| The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is often criticized for its privacy policies and practices, as it handles a vast amount of sensitive personal information. However, it is important to note how the DHS does attempt to protect personal privacy, in policy as well as practice. In addition to compliance with federal privacy legislation, such as the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) and the Privacy Act, the Department consults with privacy professionals in order to evaluate new or potential programs, systems, technologies and certain rule-making procedures in order to appropriately handle personal information. This article takes a look at exactly how the Department of Homeland Security approaches privacy [...] Guided by privacy legislation and internal privacy policies, US federal government agencies and departments strive to protect citizens’ personal information and privacy rights. This article introduces the privacy practices of three federal departments: the US Census Bureau, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the US Department of [...] In April 2011, there was increased public awareness regarding the collection and storage of location-based data on Apples iPhones and 3G iPads. The resulting responses ranged from outrage and fear to interest in the possible apps that could be developed using the information. [...] Enterprise privacy policies and privacy programs are essential. While policies alone cannot prevent data breaches or misuse of personal information, they are a good step in ensuring transparency and privacy-friendly practices. A privacy policy should contain the following key components: notice; consumer choice; access and correction; security; and [...] Under the Federal Trade Commission Act, the FTC has the authority to take enforcement actions for the use of “unfair trade practices.” In 2004, the FTC used the fairness principle to enforce privacy law for the first time by launching a case against the Gateway Learning company, owner of the popular “Hooked on Phonics” product [...] The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act was passed in 1998 by the FTC to protect the personal information of children. It specifically applies to websites that target children and provides guidelines for the collection, use and disclosure of personally identifiable information of children under the age of 13 who may not understand the dangers of disclosing personal information on the [...] Several Twitter users noticed a change in their service Tuesday. It wasn’t obvious to most, and might not represent a significant difference. This examination of Twitter’s privacy policy questions their [...] Seems Amazon has not been reading up on their recent history. For some reason, most consumers don’t like it when you quietly make changes without asking. Amazon is re-learning the lesson through their Kindle electronic book readers and Whispernet service. They removed unauthorized copies of books that made their way onto the Kindle store and end book readers, angering customers. The author and book in question – George Orwell and [...] | |
