Privacy Law Commons^™

Survey Of Recent European Union Privacy Developments, W. Gregory Voss

W. Gregory Voss

The Spanish law implementing the European Union (EU) Data Protection Directive, advisory guidance on consent, facial recognition and biometric technologies from the European Union Article 29 Data Protection Working Party (WP29) , and proposals for EU data protection law reform are analyzed in this survey piece. EU legislative processes are illustrated by a specific occurence: Spanish Organic Law 15/1999 on the Protection of Personal Data is reviewed in the context of Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) joined cases, Asociación Nacional de Establecimientos Financieros de Crédito (ASNEF) v. Administración del Estado, and Federación de Comercio Electrónico y Marketing …

Limits Of The Federal Wiretap Act's Ability To Protect Against Wi-Fi Sniffing, Mani Potnuru

Michigan Law Review

Adoption of Wi-Fi wireless technology continues to see explosive growth. However many users still operate their home Wi-Fi networks in unsecured mode or use publicly available unsecured Wi-Fi networks, thus exposing their communications to the dangers of "packet sniffing," a technique used for eavesdropping on a network. Some have argued that communications over unsecured Wi-Fi networks are "readily accessible to the general public" and that such communications are therefore excluded from the broad protections of the Federal Wiretap Act against intentional interception of electronic communications. This Note examines the Federal Wiretap Act and argues that the current Act's treatment of …

Access For All: A Review Of “Law Libraries, Government Transparency, And The Internet,” A Presentation By Daniel Schuman Of The Sunlight Foundation At The All-Sis Meeting, July 22, 2012, Susan David Demaine

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Attendees at the ALL-SIS Breakfast and Business Meeting at the AALL Annual Meeting had the pleasure of hearing from Daniel Schuman of the Sunlight Foundation speak on “Law Libraries, Government Transparency, and the Internet.” The Sunlight Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase access to federal government information resources through advocacy and the development of information technology tools.

Walled Gardens Of Privacy Or “Binding Corporate Rules?”: A Critical Look At International Protection Of Online Privacy, Joanna Kulesza

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

A growing concern in the era of cloud computing is protecting Internet users' privacy. This concern is compounded by the fact that there are no effective international solutions. This article considers the latest European Union (EU) proposed development in this area – a regulatory model based on amended Binding Corporate Rules (BCR) – as introduced by the EU Justice Commissioner. These planned changes would have worldwide effects on international companies' online activities in transboundary cyberspace.

After providing a background on the concept of defining privacy in general, the article describes the BCR proposal, and proceeds to consider the likelihood of …

The Progress Of Science And The Useful Arts: Misadventures In Canadian Law On Patent-Eligible Subject Matter, Ken Bousfield

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Patent-Eligible Subject-Matter in Canada

The law of patent-eligible subject-matter in Canada has become badly muddled. There has been repeated confusion of subject-matter issues with non-subject matter issues such as novelty, obviousness, and utility. There has also been repeated confusion within the following group of issues pertaining to whether subject-matter is patent-eligible: whether a claim is for a mere idea or aggregation or for a patentable invention; whether claimed subject-matter falls within science and the useful arts; and whether claimed subject-matter falls within the statutory classes listed in the definition of “invention”. Echoes of older UK-based cases, relating to statutory provisions …

Harvesting The "Forbidden Fruit" Of Biotechnology Research: Genetic Engineering, International Law And The Patentability Of Higher Life Forms In Canada, Eugene C. Lim

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

As the frontiers of science are constantly redefined by the emergence of new technology, patent law often has to struggle to keep pace with the changing conception of what constitutes a protectable “invention”. A key challenge facing patent law in the age of biotechnology lies in ascertaining the extent to which genetically engineered life forms should be protected. A major concern relates to whether such life forms should be excluded from patentability on grounds of ordre public, ethics and morality.

This article critically explores the extent to which patent law in Canada protects this “forbidden fruit” of biotechnological innovation, and …

A Delicate Balance: Defining The Line Between Open Civil Proceedings And The Protection Of Children In The Online Digital Era, Courtney Retter, Shaheen Shariff

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

He thought of the telescreen with its never-sleeping ear. They could spy upon you night and day, but if you kept your head you could still outwit them. [. . .] They could lay bare in the utmost detail everything that you had done or said or thought; but the inner heart, whose workings were mysterious even to yourself, remained impregnable.

— George Orwell, 1984

On Thursday September 27, 2012, a few months after our paper was written, the Supreme Court of Canada solidified the rights of children victimized by cyberbullying in the landmark decision of AB (Litigation Guardian of) …

Understanding The Internet As A Human Right, Michael Karanicolas

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Around the world, fundamental human rights have undergone a dramatic conceptual shift as a result of the spread of the Internet. The right to freedom of expression, once largely limited to printing, has exploded in a digital world that provides users with an unprecedented megaphone to broadcast their views. The right to political participation and the right to free assembly have similarly been reborn in an age of instant communication, allowing activists to mobilise hundreds of thousands of followers with a single email, text or tweet. Although these are the most notable examples, the Internet has also had a transformative …

