Government Surveillance Archives · Consumer Federation of America https://consumerfed.org/issues/privacy/government-surveillance/ Advancing the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:12:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://consumerfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/cropped-Capture-32x32.jpg Government Surveillance Archives · Consumer Federation of America https://consumerfed.org/issues/privacy/government-surveillance/ 32 32 CFA and Other Groups Go Neutral on Amended CA Digital License Plate Bill https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/cfa-and-other-groups-go-neutral-on-amended-ca-digital-license-plate-bill/ Fri, 26 Aug 2022 20:10:53 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=25214 Consumer Federation of America and other groups dropped their opposition to AB 984, a California bill that would make a pilot program offering digital license plates for passenger vehicles permanent, after the legislation was amended to prohibit GPS tracking from being included in the plates. The change was made to resolve concerns that this location … Continued

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]]> Consumer Federation of America and other groups dropped their opposition to AB 984, a California bill that would make a pilot program offering digital license plates for passenger vehicles permanent, after the legislation was amended to prohibit GPS tracking from being included in the plates. The change was made to resolve concerns that this location information might be unwanted or even dangerous; for instance, domestic violence perpetrators could use it to monitor where their victims go.

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]]> CFA and Other Groups Tell CA Senators to Vote No on Digital License Plate Bill https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/cfa-and-other-groups-tell-ca-senators-to-vote-no-on-digital-license-plate-bill/ Fri, 19 Aug 2022 14:02:05 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=25070 In an alert to Senators in the California legislature, Consumer Federation of America and other groups urged them to vote no on AB 984 because it would allow digital license plates to include GPS surveillance trackers.

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]]> In an alert to Senators in the California legislature, Consumer Federation of America and other groups urged them to vote no on AB 984 because it would allow digital license plates to include GPS surveillance trackers.

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]]> Groups Oppose Washington State Bill to Create Framework for Verifiable Credentials https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/groups-oppose-washington-state-bill-to-create-framework-for-verifiable-credentials/ Fri, 25 Feb 2022 17:14:28 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=23851 Consumer Federation of America joined other groups in opposing a bill in Washington State that would create a framework for verifying individuals’ identities because it lacked adequate consideration of privacy, security and equity issues. The legislation ultimately failed to advance.

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]]> Consumer Federation of America joined other groups in opposing a bill in Washington State that would create a framework for verifying individuals’ identities because it lacked adequate consideration of privacy, security and equity issues. The legislation ultimately failed to advance.

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]]> Groups Provide Input to OSTP on Uses of Biometric Technologies https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/groups-provide-input-to-ostp-on-uses-of-biometric-technologies/ Sat, 15 Jan 2022 21:13:51 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=23583 In response to a request from the White House Office of Science and Technology for input about the public and private uses of biometric technologies, Consumer Federation of America, the Center for Digital Democracy, and EPIC submitted comments stressing the importance of robust, timely, and transparent impact assessments to mitigate the privacy and human rights … Continued

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]]> In response to a request from the White House Office of Science and Technology for input about the public and private uses of biometric technologies, Consumer Federation of America, the Center for Digital Democracy, and EPIC submitted comments stressing the importance of robust, timely, and transparent impact assessments to mitigate the privacy and human rights risks, highlighting the need for rigorous impact assessments that broadly consider the potential impact and apply to all biometric technologies, and articulating key factors that impact assessments should consider.

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]]> Groups Express Concerns to Senators About Proposal to Expand Reporting Regime for Private Financial Information https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/groups-express-concerns-to-senators-about-proposal-to-expand-reporting-regime-for-private-financial-information/ Tue, 14 Sep 2021 20:16:16 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=22721 In a letter to the heads of the Senate Committee on Finance, Consumer Federation of America and other consumer and privacy organizations expressed concern about a proposal by the U.S. Treasury Department to dramatically expand the mandatory reporting regime for private financial information in an effort to improve tax compliance. In particular, the groups said … Continued

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]]> In a letter to the heads of the Senate Committee on Finance, Consumer Federation of America and other consumer and privacy organizations expressed concern about a proposal by the U.S. Treasury Department to dramatically expand the mandatory reporting regime for private financial information in an effort to improve tax compliance. In particular, the groups said that requiring operators of peer-to-peer payment apps and similar services to collect individuals’ taxpayer identification information was not justified and could expose them to identity theft.

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]]> Groups Call for FTC to Address Surveillance and Data Abuses https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/groups-call-for-ftc-to-address-surveillance-and-data-abuses/ Thu, 29 Jul 2021 16:13:03 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=22424 A diverse group of organizations, including Consumer Federation of America, issued an open letter to the Federal Trade Commission calling on the agency to use its rulemaking authority to ban corporate use of facial recognition technology, ban continuous surveillance in places of public accommodation, and stop industry-wide data abuse.

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]]> A diverse group of organizations, including Consumer Federation of America, issued an open letter to the Federal Trade Commission calling on the agency to use its rulemaking authority to ban corporate use of facial recognition technology, ban continuous surveillance in places of public accommodation, and stop industry-wide data abuse.

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]]> CFA and Other Groups Oppose CA Digital License Plate and Registration Programs Unless Data Privacy is Protected https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/cfa-and-other-groups-oppose-ca-digital-license-plate-and-registration-programs-unless-data-privacy-is-protected/ Mon, 28 Jun 2021 15:35:23 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=22206 In a letter to the sponsors of a California bill, AB 984, the Consumer Federation of America and other groups reiterated their opposition to making digital license plate and registration programs permanent unless clear limits are placed on the ability of the vendors involved in the programs to collect and use the sensitive information, such … Continued

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]]> In a letter to the sponsors of a California bill, AB 984, the Consumer Federation of America and other groups reiterated their opposition to making digital license plate and registration programs permanent unless clear limits are placed on the ability of the vendors involved in the programs to collect and use the sensitive information, such as location data. The groups also expressed concern about sharing the data with law enforcement agencies without warrants, data security, and the potential for malfunctions to result in individuals’ being wrongly ticketed.

