a lack of co-operation from health officials, who don’t appear to take the problem seriously, said Mr. Pendleton, who now works as a security consultant. [Source]

EU – French Senate Approves Law That Would Cut Off Pirates’ Internet Access

The French Senate has approved a “graduated response” law that would cut off Internet users who habitually download digital content in violation of copyright law. The law still needs to be approved by the lower house before it can be enacted. First time violators would receive an email warning. If they continue to download illegally, they will receive a letter in the mail, and continued infractions will result in Internet service being cut off for one year. If enacted, the law would be at odds with a European Parliament amendment that prohibits cutting off Internet service for illegal downloading. [Source]

UK – Orange Will Not Use Phorm

UK mobile service and broadband provider Orange has announced that it will not use Phorm, the controversial targeted advertising technology. Orange said of the Phorm technology, “The way it was proposed, the privacy issue was too strong.” It should be noted that Orange uses another targeted advertising service “to study anonymous usage trends on [its] own portal.” An Orange representative went on to differentiate between the web-based data model and the telecoms data model for targeted behavioral advertising products. [Source] [Source]

US – Oregon Man’s STD Reporting Website Generates Controversy

An Oregon man has created a Web site that “outs” people who have incurable sexually transmitted diseases, bringing a fresh round of debate on the handling of private medical information. Supporters of the site, which invites users to report those with such diseases, say it will help people from spreading unwanted diseases. But those opposed question the integrity of the site and the spirit of its creator. “Anyone can post information—I mean, you and I can post a report,” said Professor Tomas Gomez of the University of Oregon, and “it’s incumbent on you to get your name off.” [Source]

EU – Hustinx: IP Addresses Personal

European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx last week affirmed his stance that Internet users’ IP addresses and server log records should be treated as personal data, reports OUT-LAW.COM. Some companies have voiced confusion over whether such information falls under the requirements of the European Union Data Protection Directive. Speaking at an event in London last week, Hustinx said that it does, and that last month’s decision by a Munich court that IP addresses are only personal data when tied to a person’s name was a result of confusion. [Source] See The video at ZD Net and IP addresses and the Data Protection Act, an OUT-LAW guide

WW – Search Query Log Privacy is a Balancing Act

Search engines have numerous technical measures at their disposal to enhance the privacy of their stored query logs, CDT’s Alissa Cooper explains in the journal “ACM Transactions on the Web.” The article assesses seven of these techniques against three sets of criteria: (1) how well the technique protects privacy, (2) how well the technique preserves the utility of the query logs for search engine companies, and (3) how well the technique might be implemented on an individual basis as a user control. For search engine companies navigating an increasingly complex privacy landscape, it is likely that these kinds of techniques in combination with policy measures will ultimately be required to develop a strategy that protects privacy and maintains the utility of query logs for many different purposes. [Source]

UK – ISPs Learn About Big Database

New details emerged on Home Office plans for a giant government database earlier this week. At a meeting with Internet service providers (ISPs) in London, Whitehall officials presented early plans for the government’s Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP) to representatives from BT, AOL Europe, O2 and BSkyB. The database would rely on “black box” technology embedded in ISPs. Officials say having access to e-mail communications and Web activities will help them fight crime and terrorism. UK Information Commissioner Richard Thomas has said the database would be a “step too far.” Public consultation on the Communications Data Bill is expected to begin in early 2009. [Source]

US – Social Networking for Businesses on the Rise

Small businesses in the U.S. are increasingly using social networking services for their enterprise needs and networking sites must tailor services to these users. An Access Markets International (AMI) survey shows that currently about 300,000 small businesses use such services for their business activities. That number is expected to double over the next year, especially as small businesses look to cut costs and realize new revenue streams in the downturned economy. In its findings, AMI noted that social networking sites should meet the demands of the small business market by providing targeted services and by ensuring their privacy controls meet business’s needs. [Source] [Report]

MY – Malaysia: Personal Data Not Protected, Syed Hamid Wants Laws to Safeguard Info

Malaysia should urgently put in place laws to protect information and personal data, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar. “At present, your SMS (short messaging system), which is supposed to be private, is exposed,” he said, adding that laws such as a Data Protection Act should already be in force. He was asked if such an Act should be in place if enforcement agencies adopt Nexbis’ National Security Solution (NexCode), a high-tech personal information sharing system, launched the day before. Syed Hamid said the ministry had not decided whether to adopt the NexCode system but would consider it based on cost effectiveness, returns and benefit to the people. “The problem with the present system is that each agency has its own information database,” he said, adding that such a system was needed in Malaysia due to the high number of illegal immigrants in the country. [Source]

US – Washington DC: Metro to Randomly Search Riders’ Bags

Metro officials have announced plans to immediately begin random searches of backpacks, purses and other bags in a move they say will protect riders and also guard their privacy and minimize delays. The program is modeled after one begun three years ago in New York that has withstood legal challenges. However, experts said it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of such searches, beyond assuring the public that police are being vigilant. New York officials declined to say what they have found in their searches; none of the other transit systems conducting random searches have found any explosives, officials said. Metro officials said the program was not in response to a specific threat but prompted by increased security concerns before next week’s election and the inauguration as well as by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and later bombings of commuter trains in Madrid, London and elsewhere. [Source] See also: [US WSJ: When the Police Go Through Your Email: Quirk of Search Law Sets Off Alarm Bells] and also: [Obama v. McCain: New Tech Policy Scorecards]

