http://www.FairfaxCountyPrivacyCouncil.org
FCPC ALERT #2004-4
FAIRFAX
Originally
Published on
Greetings!
This message is intended for members of the Fairfax County Privacy Council, and
anyone else who might be interested in advancing privacy in
Privacy Notice: All communication from the Fairfax Privacy Council is sent
using blind carbon copy ("BCC") format for your security and privacy.
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ALERT ITEM SUMMARY:
***Fairfax County Bill of Rights Coalition Seeks County Resolution Against
PATRIOT Act
***Virginia DMV Legal Presence Scheme Causing Problems for US Citizens
***Virginia General Assembly Phasing Out Red Light Camera Surveillance
***Amy Boyer "SSN for Murder" Case Settles
***ID Theft on USS George Washington
***Preston Resident Forces Library to Back Down on SSNs
***Congress Considers "PATRIOT Act II" with new Death Penalties
***ACLU Files Lawsuit against alleged "No Fly" List
***ID Follies - The US "Trusted Traveler Program"
***Consumers Union Takes on Insurance Company Abuse of SSNs
***Feds Tell Courts that Medical Privacy Does Not Exist
***Upcoming FCPC Meeting
***Privacy Quotes
1. Fairfax County Bill of Rights
Coalition Seeks County Resolution Against PATRIOT Act: Based in
Reston, VA, the Fairfax County Bill of Rights Coalition
(https://home.comcast.net/~fairfaxfree) is seeking a resolution "affirming
the civil liberties of its citizens" from the Fairfax County Board of
Supervisors that would also call for reform of the federal PATRIOT Act.
If passed, such a resolution would join similar resolutions passed by 4 states
and 305 localities, including
The
This resolution may be considered as early as this coming
Dear Supervisor:
I urge you to reaffirm your support for the civil liberties of the
residents of Fairfax County by adopting a resolution opposing laws
designed to deprive us of our traditional freedoms.
In particular, the USA PATRIOT Act and related Executive Orders and
edicts now grant the federal government powers that are too easily
abused and that threaten free speech, privacy and due process -- the
fundamental rights of every American. Please declare your intention
to see that we remain both safe AND free.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address
2.
3. Virginia General Assembly
Phasing Out Red Light Camera Surveillance: Declining so far to extend
experimental temporary authorization for localities to continue red light
camera surveillance, such programs expire on 1 July 2005 (see "Beach
red-light cameras will go up in about 3 months,” The Virginia Pilot, by
John Warren, 8 April 2004; http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=68718&ran=156379).
While some opponents of red light camera
surveillance deride it as nothing more that big brother generating revenue (see
"'Shakedown' by the mayor," The Washington Times, Editorial, 30
March 2004; http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20040329-085443-5146r.htm),
traffic safety experts are now questioning their relative worth. For
example, "Susan G. Pikrallidas, vice president of the American Automobile
Association's warns that although some local jurisdictions are looking at
red-light cameras as the quick fix, it is not always the most effective means
of reducing crashes at intersections" (see "AAA Says Red Light
Cameras Should Not Replace Sound Traffic Engineering," AAA,
Press Release, 1 May 2002; http://www.aaanewsroom.net/Articles.asp?ArticleID=119&CategoryID=7&SectionID).
4.
5. Amy Boyer "SSN for
Murder" Case Settles: The cash settlement (see "Mother of
slain woman settles lawsuit against info-broker, The Associated Press, by
Holly Ramer, 10 march 2004; http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2004-03-10-boyer-suit-settled_x.htm)
winds down this sad but precedent setting lawsuit (see discussion of Boyer
v. Docusearch, Inc., The Supreme Court of New Hampshire (18 February
2003) at http://www.epic.org/privacy/boyer).
Last month the Virginia General Assembly adjourned without taking any
major action to stop the Internet publication of SSNs and other sensitive
personal information on circuit court and other state agency web sites.
6. ID Theft on USS George Washington:
Apparently aided by the US Military's widespread use of the SSN as a routine
identifier, Fairfax County Police are aiding an investigation of what has
become widespread ID theft among military members. Though the Navy has
seen an increase in identity theft in recent years, the chief trial counsel for
the Navy's Trial Services Office at Norfolk Naval Station said that his office
has never seen anything like the George Washington case. "We
typically see cases on the small scale," said Lt. Cmdr. Salvatore Maida.
"It's often under $1,000 and not more than $3,000." The
widespread use of social security numbers in the military can make sailors
somewhat easy prey for identity theft, he said (see "ID theft ring strikes
carrier Washington's officers," The Virginia Pilot, by Mathew Dolan,
14 April 2004; http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=68929&ran=197485).
meanwhile, the Defense Department is
investigates more breaches of employee and service member privacy through the
new Defense Travel System (see "Company Accessed Travelers' Personal Data
on DTS," The Federal Times, by Stephan Losey, 20 October
2003; Strangely, the dangerous requirement that captured US
military members must disclose their SSNs to the enemy seems not to yet
resonate in Congress.
