PRIVACY
Children's Privacy Breaches Addressed in Complaint Against Microsoft
Passport (CME)
Know Your Neighbor's Court Case (WIRED)
TELEVISION
NAACP May Boycott TV (USA)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Digital-Music Code Crackers Tell All (WP)
PRIVACY
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR'S COURT CASE
Issue: E-Government
The Committee on Court Administration and Case Management has recommended
that the records of civil cases -- stripped of personally identifying
information -- be made available through the Internet. The panel stopped
short of recommending that criminal cases be made available, stating
"information could then be very easily used to intimidate, harass and
possibly harm victims, defendants and their families." The recommendations
could become the standard for both federal and state judiciaries. News
groups, in favor of the recommendation, argue that all public records should
be treated the same and should be accessible through the Internet. Opponents
contend that private information such as financial information and medical
records warrant caution. In civil court case circumstances, court officials
would doctor Social Security numbers, dates of birth and minor children's'
names in online records. The Judicial Conference of the United States, which
sets policy for courts will consider the recommendations by the Committee on
Court Administration and Case Management. The report also proposes exempting
cases regarding Social Security challenges. The Social Security
Administration asked for an exemption, and the committee agreed that those
are "of little or no legitimate use to anyone not a party to the case."
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46098,00.html)
CHILDREN'S PRIVACY BREACHES ADDRESSED IN COMPLAINT AGAINST MICROSOFT
PASSPORT
Issue: Privacy
A coalition of leading consumer organizations, including the Center for
Media Education (CME), has filed a complaint petitioning the FTC to
investigate Microsoft's Passport system. The coalition believes that
Microsoft's Kids Passport may not be compliance with the Children's Online
Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or
practices of online information collection from or about children under the
age of 13 and is enforced by the FTC.
[SOURCE: Center For Media Education]
(http://www.cme.org/press/010815pr.html)
TELEVISION
NAACP MAY BOYCOTT TV
Issue: TV
More than a year after television networks pledged to improve diversity on
and off camera, the NAACP says little has changed and a boycott may be
necessary. ''By any reasonable standard, African-Americans and all other
races of people are underrepresented in almost every aspect of the
television and film industry,'' NAACP president Kweisi Mfume told reporters
Wednesday. A recent NAACP's report found that while minority actors have
made small gains on prime-time TV, the executive ranks of media companies
remain virtually all white. The report was especially critical of ABC and
NBC.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: C