Privacy

Advocates Say White House Privacy Proposal Filled With Loopholes

February 27, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<p>This afternoon, the White House unveiled a discussion draft of its long-awaited privacy “bill of rights,” which aims to give consumers more control over data that is collected about them.</p> <p>Consumer advocates have urged the Obama administration to propose legislation since at least 2012, when the White House issued a report endorsing the view that companies shouldn't collect more data than they need. But the bill unveiled today clearly disappointed many privacy advocates, who say it is filled with loopholes.</p>

Anthem Sends Data Breach Emails

February 27, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Letters to the 78.8 million people affected by a massive health insurance security breach are expected to start hitting the mail next week, an Anthem official said Thursday.</p> <p>Messages are already being sent to millions of members who provided the insurance company with their email addresses.</p> <p>The letters and emails are general alerts explaining the infiltration first reported in early February. But make no mistake. They carry bad news.</p> <p>"It means your information was in the database that was compromised," Anthem Blue Cross spokesman Darrel Ng said.</p>

Can Facebook Prevent Suicide?

February 25, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="entry"> <p>People who post suicidal thoughts on Facebook can be flagged by their friends and kicked off Facebook until they read about suicide prevention.</p>

CIRM’s Klein Proposes $100B Biomed Program

February 22, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<p>The main architect of California's groundbreaking 2004 stem cell initiative has proposed a $100 billion international bond program in life sciences, to speed up research and clinical testing of disease therapies. The program would be focused on stem cells and genomics.</p>

Spy Program Revelations Could Damage US Companies Image – Privacy Advocate

February 18, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong class="b-article__lead">Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project Director claims that public trust in US technology companies will be weakened by reports suggesting that the NSA embedded spyware on computer hard drives around the world.</strong></p> <div class="b-article__text"> <p>WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Public trust in US technology companies will be weakened by reports suggesting that the NSA embedded spyware on computer hard drives around the world, Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project Director John Simpson, told Sputnik.</p>

23andMe: Quest for Parkinson’s Cure Opens Door To Genetic Data Mining

February 8, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="bodytext">E<span id="MNGiSection">ven seated, Mary Haynes' body is perpetually in motion. Her torso lurches side to side when she speaks, while Mike Tossy's body is noticeably still. His eyes dart around, but his head rarely turns.</span></p>

DOI Launches Investigation Into Anthem’s Response to Breach

February 6, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="block__content block--article__content" id="page_0_content_0_BlockContent"> <p style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">The California Department of Insurance has launched an investigation into a data breach affecting about 80 million customers, former customers and employees of health insurer Anthem in California and other states, <a href="http://sfbay.ca/2015/02/05/anthem-data-breach-exposed-80-million/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Bay City News</em></a><em> </em>reports (<em>Bay City News</em>, 2/5).</p>

Groups Want FTC to Wield Bigger Stick Over Big Data

February 6, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong><span class="brief">Argue for deeper dive into consolidation of data trackers/aggregators/marketers</span></strong></p>

Privacy Groups Want Investigation of Big Data Acquisitions

February 6, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<div id="drr-container" itemprop="articleBody"> <p style="">The U.S. Federal Trade Commission should launch an investigation into the growing consolidation of big data analytics firms and digital marketing companies, a coalition of four privacy groups said Friday.</p>

Watchdogs Seek FTC Scrutiny Of ‘Big Data’ Consolidation

February 6, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Late last year, when Oracle announced it had reached a deal to purchase Datalogix, a targeting shop known for connecting offline purchases to online ads, some privacy advocates quickly raised the alarm.</p>

Congress Slow to Agree on Internet Regulation

February 5, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>Congress hesitant on how to regulate Internet service, leaving FCC to rely on 80-year-old law</b></p> <p>WASHINGTON, D.C. - Few members of Congress appear willing to move toward a bipartisan update to the 80-year-old, Depression-era law that top U.S. regulators say gives them the authority to regulate the Internet.</p>

Election 2014: Low Turnout — But Huge Cost — For Last Year’s Ballot Measures

February 4, 2015  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="bodytext"><span id="default"><span id="MNGiSection">SACRAMENTO -- Last November's election was a sleepy, low-turnout affair, but don't think it wasn't costly: The health and insurance industries spent about $114 million to kill a pair of ballot measures that would have hurt their bottom lines -- and, they say, patients and consumers.</span></span></p>