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]]> CFA Joins Others to Oppose California Bill to Allow Facial Recognition Use to Obtain Vital Records https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/cfa-joins-others-to-oppose-california-bill-to-allow-facial-recognition-use-to-obtain-vital-records/ Wed, 23 Jun 2021 16:13:25 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=22209 Consumer Federation of America and other groups told a California lawmaker that they oppose his bill, AB 751, which would enable facial recognition to be used to authenticate individuals who want to obtain copies of their vital records from the state. The groups pointed out that facial recognition is error-prone, especially in correctly identifying people … Continued

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]]> Consumer Federation of America and other groups told a California lawmaker that they oppose his bill, AB 751, which would enable facial recognition to be used to authenticate individuals who want to obtain copies of their vital records from the state. The groups pointed out that facial recognition is error-prone, especially in correctly identifying people of color, that there are serious concerns about the potential for unrelated uses by data brokers and law enforcement, and that there are already other convenient means for accessing vital records, such as submitting a scan of a notarized statement verifying a person’s identity.

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]]> CFA Joins Others Urging Policymakers in the US and EU to Ban Surveillance Advertising https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/cfa-joins-others-urging-policymakers-in-the-us-and-eu-to-ban-surveillance-advertising/ Wed, 23 Jun 2021 14:30:24 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=22125 Consumer Federation of America and other organizations in the United States and Europe wrote to policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic urging them to ban surveillance advertising. The letter comes on the heels of a new report by the Norwegian Consumer Council about how surveillance advertising works and its harmful effects on consumers and … Continued

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]]> Consumer Federation of America and other organizations in the United States and Europe wrote to policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic urging them to ban surveillance advertising. The letter comes on the heels of a new report by the Norwegian Consumer Council about how surveillance advertising works and its harmful effects on consumers and society.

To view the report click here

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]]> Groups Oppose CA Bill on Digital License Plates and Registrations https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/groups-oppose-ca-bill-on-digital-license-plates-and-registrations/ Mon, 03 May 2021 21:54:11 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=21939 Consumer Federation of America and other consumer, privacy and civil rights groups urged California lawmakers to amend a bill that would authorize the state Department of Motor Vehicles to make a program for digital license plates and registrations permanent because the legislation does not prevent the third-party vendors that facilitate the program from collecting and … Continued

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]]> Consumer Federation of America and other consumer, privacy and civil rights groups urged California lawmakers to amend a bill that would authorize the state Department of Motor Vehicles to make a program for digital license plates and registrations permanent because the legislation does not prevent the third-party vendors that facilitate the program from collecting and using location data and other sensitive personal information for their own commercial purposes.

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]]> Groups Demand End to Secret Facial Recognition Program in DC Area https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/groups-demand-end-to-secret-facial-recognition-program-in-dc-area/ Wed, 28 Apr 2021 20:33:40 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=21634 Consumer Federation of America joined other groups dedicated to privacy, transparency, accountability, and good government in a letter urging the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to end funding for the National Capital Region Facial Recognition Investigative Leads System pilot project, halt the use of the system, and make public the documents related to the project. … Continued

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]]> Consumer Federation of America joined other groups dedicated to privacy, transparency, accountability, and good government in a letter urging the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to end funding for the National Capital Region Facial Recognition Investigative Leads System pilot project, halt the use of the system, and make public the documents related to the project. Using a facial recognition system to identify individuals, particularly protesters, is a new development in law enforcement in the D.C. Metropolitan Area. The groups said that the public should be informed and provided a meaningful opportunity to weigh in on the use of new surveillance technologies, and some technologies, such as facial recognition, are antithetical to democracy and should not be used.

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]]> Groups Support CA Bill to Protect Personal Data Collected to Combat COVID-19 https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/groups-support-ca-bill-to-protect-personal-data-collected-to-combat-covid-19/ Mon, 29 Mar 2021 19:17:27 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=21283 Consumer Federation of America joined other groups in support of California legislation that would protect the privacy of personal information collected in connection with combatting COVID-19 by restricting its disclosure and use for commercial or law enforcement purposes.

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]]> Consumer Federation of America joined other groups in support of California legislation that would protect the privacy of personal information collected in connection with combatting COVID-19 by restricting its disclosure and use for commercial or law enforcement purposes.

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]]> Groups Call for Enactment of Public Health Emergency Privacy Act During COVID-19 Crisis https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/groups-call-for-enactment-of-public-health-emergency-privacy-act-during-covid-19-crisis/ Thu, 28 May 2020 14:11:12 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=19269 Fourteen leading consumer, privacy, civil liberties and digital rights organizations wrote to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to urge support for the Public Health Emergency Privacy Act, legislation that would ensure that Americans’ sensitive information is kept private and secure when they use … Continued

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]]> Fourteen leading consumer, privacy, civil liberties and digital rights organizations wrote to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to urge support for the Public Health Emergency Privacy Act, legislation that would ensure that Americans’ sensitive information is kept private and secure when they use a contact tracing app, exposure notification app, or other technology as part of the public health response to the COVID-19 crisis.

House Letter

Senate Letter

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]]> White House Must Act to Protect Privacy and Ensure Equity in Responding to COVID-19 Pandemic https://consumerfed.org/press_release/white-house-must-act-to-protect-privacy-and-ensure-equity-in-responding-to-covid-19-pandemic/ Tue, 05 May 2020 14:00:03 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=press_release&p=19121 Washington, D.C. – Today, 15 leading consumer, privacy, civil and digital rights organizations called on the federal government to set guidelines to protect individuals’ privacy, ensure equity in the treatment of individuals and communities, and communicate clearly about public health objectives in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to Vice President Michael R. … Continued

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]]> Washington, D.C. – Today, 15 leading consumer, privacy, civil and digital rights organizations called on the federal government to set guidelines to protect individuals’ privacy, ensure equity in the treatment of individuals and communities, and communicate clearly about public health objectives in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter to Vice President Michael R. Pence, who leads the Coronavirus Task Force, the groups said that the proper use of technology and data have the potential to provide important public health benefits, but must incorporate privacy and security, as well as safeguards against discrimination and violations of civil and other rights. Developing a process to assess how effective technology and other tools will be to achieve the desired public health objectives is also vitally important, the groups said. The letter was signed by the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, Center for Democracy & Technology, Center for Digital Democracy, Constitutional Alliance, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), Media Alliance, MediaJustice, Oakland Privacy, Parent Coalition for Student Privacy, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Public Citizen, Public Knowledge, and Rights x Tech.

