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PRIVACY SERVICES
Date Article Title Publication Author Synopsis
         
7/17/2008 Privacy watchdog to get power to raid Silicon.com Nick Heath The UK government is considering expanding the powers of the Information Commissioner. Justice Minister Michael Wills said in a statement: "We believe sharpening the information commissioner's teeth will enable him to be a stronger, more effective regulator." 
7/17/2008 A decade of data confusion Computing  Tom Young Britain's 10-year-old Data Protection Act will come under scrutiny this year, as researchers examine its usefulness in this age of rapid technological development. 
7/16/2008 Privacy watchdogs try to ease data sharing compliance for multinationals Out-law.com The Article 29 Working Party has developed a toolkit to aid organisations that transfer personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA). The kit guides companies through the process of developing Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) to ensure adequate data protection standards for the transfer of personal information outside the EEA, so companies may do so in compliance with EU data protection laws.
7/15/2008 Big Brother' database of all phone calls and emails condemned by watchdog Telegraph.co.uk Christopher Hope The UK Information Commissioner says that government plans to collect and store the communications data of all citizens is a bad idea. The Data Communications Bill, a draft of which will be released later this year, would require Internet service providers and phone companies to hand over communications records to the Home Office for storage.
7/14/2008 Industry rallies behind Thomas to toughen data laws Precision Marketing Sara Kimberley British Information Commissioner Richard Thomas has long been calling for tougher data protection laws.  Now, some in industry are rallying behind him.
7/14/2008 First European Privacy Seal Awarded www.european-privacy-seal.eu Press Release European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx yesterday awarded the first-ever European Privacy Seal for ICT products and IT-based services. Created by EuroPriSe, a consortium of European data protection authorities, the seal guarantees compliance with EU laws and regulations on data security and privacy. 
7/11/2008 Liechtenstein, Offshore, International Standards And Protection of Privacy Mondaq Lichtenstein's parliament has modernized its foundation law to bring it up to current international standards, while still providing strong protection of the private sphere. The new law goes into effect on April 1, 2009. 
7/10/2008 Gov't data retention - how much is too much? Silicon.com Nick Heath Merlin Hay, Earl of Erroll, has warned the government against the unnecessary collection and retention of data under provisions of the UK's proposed Communications Data Bill. 
7/9/2008 Lords overrule courts, criticise Scottish Information Commissioner Out-law.com The House of Lords has overruled the Scottish Information Commissioner's decision to allow the release of anonymized regional medical statistics, saying the data were still private and thus covered under the UK's Data Protection Act.
7/7/2008 Remote Patient Monitoring Market On Rise eHealthEurope.net A new market assessment by analysts Frost & Sullivan says that a growing market in the U.K. for remote patient monitoring may put patient privacy at greater risk. While the cost advantages inherent with remote patient monitoring may be attractive to many hospitals, the report says that issues of patient privacy and confidentiality are complicating the market.
7/5/2008 Irish watchdog slams ruling over YouTube Herald.ie Fiachra O'Cionnaith In the wake of a court order requiring Google to produce user names and Internet protocol addresses for Viacom in that company's case against YouTube for copyright infringement, Ireland's Data Commissioner Billy Hawkes has issued a statement critical of the decision. Saying that the court's ruling proves there is no such thing as online privacy, the Evening Herald reported that Hawkes warned, "As users, we must take responsibility to use the tools available to us to guard our privacy. This includes availing of the option to delete your search history on search engines and, indeed, the history of videos viewed on websites such as YouTube."
7/7/2008 Europe data protection laws not fit for purpose, says ICO Computerworld Staff Writer The UK's Information Commissioner's Office has called for a review of European data protection law, charging that, as currently constituted, the legal framework does not function as originally intended.
7/3/2008 ICO: Data breach law moves closer Silicon.com Nick Heath UK's privacy watchdog says a revision to the European Union's (EU) ePrivacy Directive could bring the UK closer to getting a data breach notification law  on the books.
7/2/2008 Phonetaps 'breached privacy law' BBC News Three organisations recently won their case against the British government for the monitoring of communications between Ireland and the UK, says a BBC News report. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Liberty and British-Irish Rights Watch won their claim that the surveillance violated privacy law. 