The Limitations Of Regulatory Oversight On Online Video, Jennifer Simpson

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Discussion in this paper focuses on the factors, attributes, and elements of telecom and broadcast regulation in Canada. Part I of this study briefly outlines the history of online video regulation in Canada to date. In Part II speculation as to how online video might be regulated, based on prior decisions of the CRTC, is presented. Part III considers the challenges of applying the Broadcasting Act to new media entities in order to create a regulatory framework for online video. Part IV looks at judicial decisions related to broadcast law that may be used to define the nature of the …

Wiretapping The Internet: The Expansion Of The Communications Assistance To Law Enforcement Act To Extend Government Surveillance, Christa M. Hibbard

Federal Communications Law Journal

Criminal use of the Internet to circumvent traditional government phone wiretaps has inspired the Obama Administration to create a proposal to expand the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act ("CALEA"). CALEA was passed in 1994 to regulate telephone and broadband companies to ensure compliance with standards to enable government wiretapping. The proposed amendment of CALEA would allow the government to require all communications service providers to meet technical standards necessary to comply with a wiretap order. The expansion of CALEA would likely widen its scope to social networking sites, instant messaging, gaming consoles that allow conversation among multiple players, and …

(Un)Reasonable Expectation Of Digital Privacy, Brandon T. Crowther

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Need To Prevent Employers From Accessing Private Social Network Profiles, Brett Novick

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform Caveat

In March 2012, social network privacy became a conversation topic after news reports of the story of Justin Bassett, a job applicant who withdrew his application in the middle of an interview when the interviewer asked him for the username and password of his private Facebook account. Although the issue has received much attention from the public and media, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has stated that it has no interest in prosecuting employers for asking for social networking account information. Fortunately, legislation that would make it illegal for employers to ask for the username and passwords for social networking …

Privacy Policies, Terms Of Service, And Ftc Enforcement: Broadening Unfairness Regulation For A New Era, G. S. Hans

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

This Note examines website privacy policies in the context of FTC regulation. The relevant portion of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45(a), uses the following language to define the scope of the agency's regulatory authority: "Unfair methods of competition in or affecting commerce, and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce, are hereby declared unlawful." Specifically, this Note analyzes the FTC's power to regulate unfair practices (referred to as the FTC's "unfairness power") granted by Section 5, and also discusses the deception prong of Section 5, which allows the agency to …

Big Brother Has Big Shoulders: Defining Privacy In The Face Of E-Discovery Expansion And Foia Reform, Natnael Moges

Public Interest Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

Back To The Future: Revisiting Zippo In Light Of "Modern Concerns", 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 231 (2012), David Swetnam-Burland, Stacy O. Stitham

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

"Tinkering" With The First Amendment's Protection Of Student Speech On The Internet, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 167 (2012), Steven M. Puiszis

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

World Wide Web Of Love, Lies, And Legislation: Why Online Dating Websites Should Screen Members, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 251 (2012), Maureen Horcher

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The 20th Belle R. And Joseph H. Braun Memorial Symposium: The Development Of Privacy Law From Brandeis To Today: Opening Remarks, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 279 (2012), Ralph Ruebner, Leslie Ann Reis, David E. Sorkin

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Session I: The Legacy Of Justice Arthur Goldberg, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 285 (2012), Samuel R. Olken, Gerald Berendt, Gilbert A. Cornfield, Gilbert Feldman, David Stebenne, Milton I. Shadur

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Session Ii: Historical Perspectives On Privacy In American Law, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 319 (2012), Steven D. Schwinn, Alberto Bernabe, Kathryn Kolbert, Adam D. Moore, Marc Rotenberg

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Dedication Of The Arthur J. Goldberg Memorial Courtroom, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 405 (2012), Hon. Antonin Scalia

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due: A Comment On The Theoretical Foundation And Historical Origin Of The Tort Remedy For Invasion Of Privacy, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 493 (2012), Alberto Bernabe

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Session Iv: Technology And The Future Of Privacy, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 379 (2012), David E. Sorkin, Ann Bartow, Robert S. Gurwin, Doris E. Long

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Session Iii: Privacy Regulation And Policy Perspectives, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 343 (2012), Leslie Ann Reis, Mary Ellen Callahan, Renard Francois, Peter P. Swire, C. William O'Neill

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

What's Mine Is Yours: Targeting Privacy Issues And Determining The Best Solutions For Behavioral Advertising, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 637 (2012), Sarah Cathryn Brandon

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Drug Testing And Privacy In The Workplace, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 463 (2012), Adam D. Moore

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

A Liberal Communitarian Conception Of Privacy, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 419 (2012), Amitai Etzioni

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In a large and complex society, anti-social behavior cannot be restrained by government intervention alone—without it becoming a police state. Informal social controls are necessary to keep deviance from societal norms and values at a socially acceptable level, and one of the levers of this social pressure is the observation of and reaction to the personal conduct of members of one’s community.

This article argues that in several areas of contemporary American life decreasing privacy by strengthening informal social controls will lessen the need for state surveillance and regulation, which tends to be act with a heavier hand and is …

Turning Points In Telecommunications History, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 513 (2012), Paul J. Larkin, Jr.

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Curious Case Of Convenience Casinos: How Internet Sweepstakes Cafes Survive In A Gray Area Between Unlawful Gambling And Legitimate Business Promotions, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 594 (2012), Steve Silver

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Thirty-First Annual John Marshall Law School International Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Brief For The Petitioner, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 701 (2012), Kyle Fonville, Grace Hwang, Nivesh Oudit

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.