“A headlong rush into technological solutions without carefully considering how well they work and whether they could undermine fundamental American values such as privacy, equity, and fairness would be a mistake,” said Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection and Privacy at the Consumer Federation of America. “Fostering public trust and confidence in the programs that are implemented to combat COVID-19 is crucial to their overall success.”

“Measures to contain the deadly spread of COVID-19 must be effective and protect those most exposed. History has taught us that the deployment of technologies is often driven by forces that tend to risk privacy, undermine fairness and equity, and place our civil rights in peril. The White House Task Force must work with privacy, consumer and civil rights groups, and other experts, to ensure that the efforts to limit the spread of the virus truly protect our interests,” said Katharina Kopp, Director of Policy, Center for Digital Democracy.

In addition to concerns about government plans that are being developed to address the pandemic, such as using technology for contact tracing, the groups noted the need to ensure that private-sector partnerships incorporate comprehensive privacy and security standards.

The letter outlines 11 principles that should form the basis for standards that government agencies and the private sector can follow:

  • Set science-based, public health objectives to address the pandemic. Then design the programs and consider what tools, including technology, might be most efficacious and helpful to meet those objectives.
  • Assess how technology and other tools meet key criteria. This should be done before deployment when possible and consistent with public health demands, and on an ongoing basis. Questions should include: Can they be shown to be effective for their intended purposes? Can they be used without infringing on privacy? Can they be used without unfairly disadvantaging individuals or communities? Are there other alternatives that would help meet the objectives well without potentially negative consequences? Use of technologies and tools that are ineffective or raise privacy or other societal concerns should be discontinued promptly.
  • Protect against bias and address inequities in technology access. In many cases, communities already disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 may lack access to technology, or not be fairly represented in data sets. Any use of digital tools must ensure that nobody is left behind.
  • Set clear guidelines for how technology and other tools will be used. These should be aimed at ensuring that they will serve the public health objective while safeguarding privacy and other societal values. Public and private partners should be required to adhere to those guidelines, and the guidelines should be readily available to the public.
  • Ensure that programs such as technology-assisted contact tracing are voluntary. Individual participation should be based on informed, affirmative consent, not coercion.
  • Only collect individuals’ personal information needed for the public health objective. No other personal information should be collected in testing, contact tracing, and public information portals.
  • Do not use or share individuals’ personal information for any other purposes. It is important to avoid “mission creep” and to prevent use for purposes unrelated to the pandemic such as for advertising, law enforcement, or for reputation management in non-public health settings.
  • Secure individuals’ personal information from unauthorized access and use. Information collected from testing, contact tracing and information portals may be very revealing, even if it is not “health” information, and security breaches would severely damage public trust.
  • Retain individuals’ personal information only for as long as it is needed. When it is no longer required for the public health objective, the information should be safely disposed of.
  • Be transparent about data collection and use. Before their personal information is collected, individuals should be informed about what data is needed, the specific purposes for which the data will be used, and what rights they have over what’s been collected about them.
  • Provide accountability. There must be systems in place to ensure that these principles are followed and to hold responsible parties accountable. In addition, individuals should have clear means to ask questions, make complaints, and seek recourse in connection with the handling of their personal information.

The groups asked Vice President Pence for a meeting to discuss their concerns and suggested that the Coronavirus Task Force immediately create an interdisciplinary advisory committee comprised of experts from public health, data security, privacy, social science, and civil society to help develop effective standards.

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]]> Groups Support Washington State Bill on Law Enforcement Use of Facial Recognition https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/groups-support-wa-bill-on-law-enforcement-use-of-facial-recognition/ Fri, 14 Feb 2020 17:27:24 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=18660 CFA and other groups urged Washington state legislators to pass a bill that would place a moratorium on the procurement and use of facial recognition technology by government agencies.

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]]> CFA and other groups urged Washington state legislators to pass a bill that would place a moratorium on the procurement and use of facial recognition technology by government agencies.

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]]> CFA and Others Urge PCLOB to Assess Use of Facial Recognition in Public Spaces https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/cfa-and-others-urge-pclob-to-assess-use-of-facial-recognition-in-public-spaces/ Mon, 27 Jan 2020 20:30:30 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=18373 Citing concerns about law enforcement use of facial recognition to surveil people who are not accused of any crimes and studies showing the bias inherent in this technology, Consumer Federation of America joined other consumer, privacy and civil liberties groups in urging the independent Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to assess the use of … Continued

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]]> Citing concerns about law enforcement use of facial recognition to surveil people who are not accused of any crimes and studies showing the bias inherent in this technology, Consumer Federation of America joined other consumer, privacy and civil liberties groups in urging the independent Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to assess the use of facial recognition in public spaces.

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]]> CFA Joined Consumer and Civil Rights Organizations in a Letter Calling for The Suspension of Face Recognition Technology Use by the Department of Homeland Security https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/cfa-joined-consumer-and-civil-rights-organizations-in-a-letter-calling-for-the-suspension-of-face-recognition-technology-use-by-the-department-of-homeland-security/ Thu, 11 Jul 2019 19:45:14 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?p=17150 The use of face recognition technology by the DHS poses serious risks to privacy and civil liberties, threatens immigrants, broadly impacts American citizens, and has been implemented without proper safeguards in place or explicit Congressional approval. Moreover, the extraordinary breach of the images of travelers’ faces and license plates, surveillance-equipment schematics and sensitive contracting documents … Continued

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]]> The use of face recognition technology by the DHS poses serious risks to privacy and civil liberties, threatens immigrants, broadly impacts American citizens, and has been implemented without proper safeguards in place or explicit Congressional approval. Moreover, the extraordinary breach of the images of travelers’ faces and license plates, surveillance-equipment schematics and sensitive contracting documents by a CBP contractor has made clear that these programs are creating new risks to the privacy and security of Americans. Through carelessly managed programs, DHS itself created new security threats. It would be irresponsible for DHS to move forward with face recognition programs that collect massive amounts of sensitive data until a thorough investigation of this incident is completed and the agency demonstrates that it can fully safeguard its systems.