7/1/2008 European Lawmaker To Sue U.S. Over Data Washington Post.com Ellen Nakashima As the U.S. and European Union (EU) work to finalize an agreement on transatlantic data-sharing, one EU lawmaker is suing the U.S. government for access to her personal records. The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the suit on behalf of Sophie In't Veld, a member of the Dutch parliament who travels to the U.S. frequently.
6/30/2008 Swiss data protection commissioner warns of security breaches swissinfo.ch In his annual report, Switzerland's data protection and information commissioner warned that new technologies are making Swiss citizens more vulnerable to invasions of privacy.
6/28/2008 U.S. and Europe Near Accord on Privacy New York Times Charlie Savage After 16 months of negotiations, American and European Union officials are near agreement on a pact to enable the transfer of citizens' personal information across borders. The pact, once implemented, would allow law enforcement and security agencies to collect citizens' credit card transactions, travel histories, Internet browsing habits and other personal information in an effort to counter terrorism activities.
6/26/2008 Mandatory data training for civil servants trainingzone.co.uk All British civil servants who handle personal data as part of their job requirements will undergo mandatory, annual training per the recommendations of Sir Gus O'Donnell, whose recent review of the government's information security practices revealed gross negligence in the area of data protection. 
6/26/2008 Audit chiefs still lax on data privacy Director of Finance Online Adrie van der Luijt    The results of an Ernst & Young survey show that IT fraud and data privacy rank low on the list of concerns of CIOs and internal audit chiefs.
6/25/2008 Tougher data rules for Whitehall BBC News News Staff UK governmental departments will be required to take "mandatory minimum measures" to shore up data protection. The measures are designed to help restore the public's trust in the government's ability to protect their sensitive information, and come in the wake of reviews showing that at least two of the many serious data breaches within government agencies over the past several months were "entirely avoidable." 
6/25/2008 Smart CCTV cameras will hear and see vnunet.com Guy Dixon Newly designed artificial intelligence software gives closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) the eyes and ears of the neighborhood, reports vnunet.com. Researchers at the University of Portsmouth have developed the software, which will allow CCTVs to recognize noteworthy sounds and swivel its lens toward the noise to record. 
6/25/2008 Government lays plans to avoid future data security blunders Out-law.com   The Information Commissioner will serve enforcement notices to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Ministry of Defence based on reports published yesterday exposing the causes of serious data breaches within both organizations. 
6/23/2008 European Commission Scrutinizes Online Advertising clickZ.com Jack Marshall Members of the European Commission met with industry leaders and others at a roundtable event on Friday to discuss privacy and consumer protection in the face of the online ad industry. Attendees discussed various issues arising from online advertising, such as consumer awareness, legislation and self-regulation. 
6/19/2008 One in three IT staff snoops on colleagues MSNBC Georgina Prodhan A survey conducted at Infosecurity Expo 2008 revealed that one in three information technology professionals has used administrative passwords to snoop into the confidential files of colleagues.
6/19/2008 Italian Privacy Advocates and Jurists Launch new Privacy Institute IT News Luca Bolognini Privacy advocates and legal experts have launched the Italian Institute for Privacy. 
6/19/2008 Mobile warriors leaking company secrets vnunet.com Ian Williams A study by Regus finds that Brits traveling on business have a tendency to leak company secrets, says a vnunet.com report. The survey of 1,000 mobile workers revealed that more than two thirds of business travelers have eavesdropped on confidential business conversations in public places and a third have seen sensitive data on laptops.
6/17/2008 UK Insurer Scraps GPS  Vehicle-tracking Policy PC World Jeremy Kirk Norwich Union has suspended its "Pay as you drive" plan, which tracked clients' vehicle usage using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, says a PCWorld report. The GPS allowed Norwich Union to track where and what time customers drove, and their speed, offering lower rates for off-peak hours. 
6/17/2008 UK government admits data breach The Irish Times Reuters For the second time in a week, the government has been hit with a data breach, Reuters reports. A break-in at the constituency office of Communities and Local Government has resulted in the theft of a computer. 