7. Congress Considers
"PATRIOT Act II" with new Death Penalties: Acting in the
name of stopping terrorism, members of Congress continue to seek expansion of
government power despite widespread concern about privacy and protection
against government abuse. To learn more about HR 3179 (the
"Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Tools Improvement Act of 2003") and Take Action,
see
http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=15629&c=24.
The Bush administration also supports a second proposed measure (HR 2934, the
"Terrorist Penalties Enhancement Act of 2003") to establish 23
separate new death penalties in one stroke and would also create an
unprecedented "catch-all" death penalty for any crime that meets the
PATRIOT Act's overbroad definition of terrorism. Take Action against this bill at http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=15502&c=24.
8. ACLU Files Lawsuit against
alleged "No Fly" List: Apparently so secret that no
government agency, let alone any judge or magistrate, claims responsibility for
it's creation and maintenance, the American Civil Liberties Union
("ACLU") has filed a class action lawsuit against this quite real
program that has prevented US citizens serving their country in the military,
or their community as a religious minister, from traveling within the US (see http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=15430&c=272&MX=1187&H=1).
To Take Action
against the proposed "No Fly" List enforcing travel control program
known as the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening Program
("CAPPS") II, go to https://ssl.capwiz.com/aclu/mail/compose/?alertid=5507206&agencyid=5507056&agencyid=5507061&agencyid=5507071&agencyid=5507096&agencyid=5507106&%20amp;agencyid=5507131&agencyid=5507171&target=CU&target=CU&target=CU&target=CU&target=CU&target=CU&target=CU&customid=5507056&customid=5507061&customid=5507071&customid=5507096&customid=5507106&customid=5507131&customid=5507171&type=CU
and blast the entire air travel industry with a free fax to oppose CAPPS II.
9. ID Follies - The US
"Trusted Traveler Program”: Proving once again the historical
reality that ID rituals are ineffective, oppressive, and demeaning, Fort
Meyers, FL voters were illegally turned away from the March Florida
presidential primary because polling places had signs saying voters could not
vote without photo ID. According to the American Civil Liberties Union of
Florida, the signs were wrong.
Proposals" at http://www1.eps.gov/EPSData/DHS-BT/Synopses/35287/HSTS02-04-R-RET002/RTCSSFinal.doc
(MS-Word format) for a "Registered Traveller"
pilot program to be conducted for 90 days beginning in June 2004, involving
5,000-10,0000 "voluntarily" registered travelers. Strangely,
the RFP fails to mention that there is no federal law or regulation requiring
any person to have or present Photo-ID to board domestic airline flights in the
10. Consumers Union Takes on
Insurance Company Abuse of SSNs: Take Action at https://secure2.convio.net/cu/site/Advocacy?id=137&page=UserAction&AddInterest=1085&JServSessionIdr009=z1l9ze5bb1.app14b
to send letters to the nation's largest health insurance companies (Blue Cross
Blue Shield, CIGNA, and United Health Care) and tell them to stop using SSNs on
their health insurance cards.
11. Feds Tell Courts that Medical
Privacy Does Not Exist: Citizens for Health (http://www.healthactioncenter.com)
urge you to Take
Action to support medical privacy at http://www.healthactioncenter.com/action/index.asp?step=2&item=16109
if you are outraged that "The Justice Department now states that patients
"no longer possess a reasonable expectation that their histories will
remain completely confidential," adding that federal law "does not
recognize a physician-patient privilege." Your medical information is no
longer private. You no longer have the power to consent to the disclosure of
your health information. The mis-named Federal Privacy Rule under HIPAA, which
was supposed to protect your privacy, actually grants permission to federal
bureaucrats, researchers and thousands of organizations, unrelated to your
healthcare, to access your health information including your past medical
records and genetic information" (material quoted from a recent Citizens
for Health press release).
12. Upcoming FCPC Meeting:
On
13. Privacy Quotes:
"Its actually obsene [sic] what you can find out about
people on the Internet." -- Liam Youens, the man who used Docusearch to
locate and kill Amy Boyer (see http://www.epic.org/privacy/boyer).
"A balance must be struck between protecting all of us and
protecting each one of us. I don't trust Justice or the C.I.A. to strike that
balance. I have more faith in the courts and Congress, and - if he would
remember his stand on personal freedom - in George W. Bush."
--William Safire (See
"Privacy in Retreat," The New York Times, by William 10
March 2004;
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Questions,
or to be added/deleted from future Alerts? Contact Mike Stollenwerk
atFCPCChairman@cox.net.