PRIVACY NEWS PRIVACY SERVICES
        
  PRIVACY ASSESSMENT 
Taking a snapshot of your current privacy status. We classify and inventory your personal data and highlight your top areas of privacy risk. Joining the Safe Harbor? We'll perform your due diligence.
more >>
      
  POLICY AND PROCESS DESIGN    

Providing you the documents you'll need for global compliance
including: privacy and security
policies, vendor assurance, incident response, subject data access, opt-out integration, and more. 
more >>
      
  EMPLOYEE AWARENESS   
Creating and delivering the content for multimedia, global awareness campaigns on privacy and security. We measure before-and-after employee comprehension to help
you demonstrate value.
 more >>
    
European Privacy
      
Date Article Title Publication Author Synopsis
6/30/2010 UIDAI seeks comments, suggestions on new draft legislation on data security MoneyLife   Ahead of rolling out its national identity card project, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has created draft legislation to ensure the security and confidentiality of citizens' information.
6/29/2010 European Union, U.S. to share banking data to fight terrorism Washington Post Ellen Nakashima The five-year agreement signed by the European Council to allow the EU to share banking data with the U.S. could be approved by the European Parliament as early as next week.
6/29/2010 EU privacy rules changing US companies EU Observer Valentina Pop A report on the differing philosophies and laws governing the U.S. and EU when it comes to data protection. 
6/28/2010 German regulators welcome street panorama privacy law draft IT World Peter Sayer German privacy regulators met Friday to discuss extending privacy laws to give citizens control over the use of their images and those of their homes in online street-mapping services.
6/28/2010 Steps to boost online privacy mooted swissinfo.ch   At his yearly news conference, Hanspeter Thür, the Swiss data protection commissioner, warned that people need to be aware that their data is a currency traded for online services. 
6/27/2010 Europe Pushes Google to Turn Over Wi-Fi Data New York Times Kevin J. O'Brien After preliminary inspections of information gathered through unsecured wireless networks, privacy regulators in France, Germany and Spain are reiterating their requests that Google give them the original data collected in their countries.
6/27/2010 German Government  Cracks Down on Apple's GPS Use Pad Gadget Bill German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger has told Apple that it must immediately release information on what personal data it's collecting through GPS-enabled iPads and iPhones, how long the data is stored and how it's being used.
6/25/2010 Cookie consent can't be implied from browser settings, say privacy watchdogs Out-law.com   Web sites cannot comply with the new EU law governing Internet cookies by relying on users' browser settings, according to the Article 29 Working Party's interpretation of the revised Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive. 
6/25/2010 EU threatens UK again over data protection laws Out-law.com   The European Commission has notified the UK government that it has two months to increase the powers of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) before the commission will pursue legal action through the European Court of Justice.
6/25/2010 Privacy concerns challenge smart grid rollout Washington Post Gerard Wynn A report on increasing concerns about privacy in the ongoing rollout of the smart grid. The grid will communicate with household smart meters capable of measuring energy use down to the appliance level. 
6/24/2010 European Data Protection Authorities clarify EU rules on online behavioural advertising europa.eu Press Release The Article 29 Working Party has released its opinion clarifying the way EU rules apply to online behavioral advertising. 
6/23/2010 European Commissioner promises public consultation on data protection research-live.com James Verrinder European Commissioner for Justice and Fundamental Rights Viviane Reding plans to launch a public consultation on whether to introduce a European contract law on the use of personal data.
6/22/2010 EU's Reding Calls For Better Online Data-Protection Rules Wall Street Journal   Europe needs to put individuals at the heart of its data protection laws to ensure the safety of personal data, according to Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Justice and Fundamental Rights. 
6/21/2010 ICO spanks Kent Police for data loss The Register John Oates The Information Commissioner's office has found Kent Police in breach of the Data Protection Act after personal data was stolen from the back of an officer's car.
6/21/2010 French find e-mail passwords in Google Street View data BBC News   French data protection agency CNIL is deciding whether to prosecute Google after finding e-mail passwords and other sensitive data among the information collected from unsecured wireless networks. 
6/21/2010 New law to protect individual privacy livemint.com Sahil Makkar & Surabhi Agarwal The United Progressive Alliance government has established a panel of senior officials to create a blueprint for the country's first privacy and data protection law.
6/21/2010 Israel's Privacy Regulator Imposes a $70,000 Fine For Illegal Trading of Personal Data Hunton & Williams Privacy Blog Hunton & Williams The Israeli Law, Information and Technology Authority (ILITA) imposed a $70,000 (NIS 258,000) fine on a company for providing its customers with illicitly obtained personal data on debtors. 
6/17/2010 EU-US Open Skies: MEPs call for open markets and better passenger data protection European Parliament   In a resolution that was passed, members of parliament called for better protection of air passengers' personal data. 
6/16/2010 EU To Search Engines: Get Rid Of Your Data, No Keep It Search Engine Land Greg Sterling A new push by the European Parliament contradicts the Article 29 Working Party's requirement that search engines reduce the time they store data to six months.
6/15/2010 Poor Data Security in the NHS Information Commissioner's Office Information Commissioner's Office The Information Commissioner's Office has expressed concern about the prevalence of data breaches involving NHS organizations. 
6/10/2010 Ireland publishes proposed data breach notification rules The Register Out-law.com A report on Ireland's draft code of practice published recently by Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes. 
6/8/2010 Two months of increased enforcement by the Information Commissioner's Office but why are we yet to see the first fine? SC Magazine Dan Raywood Although the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has had new fining powers for more than two months, it has yet to hand out any fines.
6/7/2010 Big business ‘spying’ on the internet complainers using specialist software Daily Mail Andrew Levy Privacy advocates are concerned about UK companies tracking conversations on social networking sites to monitor customer comments and then contact complainants with solutions.
6/7/2010 Every Google search to be logged and saved for two years under new Euro MP plan Daily Mail Niall Firth & Andrew Levy Civil liberty groups and some MEPs are calling an EU plan to store Web search inquiries for up to two years an intrusion into citizens' privacy.
6/7/2010 Brain scans 'could be used to snoop on thoughts' The Telegraph Rebecca Smith Experts and researchers from around the world will gather in Glasgow to discuss the use of brain imaging and its potential for exploitation.
6/3/2010 EU may monitor searches under guise of child porn prevention ARS Technica Jacqui Cheng The European Parliament is urging members to sign Declaration 29 in order to combat pedophilia and child pornography.
6/3/2010 Kroes chooses 'wait-and-see' approach on future Internet euractiv.com   Clear rules are needed to mitigate risks posed by a world of ubiquitous smart tags, according to European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx. 
6/1/2010 Code on data breaches published Irish Times Elaine Edwards Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes yesterday published a draft code of practice.
5/28/2010 Data protection watchdogs escalate complaints against search engines Out-law.com   The EU's Article 29 Data Protection Working Party is asking the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to examine whether the world's largest search engine companies' policies comply with U.S. law. 
5/28/2010 ICO warns of data breach risk Broking.co.uk Louise Meeson As its list of reported data breaches nears 1,000, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is urging organizations to minimize risks.
5/27/2010 HMRC mails wrong private info to 50,000 taxpayers The Register John Oates Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is investigating a breach involving taxpayer data.
5/27/2010 Smart meters: Privacy warning over personal data BBC News Kevin Peachey The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is cautioning energy suppliers to take data protection into consideration when implementing smart meters.
5/26/2010 Privacy fears mount as ad targeting grows Google Rob Lever The British Office of Fair Trading (OFT) announced that it will back a self-regulatory approach to behavioural advertising practices. 
5/26/2010 2nd UPDATE:EU Privacy Grp: Search Engines Still Breach EU Rules Wall Street Journal   The Article 29 Data Protection Working Party announced that search engine operators Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are noncompliant with the EU's data protection rules. 
5/25/2010 OFT allows self-regulation of behavioural advertising guardian.co.uk Mark Sweney The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is giving Internet companies a chance to oversee their behavioral advertising practices.
5/25/2010 Safe Harbor certification may not mean data protection compliance Out-Law.com   The Düsseldorfer Kreis, an informal group of Germany's private sector data protection entities, is cautioning that even if U.S. companies are part of the Safe Harbor data protection agreement, European companies should not take their word on compliance with EU privacy requirements. 
5/24/2010 Watchdog calls for stricter data protection swissinfo.ch Staff Writer According to Swiss Data Protection Commissioner Hanspeter Thür, new rules should be put in place to regulate Internet service companies that handle sensitive personal data.
5/21/2010 Russia Considers Improving its Data Protection Law Privacy & Security Law Blog Hunton & Williams Russia's data protection regulator has already received more than 100 recommendations from businesses and data protection professionals as it considers improving the country's data protection law.
5/21/2010 'Reckless' data breaches should be prosecuted Irish Times Steven Carroll A government-appointed review group has concluded that data controllers should face sanctions for deliberate or reckless breaches of data protection law.
5/19/2010 Italy Investigates 7,000 HSBC Account Holders for Tax Evasion San Francisco Chronicle Dylan Griffiths Italian finance police investigating instances of possible tax evasion or money laundering are reviewing a list of more than 7,000 Swiss bank accounts stolen by a former bank employee earlier this year.
5/18/2010 Germany Asks Google to Surrender Private Data New York Times Kevin J. O'Brien While the UK Information Commissioner's Office has ordered Google to destroy data collected from British home wireless networks, a German regulator is threatening legal action if the company does not hand over a hard drive containing information collected from that country by May 26. 
5/14/2010 Towards reinforcement of the applicable legislation on data protection in France: the new bill on privacy Association of Corporate Counsel Cynthia O'Donoghue and Daniel Kadar Whether or not legislation "intended to better guarantee the right to privacy in the digital age" under review by the Law Commission of the French National Assembly is passed in its current form, its existence "demonstrates the importance attached to the protection of personal data by the French lawmaker." 
5/13/2010 EU data officials question Facebook privacy v3.co.uk Roaslie Marshall Following its 75th plenary session held in Brussels, the Article 29 Working Party sent a letter to Facebook informing the social networking site that "it is unacceptable that the company fundamentally changed the default settings on its social networking platform to the detriment of a user." 
5/13/2010 UK coalition to halt computer surveillance thinq.co.uk   The UK's first coalition government since the Second World War is combining election promises made by both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to protect citizens' rights, including a plan to "reverse and restrain many of the surveillance systems that have marked its citizens out as the most watched in the world."
5/12/2010 German DPA Imposes 120,000 Fine on Deutsche Postbank AG Hunton & Williams Privacy Blog Hunton & Williams The North Rhine-Westphalia data protection authority imposed a fine of €120,000 on Deutsche Postbank AG for illegal disclosure of customers' bank account transaction data.
5/11/2010 Google Urged to Bring Street View in Line With EU Law (Update1) Bloomberg.com Stephanie Bodoni Officials from 30 European countries yesterday supported a measure that would force Google to create a coordinated approach to privacy issues arising as Street View is rolled out in Europe.
5/10/2010 Data Retention Legislation Comes into Force in Bulgaria novinite.com   An amendment to Bulgaria's new Electronic Communications Act will take effect.
5/7/2010 Data violations unpunished in EU: rights agency Google AFP The EU's Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has found that data protection authorities (DPAs) suffer from insufficient funds, inadequate staffing levels and a lack of sanctions for violators.
5/7/2010 EU Parliament calls for data rights charter Out-law.com   The European Parliament is calling for a charter of citizen data rights to be implemented by 2012, advocating for Internet users to be able to have their information removed from online systems even if it was collected with their consent. 
5/5/2010 MEPs call for improved data security European Voice Constant Brand The European Parliament has approved two resolutions calling for limitations on the use of personal data collected by U.S. authorities. 
5/5/2010 Growing support for Data Retention Directive The Foreigner Michael Sandelson An opinion poll has found that 51 percent of the public are in favour of implementing the EU's Data Retention Directive (DRD), but Norwegian privacy advocates remain concerned. 
4/29/2010 Reform of EU Data Protection law: EDPS calls on the European Commission to be ambitious in its approach EUROPA Press Release Speaking at the European Privacy and Data Protection Commissioners' Conference in Prague, European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx called on the European Commission to be proactive on the legal framework for data protection. 
4/29/2010 Delayed kick-off for privacy Bill ITWeb Alex Kale A report on the progress of South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Bill. 
4/28/2010 NHS worst for data breaches - Information Commissioner BBC News   The UK's national health plan has reported 287 data breaches since the end of 2007, 113 of which were due to data theft.
4/28/2010 Patient records still available Daily Dispatch Andrew Stone Health authorities are looking into a data breach that exposed thousands of confidential patient records on a government Internet server.
4/27/2010 Data breach notification law coming, says watchdog ZDNET.co.uk Tom Espiner The requirement for companies to notify national regulators about serious data breaches will expand beyond the telecommunications sector, according to UK Deputy Information Commissioner David Smith. 
4/27/2010 Google convictions in Italy based on legal error, says expert Out-law.com   An Italian legal expert says that a legal error formed the basis of the conviction of three Google executives earlier this year, and the company would likely win an appeal to the conviction
4/26/2010 Google's Buzz 'in step with EU privacy rules' euractiv.com   While members of the U.S. Congress call for an investigation into Google's Buzz social networking platform and privacy regulators from 10 nations criticize the company's methods in rolling out the product, the European Commission (EC) has deemed it to be in line with the bloc's data protection guidelines as long as users' data was not used without prior and tacit consent.
4/26/2010 UK data watchdog to quiz Google on Streetview Wi-Fi database The Register Chris Williams The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will look into the details surrounding Google's practice of collecting data about Wi-Fi networks.