6/16/2008 Privacy watchdog concerned over surge in identity fraud The Press and Journal   A sixty-six percent rise in identity fraud over the past year has the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) prompting organisations and individuals to shore up on data protection.
6/12/2008 British Lawmaker quits in protest at planned terror laws Baltimore Sun David Stringer A senior British lawmaker quit Parliament yesterday based on what he describes as the government's steady erosion of the country's civil liberties. Opposition Conservative Party member David Davis made the announcement after Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government won another vote to tighten terrorism laws. 
6/10/2008 EU mulls intervention over BT's secret Phorm trials The Register Chris Williams Despite the UK Information Commissioner's assurance that it will not pursue BT over alleged violations of the European Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, the European Commission says it will take action "if need be." 
6/9/2008 Mind reading by MRI scan raises 'mental privacy' issue Telegraph.co.uk Roger Highfield Technological developments that make mind reading a reality have raised concerns about "mental privacy," with one leading neuroscientist calling for a public debate. 
6/8/2008 ID cards 'could threaten privacy' BBC News   BBC News reports that the Home Affairs Select Committee wants to make sure that proper safeguards are in place for the National Identity Scheme--the project to create national ID cards for every British resident over the age of 16, set to roll out later this year.
6/6/2008 Public demands data breach legislation vnunet.com Ian Williams As the European Union mulls the possibility of a data breach notification law, new research by Symantec and Ipsos Mori indicates that 96 percent of citizens want to know if their private information has been lost or stolen.
6/4/2008 Data Retention Effectively changes the behavior of Citizens in Germany kreativrauschen.com   A study of 1,002 Germans found that the social effects of the nation's data retention law changes the communications habits of its citizens.
6/4/2008 ICO Issues New Guidance On Transfer of Employee Information Out-law.com   The Information Commissioner's Office is helping organizations comply with the Data Protection Act when providing information about employees during a business transfer.
6/4/2008 German Government Backs Enhanced Surveillance International Herald Tribune Judy Dempsey In an effort to help protect against terrorist attacks, Chancellor Angela Merkel's government earlier this week agreed to give Germany's police forces enhanced powers to monitor homes, telephones and private computers.
6/3/2008 Rights group pushing telecoms on data privacy realdeal.hu   A Hungarian group is working to abolish a law they say is unconstitutional and an invasion of citizens' privacy. The Company for Freedom Rights has asked the Constitutional Court to void a law that requires telecoms and Internet companies to store customer data for one year. 
5/30/2008 Phorm Opponents to Picket BT Shareholders The Register Chris Williams Opponents of BT's involvement with Phorm will protest outside the company's annual meeting in July.
5/29/2008 Deutsche Telekom Offices Raided as Spying Scandal Deepens DW World   Labor representatives on the Deutsche Telekom supervisory board said yesterday they will press charges against the telecommunications giant for serious breaches of privacy and trust.
5/28/2008 EU Security Agency Calls For Breach Notification Law vnunet.com Tom Young The European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) released a report outlining the need for a continent-wide data breach notification law.
5/27/2008 Phone Giant in Germany Stirs a Furor The New York Times Mark Landler Deutsche Telekom yesterday admitted to "severe and far reaching" misuse of private data during a surreptitious investigation in which phone calls between reporters and board members were monitored in order to identify the sources of media leaks about the phone giant's internal affairs. 
5/26/2008 Strong Data Protection Rules Are Needed To Prevent Emergence of Surveillance Society The European Weekly Thomas Hammarburg Commissioner for Human Rights for the Council of Europe Thomas Hammarberg argues for a highly developed EU data protection regime in order to protect citizens' privacy in an age where privacy is continually placed at risk for the sake of preventing terrorism. 
5/20/2008 Government plans to store comms data IT Week Phil Muncaster A proposed government database to house details of all phone and VoIP calls, emails and Internet usage by UK citizens has raised concerns about privacy. The draft Communications Data Bill would extend the current requirements for telcos and service providers to store details of emails and phone calls for 12 months. 