Joint Letter Requesting The Suspension of Face Recognition Technology Use by DHS

 

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]]> Public Interest Groups Call on Congress to Include Civil Rights in Ongoing Privacy Debate https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/public-interest-groups-call-on-congress-to-include-civil-rights-in-ongoing-privacy-debate/ Wed, 13 Feb 2019 16:24:26 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=16068 In a letter to Congressional committee chairs and ranking members, public interest groups including CFA ask that Congressional leaders ensure that civil rights retain a fundamental place in ongoing online privacy debate and hearings. Any new privacy legislation should be consistent with the Civil Rights Principles for the Era of Big Data. Download PDF

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]]> In a letter to Congressional committee chairs and ranking members, public interest groups including CFA ask that Congressional leaders ensure that civil rights retain a fundamental place in ongoing online privacy debate and hearings. Any new privacy legislation should be consistent with the Civil Rights Principles for the Era of Big Data.

Download PDF

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]]> Consumer and Privacy Groups Submit Draft Data Protection Framework to Senate Commerce Committee https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/consumer-and-privacy-groups-submit-draft-data-protection-framework-to-senate-commerce-committee/ Tue, 09 Oct 2018 15:21:13 +0000 https://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=15486 A dozen consumer and privacy organizations have submitted a draft data protection framework to the Senate Commerce Committee, outlining just some of the many issues that should be addressed to implement effective baseline privacy protections in the United States. The issues outlined include enacting baseline federal data protection legislation, limiting government access to personal data, establishing … Continued

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]]> A dozen consumer and privacy organizations have submitted a draft data protection framework to the Senate Commerce Committee, outlining just some of the many issues that should be addressed to implement effective baseline privacy protections in the United States. The issues outlined include enacting baseline federal data protection legislation, limiting government access to personal data, establishing algorithmic transparency and ending discriminatory profiling, prohibiting “take it or leave it” and other unfair terms, ensuring robust enforcement, promoting privacy innovation, and establishing a data protection agency.

Download PDF

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]]> CFA and Public Interest Groups Strongly Oppose Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity Request https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/cfa-public-interest-groups-strongly-oppose-presidential-advisory-commission-election-integrity-request/ Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:01:44 +0000 http://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=13121 CFA and public interest groups strongly oppose the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity request for voter record information and urge the National Association of State Secretaries not to comply. This is sensitive, personal information that individuals are often required to provide to be eligible to vote. There is no indication how the information will  be … Continued

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]]> CFA and public interest groups strongly oppose the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity request for voter record information and urge the National Association of State Secretaries not to comply. This is sensitive, personal information that individuals are often required to provide to be eligible to vote. There is no indication how the information will  be used, who will have access to it, or what safeguards will be established. Moreover, it appears that the  Presidential Commission has failed to undertake and publish a Privacy Impact Assessment, which is required for the federal government, prior to the collection of personal data.

Download PDF

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]]> CFA Calls on Department of Homeland Security to Withdraw Proposal to Collect Social Media Identifiers from US Visitors https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/cfa-calls-department-homeland-security-withdraw-proposal-collect-social-media-identifiers-us-visitors/ Mon, 22 Aug 2016 18:37:12 +0000 http://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=11110 In a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CFA joins a coalition of human rights and civil liberties groups to convey concerns with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s proposal that certain categories of visitors to the United States be asked to disclose information about their “online presence” in their visa-waiver arrival/departure records (Form I-94W) and their … Continued

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]]> In a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CFA joins a coalition of human rights and civil liberties groups to convey concerns with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s proposal that certain categories of visitors to the United States be asked to disclose information about their “online presence” in their visa-waiver arrival/departure records (Form I-94W) and their online application for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). This program would invade individual privacy and imperil freedom of expression while being ineffective and prohibitively expensive to implement and maintain.

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]]> Consumers Really Do Care About Privacy https://consumerfed.org/press_release/consumers-really-care-privacy/ Wed, 27 Jul 2016 16:16:54 +0000 http://consumerfed.org/?post_type=press_release&p=10997 Washington, D.C. — Does the fact that consumers are increasingly using technologies that enable personal information about them to be collected, analyzed and used for purposes that they never affirmatively agreed to mean that they are unconcerned about their privacy? “It’s a myth that consumers don’t care about their privacy anymore,” said Susan Grant, Director … Continued

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]]> Washington, D.C. — Does the fact that consumers are increasingly using technologies that enable personal information about them to be collected, analyzed and used for purposes that they never affirmatively agreed to mean that they are unconcerned about their privacy? “It’s a myth that consumers don’t care about their privacy anymore,” said Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection and Privacy at the Consumer Federation of America.  “Studies show that consumers are very concerned about the lack of control they have over their personal information, and they should be, because as numerous articles and reports have revealed, their data is being tracked and used in ways that they might not expect or desire.”

For instance, in comments to the Department of Commerce earlier this year on the Internet of Things, one of the references that the Consumer Federation of America cited was a January 2016 survey by the Pew Research Center, Privacy and Information Sharing, which showed that while 55 percent of respondents said that it would be acceptable for an employer to install surveillance cameras with facial recognition technology after a series of thefts, 55 percent said it would be unacceptable for a smart thermostat to monitor their movements around their home in exchange for savings on their energy bill.

“Consumers should not have to make a choice between energy efficiency and privacy, or worry about their children enjoying Pokémon GO because their personal information is being collected and shared for purposes that have nothing to do with playing the game,” said Ms. Grant. CFA’s new “Resources for Consumer Concerns about Privacy” provides links to selected surveys, studies and news articles about privacy in nine specific areas: advertising, attitudes towards privacy, big data, data brokers, data security, facial recognition, health care, the Internet of Things, and personalized pricing and discrimination. “Because of the increasing concerns about privacy issues, we are making it available for other advocates, policy makers and the media on our website,” explained Ms. Grant.