4/23/2010 UK National Health Service hit with malware infection Network World Jeremy Kirk A number of National Health Service (NHS) computers have been hit with data-stealing malware.
4/19/2010 Irish court says Eircom disconnections do not breach privacy laws Out-law.com   Ireland's High Court has ruled that a settlement reached between the Internet service provider Eircom and four major record labels does not breach data protection laws.
4/16/2010 Why a security crackdown on our personal data is needed Irish Times Karlin Lillington On the heels of the Data Protection Commissioner's annual report, which revealed a 50 percent increase in the number of data breaches.
4/16/2010 Devices must come with data-wipe function, says privacy regulator Out-law.com   European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx says European Union law should force digital equipment makers to include free and easy data-wiping capabilities within their products.
4/16/2010 Police send Reg hack CRB check database The Register Chris Williams A Gwent Police data management employee is facing a gross misconduct investigation and possible dismissal after accidentally sending the results of more than 10,000 Criminal Records Bureau checks to a newspaper. 
4/15/2010 EU relaunches talks with US on sharing bank data European Voice Toby Vogel European Union interior ministers are expected to meet on April 22 to discuss and endorse the start of new negotiations between the European Commission and the U.S. on sharing bank transfer data that the U.S. contends is essential to the fight against terrorism. 
4/15/2010 Data left on old computers a boon for scam artists, warns EU data supervisor EU Observer Leigh Philips The wealth of sensitive personal data that often remains on old computers and mobile phones has prompted European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx to raise concerns about the European Commission's proposal to recast its old directive for waste electrical and electronic equipment.
4/13/2010 Facebook Under Attack in Germany Over Privacy TIME Tristana Moore A report on the open letter Germany's consumer protection minister sent to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week in which she expressed dismay over the company's plans to begin sharing users' personal details with certain third-party Web sites. 
4/13/2010 Data Protection Rules Should Be Clarified Irish Medical News Paul Mulholland The Irish Medical Office (IMO) is calling for a review of current data protection legislation and its impact on effective patient care.
4/13/2010 EU agency zooms in on 'Flying 2.0' The Register John Leyden An EU cybersecurity agency has developed recommendations ahead of the implementation of RFID technology in air travel.
4/12/2010 Privacy concerns stall program to cut Holocaust survivors' drug costs Haaretz.com Orly Vilnai The Finance Ministry is considering creating a special commission to look into privacy issues associated with its plan to reduce medication costs for Holocaust survivors.
4/12/2010 Italian Judge Cites Profit as Justifying a Google Conviction New York Times Elisabetta Povoledo The Milan Court filed the judicial reasoning behind the February conviction of three Google executives for violating Italian privacy code.
4/8/2010 Tweets and sours The Economist   Social networking site postings and online blogs focused on the personal lives of President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, are testing the limits of privacy.
4/8/2010 'Control' of patient data needed Belfast Telegraph Staff Writer Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes released his annual reportfor 2009. 
4/7/2010 Conservatives drop opposition to DNA proposals following Alan Johnson ultimatum The Guardian Alan Travis and Polly Curtis The government's crime and security bill, which includes provisions allowing police to retain DNA profiles of anyone charged with a crime for up to six years, is moving forward.
4/5/2010 German minister criticizes Facebook on privacy Washington Post Associated Press In an open letter, German Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner has urged Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to revise the company's privacy policy "without delay."
4/5/2010 Data loss fines hit £500K from today The Register John Leyden The Information Commissioner's new fining powers--up to £500,000 for serious breaches--begin tomorrow, but a survey shows that many are unaware of the change.
4/1/2010 India launches biggest national census ‘since beginning of mankind’ The Times Jeremy Page India's 2010 national census is now underway as the government attempts to count the nation's one billion people and gather data on everything from fertility, literacy and mortality to the number of mobile phones and Internet connections in households.
3/31/2010 Trying to Escape the Surveillance State TIME Dan Fletcher The advocacy group Privacy International has ranked the UK just behind such nations as Russia and China in terms of its use of surveillance.
3/31/2010 German rights group drags government before constitutional court over ELENA DW-World.de Susan Houlton Lawyers for the civil rights group FoeBud have filed a formal complaint with Germany's Constitutional Court to stop the storage of employment data, contending the Electronic Wage Verification System (ELENA) violates privacy laws. 
3/31/2010 London council loses thousands of kids' details The Register John Oates London's Barnet Council has apologized to the parents of 9,000 schoolchildren after a laptop, CD and USB sticks containing the students' personal information were stolen. 
3/30/2010 EC funds PRESCIENT project on privacy implications of new technology info4security.com Michael Friedewald A three-year project funded by the European Commission will explore the privacy implications of emerging technologies ranging from identification and surveillance to biometrics and on-the-spot DNA sequencing.
3/30/2010 Google 'Street View' car sabotaged in suspected privacy protest The Local   Foes of a Google mapping feature vandalized a car used to photograph German cities and towns.
3/29/2010 Daimler warned that blood tests break German law monstersandcritics.com Deutsche Press Stuttgart's state privacy office has warned automotive company Daimler that it is breaking the law by testing the blood and urine of all job applicants.
3/29/2010 Go-ahead for ‘paperless’ NHS records Times Online Melanie Reid In spite of privacy concerns and delays with a similar project in England, The Times reports that a £44 million electronic data system intended to make the NHS paper-free has been launched by the Scottish government. 
3/26/2010 46pc of Irish don’t trust data protection laws - survey BusinessANDLeadership.com   Almost half of Irish Computer Society members taking part in a recent survey said they were not confident they would be contacted should their personal information be compromised in a data breach.
3/26/2010 Non-medical staff 'have access to health records' BBC News Jane Ashley More than 100,000 non-medical staff in NHS Trusts have access to confidential patient records, according to a recent Big Brother Watch Survey.
3/24/2010 Facebook, Google's game of online tag draws scrutiny of European privacy watchdogs Associated Press Frank Jordans European regulators are looking into whether the practice of posting photos and other information online without the consent of those featured is a breach of privacy laws.
3/24/2010 ICO to boost IT expertise Kable   The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will be staffing its policy and strategy division with more technical experts as part of its reorganisation process.
3/24/2010 Cyber Attacks Reported By 100% Of Executives Information Week Thomas Claburn In a recent survey of 115 UK executives, all reported attacks targeting corporate data within the past year and 77 percent reported their organizations have experienced a data breach in the past. 
3/22/2010 French Data protection Authority Unveils 2010 Inspections Report Privacy & Security Law Blog Hunton & Williams The French Data Protection Authority (CNIL) plans to conduct at least 300 on-site inspections in 2010, with a special focus on compliance issues.
3/22/2010 Privacy advisor calls for 'privacy by design' laws Out-law.com   EU data protection laws should change to force companies developing new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to design privacy features into them.
3/21/2010 Compensation should be paid for personal data loss, says report Telegraph.co.uk Urmee Khan A study commissioned by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and Consumer Focus recommends putting a price on privacy breaches to deter organisations from losing or misusing personal information.
3/20/2010 Government webpage for every citizen in the race to create a paperless society The Times Rachel Sylvester, Alice Thomson and Jill Sherman  Prime Minister Gordon Brown's move toward a paperless society calls for the creation of personalised Web sites and unique identifiers that would allow citizens to do everything from booking doctors' appointments to paying taxes to registering their cars from their home computers.
3/19/2010 Concerns around bank biometric system IT-Web Farzana Rasool A biometrics deal between the South African Banking Risk Information Centre and the Department of Home Affairs aimed at reducing identity theft is raising some security concerns.
3/18/2010 EU parliament reassured over concerns on Swift The Parliament Martin Banks EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding has assured members of the European Parliament that their demands for data protection concerning European bank transfers "will be guaranteed." 
3/18/2010 UK ad regulations limit collection of under-12s' data Out-law.com   Advertising industry groups have released a new code of practice that outlaws the collection of personal data from children under the age of 12 without parental consent.
3/18/2010 Privacy chiefs define 'data processor' and 'data controller' Out-law.com   The Article 29 Working Party has created guidance on two terms in the EU Data Protection Directive in order to help organizations apply the directive in practice.
3/18/2010 Educational web game by Nestlé sparks privacy concerns The Local   The German educational foundation Stiftung Lesen is facing criticism for its collaboration with food company Nestlé on a Web-based nutrition game that is being distributed to schools across the nation.
3/17/2010 Firms seek ruling on privacy of web users Irish Times   A number of major record companies have asked the High Court to rule on data protection issues based on agreements to disclose the Internet protocol (IP) addresses of people involved in music piracy.
3/17/2010 Gov’t to pass law on Data Protection soon Ghana News Dorcas Efe Mensah The government of Ghana will establish a data protection law this year, reports myjoyonline.com. Speaking at a mobile telephony event in Accra.
3/15/2010 Swedish firm offers to manage your online afterlife DW-World.de Agnes Buehrig For those who have ever wondered what will become of their social networking pages and photos or their online games, posts and blogs after they pass away, a Swedish online company may have the answer. 
3/12/2010 Info Commissioner pleads with Tories to jail data thieves The Register Chris Williams The information commissioner wants dormant legislation brought to life and is urging Tories to act.
3/12/2010 Poll: Swiss oppose ending banking secrecy Earth Times   A Swiss Bankers Association survey of more than 1,000 Swiss citizens has found that the majority oppose ending banking secrecy laws in the state. 
3/9/2010 MEPs seek delay to passenger data vote ZDNET.co.uk Tom Espiner The European Parliament Civil Liberties Committee has asked that a vote on the sharing of passenger name records with the U.S. be postponed.
3/7/2010 NHS database raises privacy fears, say doctors guardian.co.uk James Sturcke & Denis Campbell Privacy advocates, human rights activists and doctors are voicing concerns about patients' privacy rights in the creation of individual summary care records (SCR).
3/5/2010 Purcell privacy breach claim Scotland Herald Brian Currie Lawyers for the former leader of the Glasgow City Council have asked the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to investigate an alleged breach of medical information.
3/4/2010 Data Watchdog: Privacy Must Not Be An Afterthought eWEEK Europe Andrew Donoghue The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) wants businesses to put a value on personal information and invest in systems to protect it.
3/3/2010 Google May Drop Street View in EU if Photo Storage Time Is Cut Bloomberg.com Claudia Rach Google may not map the continent again if European Union data-protection regulators decide to cut the image storage time for the company's Street View service from one year to six months.
3/3/2010 German court ruling on data law sends out shock waves FT.com Quentin Peel Germany's Federal Constitutional Court this week overturned a law requiring the retention of certain communications data and ordered the immediate destruction of stored e-mail, telephone and text message data. 
3/1/2010 German court overturns law on phone, e-mail data Associated Press Melissa Eddy & Verna Schmitt-Roschmann The Federal Constitutional Court today overturned a law requiring the retention of certain communications data, describing it as "...an especially grave intrusion." 
2/28/2010 Report: Phorm's Secret Behavioral Targeting Tests Spark Criminal Probe  Online Media Daily Wendy Davis British Internet service provider BT is facing a criminal investigation for allegedly selling consumer data to a behavioural targeting company.
2/28/2010 Privacy will be protected under UIDs: Nilekani The Economic Times Nandan Nilekani The Indian government has allocated Rs.19 billion for the Unique ID Number (UID) program scheduled to roll out in late 2010, and according to Nandan Nilekani, chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority, citizens' privacy concerns are being addressed.
2/26/2010 Europe 'will not accept' three strikes in Acta treaty ZDNET.co.uk Neelie Kroes A spokesman for office of trade commissioner Karel De Gucht told ZDNet that an international anti-counterfeiting trade agreement (ACTA) being negotiated will not ignore data protection. 
2/26/2010 Privacy Bill to cost billions ITWeb Nicola Mawson The Protection of Personal Information Bill will require implementation expenditures in the billions, experts estimate. 
2/25/2010 EU privacy body wants changes to Google Street View Reuters Yoo Fun Chee European data protection officials are urging Google to shorten the period of time it stores images for its Street View online mapping feature because of privacy concerns.
2/25/2010 Ministers want to give EU-US bank data deal another try EU Observer Valentina Pop EU interior ministers have announced they support negotiating a new agreement with the U.S. on bank data transfers.
2/24/2010 Google execs guilty on privacy charges IAPP   An Italian judge convicted three Google executives on privacy violations in Milan court. 
2/24/2010 'Deutsche Telekom hit by fresh data protection allegations' Smart-Products   The federal privacy commissioner is reportedly planning an investigation into allegations that Deutsche Telekom shared another carrier's customer data.
2/24/2010 Google privacy convictions in Italy spark outrage Computerworld Jaikumar Vijayan "Stunning," "chilling," and "shear madness" are some of the words being used to describe the conviction of three Google executives in an Italian court. 
2/24/2010 French Court says an IP address is not enough for a user's identification Digital Civil Rights in Europe   A report on the Paris Appeal Court's recent ruling that an IP address does not allow the identification of an Internet user and, therefore, can be collected without the prior authorization of the French data protection authority, the CNIL. 
2/23/2010 Google rejects Berlin's privacy concerns over Street View application DW-World.de Andreas Illmer Google plans to launch the German version of its Street View mapping feature by the end of the year, but the German government says more work needs to be done to ensure the privacy of those captured in the online photos.
2/22/2010 EU Data Protection Chief Slams Secret ACTA Talks PC World Paul Meller European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx has criticized those involved in an international anti-counterfeiting trade agreement for secretly negotiating a deal that would potentially violate data protection requirements.
2/20/2010 Facebook comes under German law The Local   Facebook has opened shop in Hamburg, which means it can face prosecution in Germany for privacy violations.