5/20/2008 Identity Theft a Prime Concern, says survey IT Pro Ash Dosanjh A new survey reveals that 86 percent of UK citizens worry about having their personal information misused and 61 percent of those are "extremely" or "very worried" about the issue, says a report in IT Pro. 
5/20/2008 Privacy Group Launches Phorm Spoiler PC Pro Barry Collins A group of concerned individuals calling itself the AntiPhorm group has launched an application aimed at preventing ISPs from profiting from their customers' Web surfing habits.
5/19/2008 Why we don't need a secury breach notification law in the UK Out-law.com Chris Pounder Privacy law specialist Chris Pounder says that the UK does not need a separate security-breach notification law because the failure to notify affected individuals is covered under the Data Protection Act. 
5/17/2008 Nelson Inquiry Disc is Lost utvlive.com   A police inquiry has been launched to investigate the loss of a disc containing personal information related to the loyalist murder of solicitor Rosemary Nelson. The public inquiry team responsible for the disc, which has been missing since May 6, said it deeply regretted "the serious breach of secure data handling protocols within the inquiry," says a UTV report. 
5/16/2008 Google Maps Could Cross EU Privacy Laws Business Week Leigh Philips European Union Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustnix says if Google plans to launch its "Street View" feature in Europe, they should consider reforming it, as the service may breach EU privacy laws. 
5/12/2008 Outrage in UK over staff blacklisting database SiliconRepublic.com Niall Byrne A controversial database set to launch later this month has raised the ire of citizens, trade unions and civil liberties groups. 
5/12/2008 e-Government:  Information Commissioner Welcomes new powers to fine organization PublicTechnology.net Central Government In an effort to demonstrate the importance of data protection, Britain's Information Commissioner now has the power to impose serious consequences for reckless or deliberate disclosure of personal information in violation of the Data Protection Act.
5/9/2008 State intruding into private lives, data watchdog warns The Independent Fergus Black Speaking on his 2007 annual report, Irish Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes said the public needs to question the State more often about measures taken to protect citizens from crime and terrorism that may also override privacy rights.
5/6/2008 New Law to safeguard privacy Zaman Amerika   A bill to safeguard privacy rights went to the Turkish Parliament this week, says a Today'sZaman.com report. The bill, along with another submitted in April regarding state secrets and transparency, are part of reforms aimed at easing Turkey's bid to become part of the European Union.
4/14/2008 EC must adopt breach notification legislation, says watchdog Computing  Tom Young Peter Hustinx, Europe's data protection supervisor, has recommended that the European Commission adopt mandatory data breach notification law, following the lead of those states in the U.S. that have already taken the step. 
5/8/2008 Our surveillance society goes online The Guardian Christine Evans-Pughe A new book by two University of Southampton computer science professors chronicles the rapid advance of endemic surveillance society.
5/8/2008 Lose data and you go to jail Computing  Tom Young The House of Lords last week approved legislation to criminalize the negligent disclosure of personal data.
5/5/2008 Are CCTV Cameras a waste of money in the fight against crime? The Independent Andy McSmith Writing for The Independent, Andy McSmith raises questions about the use of closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) in Britain.
5/5/2008 Swiss Banks Refuse Blame For Foreign Client's Tax Evasion International Herald Tribune Associated Press The Swiss Bankers Association is standing firm on its refusal to release foreign clients' information to nations seeking to crack down on tax evaders.
5/5/2008 Finland Considers changes to Data Protection Act Ice News K. Mar Amendments to Finland's Data Protection Act will enable companies to, in certain situations, examine emails sent by employees and the addresses to which they were sent.
5/1/2008 HMRC punishes staff over data privacy issues IT Week David Neal A New York Times article highlighting the benefits and disadvantages of software that lets parents monitor their kids' every scholastic move shows that while programs such as ParentConnect help keep parents "in the loop" on their sons' or daughters' daily experiences and stimulate communications among parents and teachers, many students find the technology invades their privacy. 
5/4/2008 Crossed lines at Vodafone cause alarm The Observer Jamie Doward Technical problems with the network of Britain's largest mobile phone company made it possible for some users to hear the calls of other subscribers.