This resource, which is available here, is intended as a sampling of information about consumers’ privacy concerns, not a compendium of all relevant surveys, studies and articles on every privacy issue. “We welcome suggestions for additions to the list and will update it on an ongoing basis,” said Ms. Grant. Caroline Zitin, a law student at Georgetown University, helped to develop the resource under a program sponsored by the Georgetown University Law Center Equal Justice Foundation.

Contact: Susan Grant, 202-939-1003

The Consumer Federation of America is a national organization of more than 250 nonprofit consumer groups that was founded in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

The post Consumers Really Do Care About Privacy appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

]]> Resources for Consumer Concerns about Privacy https://consumerfed.org/consumer_info/resources-consumer-concerns-privacy/ Wed, 27 Jul 2016 15:04:52 +0000 http://consumerfed.org/?post_type=consumer_info&p=10995 This document provides links to surveys, news articles, reports, and other resources that touch on a variety of issues involving consumer concerns about privacy. Each link includes one or two highlights from that resource. The links are broken up into the following categories: Advertising Study: Consumers Don’t Know What AdChoices Privacy Icon Is, Advertising Age, … Continued

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]]> This document provides links to surveys, news articles, reports, and other resources that touch on a variety of issues involving consumer concerns about privacy. Each link includes one or two highlights from that resource. The links are broken up into the following categories:

Privacy

Advertising

Study: Consumers Don’t Know What AdChoices Privacy Icon Is, Advertising Age, January 2014

  • Research from Parks Associates shows that only 6% of respondents were aware of what the Digital Advertising Alliance’s AdChoices icon was, up 1% over a two-year period
  • 27 % of those who noticed the icon, clicked on it, and did not opt-out, said they did not know they could opt-out of targeted advertising through the icon

→ http://adage.com/article/privacy-and-regulation/study-consumers-adchoices-privacy-icon/291374/

Consumers to online advertisers: No Tracking for Any Reason, Consumer Action, June 2013

  • More than half of respondents want the automatic default for their browsers to be “do not track.”

→ http://www.consumer-action.org/press/articles/no_tracking_for_any_reason

Why Johnny Can’t Opt Out: A Usability Evaluation of Tools to Limit Online Behavioral Advertising, CMU CyLab Security and Privacy Institute, May 2012

  • Nine tools to limit online behavioral advertising were tested by forty-five participants.
  • The results show that users can’t distinguish between trackers, default settings were inappropriate for users interested in protecting their privacy, tools were ineffective in communicating their purpose and configuration, and most of the tools suffered from major usability flaws.

→ http://www.cylab.cmu.edu/research/techreports/2011/tr_cylab11017.html

How Companies Learn Your Secrets, the New York Times, February 2012

  • By tracking purchases of about twenty-five products via Guest ID numbers, Target’s Guest Marketing Analytics department was able to successfully target pregnant women.

→ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.html?ref=general&src=me&pagewanted=all&_r=1

A Guide to the Digital Advertising Industry That’s Watching Your Every Click, the Atlantic, February 2012

  • Advertising strategies have moved away from reaching audiences via mass media to new strategies that aim to profile individuals based on clicks, swipes, etc., in order to deliver particular types of individuals, and increasingly particular individuals.
  • Individualized advertisements and discounts act as status signals; they alert people as to their social position. If you consistently get ads for low-priced cars, regional vacations, fast-food restaurants, and other products that reflect a lower-class status, your sense of the world’s opportunities may be narrower than that of someone who is feted with ads for national or international trips and luxury products.

→ http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/02/a-guide-to-the-digital-advertising-industry-thats-watching-your-every-click/252667/

Attitude Towards Privacy

Privacy and Information Sharing, Pew Research Center, January 2016

  • 54% of respondents found it acceptable for an employer to install surveillance cameras with facial recognition technology after a series of thefts; however, 55% found it unacceptable for a smart thermostat to monitor their movements around their home in exchange for savings on their energy bill.

→ http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2016/01/PI_2016.01.14_Privacy-and-Info-Sharing_FINAL.pdf

Survey: More Americans Worried About Data Privacy than Income, CBS News, January 2016

  • 89% of respondents avoid companies that they believe don’t protect their privacy.

→ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/truste-survey-more-americans-concerned-about-data-privacy-than-losing-income/

The Trade-Off Fallacy, the Annenberg School for Communication, June 2015

  • 91% of respondents disagree (77% of them strongly) that “If companies give me a discount, it is a fair exchange for them to collect information about me without my knowing.”
  • 65% of respondents do not know that the statement “When a website has a privacy policy, it means the site will not share my information with other websites and companies without my permission” is false.

→ https://www.asc.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/TradeoffFallacy_1.pdf

Privacy and Cybersecurity: Key Findings from Pew Research, Pew Research Center, January 2015

  • 64% of Americans believe that the government should do more to regulate advertisers.
  • 91% of Americans say that consumers have lost control over how personal information is collected and used by companies.

→ http://www.pewresearch.org/key-data-points/privacy/

Data Privacy is a Major Concern for Consumers, TRUSTe, January 2015

  • 45% of Americans and Brits say they think online privacy is more important than national security.
  • 92% of Americans worry to some degree about their privacy online.

→ http://www.truste.com/blog/2015/01/28/data-privacy-concern-consumers/

Online Holiday Shopping Survey, National Cyber Security Alliance, November 2016

  • 74% of respondents think it is “important” to “extremely important” that websites they use have easy to understand and accessible information about how their personal information is collected, how it is used, and with whom it is shared.
  • 25% have abandoned an online purchase because of a security or privacy concern, and the two top reasons were because too much information was being asked for in relationship to the transaction (47%) and the person couldn’t determine if the information was being handled securely (36%).
  • In the last month, 27% of respondents had updated their privacy settings on a social network and 21% had thoroughly read the terms and conditions of an app before downloading.
  • 22% were not confident that devices connected to the internet are safe and secure; only 12% were completely confident that they are.
  • The top two security or privacy measures that respondents would adopt around the “Internet of Things” were to change the password on the device before using it (47%) and try to understand what personal information the device collects, how it’s used and how it’s stored (45%).