2/19/2010 Cell Phone Data: Can You Track Me Now? National Public Radio Steve Inskeep Northeastern University researchers used the cell phone billing data of 50,000 Europeans to determine people's predictability. 
2/18/2010 New EU data transfer rules bear ICC imprint finchannel.com   A report on the European Commission's newly revised Standard Contractual Clauses for global data transfers. 
2/17/2010 Bulgaria's Parliament approves eavesdropping act Sofia Echo Rene Beekman Bulgaria's Parliament approved the second reading of amendments to the Electronic Communications Act after concessions were made to quell privacy concerns.
2/16/2010 Orange users angered over response to e-mail data breach Computer Weekly Ian Grant Customers of a telecommunications provider are unhappy with the company's response to their complaints about a data breach.
2/15/2010 Yahoo! deal with Nectar will link online ads with offline purchases Out-law.com   Yahoo and Nectar have teamed up on a behavioural targeting program that will link customers' offline and online shopping data.
2/15/2010 Massive security breach suspected at Latvian tax office Earth Times DPA Police are investigating a breach of Latvia's State Revenue Service (VID).
2/15/2010 Hurdles confront e-health across Europe EU Observer Helena Spongenberg Privacy concerns are a key factor slowing the deployment of e-health across Europe.
2/12/2010 Finnish police probe Google for privacy breach Google   Finnish police are investigating whether Google's Street View mapping feature has breached privacy legislation.
2/12/2010 Bodies subjected to ICO audit will escape immediate fines Out-law.com   The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has announced that while it does not plan to use its new power to levy fines for data protection law breaches if the incidents are discovered during one of its audits, organisations could face fines of up to £500,000 if breaches are not resolved in a timely manner.
2/11/2010 CCS seeks tighter privacy safeguards in NATGRID proposal The Times of India   Privacy concerns have stalled the home ministry's plans to set up the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID).
2/11/2010 Charities not exempt from data protection laws, says ICO Computer Weekly Warwick Ashford The Alzheimer's Society has signed a formal undertaking to improve security after the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found it in breach of the Data Protection Act.
2/11/2010 Another View: Why Privacy Matters to the Swiss New York Times   James Nason explains the history of the Swiss tradition of banking secrecy and tells why privacy must not be sacrificed "on the altar of international cooperation in tax matters." 
2/10/2010 Consultation on the Assessment Notices Code of Practice Information Commissioner's Office   A draft code for consultation related to the Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) extended data protection audit powers is now open on the ICO's Web site. 
2/8/2010 Model clauses for overseas transfers of personal data updated Out-law.com   European companies will have to use new standard clauses in contracts controlling overseas data transfers as a result of a decision adopted by the European Commission (EC).
2/7/2010 Google 'Street View' hits fresh privacy snag The Local DDP German Consumer Minister Ilse Aigner wants more privacy safeguards for Google's Street View, calling it a "million-fold violation of the private sphere." 
2/4/2010 MEPs reject EU-US counter-terrorism deal on sharing of personal financial data Times Online David Charter Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee has rejected a deal that allowed bank data from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Transactions (SWIFT) to be shared with the U.S.
2/4/2010 UK Home Office Responds to EC Internet Privacy and Phorm Probe ISPreview Mark J The UK Home Office has responded to the European Commission (EC) about Internet privacy concerns.
2/3/2010 UK could get icons on behavioural ads Out-law.com   Britain's online advertising trade body, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), will roll out a global icon intended to alert Internet users to the presence of targeted ads.
2/3/2010 Furore over plan to buy stolen tax data The Independent Tony Paterson German Chancellor Angela Merkel is drawing criticism from her own Christian Democratic party over her intention to buy stolen data on about 1,500 German taxpayers who hold Swiss bank accounts.
2/3/2010 Why Germany Is Paying Ransom for Stolen Data TIME  Tristana Moore Despite privacy concerns voiced by many officials including the data protection commissioner, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaüble has announced the government will purchase the financial data on some 1,500 individuals with Swiss bank accounts.
1/31/2010 Swiss Bank Data Offered to Germany Wall Street Journal David Crawford An unnamed person has offered the German government data on about 1,500 German taxpayers who hold Swiss bank accounts, and Berlin is said to be considering the offer.
1/30/2010 FSA set to hit Skipton with heavy fine for data breach Mail Online Jeff Prestridge Skipton Building Society, a mortgage lender, is alerting more than 3,000 customers that their personal data was mailed out to other customers.
1/29/2010 Not so SWIFT Spiegel Online DSL The European Parliament seems poised to reject a deal that would allow the sharing of European bank transfer data with the U.S. government.
1/29/2010 EU Commission outlines plans to strengthen privacy law Out-law.com   Incoming EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has announced plans to strengthen the 1995 Data Protection Directive to include requirements that new technologies and processes include privacy by design.
1/28/2010 Telecoms: European Commission launches legal action against Italy over databases for telemarketing purposes Europa Press Release The European Commission (EC) on Thursday took legal action against Italy for non-compliance with EU ePrivacy rules.
1/28/2010 New EU laws to target Facebook euobserver.com Leigh Philips The European Commission is planning comprehensive new laws to protect Internet users' privacy.
1/27/2010 ICO Warns Organisations To Report Data Breaches Or Face Tougher Sanctions eGov Monitor Information Commissioner's Office The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a warning to UK businesses: report your breaches or face stiff sanctions.
1/26/2010 EU to assess piracy detection software BBC News   Privacy International has asked the European Commission to look into the legality of anti-piracy software used by some ISPs to monitor for illegal file sharing.
1/26/2010 Is Africa's privacy under threat? BBC News   New anti-crime policies in Ghana and Nigeria requiring mobile phone service subscribers to register their phones with the user's verified name and address are raising questions about personal privacy on the African continent.
1/26/2010 Defects in e-passports allow real-time tracking The Register Dan Goodin Researchers in the UK claim to have identified a flaw in electronic passports being issued by the UK, U.S. and as many as 50 other countries that allow electronic eavesdroppers to track document holders as they enter and exit buildings.
1/26/2010 Reding to move swiftly on Internet privacy euractiv.com   On Thursday, January 28--International Data Protection Day--Viviane Reding, the European Union's new commissioner in charge of fundamental rights, will spell out her agenda for Internet privacy.
1/24/2010 For sale: Personal details of millions of Ladbrokes gamblers, offered to the MoS by a mysterious Australian Mail Online Jason Lewis A data theft has hit British bookmaker Ladbrokes, compromising the confidential data of 4.5 million of the gambling house's customers.
1/19/2010 Google to Call for Creation of EU Privacy, Security Panel PC World Paul Meller Google says that the recent hack of its Chinese operation shows why it needs to retain user search data and will this week call on the Article 29 Working Party to establish a privacy and security panel to encourage productive dialogue on the proper use and protection of such data.
1/19/2010 Online privacy, is it still a necessity? Silicon.com Benny Thomas Around the world, changes in Internet technology have sparked dialog about the importance, need and relevance of privacy in the digital age.
1/19/2010 German DPA Fines Drugstore Chain €137,500 for Illegal Collection of Health Data Privacy and Information Security Law Blog Hunton & Williams Germany's Data Protection Authority (DPA) has fined pharmaceutical chain Müller Group €137,500 for retaining illegally collected healthcare data, and for failing to hire a data protection officer.
1/19/2010 Legislation to pave way for DNA database Irish Examiner   A 143-page bill published this week in Ireland will allow gardaí (police) to take DNA samples from suspects and prisoners currently serving sentences for serious crimes.
1/18/2010 Greek privacy watchdog likely to allow Street View ajc.com Associated Press In a decision seen as opening the door for Google Street View, the Greek Data Protection Authority (DPA) has given the okay for kapou.gr to provide its panoramic street-level image service.
1/18/2010 Parliament threatens to derail EU-US bank data deal European Observer Valentina Pop The European Parliament has threatened to block financial data transfers between EU member nations and the U.S. under the SWIFT agreement unless it gets answers to questions it has asked of Spain and Switzerland.
1/15/2010 Half of employers check Facebook PC Advisor Carrie-Ann Skinner According to a new report, 53 percent of all UK employers review the public profiles of job candidates before making a hire, and 20 percent say they have rejected candidates based on what they have found.
1/14/2010 Consumer views on data-driven marketing polarise Marketing Week   According to a new poll, 95 percent of the UK's Internet users say they are interested in receiving online marketing tailored to their interests. 
1/12/2010 Documents adopted by the Data Protection Working Party 2009 europa.eu   The Article 29 Data Protection Working Party has deemed that Israel offers an adequate level of data protection. 
1/12/2010 Government confirms £500,000 fines for worst data protection offenders Out-law.com   The UK government has approved larger fines for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act.
1/12/2010 Reding stresses Charter of Fundamental Rights for new post EuroPolitics Anna Jenkinson Speaking to members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in Brussels, commissioner-designate Viviane Reding outlined her top priority areas should she be confirmed to the post of Commissioner of Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship.
1/12/2010 High court asks cell companies to respect privacy of customers DNAIndia.com Hetal Vyas Cellular telecommunications companies in India this week received a sharp reprimand from a Bombay court which ruled Vodaphone violated consumer privacy rights by sharing database information with call centers and other organizations.
1/11/2010 Is true love in your genes? How DNA testing could track down your Mr Right dailymail.co.uk Sarah Hughes Today's progressive dating services may seek to go beyond a picture and a paragraph, but tomorrow's online matchmakers may ask for a DNA sample to find your soulmate. 
1/7/2010 Your tax return can soon become public property via RTI DNAIndia.com Ashutosh Shukla DNA India reports that a recent Right to Information Act ruling could result in making individual tax returns available to any citizen who asks for a copy. 
1/7/2010 Home secretary: ID register contains NI numbers ZDNET.co.uk Alan Johnson Home Secretary Alan Johnson confirmed for Parliament this week that among the data included in the country's National Identification Registry are National Insurance numbers as well as challenge questions used to speed the customer service process.
1/6/2010 IAPP Announces Appointments to New European Advisory Board IAPP   The IAPP has announced new members for its European Advisory Board. 
1/5/2010 France three strikes law delayed by govt's own data watchdog ARS Technica Nate Anderson France's Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL), established in the 1970s to review national legislation for potential privacy impacts, is holding up enactment of a pending "three strikes" law for online copyright infringers.
1/1/2010 'Monster' German employee database goes online DW-World.de Chuck Penfold In what has been described as Germany's "largest ever data acquisition program," ELENA--a new employment database--began operation on January 1. 
12/27/2009 Data protection commissioner warns over social networking sites DW-World.de Andreas Illmer German data protection commissioner Peter Schaar has proposed an independent ratings agency to alert users to the risks of social networking.
12/27/2009 Hospital keeps secret DNA file Times Online Mark Tighe The Data Protection Commissioner has expressed shock about a Dublin hospital's database of infants' DNA.
12/23/2009 Google Rests Its Defense of Executives in Italian Privacy Case New York Times Eric Sylvers Lawyers for Google made their final remarks in a Milan court late last month in the criminal case against four company executives accused of privacy violations. 
12/18/2009 Google to comply with Swiss court on Street View Reuters   Google says it will comply with an anticipated Swiss court ruling about its Street View Web feature.
12/18/2009 EU justice chief plans civil code, privacy laws  euractiv.com   The world has changed since 1995 and Viviane Reding plans to do something about it. 
12/17/2009 Google Defends Itself in Italian Court New York Times Eric Sylvers At a behind-closed-doors hearing in Milan on Wednesday, Google lawyers told the court that the company is not responsible for objectionable videos posted to its Google Video Web site.
12/16/2009 Google lawyers begin closing arguments in Italian trial Computerworld Philip Willan Lawyers representing four Google executives on trial for privacy and defamation charges presented their closing arguments in an Italian court.
12/16/2009 Unique identification number from February 2011 Business News IANS During a recent talk, an Indian official said the country should develop a comprehensive privacy law.
12/15/2009 School admits loss of 1,000 student and staff personal details Out-law.com   A Birmingham school will improve security on portable devices and will train staff on data security following its loss of personal information on 1,200 students and staff members.
12/14/2009 Controversial new ID cards coming in 2010 The Local Kristen Allen The German government this week confirmed that a controversial new identification card will be issued to all German citizens beginning November 1, 2010.
12/13/2009 Google Faces a Different World in Italy New York Times Eric Pfanner As the criminal defamation and privacy suit against four Google executives proceeds in Italy, observers from around the globe watch with interest and trepidation. 
12/11/2009 Privacy Advocate Speaks out against Virgin’s use of CView Technology UKcheapBroadband Francis  Privacy advocates are speaking out over anti-piracy technology being used by Virgin Media to protect its properties from theft via file sharing.
12/10/2009 Kazakh President Signs 'Privacy' Law Radio Free Europe   Kazakhstanis are now protected against "unsanctioned interference into an individual's private life," thanks to a new law signed on December 8 by President Nursultan Nazarbaev."
12/10/2009 Online Advent calendars collecting children's personal information The Local   German consumer protection advocates are warning parents to watch for online Advent calendars that might collect their child's personal information in exchange for the promise of prizes.
12/10/2009 Bulgaria Bill to Track Internet Communication Passes First Step novinite.com   A bill to give the Interior Ministry control of telephone and Internet communications has been adopted at its first reading.
12/9/2009 ICO launches online privacy consultation Computeractive Dinah Greek The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has posted a new set of draft guidelines to their Web site.
12/9/2009 Behavioral targeting makes its way to the Arabic web AMEinfo.com   A handful of Web sites operating in the Middle East for primarily Arabic audiences have begun adopting behavioral targeting (BT) techniques to better learn the browsing habits of their users, and to create a more compelling advertising model.
