Category: News

Cryptome:  TSA plans to conduct a pilot technology program in 2004, in a limited number of airports, to test and evaluate the merits of the Registered Traveler (RT) concept. This pilot program (RT Pilot) is designed to positively identify qualified, known travelers via advanced identification technologies for the purposes of expediting those passengers' travel experience… Continue reading Cryptome

Albany Times Union – Albany,NY,USA – Growing 'datasphere' gobbles up privacy . One man parked on the side of the road in Humboldt County, Nev., in May 2000 was brave enough to say no to a police officer when ordered to identify himself. The officer “just walked up and started demanding my papers,” Larry Hiibel… Continue reading Growing 'datasphere' gobbles up privacy

CNET NEWS.COM By Declan McCullagh – FBI pushes for broadband wiretap powers. All broadband Internet providers, including cable modem and DSL companies, would have to rewire their networks to support easy wiretapping by police, according to a new proposal from the FBI. The long-awaited proposal, submitted to the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday, has been… Continue reading NEWS.COM

The Ledger – Lakeland,FL,USA – Sen. Nelson: Outsourced Jobs Threat To Privacy. WASHINGTON — Sen. Bill Nelson added a twist Thursday to the debate about American service jobs being sent overseas by arguing that the trend poses a risk to consumer privacy. Nelson, a Florida Democrat, told an annual meeting of consumer watchdog groups that… Continue reading Sen. Nelson: Outsourced Jobs Threat To Privacy

eVote News from Wired News – Legislators Urge E-Voting Halt. California legislators say paperless electronic voting machines are too buggy to be trusted with the 2004 presidential election. Fearing a fiasco, they ask the secretary of state to decertify the machines.  [Privacy Digest]

Lost E-Votes Could Flip Napa Race. Napa County discovers that one of its e-voting machines did not count ballots correctly in California's primary election. The county may have to recount 11,000 ballots, and change the outcome of at least one close race. By Kim Zetter. [Wired News]

What can we learn from China's success?. A couple of items.  The rapidly rising trade gap due Chinese outsourcing vastly overshadows offshoring of service jobs to India (there is a gap in perception). Second, China currently runs only a slight trade surplus with the rest of the world, which indicates that its currency is fairly valued (although a… Continue reading What can we learn from China's success?

Centralizing the Internet??. CNet.  The long-awaited proposal, submitted to the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday, has been crafted so broadly that it would outlaw the introduction of new broadband services that did not support ready wiretapping access. Companies currently offering broadband would be given 15 months to comply. Basically, CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement… Continue reading Centralizing the Internet??

Fresh from the department of says-it-all.  Fresh from the department of says-it-all. “The government's top expert on Medicare costs was warned that he would be fired if he told key lawmakers about a series of Bush administration cost estimates that could have torpedoed congressional passage of the White House-backed Medicare prescription-drug plan.” That's the lead… Continue reading Fresh from the department of says-it-all

LA Times via Yahoo News – 7,000 Orange County Voters Were Given Bad Ballots. Poll workers struggling with a new electronic voting system in last week's election gave thousands of Orange County voters the wrong ballots, according to a Times analysis of election records. In 21 precincts where the problem was most acute, there were… Continue reading LA Times