→ https://staysafeonline.org/resource/2016-ncsa-online-holiday-shopping-survey-results/

Big Data

How Apple Learns About You without Identifying You Using “Differential Privacy”, Digital Trends, June 2016

  • Apple’s iOS 10 will use on-device intelligence to accomplish many of the tasks that involve data analysis, and differential privacy to improve its services.

→ http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-differential-privacy/

Concerns About What the Uber App Mines from Phones, KOB 4 News, May 2016

  • A complaint filed with the FTC urges an investigation into Uber’s use of customers’ location data.
  • In Uber’s privacy statement, users agree to allow Uber access to their location at all times, all phone contacts, payment methods, phone web history, and all text messages.

→ http://www.kob.com/investigative-news/concerns-about-what-the-uber-app-mines-from-phones/4150443/?cat=500#.V2QZwbnbLIV

Big Data is Watching: Growing Digital Data Surveillance of Consumers by ISPs and Other Leading Video Providers, Center for Digital Democracy, March 2016

  • With the acquisition of Millennial Media, Verizon gained access to customer data gathered by over sixty thousand apps that include location, social, interest, and contextual information.

→ https://www.democraticmedia.org/article/big-data-watching-growing-digital-data-surveillance-consumers-isps-and-other-leading-video

Big Data: Tool for Inclusion or Exclusion?, Federal Trade Commission, January 2016

  • When using big data, companies should consider how representative their data set is, if the data model accounts for biases, how accurate the predictions are, and if there are ethical or fairness concerns raised by relying on big data.

→ https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/big-data-tool-inclusion-or-exclusion-understanding-issues/160106big-data-rpt.pdf

Apps Permissions in the Google Play Store, Pew Research Center, November 2015

  • The average app asks for five permissions.

→ http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/11/10/apps-permissions-in-the-google-play-store/

Big Data Means Big Opportunities and Big Challenges, Center for Digital Democracy, March 2014

  • The shift to a digital and mobile services financial system could pose a threat to privacy as devices can collect both transactional and locational information.

→http://www.centerfordigitaldemocracy.org/sites/default/files/USPIRGEFandCDDBigDataReportMar14_1.3web.pdf

Civil Rights Principles for the Era of Big Data, the Leadership Conference, 2014

  • Civil rights groups offer five principles to ensure the collection of data respects the values of equal opportunity and equal justice.

→ http://www.civilrights.org/press/2014/civil-rights-principles-big-data.html

Data Brokers

Online Lead Generation: What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself from Companies in the Business of Secretly Selling You to Predatory Payday and Other Short-term Loan Companies, Center for Digital Democracy, May 2015

  • Lead generators earn profits by identifying “hot prospects” or those “in-market” for a loan, insurance, or credit product. Once identified, the “lead” is sold to one or more companies that will target that person for a payday loan, mortgage refinancing, college tuition loan, etc.
  • Lead companies rely on data brokers to provide “lead verification” services to determine your phone number and email address, as well as match where your online device is with your zip code.

→ https://www.democraticmedia.org/sites/default/files/field/public-files/2015/onlineleadgenreport_may2015_uspirgef_cdd.pdf

Big Data: A Big Disappointment for Scoring Consumer Credit Risk, National Consumer Law Center, March 2014

  • Fifteen employees at NCLC requested their consumer reports from eBureau, ID Analytics, Intelius, Spokeo, and Acxiom in an attempt to better understand the type of data collected, the accuracy of the data, and the ease in obtaining a consumer report. Reports were generally hard to obtain, contained a range of inaccuracies, and most contained very little information.

→ http://www.nclc.org/images/pdf/pr-reports/report-big-data.pdf

Privacy Tools: Opting Out from Data Brokers, ProPublica, January 2014

  • Of the 212 data brokers the author was able to identify, only 92 accepted opt-outs. Of those 92, 65 required submission of some form of identification in order to opt-out, and 24 required the opt-out forms to be sent by mail or fax.

→ https://www.propublica.org/article/privacy-tools-opting-out-from-data-brokers?utm_source=et&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailynewsletter

A Review of the Data Broker Industry: Collection, Use, and Sale of Consumer Data for Marketing Purposes, United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, December 2013

  • The Committee found that some of the targeting products brokers offer identify financially vulnerable populations, including: “Living on Loans: Young Urban Single Parents”, “Rough Retirement: Small Town and Rural Seniors”, and “Rural and Barely Making It.”

→ https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/0d2b3642-6221-4888-a631-08f2f255b577/AE5D72CBE7F44F5BFC846BECE22C875B.12.18.13-senate-commerce-committee-report-on-data-broker-industry.pdf

Acxiom Lets Consumers See Data it Collects, the New York Times, September 2013

  • In an attempt to be more transparent, major data broker Acxiom launched Aboutthedata.com to allow consumers to see some of the data the company has collected about them.
  • However, critics say that the new site omits major details about their data analysis practices, and does not offer a complete picture to consumers.

→ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/05/technology/acxiom-lets-consumers-see-data-it-collects.html?_r=0

Data Security

Lack of Trust in Internet Privacy and Security May Deter Economic and Other Online Activities, National Telecommunications & Information Administration, May 2016

  • According to data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, 63% of online households chose identity theft when asked if they had any online privacy and security concerns.

→ https://www.ntia.doc.gov/blog/2016/lack-trust-internet-privacy-and-security-may-deter-economic-and-other-online-activities

 Experian Sold Consumer Data to ID Theft Service, Krebs on Security, October 2013

  • An underground ID theft service acquired or sold more than half a million “fullz” by obtaining USInfoSearch.com records via third-party Court Ventures. Court Ventures was purchased by Experian in 2012.
  • “Fullz”, a slang term cybercrooks use, is a package of personally identifiable information that typically includes an individual’s name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, place of work, duration of work, state driver’s license number, mother’s maiden name, bank account number(s), bank routing number(s), email account(s) and other account passwords.