12/8/2009 Israel tests biometric database The Register John Oates Israel's Knesset has voted in favor of a bill to establish a compulsory biometric database for all citizens.
12/8/2009 Security database super-agency's powers should be limited, says EU privacy watchdog Out-law.com   European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx is okay with the creation of an agency tasked with monitoring EU travel and asylum databases, but has said that any such agency must have limits on its power established from the outset. 
12/8/2009 Browser Settings Satisfy New EU Cookie Law, Says IAB clickZ.com Jack Marshall The UK and European chapters of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) believe that a consumer's ability to use browser settings to control the use of digital cookies is sufficient to satisfy a new non-binding EU directive.
12/8/2009 La Cour de cassation juge partiellement illicite le code interne de conduite de Dassault nouvelobs.com   The French Supreme Court ruled yesterday on the lawfulness of a whistleblowing system.
12/7/2009 Data breach by Anglo Irish Bank affects UK clients BBC News   The Belfast office of Anglo Irish Bank is notifying hundreds of customers that their personal financial information was breached.
12/4/2009 UK ICO is looking at Lost Laptop The Inquirer David Neal The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) confirmed on Friday that it is looking into the practices of Lost Laptop.
12/2/2009 Civil liberties groups ask EU to repeal data retention directive EDRI.org   Two civil liberties groups have called for the repeal of the 2006 data retention directive.
12/2/2009 Blacklisting - ICO demands powers to inspect firms' data ComputerWeekly Phil Chaimberlain The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is calling for the authority to conduct data-protection spot-checks at private companies.
11/30/2009 Contrôles : la CNIL devra informer préalablement les entreprises de leurs droits lesechos.fr Associated Press The appeal court has ruled that, prior to an onsite investigation, the French data protection agency--the CNIL--must inform the data controller of its legal right to object to the investigation and to require that the investigation be ordered by a judge.
11/30/2009 Seven in 10 parents demand compulsory online privacy lessons Telegraph.co.uk Urmee Khan Seven of 10 British parents want compulsory online privacy lessons to be part of the national curriculum.
11/30/2009 Viviane Reding picked to re-write EU data protection laws CSO Paul Meller European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has tasked Viviane Reding with rewriting the bloc's data protection laws.
11/30/2009 Obama to target banks with new levy  Financial Times   Britain's Information Commissioner says data protection must become a "board-level issue" at companies.
11/30/2009 Shredded patient records deliver a gift-wrapped data breach Computer Weekly Tony Collins The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has ruled on the Verity Trustees data breach, while hospital officials look into a breach of patient privacy, according to reports. 
11/27/2009 Call for data jail sentences after police wrongly hand over sensitive information ComputerworldUK Leo King The Information Commissioner says current fines for violations of the Data Protection Act are ineffective at deterring wrongdoers and that jail sentences should be standard.
11/26/2009 2010 pressure mounts on privacy Bill IT Web Alex Kayle The government is applying pressure for the 2010 passage of the Protection of Personal Information Bill, but some say parliament might not be able to pass it next year.
11/26/2009 The former Information Commissioner speaks on social networking, insider threats and the future of punishments SC Magazine Dan Raywood SC Magazine spoke with former Information Commissioner Richard Thomas about today's data protection landscape. 
11/25/2009 Milan prosecutors seek prison sentences for Google execs Computerworld Philip Willan The criminal trial against four Google executives accused of violating Italian privacy laws resumed in Milan court. 
11/24/2009 No Roman Holiday: Google Execs Avoid Italy As Criminal Trial Proceeds Online Media Daily Wendy Davis The criminal trial against four Google executives accused of violating Italian privacy laws resumes in Milan court.
11/24/2009 Police arrest people just to create DNA records, claims ex-officer     A government advisory body says that police in England and Wales are capitalizing on opportunities to arrest people for the purpose of adding their DNA to the National DNA Database.
11/24/2009 U.S., Canada will share refugee fingerprints CBC News   The U.S. will begin sharing refugee fingerprints with Canada, Australia and Britain to help crack down on immigration fraud.
11/24/2009 European Commission welcomes European Parliament approval of sweeping reforms to strengthen competition and consumer rights on Europe’s telecoms markets EUROPA   After some last-minute tweaking by Member States, the European Parliament cast a final vote to approve the EU telecoms reform package during a plenary session in Strasbourg.
11/19/2009 Spanish payment breach prompts huge German card recall The Register John Leyden A report that the possible breach of a Spanish payment processor has resulted in the largest-ever recall of German payment cards. 
11/19/2009 Telemarketing: su nuove norme il Garante privacy esprime perplessità e preoccupazione GarantePrivacy.it   Parliament has amended the telephone and marketing section of the Italian Data Protection Code to favor an opt-out and Robinson list regime for telemarketers, according to the Italian Data Protection Authority (IDPA). 
11/17/2009 Former Information Commissioner claims that poor data cleansing and records management will be the next growth area for data protection SC Magazine Dan Raywood The former British Information Commissioner says data cleansing and records management will be the next big areas of growth for data protection.
11/17/2009 T-Mobile admits employee sold private data canada.com Peter Griffiths British Information Commissioner Christopher Graham is investigating the illegal sale of customer records by an employee at mobile phone operator T-Mobile.
11/17/2009 French Senate Issues New Legislation to Amend Data Protection Act: Provisions Include Breach Notice Obligation and Consent for Use of Cookies Privacy and Information Security Law Blog Hunton & Williams The French Senate has proposed a new draft law to reinforce the right to privacy in the digital age.
11/16/2009 Commission forms industry body to solve behavioural advertising problems Out-law.com   During a speech at the BEUC consumer privacy forum in Brussels last week, European Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva said that further investigation into the practice of behavioral targeting is needed and the EC has established the "Stakeholder Forum on Fair Data Collection" to move forward the discussion. 
11/16/2009 Eitan: Biometric system a danger to democratic regime Jerusalem Post Staff Writer A government minister told Israel Radio that passage of the Biometrics Bill would present a danger to democracy.
11/16/2009 London medical records go online BBC News   Millions of patient records will go digital in London when the government launches its Electronic Summary Care Records program.
11/15/2009 East Africa: Why Privacy On Internet Must Be Addressed AllAfrica.com Julius Torach The question of privacy must be addressed in order to boost consumer confidence in e-commerce, according to Julius Torach. 
11/13/2009 Google faces court action over Street View swissinfo.ch   Swiss Data Protection Commissioner Hanspeter Thür says he will bring a case against Google at the Federal Administrative Court.
11/13/2009 Probe over access to patient data BBC News   NHS Hull is investigating an incident that exposed the confidential medical data of 350 patients.
11/11/2009 Europe Approves New Cookie Law Wall Street Journal Marisa Taylor The European Council has approved a new law that will require Web users to consent to receiving Internet cookies.
11/11/2009 £500K fines for data protection breaches - consultation begins Computer Weekly Tony Collins The Ministry of Justice has begun a consultation on whether to let the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) impose financial penalties up to 500,000 pounds for serious data breaches.
11/11/2009 'Unacceptable' level of data loss BBC News   The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says the number of data loss incidents has risen to an "unacceptable" level over the past year and that more management teams need to take seriously data protection.
11/11/2009 M50 toll details to be protected Irish Times Elaine Edwards The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has reached an agreement with a toll operator on the information it retains about motorists.
11/11/2009 'Unacceptable' level of data loss BBC News   The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says the number of data loss incidents has risen to an "unacceptable" level over the past year and that more management teams need to take seriously data protection.
11/6/2009 EU Proposal Could Cripple Common Web Ad Practices clickZ.com Jack Marshall A report on a proposed amendment to the EU privacy directive that would require online advertisers to gain users' opt-in consent before placing cookies on their systems for the purpose of delivering targeted ads. 
11/4/2009 Tight controls urged in use of personal data The Irish Times Dick Ahlstrom The Irish Council of Bioethics has published a report urging the government to consider tighter controls on the use of biometric information to ensure the information is used properly. 
11/3/2009 Telcos' data breach notification amendment is passed Out-law.com   The European Commission passed an amendment to the EU Directive that would require telecommunications companies to notify their customers in the event of a data breach.
11/3/2009 Protecting your virtual privacy physorg.com Tel Aviv University Researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU) and the University of Haifa say they have identified shortcomings in security policy that puts the privacy of Israeli citizens at risk.
11/3/2009 High costs of privacy Bill ITWeb Audra Mahlong A pilot project designed to test implementation of a new system to protect personal information processed by government and businesses will cost approximately R35 million.
11/3/2009 Experts to hash out global data privacy rules in Spain Google Associated Press More than 1,000 privacy leaders representing many of the world's governments have convened upon Madrid to discuss international standards for managing and protecting personally identifiable information.
11/3/2009 Indian Business Consultant Says U.S. Largely Responsible For Demand For Black Market Medical Records advanceweb.com Jay Vance India's medical transcription industry recently came under fire following reports in the UK media that it is a major source of black market personal healthcare information for Britons.
11/2/2009 Brussels criticises UK on privacy BBC News   The European Commission (EC) has issued a stern warning against the UK government for failing to protect the rights of its citizens when it allowed British Telecom (BT) to conduct a trial of the controversial behavioral targeting platform Phorm in 2006.
11/2/2009 New BBC investigation reveals insecurity of publicly available WiFi SC Magazine Dan Raywood According to a study by the group Watchdog, the top three providers of WiFi Internet access in the UK have left their networks vulnerable to attack by hackers.
11/2/2009 Europe's own surveillance state guardian.co.uk Stephen Booth Stephen Booth of the think tank Open Europe warns that the scale of pervasive surveillance in the UK, whose citizens he characterizes as "among the most surveilled in the democratic world," will be matched--and exceeded--by policy makers for the European Union and that citizens' data collected by the UK government may well be at risk of exposure across Europe. 
10/31/2009 Health Scan: Children's genetic privacy must be protected Jerusalem Post Judy Siegel-Itzkovich A report that Tel Aviv University (TAU) researcher Dr. David Gurwitz, along with colleagues from Canada and Holland, has written a warning in Science magazine against the collection and sharing of children's genetic information. 
10/30/2009 Government agency puts job seekers' data at risk The Local   German citizens whose sensitive personal information is stored on Federal Employment Agency computer systems may be at risk of a data breach.
10/29/2009 Telecoms: Commission steps up UK legal action over privacy and personal data protection europa.eu   The European Commission (EC) has taken another step in its infringement proceeding over the UK regarding privacy laws. 
10/29/2009 Daimler slammed for controversial blood tests Deutsche Welle Julie Gregson A German data protection official says that the pre-employment blood tests carried out by Daimler are illegal and that the data must be deleted.
10/27/2009 'Dutch naive about privacy protection' DutchNews   European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx said that while their European counterparts are becoming more concerned about protecting their privacy, the Dutch seem less concerned.
10/27/2009 Brussels to tighten data protection rules  euractiv.com   The European Commission will review EU privacy rules in 2010.
10/27/2009 UK data losses keep growing The Register John Oates Using a freedom of information request, an infrastructure company obtained information on the numbers of self-reported data losses in the 11-month period between November 2008 and September 2009, finding that 356 government and private organizations voluntarily reported incidents to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) during that time.
10/27/2009 Commission considers wider-ranging data breach notification law Out-law.com   The European Commission (EC) says it will consider extending data breach notification requirements beyond the telecommunications sector.
10/24/2009 Britons Weary of Surveillance in Minor Cases New York Times Sarah Lyall Local governments in Britain are authorized to carry out secret surveillance when deemed necessary, and localities have exercised these powers to investigate illegal dumping, barking dogs and welfare fraud, among other violations. 
10/22/2009 More time needed for privacy bill ITWeb Audra Mahlong Business associations are calling on the South African government to allow more time for compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Bill.
10/22/2009 Norway publishes all tax returns online Toronto Star Ian MacDougall The Norwegian government has released 2008 taxpayers' data and the media is exercising its right to disseminate it online.
10/22/2009 Police forces challenged over files held on law-abiding protesters Guardian Rob Evens and Paul Lewis The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is looking into a database that houses information on law-abiding citizens who attend public demonstrations.
10/22/2009 Security Flaws Discovered in Calif. EDD Website CBS 5 Local News Anna Werner The Swiss foreign ministry announced a shutdown of its computer system after a "professional virus attack" allowed hackers in.
10/21/2009 France pushes the introduction of EDVIGE project through the back door edri.org   The French government published decrees this week indicating plans to reintroduce the intelligence database EDVIGE.
10/20/2009 Private Medical Records Offered For Sale E-Health Europe Jon Hoeksma Reporters posing as a marketing executives were able to purchase the medical records of London Clinic patients from sales executives in India.
10/19/2009 Experts warn of data misuse after student site hacking The Local   Hackers stole the sensitive personal information of users of the SchülerVZ social networking site, prompting Germany's data protection commissioner to warn young Internet users to take care in what they post online.
10/19/2009 MPs call for stricter regulation of behavioural advertising Out-law.com   MPs and Lords are calling for legislation to make illegal the practice of behavioural advertising without the consent of Internet users.
10/17/2009 OFT casts a wide net for online privacy inquiry FT.com Maija Palmer Britain's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has joined regulators in the U.S., EU and Canada in taking a closer look at the practice of behavioral targeting.
10/16/2009 MPs call for one, simplified privacy law ZDNET.co.uk   The All Party Parliamentary Communications Group says Britain should have one privacy law to protect citizens in the online and offline environments.
10/16/2009 Survey: Call centre data standards 'routinely ignored' The Register   A survey of 133 call centre managers has revealed that nearly all store sensitive customer information in call recordings despite rules against such storage.