4/30/2008 Update 1 - Uproar in Italy after web publishes earning levels Reuters Robin Pomeroy Members of Italy's outgoing government published on an Italian Treasury Web site the declared taxable income of every Italian citizen, Reuters reports.
4/24/2008 Financial companies underestimate ID fraud Reuters Jennifer Hill The Financial Services Authority (FSA) issued a warning to the UK financial sector to "change their attitude," when it comes to curbing the rising problem of identity fraud.
4/25/2008 Face scans for air passengers to begin in UK this summer The Guardian Owen Bowcott The new biometric passports of EU and UK citizens will be put to use this summer when airports begin piloting the use of facial recognition technology in an attempt to improve security. Travelers will enter unmanned "clearance" gates, where scanners will match their facial images to that stored on their passport chips.
4/24/2008 Infosec 08: Half of businesses hit by breaches IT Pro Asavin Wattanajantra UK tech portal ITPro reports that, according to a new study conducted by the Ponemon Institute for PGP Corp., and released this week at InfoSec 2008 in London, 60 percent of UK companies suffered a data breach last year, and more than a quarter experienced multiple data breaches. 
4/22/2008 Privacy watchdog to get new powers Computing  Tom Young The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has received expanded powers to conduct spot checks on government departments beginning later this year.
4/21/2008 Data Theft involving 10,000 bank records RTE News Sensitive information regarding 10,000 Bank of Ireland customers has been stolen.
4/21/2008 Customer data 'needs protection' BBC News Darren Waters UK Information Commissioner Richard Thomas is urging Britain's firms and public bodies to make data protection a priority. His comments come on the heels of survey results indicating that companies and organizations are not doing enough to ensure the protection of citizens' confidential information.
4/21/2008 Security conscious Brits wary of data centres Experian QAS Fifty-eight percent of Britons surveyed in a recent Migration Solutions poll indicated they believe data centres hold a great deal of sensitive personal data, such as credit card payment data, and nearly 76 percent of those surveyed worry about the security risks these centres pose. 
4/21/2008 Police force's Facebook app raises privacy concerns ZDNET.co.uk Matthew Broersma The Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are on Facebook and at least one privacy advocate is concerned about potential privacy ramifications, says a ZDNet.co.uk report. The force last week launched their GMP Updates application, which is designed to help them fight and detect crime, according to the report.
4/17/2008 Company privacy traded for candy The Tech Herald Steve Ragan InfoSecurity Europe reps last week surveyed 576 people passing through London's Liverpool Street Station to find out how much personal information the average individual was willing to give up for a snack and the promise of a free vacation.
4/15/2008 EDPS Opinion on ePrivacy Directive review: overall positive, but further improvements should be considered eGov Monitor European Data Protection Supervisor This week the UK's eGovMonitor.com news portal posted an opinion from the European Data Protection Supervisor's office observing that efforts to improve EU privacy protections are needed, but that the European Commission's proposed changes to the ePrivacy Directive should go further.
4/10/2008 French sites fined for linking to privacy-invading content Out-law.com   The Paris Tribunal fined three French Web sites for breaching article 9 of the French Civil Code by invading the privacy of an actor by way of linking to an illicit article about him. 
4/9/2008 Information Commissioner:  Phorm must be opt-in only The Register Chris Williams The UK Information Commissioner's Office is taking a harder stand with regard to the controversial online advertising tracking system, Phorm, stating that use of the system must be on an opt-in basis only if it is to be compliant with UK law. 
4/8/2008 Google defends user data policy after EU report Reuters Eric Auchard Following the issuance of a set of data retention recommendations by the European Union's Article 29 Working Party on Friday, Google yesterday responded to defend its practices stating in a written response by Peter Fleischer, the company's global privacy counsel, "We believe that data retention requirements have to take into account the need to provide quality products and services for users, like accurate search results, as well as system security and integrity concerns." 
4/7/2008 Europeans warn search engines:  Delete user data sooner Cnet News.com Anne Broache The European Union's Article 29 Working Party has issued a set of recommendations for data retention by search engine operators that derive revenue from search-based advertising.