→ http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/10/experian-sold-consumer-data-to-id-theft-service/

Privacy and Data Management on Mobile Devices, Pew Research Center, September 2012

  • 19% of cell owners have turned off the location tracking feature on their cell phone because they were concerned that other individuals or companies could access that information.
  • 32% of cell owners have cleared the browsing history or search history on their phone.

→ http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/09/05/privacy-and-data-management-on-mobile-devices/

Facial Recognition

The Danger of Corporate Facial Recognition Tech, Electronic Frontier Foundation, June 2016

  • Author of the proposed revision to the Illinois Biometric Privacy Law, one of the strongest privacy protections in the country, withdrew the bill in the face of opposition. The revision would have significantly reduced the protections afforded by the original bill.

→ https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/06/danger-corporate-facial-recognition-tech

Facial Recognition Technology: Commercial Uses, Privacy Issues, and Applicable Federal Law, U.S. Government Accountability Office, July 2015

  • At present, use of facial recognition for customer service and marketing in the United States seems to be primarily for detecting characteristics (such as age or gender) to tailor digital advertising, rather than identifying unique individuals.

→ http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-621

Who Owns Your Face?, the Atlantic, July 2015

  • Companies ability to use facial recognition online far exceeds their capabilities to use it offline, or “in the wild.”
  • Facebook’s algorithm can detect whether two images depict the same person accurately 97.25% of the time, while humans on average can do the same 97.5% of the time.

→ http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/07/how-good-facial-recognition-technology-government-regulation/397289/

Face Recognition and Privacy in the Age of Augmented Reality, Journal of Privacy and Confidentiality, 2014

  • In a series of experiments, researchers used facial recognition to re-identify individuals online and offline, and in some cases make sensitive inferences about the individuals including social security numbers and interests.

→ http://repository.cmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1122&context=jpc

Health Care

Health Wearable Devices in the Big Data Era: Ensuring Privacy, Security, and Consumer Protection, Center for Digital Democracy, December 2016

  • Personal health wearable devices that consumers are using to monitor their heart rates, sleep patterns, calories, and even stress levels raise new privacy and security risks.
  • But while consumers may think that federal laws will protect their personal health information collected by wearables, the report found that the weak and fragmented health-privacy regulatory system fails to provide adequate safeguards.

→ https://www.democraticmedia.org/sites/default/files/field/public/2016/aucdd_wearablesreport_final121516.pdf

Health Care Apps Often Offer Little Privacy Protection: Study, HealthDay, March 2016

  • Researchers looked at 211 diabetes-specific apps available on Google Play and found that 80% did not have declared privacy policies, and permissions included tracking location, remotely activating a user’s microphone or camera, and modifying or deleting stored information.
  • There is no federal legal protections currently protecting the disclosure of health information from most medical apps, yet one-fifth of American smartphone users have medical apps.

→ https://consumer.healthday.com/health-technology-information-18/cellphone-health-news-729/healthcare-apps-offer-little-privacy-protection-708807.html

Your Prescription History is Their Business, Los Angeles Times, October 2013

  • Forty-eight states maintain databases that monitor prescription-drug use.
  • The service ScriptCheck provides profiles that not only includes a five-year history with detailed drug and insurance eligibility information, treating physicians, drug indications and pharmacy information, but often provides best guesses as to the person’s underlying medical condition.

→ http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20131022-column.html

When Your Data Wanders to Places You’ve Never Been, the New York Times, April 2013

  • A woman received a flyer for event for people with multiple sclerosis, yet did not have the disease.
  • In investigating how this woman was profiled as a MS patient, the reporter discovers that the woman’s information ended up in the hands of at least two companies who the woman never directly interacted with.

→ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/technology/personal-data-takes-a-winding-path-into-marketers-hands.html

The Internet of Things

Self-driving Cars: Overlooking Data Privacy is a Car Crash Waiting to Happen, the Guardian, June 2016

  • Seven states plus the District of Columbia have enacted laws that address autonomous vehicles, but these laws focus on physical safety, and do not adequately address the privacy issues implicated with the constant real-time communication between users and the car, which could reveal details about users’ geolocation and driving habits.

→ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/08/self-driving-car-legislation-drones-data-security

Connection and Protection in the Digital Age, Consumers International, April 2016

  • The Internet of Things exacerbates existing issues such as lack of transparency and clarity, complex liability and responsibility, data collection and use, and security.
  • The Internet of Things also presents new issues involving hybrid products, the erosion of ownership, software licensing and digital rights management, and consumers being locked-in or locked-out of goods and services.

→ http://www.consumersinternational.org/media/1657273/connection-and-protection-the-internet-of-things-and-challenges-for-consumer-protection.pdf

Internet of Things: Privacy and Security in a Connected World, Federal Trade Commission, January 2015

  • Experts estimate that by the year 2020 there will be fifty billion connected devices.

→ https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/federal-trade-commission-staff-report-november-2013-workshop-entitled-internet-things-privacy/150127iotrpt.pdf

Online Holiday Shopping Survey, National Cyber Security Alliance, November 2016

  • 74% of respondents think it is “important” to “extremely important” that websites they use have easy to understand and accessible information about how their personal information is collected, how it is used, and with whom it is shared.
  • 25% have abandoned an online purchase because of a security or privacy concern, and the two top reasons were because too much information was being asked for in relationship to the transaction (47%) and the person couldn’t determine if the information was being handled securely (36%).
  • In the last month, 27% of respondents had updated their privacy settings on a social network and 21% had thoroughly read the terms and conditions of an app before downloading.
  • 22% were not confident that devices connected to the internet are safe and secure; only 12% were completely confident that they are.
  • The top two security or privacy measures that respondents would adopt around the “Internet of Things” were to change the password on the device before using it (47%) and try to understand what personal information the device collects, how it’s used and how it’s stored (45%).

→ https://staysafeonline.org/resource/2016-ncsa-online-holiday-shopping-survey-results/

Personalized Pricing and Discrimination

Big Data is Coming for Your Purchase History:  to Charge You More Money, the Guardian, May 2015

  • Just having basic demographic information alone to charge different prices, Netflix increased profits by 0.14%. Adding data from web browsing history increased profits by 1.4%, with some customers paying twice as much as others for the exact same product.