10/15/2009 Jail threat for misuse of personal data eHealth Insider Lyn Whitfield The Ministry of Justice has published proposals that would increase penalties for those who "knowingly or recklessly" misuse data.
10/13/2009 Single card for residents next year The National Marten Youssef The United Arab Emirates have announced a plan to consolidate all forms of national identification onto a single card with a single application process. 
10/12/2009 Stolen NHS laptops recovered infosecurity.com   Thanks to remote memory wiping, four stolen laptop computers containing National Health Service data pose no threat to patient privacy, a spokesman for the Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust said, explaining that the computers also did not contain patient information.
10/11/2009 Smart meters could be 'spy in the home'  Telegraph.co.uk Alastair Jamieson A report that new "smart" utility meters will soon replace the old, familiar devices and allow electric companies--and the government--to determine what appliances are being used, and measure homeowners' energy-conservation efforts. 
10/11/2009 Ninety-seven Percent of Employees Doubt Businesses' Ability to Protect Their Customers From Identity Fraud .Net Developer's Journal PR Newswire It is National Identity Fraud Prevention Week (NIDFPW) in the UK and the occasion was recognized with a pair of studies that underscored the need for greater awareness and attention to issues of privacy protection in that country.
10/9/2009 Romanian constitutional court: data retention law unconstitutional The Sofia Echo   Romania's constitutional court has deemed a law requiring mobile operators and Internet service providers to store communication data for six months unconstitutional.
10/8/2009 Online Privacy: European Commission Releases New Report Urging Member States For More Action eGov Monitor European Commission A recent study released by the European Commission found that EU member nations are doing more to protect the privacy of their citizens, but still have a long way to go in instituting policies to address the many threats to their sensitive, personal data. 
10/7/2009 EU minister calls for Internet privacy UPI.com United Press United Press International reports that EU Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding said that the proliferation of minors posting personal information to Web sites, and social networking utilities in particular, constitutes a threat to children's privacy and that new legislation is needed to address the issue. 
10/1/2009 Data watchdog jacks up charges The Register Chris Williams For the first time since the Data Protection Act came into force in 2000, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has raised its annual registry fee for some data controllers.
9/29/2009 Google presents defense in Italian bullying video case Computerworld Philip Willan The criminal trial against four Google executives accused of violating Italian privacy laws as a result of a disparaging video posted to Google Video resumed in Milan court, where a Google engineer and co-creator of Google Video defended the company's actions. 
9/29/2009 Fight against corruption: Conference marking GRECO´s 10th anniversary Council of Europe   A Council of Europe committee is seeking comments from the private sector on its draft of the "Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data in the Framework of Profiling" document. 
9/28/2009 Report:  Google accused of violating Italian law Computerworld Philip Willan A Milan prosecutor has criticized Google for its handling of e-mail communications.
9/27/2009 Now drivers' details sold by DVLA are used in bizarre roadside adverts for Castrol Mail Online Christopher Leake The oil firm Castrol has suspended an ad campaign that used vehicle registration information to tailor billboard ads to motorists.
9/26/2009 Genetic disease patients may lose privacy rights to protect families Times Online David Rose Britain's General Medical Council (GMC) released updated guidance on confidentiality that obligates physicians to notify the relatives of those who have been diagnosed with a genetic disease.
9/25/2009 Startling memo on retaining data Irish Times Karlin Lillington A memorandum of understanding (MoU) obtained by the Irish Times outlines an agreement between state agencies and the telecommunications industry on the implementation of data retention legislation. 
9/23/2009 EU to renegotiate banking data transfter agreement with the U.S. examiner.com Tejinder Singh A report on the confirmation of European Union plants to renegotiate the terms of a data-sharing deal with U.S. authorities. 
9/22/2009 Personal information online' code for promoting good web practice Information World Review IWR News Desk The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will release a code of practice on using personal information online.
9/22/2009 Phorm cuts losses as it faces down criticism of 'big brother' technology The Independent Nick Clark Behavioral advertising platform provider Phorm posted a $15 million operating loss for the first half of 2009, but says it has a "strong future" in its home market and $30 million in reserve.
9/22/2009 10 000 euros d’amende pour avoir installé une vidéosurveillance permanente des salariés Cnil   For the first time, a CEO has been held personally, criminally liable for a breach of the Data Protection Act. 
9/21/2009 The French data protection agency issues recommendations regarding employees' privacy Attorney Project   The French Data Protection Agency (CNIL) has issued recommendations surrounding employers' collection of employees' personal details in preparation for potential high absenteeism in the coming months.
9/18/2009 Privacy and data protection in the European Union Help Net Security Berislav Kucan European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx discussed data protection and privacy at the ENISA NIS Summer School. 
9/17/2009 Israel: Debate on "Biometrics Data Bank Law" Proposal New Tang Dynasty Television   A report on the proposed Biometrics Data Bank law, which would create government-controlled electronic databanks for storing citizens' biometric information. 
9/16/2009 EU poses conditions on US access to bank account info MSN   EU officials said yesterday that firm data protection guarantees are needed in order for it to continue sharing interbank transfer data with the United States.
9/16/2009 Tories outline plans to shrink 'surveillance state' The Guardian Alan Travis The Tories pledge to dial back what they call "the rise of the surveillance state" by scrapping two databases and giving the Information Commissioner more power.
9/15/2009 In Sweden, 'Pirates' Make the Web A Political Cause National Public Radio Jerome Socolovsky National Public Radio reports on Europe's Pirate Party, a group that started in Sweden, but has grown to dozens of other European countries. 
9/15/2009 France to vote on new privacy bill BBC News   The French National Assembly today will vote on a proposed bill to cut the Internet connections of those who download files illegally. 
9/15/2009 French 'pass' piracy legislation BBC News   The French National Assembly yesterday passed a draft law that would allow authorities to cut the Internet connections of those who download files illegally.
9/14/2009 Data protection review of the use of "smart" analyzer (smart meters) for the measurement of energy delivered datenschutzzentrum.de   The Independent Center for Privacy Protection Schleswig-Holstein has released a detailed report on data privacy in the smart grid environment. 
9/14/2009 Watchdog barks again at Google Street View swissinfo.ch   Swiss Data Protection Commissioner Hanspeter Thür is still not satisfied with Google's efforts to protect the privacy of those captured in images for its Street View mapping feature.
9/13/2009 25,000 march for more privacy from authorities The Local   More than 25,000 marched the streets of Berlin to demand better data protection standards and to protest Internet monitoring.
9/13/2009 England village covers Google lens Los Angeles Times Henry Chu A report on the European backlash against Google's Street View mapping feature. 
9/9/2009 67% of French Organizations Hit By One or More Data Breach Incidents Within Last...  Reuters Ponemon Institute The majority of French organizations polled for a new Ponemon Institute study revealed they have experienced one or more data breach incidents in the past year. 
9/5/2009 School fingerprints pupils to monitor absenteeism Irish Examiner Jimmy Woulfe Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes has contacted a secondary school about its use of a high-tech fingerprint system to monitor students' attendance.
9/3/2009 Scottish gov't plans personal data cull zdnet.co.uk Kable With fears growing over the government's ability to protect citizens' from data breaches and the misuse of personal information collected and stored in massive centralized databases, the Scottish government announced a plan to limit the collection of personal data. 
9/2/2009 Information Commissioner's Office 'let down' over illegal snooping Guardian Caroline Davies and James Robinson UK Information Commissioner Christopher Graham expressed disappointment before the Commons media select committee over courts' and parliament's inaction in preventing the burgeoning trade of personal information.
9/2/2009 Google pledges more blurring in Switzerland Associated Press   Google met the deadline for getting back to Swiss Data Protection Commissioner Hans-Peter Thür with plans for improving privacy protections in its Street View mapping feature.
9/1/2009 Scottish Government consults on data privacy to improve public confidence PublicTechnology.net Editor The Scottish government published new proposed data protection principles aimed at increasing public confidence in the handling of private data.
9/1/2009 Germany: Google book deal violates copyright law Reuters Diane Bartz Germany's deputy director general of the Directorate Commercial and Economic Law filed opposition to a proposed settlement that would allow Google to digitize and sell millions of books.
8/28/2009 U.K. launches privacy initiative Network World Dave Kearns The Information Commissioner's Office has embarked on research to determine the business case for proactively investing in privacy protection. 
8/27/2009 Privacy body to look into passport copying DutchNews.nl   The Dutch privacy authority will launch an investigation into hotels' practice of photocopying guests' passports.
8/26/2009 Home Office admits full extent of USB data loss V3.co.uk Phil Muncaster The Home Office has revised the amount of data lost when contractor PA Consulting misplaced a memory stick last year.
8/25/2009 Privacy watchdog raps Sutton over data loss ZDNET.co.uk   The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has reprimanded the London Borough of Sutton for lax data protection practices.
8/25/2009 Google to cooperate over privacy concerns swissinfo.ch   Following meetings with Google representatives yesterday, Swiss Data Protection Commissioner Hans-Peter Thür said the company has promised to, within a week, inform him how it will improve its Street View mapping product to comply with Swiss law.
8/24/2009 Swiss Official Demands Shutdown of Google Street View New York Times Associated Press Google launched the Swiss version of its Street View mapping service last week, but on Friday federal Data Protection Commissioner Hanspeter Thür demanded the company shut it down until it can come into compliance with Swiss law by obscuring the identities of those captured in the images.
8/22/2009 Watchdog calls for Street View to disappear swissinfo.ch   Swiss Data Protection Commissioner Hans-Peter Thür wants Google to shut down the Swiss version of its Street View application until the company can rectify problems associated with blurring the identities of those captured in images.
8/20/2009 Office of Fair Trading to investigate targeted ads and pricing online Guardian Mark Sweeney The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) announced it will investigate behavioural targeting provider Phorm.
8/19/2009 UBS Tax Deal With U.S. May Come as Soon as Today New York Times   Details could come as soon as today on the tax settlement reached between U.S. and Swiss authorities. 
8/19/2009 Radisson Hotels: Data breach affected 'limited' number of sites, guests ComputerWorld John Cox Radisson Hotels is reporting a data breach that may have exposed the credit and debit card data of a "limited" number of guests.
8/18/2009 Finance company identifies 294 recipients of non-payment legal threat Out-law.com   A finance company says "human error" is to blame for the inadvertent release of 294 client e-mail addresses.
8/18/2009 Privacy watchdog warns EU bank on data processing Out-law.com   The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has issued an opinion on proposed changes to an EU Regulation on European Central Bank (ECB) data transfer activities
8/17/2009 EDPS sets some recommendations to ensure security and confidentiality in human organ transplantations Directive euroalert.net   The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) is recommending amendments to the data protection provisions in the organ donation and transplantation directive.
8/14/2009 Privacy law gets Cabinet nod ITWeb Paul Vecchiatto South African Cabinet members approved the Protection of Personal Information Bill for Parliamentary review.
8/12/2009 UPS promises security overhaul in wake of pay data lapse Out-law.com   Delivery firm UPS lost a laptop containing sensitive and unencrypted payroll information on 9,150 employees and will now encrypt its laptops and smartphones in Europe and the UK.
8/12/2009 Israel Poised To Pass National I.D. Databse Law The Forward Nathan Jeffay Israeli's Knesset will vote on a bill this fall that would establish identity cards and an accompanying database containing the biometric information of all citizens.
8/10/2009 A snoop too far as state bodies take an increasing interest in us Mail Online   Articles in two UK newspapers express outrage over what they view as the country's transformation into a surveillance state. 
8/10/2009 More action needed to fight spammers and protect online privacy, says Commission report europa.eu   A European Commission report released last week says that more needs to be done to protect online privacy and fight spammers. 
8/5/2009 German direct marketers grapple with new opt-in law Marketing Direct Noelle McElhatton A new law set to take effect on September 1 will require brands to get customer consent before sharing their addresses with third parties for marketing purposes unless there is an existing relationship or the source of the third-party communication is clearly stated on the direct-mail envelope.
8/4/2009 Local authority staff sacked for data breach politics.co.uk Ian Dunt Nine Cardiff and Glasgow local authority workers have been sacked for illegally accessing personal details stored in what is expected to become the government's national identity database.
8/3/2009 WADA's 'whereabout' clause is not infregement on players' Privacy: Gill Thaindian News ANI The Board of Control for Cricket in India and some of the country's top players are the latest to object to a World Anti-Doping Agency rule requiring players to disclose their daily locations for drug testing purposes.
8/2/2009 Op-Ed Contributor - Leave Swiss Banks Alone New York Times Pierre Bessard Swiss financial privacy laws are a foundation for individual dignity and basic property rights. 
7/30/2009 Health board rapped over data loss Health Service Journal   The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has come down on NHS over recent  incidents involving the loss of patients' personal medical information.
7/29/2009 Italian insurer under fire after data found in bin monstersandcritics.com   Customer documents from Aachen Muenchener, the German unit of Italian insurer Generali, were discovered intact in an unsecured disposal bin in the city of Aachen. 
7/28/2009 Narda to introduce e-driving licence International News   Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will implement enhanced driver's licenses reports. 
7/28/2009 In compromise, biometric database to be split Globes Lilach Weissman A compromise has been reached in a law that would establish a database for storing the biometric data of Israeli citizens.
7/22/2009 HSBC Fined £3 Million ($5 Million) for Data Security Failings in UK Hunton Privacy Blog Hunton & Williams The Financial Services Authority announced today that it has imposed three million in fines on three HSBC entities.
7/22/2009 Information Commissioner enjoys new powers to fine from April 2010 Out-law.com   The Information Commissioner will be able to fine organisations and individuals for certain contraventions of the Data Protection Act beginning in April, 2010.