4/3/2008 The lidls of Others:  Two More German Chains Caught Spying on Employees Spiegel Online   Government officials are being urged to take action to protect employee privacy amid allegations in recent weeks that spying is standard operating procedure among Germany's largest supermarkets.
4/3/2008 UK Children face social-networking danger PC Advisor Megan Burger A PC Advisor report says that 41 percent of children in the UK do not use the privacy settings provided by their social networking site. The data comes from an Ofcom survey, which found that while nearly half of the UK's eight to 17 year-old population have profiles on sites such as Bebo, Facebook, or Myspace, the majority of them leave their privacy settings open -- rendering their photos and personal information available to anyone online.
4/1/2008 ICO: Data theft laws must not be axed Silicon.com Nick Heath With Parliament under pressure to soften clause 76 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill -- the bill mandating that those who buy or sell personal data face prison terms -- The Information Commissioner's Office has cautioned against any relaxing of the law.
3/28/2008 The IAPP Recognizes UK Information Commissioner Richard Thomas with 2008 Privacy Leadership Award IAPP UK Information Commissioner Richard Thomas today received the International Association of Privacy Professionals' (IAPP) 2008 Privacy Leadership Award for his ongoing commitment to raising the public profile of privacy and data protection issues.
3/28/2008 U.K. Likely to Enact Data Breach Notice Law Privacy Law Watch Donald G. Aplin Reporting from the International Association of Privacy Professionals Privacy Summit in Washington, D.C. Privacy & Security Law Report writes that, chances are, the United Kingdom will enact a law this year surrounding data breach notification. 
3/25/2008 E. German Stasi informant wins battle to conceal past Reuters Carolyn Palmer A German court has ruled in favor of a former East German Stasi informant, forcing the creators of popular exhibition on the secret police to remove his name and activities from their display.
3/24/2008 Heathrow fingerprint plan challenged Telegraph.co.uk Nick Allen The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is wary of a plan to fingerprint all passengers using Heathrow's new fifth terminal, saying that it may be a violation of the Data Protection Act.
3/20/2008 U.K. Consumers Now Privacy-Aware Digital Trends Christopher Nickson A new survey from the Office of the Information Commissioner (ICO) found that the majority of citizens are concerned about their personal information, and they're doing something about it. 
3/20/2008 Eurosceptics warn EU not to ignore Irish treaty rejection The Parliament Speaking to members of the EU parliament in Brussels, U.S. Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff asserted that collecting passenger name record (PNR) data does not invade the privacy of airline passengers. 
3/18/2008 Phorm's internet-tracking service is 'illegal' Times Online Jonathan Richards An influential UK group is calling Phorm's Webwise service illegal. Webwise enables ISPs to track users' browsing behavior so as to more appropriately direct advertisements. BT will trial the service this month. 
3/18/2008 Committee backs data protection checks eHealth Insider A parliamentary joint committee is in favor of extending power to the Office of the Information Commissioner to conduct random spot-checks of IT projects within government. Information Commissioner Richard Thomas said such ability is necessary to make certain that privacy and data protection are considered early in project's development, rather than as an afterthought. 
3/13/2008 Spate of Data Suits Highlights German Privacy Debate DW World Jennifer Abramsohn A recent ruling by the German Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe against widespread surveillance of automobile license plates. The ruling cancelled the Interior Ministry's plans to boost security in the states of Hesse and Schleswig-Holstein by tracking citizens' travel habits. 
3/10/2008 Government departments cannot prove they comply with Data Protection Act computerweekly.com Antony Savvas In spite of recent serious security breaches and subsequent reports of other data security failures within government, most government agencies in the UK cannot prove compliance with the country's Data Protection Act.
2/28/2008 1 in 7 Europeans too scared of ID theft to shop online Experian QAS A new study by Eurostat reveals that fears over the prospects of falling victim to identity theft are keeping as many as one out of seven European adults between the ages of 16 and 74 from shopping online.
2/28/2008 In a state of surveillance Silicon Republic.com Marie Boran By the end of March, a new law will go into effect in Ireland requiring that ISPs capture and retain for up to two years the online activities of all the country's netizens, including log-on and off, sites browsed, emails sent and to whom. 