→ http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/29/big-data-purchase-history-charge-you-more-money

Big Data and Differential Pricing, Executive Office of the President of the United States, February 2015

  • Steering and differential pricing are common practices across websites, but for a relatively limited set of products, and little evidence of personalized pricing has been found.

→

Civil Rights, Big Data, and Our Algorithmic Future, Robinson + Yu, September 2014

  • Big data allows for a new level of specificity in underwriting, changing how risk is allocated. For example, when driving habits can be tracked via device by insurance companies to offer safe drivers discounts, they may end up increasing the cost for low-income drivers who consistently drive late at night for graveyard shifts because they are placed in the same smaller category of drivers as late-night party-goers and potential drunk drivers.

→ https://bigdata.fairness.io/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Civil_Rights_Big_Data_and_Our_Algorithmic-Future_v1.1.pdf

The Scoring of America: How Secret Consumer Scores Threaten Your Privacy and Your Future, World Privacy Forum, April 2014

  • The use of consumer scores, often consisting of thousands of factors or consumer attributes, is increasing, and remains unregulated, making score secrecy and accuracy major issues.

→ https://www.worldprivacyforum.org/2014/04/wpf-report-the-scoring-of-america-how-secret-consumer-scores-threaten-your-privacy-and-your-future/

In the Digital Bullseye: Online Marketers Take Aim at Multicultural Consumers, Center for Digital Democracy, February 2013

  • While obesity among white children declines the higher their parents’ education and income levels, the same is not true for black and Hispanic children. A big contributing factor to this disparity is both higher media consumption by African-American and Hispanic children and their greater responsiveness to the advertising shown.

→ https://www.democraticmedia.org/sites/default/files/CDDDigitalBullseyeFeb2013.pdf

Websites Vary Prices, Deals Based on Users’ Information, the Wall Street Journal, December 2012

  • In testing Staples’ pricing, the Journal found that items often had more than one price online that varied by location.
  • ZIP Codes that mostly received discounted prices had an average weighted income of $59,900, while ZIP Codes that mostly received high prices had an average weighted income of $48,700.

→ http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323777204578189391813881534

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]]> CFA Calls on European Leaders to Table Insufficient “Privacy Shield” Agreement, Continue Negotiations https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/cfa-calls-on-european-leaders-to-table-insufficient-privacy-shield-agreement-continue-negotiations/ Wed, 16 Mar 2016 14:20:53 +0000 http://consumerfed.org/?post_type=testimonial&p=10449 CFA has joined more than two dozen civil society groups in calling on European leaders reviewing the “Privacy Shield” data-transfer agreement to make clear that the arrangement is not enough. The Privacy Shield is intended to allow companies to share data about customers across the Atlantic. Unfortunately, the Privacy Shield fails to provide sufficient clarity, oversight, … Continued

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]]> CFA has joined more than two dozen civil society groups in calling on European leaders reviewing the “Privacy Shield” data-transfer agreement to make clear that the arrangement is not enough. The Privacy Shield is intended to allow companies to share data about customers across the Atlantic. Unfortunately, the Privacy Shield fails to provide sufficient clarity, oversight, remedy, or protections for the human rights of E.U. citizens against U.S. surveillance practices. The letter specifically calls for legislative reform of U.S. surveillance laws, increased protections for personal data, and additional redress and transparency mechanisms.

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]]> Protecting Ourselves from Prying Eyes https://consumerfed.org/protecting-ourselves-from-prying-eyes/ Thu, 14 Jan 2016 14:57:17 +0000 http://consumerfed.org/?p=10178 Much of CFA’s work on privacy focuses on corporate surveillance – companies collecting and using our personal information, often without our knowledge or consent. But government surveillance is also a major concern (in fact, the two issues are intertwined, since in many cases the government is obtaining information about our activities from our telephone companies, … Continued

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]]> Much of CFA’s work on privacy focuses on corporate surveillance – companies collecting and using our personal information, often without our knowledge or consent. But government surveillance is also a major concern (in fact, the two issues are intertwined, since in many cases the government is obtaining information about our activities from our telephone companies, Internet service providers, airlines, and other companies that collect that data).

One handy tool to protect ourselves from prying eyes is encryption, which turns information into code that can only be read by the intended recipient who has the key to the code. It’s commonly used when we make purchases on websites to protect the financial account information that we’re providing as it is transmitted – you’ll notice that the “http” in the address bar turns into “https” to show that encryption is being used. Google encrypts your searches to keep information about what looking for from snoopers (though your searches aren’t entirely private, since Google collects and uses that information). Google also encrypts Gmail, its email program, and there are other services that you can use to send encrypted messages. Increasingly, companies are encrypting account numbers and other sensitive personal information that they store to protect the data from hackers and others who have no business seeing it.

Lately there has been a lot of hand-wringing about encryption. In the wake of terrorist attacks, security agencies complain that encryption makes it harder for them to get the intelligence they need. Some people argue that encryption should be banned, others that government agencies should at least have the keys to break the codes if they decide it’s necessary. For people living under repressive governments in various parts of the world, the inability to communicate in private can put them in great peril. Even in “free” countries, however, communicating with others without fear of being spied on is an important right that must be defended. Laws and due process help to ensure that there is a reasonable balance between government intrusion and liberty. Our rights should be respected, not side-stepped.

That’s why CFA joined other organizations, companies and individuals in an open letter to government leaders around the world calling on them to protect the privacy of their citizens through secure communications technology and reject demands to ban or restrict the use of encryption. For more information about this initiative go to https://securetheinternet.org/.

CFA also signed onto a letter about a more tangible example of prying eyes, the “whole body scanners” that are used at airport security checkpoints. Individuals who for health, religious, or other personal reasons do not want to submit to these “electronic strip searches” are supposed to be able to opt-out in favor of getting a thorough pat-down. But the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) has never issued a final rule setting out its authority to conduct airport screening, despite a court order to do so, and is now claiming that it can deny travelers the option not to go through the scanners. The letter urges the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to hold a hearing on this matter.

We all want to be safe, but not at the expense of our freedom from unnecessary government intrusion.

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