7/21/2009 Deutsche Fires 2 as Possible Inquiry Looms New York Times Chris Nicholson The Darmstadt regional council determined that Deutsche Bank's spying activities violated data security rules in two instances.
7/21/2009 Paper Chase: Iran implements controversial Internet data retention law Jurist Devin Montgomery Iranian Internet service providers will be required to retain users' Internet-activity records for at least three months under a new law implemented by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
7/21/2009 Mobile phone register must respect privacy Daily Nation   The Kenyan government's mandate to create a database containing information on all mobile phone users is understandable, but the nation's privacy laws must be strengthened beforehand. 
7/20/2009 Ethopian Revenue and Custom Authority Collecting Fingerprints ezega.com Addis Ababa Ethiopia's National Identification System (NIS) Project launched last week and so far, Revenue and Customs Authority employees have collected the fingerprints of more than 6,600 taxpayers using mobile registration units.
7/19/2009 Opponents of Biometric Law: 'It's a Step to a True Police State' David Shamah Israel National News A law that would establish a database for storing the biometric data of all citizens was approved for second and third readings by a legislative committee. 
7/19/2009 Web-based mail exempt from data retention The Post.ie Adrian Weckler and Dick O’Brien Ireland's new Retention of Data Bill, published last week by the Justice Minister, sets retention terms for communications data, including Internet correspondence.
7/18/2009 Four million British identities are up for sale on the Internet Times Online Murad Ahmed A retired London police detective has created a database where people can search their names to find out if their data has been stolen.
7/16/2009 Warning for firms that set up trade union blacklist Guardian Rob Evans A Knutsford crown court judge yesterday fined the consultant who sold the personal information of thousands of construction workers without their consent.
7/16/2009 ICO raps five NHS trusts over data losses IT Pro Nicole Kobie Lost USB sticks, stolen laptops and a misplaced disk account for the latest breaches of sensitive patient information.
7/14/2009 Bill allows Garda access to internet and phone data The Irish Times Carol Coulter As anticipated, Ireland's Justice Minister yesterday published a bill to bring the data retention policies for communications data in line with those specified in the EU directive.
7/14/2009 EDPS calls for strong emphasis on fundamental rights in future Stockholm Programme Tribuna Economica   Europe's Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has adopted an opinion on the European Commission's intentions toward the Stockholm programme, the EU five-year programme for cooperation on judicial matters and home affairs. 
7/13/2009 118 800 mobile phone directory suspended Guardian Hilary Osborne Connectivity has suspended the launch of its mobile phone directory. 
7/13/2009 Retention period for phone data to be cut Irish Examiner Paul O'Brien Justice Minister Dermot Ahern will today announce legislation that will reduce data retention terms for communications records.
7/13/2009 Deal Sought in Swiss Bank Suit Washington Post  David Hilzenrath A hearing set to take place this morning will be delayed two weeks if a federal court in Miami grants a stay requested by the parties involved.
7/13/2009 Gov't boosts spending on web monitoring ZDNET.co.uk   The Home Office is spending more than ever to support the data retention efforts of communications service providers.
7/10/2009 Morocco determined to protect personal data Morocco Business News   Morocco is aligning its data protection standards with those of the European Union in order to bolster its attractiveness as an offshoring and outsourcing market.
7/10/2009 More security attacks exposed on  social networks and Web 2.0 users SiliconRepublic.com John Kennedy As Ireland's economy continues to suffer, attacks on sensitive will data grow. 
7/10/2009 GMAC gets palm-reading approval Financial Times Della Bradshaw The French National Commission for Data Protection and Liberties (CNIL) will allow a nonprofit testing organization to collect biometric data in order to verify test takers' identity.
7/9/2009 Online privacy a worry for most Brits Guardian Rebecca Smithers Research results published yesterday reveal that although most Britons are concerned about online privacy, most also post personal details on social networking sites (SNS). 
7/9/2009 CBI warns over extending data watchdog's powers Computing  Tom Young The CBI thinks a proposed amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill is a bad idea.
7/8/2009 Former ICO head urges data-protection 'step change' ZDNET.co.uk   In his annual report for 2008-09, released just before he stood down last week, former Information Commissioner Richard Thomas said the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) needs more resources and greater audit and enforcement powers
7/8/2009 Data protection notification to cost large organizations 500  from October Out-law.com   Starting in October, organisations with 250 staff or more than 25.9 million in turnover will pay a larger-than-usual notification fee to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
7/7/2009 Researchers win exemption from German opt-in law Research Robert Bain Market researchers will be exempt from certain rules in a new German data protection law.
7/7/2009 ICO slaps car insurance firm after data loss V3.co.uk Phil Muncaster Another firm has signed a formal undertaking with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), promising improvements to its data protection efforts.
7/7/2009 70% of UK Organisations Hit By One or More Data Breach Incidents Within Last Twelve Months prnewswire.com   Seventy percent of UK enterprise and public-sector organizations polled by the Ponemon Institute have experienced at least one data breach incident within the last year. 
7/6/2009 Wife of Sir John Sawers, the future head of M16, in Facebook Security Alert Times Online Michael Evans The wife of Sir John Sawers, incoming head of the UK intelligence agency MI6, posted potentially sensitive information about him to her Facebook page, including the address of a London apartment used by the couple. 
7/6/2009 BT ditches Phorm Computerworld Matt Egan Telecommunications and Internet giant BT has decided against using the online behavioural tracking system WebWise, ending the company's controversial relationship with platform developer Phorm. 
7/6/2009 Privacy concerns over Tory plans to farm NHS records out to private firms Mail Online James Chapman The Tories have undertaken a review of the NHS computer system to determine whether UK patients should have the option to store their medical records elsewhere.
7/6/2009 Snooping Scandal: Probe Showe Deutsche Bank Spied On Board Members and Shareholders Spiegel Online Wolfgang Reuter and Christoph Pauley A 150-page report on Deutsche Bank's employee monitoring efforts has revealed that the company not only spied on management and supervisory board members, but also on a shareholder.
7/5/2009 Google to meet data commissioner over Street View concerns Irish Business News Adrian Weckler As Google prepares a September launch of its StreetView service in Ireland, senior executives from the company plan to meet with the country's Data Protection Commissioner to discuss privacy issues. 
7/5/2009 Social Networking site hit by ruling The Post.ie Adrian Weckler Europe's Article 29 Working Group has ruled that the operators of online social networking utilities such as Facebook and Twitter, are classified as "data controllers" and therefore are responsible for the data posted by subscribers. 
7/3/2009 Tips for Christopher Graham, Britain's new privacy chief Out-law.com   Britain's new privacy commissioner will have greater powers than his predecessor, but will also be under greater scrutiny.
6/29/2009 La protection des donnees ne veut pas se laisser deborder par Facebook Tribune de Geneve   Switzerland's Federal Data Protection Commissioner Hanspeter Thür released his annual report.
6/29/2009 Spy Society Mirror.co.uk Matt Roper The Daily Mirror recently exercised the Freedom of Information Act in an effort to discover the amount of data amassed on the average British citizen. 
6/29/2009 Think-tank proposes decentralised data storage V3.co.uk Phil Muncaster The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) feels the government should give citizens more control over their personal data.
6/27/2009 20% of ID theft victims not reimbursed MoneyHighStreet.com Staff Writer Which? is calling on the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to provide guidance that would help identity theft victims recover their losses.
6/25/2009 EU data monitors outline Facebook ground rules euobserver.com Leigh Philips The Article 29 Working Party opinion on social networking warns that users of social networking sites, not just the sites themselves, must follow EU data protection rules.
6/25/2009 European Commission probes privacy concerns over tracking technologies Computer Active Dinah Greek The European Commission has launched an inquiry into the privacy implications of pervasive tracking technologies.
6/24/2009 EU lays out web privacy rules Wall Street Journal   European officials want social networking sites to comply with EU privacy laws.
6/24/2009 Data privacy debate to come to the fore, experts say printweek.com William Mitting The editor of Data Strategy magazine says more transparency is on the way when it comes to data management regulation.
6/23/2009 You can't ban parents from taking pictures, schools told Mail Online James Slack The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says the Data Protection Act does not prohibit parents from photographing their children and friends at school events.
6/23/2009 Italian Court Postpones Trial of Four Google Execs PC World Paul Meller Court proceedings were set to continue today in the trial against four Google executives accused of defamation and privacy violations, but proceedings were postponed until fall due to the translator's absence.
6/23/2009 Privacy regulator to step up spot checks on EU bodies Out-law.com   The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) will conduct more compliance spot checks of EU bodies and agencies.
6/23/2009 Google trial in Italy: freedom vs. responsibility Associated Press Ariel David Critical testimony from a Google video technician could not be heard in the criminal trial against four Google executives when an interpreter failed to show up in Milan court.
6/22/2009 Mobile phone directory firm faces legal questions over breaches of privacy law Mail Online Staff Writer The company behind a controversial mobile phone directory that launched Friday is struggling to defend its procurement of mobile phone numbers.
6/22/2009 City council rapped for data breach Crain's Manchester Business Simon Binns The Manchester City Council breached the Data Protection Act in failing to adequately protect the personal information of school employees.
6/19/2009 Social marketing 'faces privacy curbs' Ashdown Group Jon Aspinell The Article 29 Working Party has published its concerns about the collection and use of social networkers' personal information. 
6/18/2009 Facebook hit by privacy blow FT.com Richard Waters European data protection regulators want tougher restrictions on social networks' release of users' personal information to third-party developers.
6/18/2009 ICO to investigate Parcelforce data breach IT Pro Asavin Wattanajantra The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will investigate the loss of personal data by a Royal Mail entity.
6/17/2009 Ministers 'do not value privacy' BBC News   The Lords Constitution Committee will debate the state's use of surveillance in British society.
6/17/2009 Google bows to pressure for German Street View Associated Press   German data protection officials and Google have reached a compromise on certain aspects of the company's Street View feature.
6/16/2009 Tories will end 'Big Brother' state guardian.co.uk Press Association Shadow security minister Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones says a future Tory Government would "substantially curtail" the Regulatory of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) and would draw back the "database state." 
6/16/2009 Privacy notices must be consumer friendly, says Information Commissioner PublicTechnology.net   Research findings have indicated that privacy policies baffle consumers. 
6/16/2009 Privacy stepped up for Google Street View swissinfo.ch   Swiss data protection commissioner Hans-Peter Thür announced that Google must adhere to Swiss laws before rolling out its Street View service in that country.
6/15/2009 Information Commissioner Thomas awarded CBE Brand Republic News Noelle McElhatton Outgoing Information Commissioner Richard Thomas has been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, being appointed as a CBE for public service.
6/13/2009 Privacy watchdog sees risk of rumor in child abuse database guardian.co.uk David Hencke The Information Commissioner has expressed concern about two databases intended to help protect children.
6/11/2009 French Senate Issues Report on Privacy in the Digital Age Hunton & Williams Privacy Blog   The French Senate's Commission on Laws released a report on privacy in the digital age.
6/10/2009 Insurance giant rapped on knuckles over DPA breach The Register John Leyden Insurance firm Amicus Legal has signed a formal undertaking with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for breaching the Data Protection Act.
6/9/2009 Opt out or your number's up for mobile phone privacy Times Online Elizabeth Judge A first-of-its-kind mobile phone directory goes live.
6/9/2009 Data watchdog clears mobile phone directory The Register Chris Williams The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says Connectivity's mobile phone directory service is "privacy friendly." 
6/9/2009 Swedish Regulators Look at Handling of Mobile Location Data QuantcastPC World Mikael Ricknäs Swedish regulators are looking into mobile operators' practice of selling customers' location information.
6/5/2009 Germany, Google Still in Conflict Over Street View Data PC World Jeremy Kirk Talks continue between Google and German data protection officials regarding the company's Street View feature.
6/5/2009 All new IT systems should build in privacy safeguards, says ICO Computer Weekly Warwick Ashford The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is reminding UK organisations to put privacy up front when developing new IT systems.
6/4/2009 ICO raps hospital for breach IT Pro Nicole Kobie The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has required the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust to sign a "formal undertaking" on data protection.
6/3/2009 The French Government wants to spy on electronic communications European Digital Rights   A proposed French law on domestic security would give the Criminal Investigative Police access to citizens' electronic communications in some cases.
6/3/2009 British Standard on data protection is published Out-law.com   The new British data protection standard, BS 10012:2009, requires that organisations designate a senior manager to be accountable for managing personal data.
6/2/2009 One in five firms have breached Data Protection Act Computing  Bryan Glick The British Standards Institution (BSI) today released a new data protection standard, along with survey results suggesting that it comes at a good time.
5/27/2009 Google Street View to launch despite privacy complaints The Local   Google will launch the German version of its Street View feature "promptly." 
5/27/2009 EU sues Sweden, demands law requiring ISPs to retain data ARS Technica Nate Anderson Sweden's failure to bring data retention legislation to the table has prompted the European Commission to sue the state.
5/26/2009 Patients gain right to scrub e-records from NHS database The Register John Leyden NHS officials have reversed their earlier stance that patients would not be allowed to have their personal medical information removed from a proposed national medical database.
5/25/2009 NHS 'loses' thousands of medical records The Independent Michael Savage British Information Commissioner Richard Thomas has called for an immediate overhaul of NHS information security efforts.
5/22/2009 ICO to launch web data-protection code ZDNET.co.uk Tom Espiner The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will next year publish a data protection code of practice for Web companies.
5/20/2009 Europe defends data protection law Computer Weekly Mark Ballard At a conference in Brussels this week, European officials backed the EU Data Protection Directive, with Article 29 Working Party president Alex Turk saying that Europe will not weaken its data protection standards for the sake of global commerce.