2/27/2008 Bags Of Discarded Info Left On Curb Reading Evening Post Paul Robins The Reading Evening Post reported on a data breach occurring in Reading when the accounting firm Vale & West tossed bags of unshredded, discarded documents on the curb outside the firm's doorway on Queen Victoria Street. 
2/26/2008 Lost Mobile Devices Behind Most UK Breaches Network World Staff Writer Among the data outlined in a new Ponemon Institute report calculating the cost of a data breach to UK companies was information showing that lost or stolen laptop computers, PDAs and other mobile devices accounted for the largest portion of incidents at 35 percent.
2/26/2008 Printer ID Patterns are Privacy Breach The Telegraph Bruno Waterfield European Union justice watchdogs are concerned that "Big Brother" computer printer technology that allows security agencies to track printed documents might breach privacy laws.
2/25/2008 What the EC's critical RFID privacy proposal looks like Computer Weekly David Bicknell The UK's Computerweekly has published a report outlining the European Commission's proposals for RFID deactivation, a central point in the Commission's broad policy recommendation for protecting consumer privacy from abuse resulting from RFID implementation. 
2/25/2008 Google Argues IP Addresses Cannot Be PII Sci-Tech Today Mark Long Following a controversial decision by the European Commission that has defined Internet Protocol addresses as personally identifiable information in Europe, Google is arguing to the contrary.
2/25/2008 New Study Pegs Cost Of Data Breach For UK Companies  The Register John Oates A new study by the Ponemon Institute, sponsored by PGP Corporation and Vontu (now part of Symantec) has calculated the cost of a data breach to UK companies at £47 per compromised record.
2/22/2008 EU seeks privacy safeguards with RFID tags ARS Technica Ryan Paul The European Commission has published a preliminary draft with recommended guidelines for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging. The draft addresses privacy and security issues that arise from RFID adoption and attempts to provide guidance for those pursuing practical implementation of RFID technology.
2/21/2008 Lawyers Fined For Data Security Failures Out-law.com   Legal Web portal Out-Law.com reports that two London law firms have been fined £815 each by the Information Commissioner after failing to register as processors of personal information. 
2/21/2008 European Body To Publish RFID Guidelines Washington Post.com Paul Meller The European Commission is set to publish a set of guidelines to help both developers and users of radio frequency identification (RFID) implement the technology within European markets without threatening personal privacy.
2/19/2008 UK Government Discloses Hundreds Of Devices Lost  Silicon.com Nick Heath British government officials disclosed that government agencies have lost hundreds of laptop computers, PDAs and mobile phones either though theft or negligence since 2001. 
2/15/2008 5,000 Health Records Lost With Laptop The Register John Oates Another high profile data breach has hit the UK as a laptop computer belonging to the Russells Hall Hospital near Dudley was lost, and with it National Health Service records of more than 5,000 patients.
2/14/2008 EU Retention Policy Not Constitutional, Bulgaria Says Sofia Echo Rene Beekman The Sofia Echo reports that various sources from within Bulgaria's ruling coalition parties feel that European Union regulations pertaining to a new data retention regulation are not compatible with Bulgaria's constitution and should either be amended or abandoned altogether. 
2/11/2008 Online Advocate Questions Facebook's Use Of Data Silicon Republic.com Marie Boran As social networking utilities grow more popular in Ireland, at least one advocacy group has questioned whether the sites' use of information is in keeping with European privacy law. 
2/10/2008 EC's Fingerprint Plan Draws Criticism  Reuters Ingrid Melander A decision by the European Commission to require all travelers entering the European Union to register their fingerprints at the border is drawing sharp criticism from privacy and civil liberties advocates who say the result will be a massive database of biometric info lacking proper protections. 
2/10/2008 EU To Rule On Search Data Retention Financial Times Maija Palmer Stating that search engine operators are keeping data too long, Peter Schaar, Germany's Data Protection Commissioner and chairman of the EU's Article 29 privacy working party, told Financial Times that new guidelines will be issued at the working party's next meeting on February 18. 
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