US – Survey Sheds Light on Security Policies, Practices

How effective are corporate security policies and why do employees break them or abide by them? That’s what Cisco aimed to determine in its recent survey of 2,000 corporate employees and IT professionals worldwide. The findings revealed that 77% of businesses have security policies in place, but the majority of employees do not always adhere to them. In France, 84% of employees admitted to defying security policies. Asked why employees might defy, IT professionals surveyed pointed to risk ignorance, apathy and the perception that the policies are unfair. [Source]

US – Group Challenges Law Requiring Computer Repair Technicians to Have PI Licenses

The Texas Private Security Board has once again refused to approve a rule that would exempt computer repair technicians from licensing requirements. Presently, anyone in Texas who performs an action on a computer that is deemed an investigation must have a valid, government-issued private investigator’s license. The Board tabled a proposal exempting repair technicians from the requirement earlier this year and did so again last week. The law also punishes consumers who have their computers repaired by unlicensed individuals. The law is Being challenged under the Texas Constitution by the Institute for Justice Texas Chapter. [Source]

CA – Interac: Magnetic Stripes to be Obsolete by 2015

The Interac Association has kicked off its chip and PIN technology rollout plan, which aims to completely eliminate magnetic stripe debit transactions in Canada by 2015. The news comes after members of the payment card industry - including Interac, MasterCard Canada Inc., Visa Canada and many of their respective card issuers - announced the completion of Ontario’s Kitchener-Waterloo chip and PIN trial and its success among merchants and consumers. The new verification technology will replace the traditional need for signature verification in credit card transactions. [Source]

RU – Putin Tries New Russian Satellite Navigation Device on His Dog

Russia’s satellite navigation system isn’t fully operational yet, but Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s pet Labrador seems happy with it. Putin listened Friday as his deputy, Sergei Ivanov, briefed him on the progress of the Global Navigation Satellite System at his home on Moscow’s western outskirts. The government had promised to make the system fully operational by the beginning of this year, but it equipment flaws and other technical problems have caused delays. Ivanov told Putin that the system would have 21 satellites by the year’s end - enough to provide navigation services over the entire Russian territory. He said it would be available worldwide by the end of 2009, for which it would need to have 24

satellites. The two men then put a collar containing satellite-guided positioning equipment on the prime

minister’s black Labrador named Koni and Putin declared: “She wags her tail. She likes it.” Ivanov said that the equipment goes on a standby mode when “the dog doesn’t move, if it, say, lies down in a puddle.” Putin interrupted him jokingly: “My dog isn’t a piglet, it doesn’t lie in puddles.” The navigation system, which goes by acronym GLONASS, was developed during the Soviet era as a response to the U.S. Global Positioning System, but it has been slow to take shape amid the post-Soviet economic meltdown. [Source]

WW – Outrage Over ‘Chastity Belt’ Lingerie Fitted With GPS Tracking System

Feminists around the world have reacted with horror to a new line of lingerie that comes equipped with a GPS tracking system. The ‘find me if you can’ range of underwear has been described as a modern-day, high-tech chastity belt. [Source]

US – Campaign Calls to Cellphones Invade Privacy, Voters Say

The Washington Post reports that voters are becoming peeved about certain calls to their cellphones. The calls in question--robocalls--are pre-recorded, automated messages increasingly used by political campaigns to get the word out about candidates. “I get charged with every call to my cellphone, so I don’t see how any unsolicited call is permissible,” said one California voter. But an exemption to a 2003 bill outlawing telemarketing calls to cellphones lets political candidates send such messages. Two California Democrats hope to change that. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Zoe Lofgren have introduced the Robocall Privacy Act, which would limit the number of times a candidate could robocall any phone number. [Source]

US – Military Investigates Amnesia Beams

A team of scientists from the United States and China announced last week that, for the first time, they had found a means of selectively and safely erasing memories in mice, using the signaling molecule CaMKII. It’s a big step forward, and one that will be of considerable interest to the military, which has devoted efforts to memory manipulation as a means of treating post-traumatic stress disorder. But some military research has moved in another direction entirely. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Human Effectiveness Directorate has carried out its own experiments in this area, which did not confirm the results of earlier studies suggesting that microwaves could cause memory loss. (The report is now removed from the AFRL website, alas.) Most scientists chalk up such effects to heating. But the Directed Energy Bioeffects division continues to research the human effects of various forms of radiation. What’s more, a 2003 paper on microwave effects on the nervous system, from a team that includes Navy and Air Force scientists, states that “research with isolated brain tissue has provided new results that do not seem to rely on thermal mechanisms.” It is hard to assess the real effect on working memory and other brain functions, they add. [Source]

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