5/20/2009 Protecting Privacy: Hamburg Reaches Deal with Google on Street View Spiegel Online   Hamburg's data protection authority and Google have reached a preliminary arrangement regarding the company's online mapping service, Street View.
5/19/2009 The cracks in data privacy European Voice Lorenzo Valeri and Neil Robinson Two of the authors of a recently released RAND Europe report on the EU Data Protection Directive say that the EU probably does not need to issue a new directive soon, but regulators should address discordance in member states' privacy regulations and enforcement approaches.
5/19/2009 Google gets fast-track in trial in Italy defamation case MacWorld Philip Willan The judge in the defamation case against four Google executives granted Google lawyers' request for a fast-track procedure.
5/19/2009 Google Threatened With Sanctions Over Photo Mapping Service in Germany New York Times Kevin J. O'Brien A German data protection official said that Google must provide written guarantees on 12 points surrounding its Street View service by 10 a.m. today, or face sanctions.
5/19/2009 UK Says Privacy Laws Enough to Keep Phorm in Check Guardian Reuters In response to a citizens' online petition, the UK government said that Britain's data protection laws offer sufficient protection from certain behavioral advertising techniques.
5/17/2009 Swiss narrowly accept biometric passport pr-inside.com Associated Press Swiss voters narrowly approved a referendum to add biometric technologies into passports.
5/15/2009 Privacy tsar: Gov't will collect less data ZDNET.co.uk   Outgoing UK Information Commissioner Richard Thomas says the tide is turning against government's tendency to collect data
5/14/2009 ASA chief to be next privacy watchdog Computing  Tom Young Christopher Graham has been officially confirmed as Britain's new information commissioner.
5/14/2009 Time to elect our information commissioner Guardian Michael Cross Michael Cross notes the expanded role of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and wonders whether the expansion, and the increased government funding to sustain it, might mean it's time for Britons to elect their information commissioner. 
5/13/2009 EC sets out privacy requirement for smart RFID tags ComputerWorld Paul Meller The European Commission (EC) issued a formal recommendation on the privacy-sensitive deployment of radio frequency identification technology (RFID).
5/13/2009 Increase in complaints over personal data The Irish Times Paul Cullen Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes noted a decrease in spam complaints in 2008.
5/13/2009 EU data directive needs to get real, says report Computer Weekly Warwick Ashford UK Information Commissioner Richard Thomas says he hopes the results of a Rand Europe study on the EU Data Protection Directive will stimulate debate.
5/13/2009 Health insurance sold patient data illegally The Local   Public insurers may have sold confidential patient information to private insurers.
5/12/2009 North-east NHS chiefs hunt data files thief Press & Journal Stephen Christie An NHS official said yesterday that a hospital employee may be responsible for the theft of 175 new mothers' medical information.
5/12/2009 Greece puts the brakes on Street View BBC News   The Greek data protection agency has banned Google from expanding its Street View mapping service until regulators receive more information from the company.
5/12/2009 Basis of data protection law is out of date, says privacy regulator Out-law.com   A RAND Europe study questions the efficacy of the EU Data Protection Directive.
5/11/2009 Baby records theft sparks inquiry BBC News   NHS officials are investigating the apparent theft of 175 records from its Aberdeen Maternity Hospital.
5/8/2009 Grumbles as Google "Street View" cars begin prowling Budapest caboodle.hu   Google camera cars arrived in Budapest last week to photograph the city's byways for the company's Street View mapping service.
5/7/2009 Europe Votes Sweeping Telecom Reform Business Week David Meyer The European Parliament passed legislation requiring European telecoms and Internet service providers (ISPs) to notify their customers in the event of a personal data breach.
5/7/2009 Privacy watchdog concerned over electronic health records Computing  Tom Young Britain's Information Commissioner has concerns about the security of electronic patient records.
5/6/2009 Chemists and post offices to take fingerprints as part of national ID scheme Telegraph.co.uk Tom Whitehead Britain's Home Secretary is in talks with chemists, postal authorities and others about capturing citizens' biometrics for the nation's new identification cards.
5/6/2009 E.U. to Consider More Stringent Reporting of Data Breaches New York Times Kevin J. O'Brien Telecommunications commissioner Viviane Reding said the European Commission (EC) will pursue a law requiring most businesses, agencies and organizations to notify customers in the event they lose sensitive customer data.
5/5/2009 Commission wants stronger sanctions against online spam EuropeanVoice.com Judith Crosbie European telecoms and consumer protection commissioners believe better privacy protections will help boost consumer confidence in e-commerce. 
5/1/2009 Swiss government to back UBS in US tax case Forbes Associated Press The Swiss government is requesting a Miami court reject a U.S. government petition to force UBS to disclose the names of suspected tax evaders.
5/1/2009 Behavioural advertising: a Phorm in a teacup? vnunet.com Rosalie Marshall The privacy debate surrounding behavioural targeting continues to rage, with government officials on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond exploring the legality of the method. 
4/30/2009 Passaporto biometric, privacy a rischio LaNotizia.ch   Swiss citizens will vote on a biometric passport referendum May 17.
4/30/2009 Newly added questions: Is Phorm's new website really going to stop foul play? Guardian Charles Arthur A new Web site launched by the behavioural targeting firm, Phorm, aims to "set out the true story," which, the company says, has been distorted in "a smear campaign orchestrated by a small but dedicated band of online 'privacy pirates...'" 
4/29/2009 Swedish ISP Says It Will Not Store Customer IP Addresses  IDG via PC World Mikael Ricknäs Swedish ISP Tele2 has decided not to store customer IP addresses in response to customer demand after Sweden implemented a law to make it easier for copyright holders to go after file sharers.
4/29/2009 Satellite to track school children on Denbighshire buses  Denbighshire Visitor  Andrew Davies A NEW satellite tracking system is set to watch the every move of school pupils on public transport.
4/28/2009 Physical dimension' of net raises security concerns  ZDNet Steve Ranger The use of technologies such as RFID will force a rethink of how IT security is implemented, because the adoption of such devices will mean the internet takes on a "physical dimension" rather than just living inside PCs, according to Ari Juels, chief scientist and director of RSA Labs.
4/28/2009 Experts wary of latest Big Brother comms data plans  VNUNet Rosalie Marshall The government confirmed that its plans for retaining all communications data, including logs of phone calls, internet visits and emails, would not include the development of a £12bn centralised 'super database' to store the information.
4/28/2009 David Blunkett: 'ID cards should be scrapped' Telegraph Tom Whitehead David Blunkett, the former Home Secretary, has said that the ID card scheme should be scrapped, eight years after he first introduced the idea.
4/28/2009 Commission seeks external advice on internet privacy EuropeanVoice Judith Crosbie The European Commission (EC) will seek outside opinions on how best to address a so-called privacy paradox among youth
4/27/2009 Internet privacy: Mind your own business The Journal Fred Cate Center for Information Policy Leadership advisor Fred Cate says that protecting privacy in this world of widespread data collection and information sharing requires many tools, "... but most of all it requires strong laws that impose serious obligations on industry to act as stewards, not merely processors, of our data, and firm limits on government access to those data." 
4/27/2009 Government wants phone and internet providers to track users Guardian Alan Travis Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said that the Home Office no longer plans to store citizens' communications details in a centralized, state-run database.
4/27/2009 UK outlines Facebook monitoring plans ZDNet Tom Espiner and David Meyer  The UK government wants communications service providers to record, retain and process details of all communications that take place over their networks, the home secretary said on Monday.
4/27/2009 Plan to monitor all internet use BBC News Dominic Casciani Communications firms are being asked to record all internet contacts between people as part of a modernisation in UK police surveillance tactics.
4/27/2009 National database dropped but all our communications will still be monitored Telegraph Tom Whitehead Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, scrapped plans for a national communications database amid privacy fears, but every email, phone call and website visit will still be monitored by the Government.
4/27/2009 Google Street View to launch desptie privacy concerns The Local   Google will launch the German version of its Street View mapping service "promptly." 
4/26/2009 Defending the public space Guardian Michael Cross Supporters of liberty should not merely accept the Information Commissioner's Office ruling that Google Street View does not contravene the Data Protection Act. They should applaud it.
4/24/2009 Street View nod prompts call for privacy watchdog reform rinf.com Chris Williams The London-based Privacy International (PI) group is asking government officials to reform the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
4/24/2009 Paying billions for our database state Guardian Henry Porter It is cost rather than privacy concerns that will save us from Labour's megalomaniac surveillance schemes - a point underlined this morning when David Cameron was interviewed on the Today programme.
4/24/2009 The great British data free-for-all Guardian Sue Miller Yesterday's important House of Lords debate on civil liberties and electronic surveillance highlighted two areas in which the EU has stepped into the gaping hole left by the UK government.
4/24/2009 Stolen NHS laptop has records of 1,400 Scots Aberdeen Press & Journal Ryan Crighton The UK Information Commissioner is demanding an explanation for a breach of personal information at Scotland's Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
4/23/2009 Google Street View cleared of breaking Data Protection Act  Guardian Matthew Weaver Google Street View: a ban would be disproportionate to the privacy risks, the Information Commissioner's office says.
4/23/2009 Common sense on Street View must prevail, says the ICO Information Commissioner's Office   The ICO has confirmed to Privacy International that the removal of an entire service of this type would be disproportionate to the relatively small risk of privacy detriment.
4/23/2009 Taking the privacy battle to the streets  What PC? Gareth Morgan When the residents of Broughton rose up against Google Street View, were they striking a blow for freedom, or succumbing to an irrational fear?
4/23/2009 Phorm not worried by government ISP investigation  IT Pro Nicole Kobie The new All Party Parliamentary Group on Communications will look intoissuse like online privacy and behavioural advertising.
4/23/2009 Workers name their price for company secrets Out-Law News   More than one in three workers have said that they would be willing to sell their employer's secrets to a stranger. 
4/23/2009 The UK Minority Report: Has 'Precrime' Pakistan Daily   A recent article in the UK Independent entitled, Police identify 200 children as potential terrorists, heralds what looks to be the unofficial beginning of British law enforcement's own "Pre-crime" program. 
4/23/2009 Doubt cast over ContactPoint security assurances No, Minister  The Register John Leyden A UK government minister has issued assurances about the security of the government's child protection database ContactPoint, but the minister's assurances are incomplete, if not misguided, says one expert.
4/23/2009 UK rejects privacy group's gripes about Google Street View  Ars Technica Jacqui Cheng The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the UK has once again given the thumbs-up to Google's Street View after reviewing complaints from a UK privacy group. 
4/23/2009 Time to Put the Brakes On the Cybersecurity Act of 2009  And heed Eisenhower's famous warning WebProNews Jason Lee Miller What is essentially a federal government power grab combined with a giant money grab for industry is a real and perhaps unnecessary threat to your privacy and personal security. 
4/22/2009 MPs to prove ISP snooping and throttling The Register Chris Williams A cross-party group of MPs and Lords has launched an inquiry into certain Internet practices that are reliant on deep packet inspection (DPI) technology.
4/22/2009 Web founder makes online privacy plea AFP via Google   Internet pioneer Tim Berners-Lee echoed a call he made at a House of Lords roundtable event last month: certain behavioural advertising practices threaten the integrity of the World Wide Web.
4/22/2009 Information Commissioner contacted 74 times over Street View concerns Out-Law News   The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has received 74 complaints about the service Google Street View.
4/22/2009 Spy chiefs size up net snoop gear - Deep packet inspection bonanza  The Register Chris Williams The security minister has confirmed officials are considering installing technology that could enable on-demand wiretapping of all communications passing over the internet by the intelligence services and law enforcement.
4/22/2009 Swedish 'Pirate Party' surges following P2P ruling EurActiv   The 'pirates' will now contest the European elections in June on their usual mandate of copyright law reform, abolishing patents and increased privacy rights for EU citizens.
4/22/2009 European Union, World Anti-Doping Agency poised for more confrontation The Canadian Press   An independent European Union advisory panel released a report critical of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) 'whereabouts' rule for Olympic-level athletes. 
4/22/2009 EU panel says WADA should reassess "whereabouts" rule Reuters Darren Ellis The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) should reassess its so-called "whereabouts" rule as many points contravene the European Union's privacy laws, a key EU panel said. 
4/21/2009 Google video trial stays in Milan, but Fast-Track possible CIO Philip Willan The criminal trial of four Google executives will stay in Milan.
4/21/2009 Surveillance Britain What PC? Jon Thompson The rise of surveillance and databases in the UK has led to comparisons with Big Brother. 
4/21/2009 Labour is stifling the right to protest Guardian Henry Porter The news that government officials have been passing intelligence on climate change activists to a power company serves to underline the unhealthy closeness between big business and the British government during the Labour years.
4/21/2009 Recession-hit UK 'fears ID theft' BBC News   Nearly three-quarters of UK consumers think that they are at greater risk of identity theft and credit card fraud as a result of the world financial crisis.
4/20/2009 Consumer study finds fraud fears deepening Computer Business Review  Kevin White  
4/20/2009 MySpace insider data breach leads to HQ shutdown  SiliconRepublic.com  Marie Boran While the usual cause of a data breach at a social-networking site is down to an outsider hacking into the database, last week's breach at MySpace was attributed to an employee who gathered the names, social security numbers and other personal information on a number of his co-workers.
4/20/2009 Serious data breach by British Council leads to tough action from Information Commissioner PublicTechnology.net   The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has required the British Council to sign a formal Undertaking based on its violation of the Data Protection Act.
4/20/2009 Under-caution spam faxer fined over £6,000  Out-Law News   An Enforcement Notice from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) didn't stop a debt recovery firm from sending hundreds more unwanted faxes.
4/20/2009 ICO rules against British Council Disc loss doh! The Register Kablenet The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has found the British Council in breach of the Data Protection Act after the loss of an unencrypted computer disc.
4/20/2009 Council use of RIPA needs to be reined in, says Government Out-Law News   The Government has admitted that local authorities have abused surveillance powers and has ordered a review of snooping law the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).
4/19/2009 Councils defend the right to snoop QuantcastScotsman David Leask SCOTLAND's biggest Town Hall snoopers have slashed their use of controversial MI5-style surveillance operations.
4/19/2009 Leaders' personal data leaked after EU-US summit  Deutsche Welle   The Czech EU presidency admitted Saturday that personal data of European leaders who travelled to a recent EU-US summit in Prague had been leaked.
4/19/2009 Councils' surveillance powers under review  Wales on Sunday Sarah Bunney A MOVE to review councils' use of anti-terror laws to spy on the public has been welcomed by campaigners and politicians who fear we increasingly live in a Big Brother-style society.
4/17/2009 Gov't wants 'greater transparency' in use of local surveillance powers  Guardian Hélène Mulholland and Vikram Dodd Review of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act designed to stop legislation being used for 'trivial' purposes.
4/17/2009 NHS stems data breaches with USB sticks  Computerworld UK John E. Dunn The UK has made a start at shedding its reputation as a data breach hotspot with the news that 100 hospitals are to start using encrypted USB sticks from Swedish company BlockMaster. 
4/17/2009 Council powers to spy on the public are cut  The Times Richard Ford Councils are to have their powers to snoop on the public severely curtailed.
4/16/2009 ISP sabotages file sharing law The Local   As of April 1, Swedish courts can order Internet operators to submit the details of their clients if they are suspected of sharing files illegally.
4/16/2009 Amazon bars controversial Phorm technology from its sites Out-Law News   Amazon has barred web monitoring advertising system Webwise from accessing its web sites. 
4/16/2009 Wikipedia Opts Out of Phorm User-Tracking  Wired News Ryan Singel Wikipedia told the controversial U.K. advertising firm Phorm on Thursday not to spy on Wikipedia's users, saying the company's plan to monitor what sites people visit on the net invaded people's privacy.
4/16/2009 Online and anonymous: Swedish ISP won't retain Internet data Ars Technica Nate Anderson Now that Swedish ISPs are required to turn over user data to courts for all sorts of offenses, one ISP is fighting back by refusing to archive such data in the first place.  The move is legal… for now.
4/16/2009 Commission threatens action on social networking, RFID privacy  Out-Law   The European Commission has said that it will take action against countries which do not protect people against privacy invasions from new technologies. It said that it would be particularly vigilant about the use of social networking and ID chips.
4/16/2009 Websites should back Phorm: answer to monetising the internet  Telegraph Rupert Neate Phorm, the Aim-listed company behind the secret advertising trials which on Tuesday invoked the wrath of the EU, has an incredibly bad reputation but its technology could be the only way companies will actually make money out of the internet advertising.
4/16/2009 Amazon opts out of Phorm's targeted internet advertising system after privacy fears Guardian Richard Wray European Commission authorities said they would take action against the British government for not complying with EU data protection laws by allowing Phorm to employ its targeted advertising technology on an Internet service provider's network. 
4/15/2009 Use a proxy, go to jail? Econsultancy Patricio Robles Web proxy servers are not new. These servers, which serve as 'middlemen' for accessing the web, are often used by corporations to accelerate web browsing through caching and to filter traffic. 
4/15/2009 Report: Data theft soars, Organised crime behind 90%  Computerworld UK Siobhan Chapman In its 2009 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), Verizon investigated 90 data breach cases that exposed a 285 million records, which is equivalent to nine records per second. 
4/15/2009 EU, WADA to intensify talks on data protection USA Today Derek Gatopoulos Although European and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) officials reached a compromise on some data protection matters recently, privacy discussions will continue
4/14/2009 UK's privacy laws illegally inadequate, says Europe Out-Law News   UK laws protecting the privacy of people's communications are inadequate.
4/14/2009 EU to sue Britain over Internet privacy Associated Press via Google Aoife White The European Union started legal action against Britain on Tuesday for not applying EU data privacy rules that would restrict an Internet advertising tracker, called Phorm, from watching how users surf the web.
4/14/2009 Citizens' privacy must become priority in digital age The Sofia Echo Clive Leviev-Sawyer In a video address, European Telecommunications Commissioner Viviane Reding asserted that the European Commission will go farther and farther to protect the privacy rights of Europeans, if need be. 
4/14/2009 Use of Web Tracking Tool Raises Privacy Issue in Britain New York Times Kevin O'Brien A report on the European Commission's threat to take the British government to court for its failure to enforce European law. 
4/14/2009 Privacy firm drops advisory work BBC News   The UK privacy consultancy 80/20 will discontinue its advisory work due to its founders' involvement in the advocacy group Privacy International.
4/14/2009 EU starts action against Britain over data privacy Reuters Huw Jones The European Commission is taking legal action against Britain for its application of certain EU rules on privacy and electronic communications.
4/12/2009 Google Street View does not breach privacy laws Guardian Jamie Doward The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has again deemed that Google's Street View application does not breach personal privacy.
4/10/2009 Tiny storage devices pose biggest data security risk The Irish Times Karlin Lillington USB drives are cheaper and hold more data than ever. iPods and digital cameras are ubiquitous. As a result, it's increasingly difficult for companies to secure their data.
4/9/2009 Builders' blacklist triggers data protection clampdown Information World Archana Venkatraman Industry experts hope that the Information Commissioner's recent action on a consultant who collected and sold the personal information of thousands will trigger organisations to shore up their compliance with data protection laws.
4/9/2009 UK gov delays new data breach powers The Register Chris Williams The March target for publishing legislation to give the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) more regulatory powers has passed.
4/9/2009 Panel says WADA whereabouts rule breaks EU laws Reuters Darren Ennis A European Union panel will release its legal opinion on anti-doping rules that require Olympic-level athletes to disclose their locations every day
4/9/2009 Google streetview creator on privacy issues Times Online Mike Harvey Google is determined to continue rollout of its Street View service despite the protests, the human chain and the formal complaints that accompanied its introduction in Britain last month.
4/9/2009 e-Crime Congress Survey Reveals Jail Sentence for a CEO a Fitting Punishment for Data Breach CSO   A survey of more than 100 IT security professionals at the eCrime Congress in London last month revealed that 66 percent feel that C-level executives and boards should be held responsible in the event of a data breach.
4/8/2009 Google using IP addresses to localise search Out-Law   Google will refine its search results using information gleaned from users' IP addresses.
4/7/2009 Phorm eyes launch after hard year BBC News Daren Watters Phorm says it will move ahead with plans to launch its online advertising service.
4/7/2009 EU Parliament Considers Requiring User Consent for Cookies ClickZ Jack Marshall Members of the European Parliament (MEP) are considering an ePrivacy Directive amendment aimed at giving Internet users more control over firms' tracking of their online activities.
4/6/2009 German discount chain Lidl fires domestic boss DW-World.de   The head of domestic operations at German supermarket chain Lidl has been fired for his part in violating German data protection laws.
4/5/2009 Internet records to be stored for a year Telegraph David Barrett The Internet and e-mail habits of Britons will be stored for a period of 12-months under a European Union directive that goes into effect. 
4/3/2009 Watch out Broughton! Street View fans plan to descend on 'privacy' village for photo fest Mail Online Andy Dolan and Eddie Wrenn Neighbors in a Cambridgeshire village formed a human chain around a Google Street View car, prompting the driver's hasty retreat and a fresh round of debate about the company's online mapping service.
4/2/2009 Study challenges BT claims of "anonymous' data The Guardian Wendy Davis University of Cambridge researchers this week unveiled the results of a project showing how Facebook public profiles could be used to find personal information, opening users' to potential misuse by marketers or fraudsters.
4/2/2009 Privacy groups oppose advert targeting Computer Weekly Warwick Ashford A survey of 1,000 British consumers has revealed that 45 percent are open to targeted advertising as long as they have the choice to opt-out.
4/1/2009 EC publishes Q&A on overseas data transfer The Register   The European Commission has published a Q&A on overseas data transfers.
3/31/2009 Online advertisers face tighter EU privacy laws Guardian  Ian Traynor At a meeting in Brussels, the European commissioner for consumer affairs said that Web users' rights are being abused by those who seek to profit on their data.
3/30/2009 Patients' GP notes found in car EDP24 Shanu Lowthorpe A man looking to purchase a used car found the sensitive medical notes of nearly 40 patients alongside the driver's seat.
3/30/2009 Bahn Boss Mehdorn Offers Resignation Amid Data Privacy Scandal DW-World   Deutsche Bahn boss Hartmut Mehdorn has resigned, reports Deutsche Welle. 
3/29/2009 E.U. Warns Internet Companies on User Privacy New York Times Stephen Castle The European Commission's consumer affairs chief will challenge Internet companies to agree on new privacy principles, or else.
3/28/2009 DNA scan 'could cut cost of insurance - even if results kept secret Times Online Mark Henderson An insurance industry official has suggested that premiums could be lowered for customers who undergo personal DNA scans.
3/27/2009 Web Giants Mull Response to Behavioral Privacy Concerns ClickZ Jack Marshall The UK-based Open Rights Group (ORG) earlier this week sent a letter to Google, AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo and other major online players urging them to prevent the tracking of their users' interactions by the behavioral targeting firm Phorm.
3/26/2009 Daily Digest 26 March ENN Bryan Collins Despite vast stores of personal data, only about half of Ireland's organisations have formal data retention or destruction policies.
3/25/2009 Google lawyers seek transfer of ilan privacy trial IDG News Philip Willan In an Italian court Google lawyers argued that the defamation and invasion of privacy case against four of the company's executives should be heard in Turin, rather than Milan, because the video at the heart of the case was recorded there.
3/25/2009 UK must pry on data to block threats: ex-spy boss Reuters William Maclean In a paper for the Institute of Public Policy Research, a former British security chief says surveillance is necessary to prevent terrorism.
3/25/2009 Facebook, Bebo and MySpace 'to be monitored by security services' Times Online Murad Ahmed Home Office ministers revealed yesterday that social networking data might be included in the government's Intercept Modernisation Programme (IMP).
3/24/2009 Call to 'shut down' Street View BBC News   Privacy International (PI) has filed a formal complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) about Google's Street View mapping service, which launched in Great Britain last week.
3/24/2009 London health authority put on notice over data breach The Register John Leyden The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued an enforcement order to an NHS organisation for violating the Data Protection Act.
3/24/2009 Controversial ContactPoint database dalayed again amid new security fears Telegraph Heidi Blake The discovery of security gaps in a database housing the personal information of every child in England has delayed its implementation.
3/23/2009 Should ICO get spot check powers over businesses? IT Pro Nicole Kobie In its review of proposed data protection changes within the Justice and Coroners Bill, the Joint Committee on Human Rights deemed that the Information Commissioner should have the power to spot check private businesses.
3/23/2009 Swiss Banks and the End to Privacy Wall Street Journal   What was once considered a right to privacy seems to be transforming into a duty to disclose. 
3/23/2009 Call to scrap 'illegal databases' BBC News   A new report says that one quarter of Britain's government databases are illegal and should be scrapped or redesigned.
3/22/2009 Google Street View forced to remove images The Independent Jane Merrick Google launched its Street View mapping service in the UK last week and has had hundreds of take-down requests since.
3/20/2009 Privacy campaigner vows legal challenge to Google Street View The Register Out-Law.com A privacy campaigner intends to pursue a legal challenge against Google's Street View service.
3/19/2009 Google launches Street View in UK Guardian  Richard Wray Google has launched its Street View mapping service in 25 British cities.
3/18/2009 Government data-sharing proposals dropped vnunet.com Tom Young The government has dropped its plans to share widely the  data contained in a government database.
3/18/2009 Judge Rules Google Trial Will Move Forward IAPP   The criminal trial against four Google executives accused of defamation and privacy law violations resumed yesterday in a Milan court. 
3/17/2009 Italian judge dismisses initial Google defense argument The Industry Standard Philip Willan An Italian judge has dismissed Google's claim that the plaintiff in a defamation and invasion of privacy case against the company did not have a valid mandate to bring the case forward.
3/16/2009 Administrative Court: Data retention is "invalid" Stoppt die Vorratsdatenspeicherung!   The Administrative Court of Wiesbaden has ruled that blanket retention of citizens' data violates their privacy. 
3/16/2009 Hotline allows workers to find out if they were blacklisted on secret database Guardian  Rob Evans The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has established a hotline for workers who suspect they were blacklisted from employment as a result of data protection law violations
3/16/2009 Google lawyers seek to halt Italy trial Times Online Richard Owen Prosecutors resume their case against four Google executives in the Court of Milan.
3/16/2009 CCTV effect:  No place to hide The Times of India Mansi Choksi & Chinmayi Shalya India is the latest country to debate the prevalence of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras for crime prevention. 
3/13/2009 Switzerland to relax banking secrecy laws Telegraph Abigail Townsend The Swiss government has agreed to adopt Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) standards and to co-operate with countries investigating tax evasion on a case-by-case basis.
3/13/2009 European Parliament reaches good balance between data protection  & transparency Public Technology   European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx is satisfied with the European Parliament's handling of transparency and data protection considerations.
3/13/2009 Online privacy demanded by web founders Telegraph Matt Warman The creator of the World Wide Web has come out against behavioural advertising.