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FTC Abandons Call for Stronger Privacy Laws

Posted by michael on from the laws-are-silent dept.

Anonymous Coward writes: "Found this article on CNN explaining that the FTC has decided to not seek stronger consumer privacy laws in the wake of the events of last month. The article also details how several companies broke their own privacy policies by voluntarily giving customer data to federal authorities." The NY Times has an article about this as well, with a couple of good comments from interested parties.

2 of 188 comments (clear)

  1. Who you give the info to... by Red+Aardvark+House · · Score: 5, Interesting

    From the article:

    In many cases, Ponemon said, the companies sent the information on their own initiative in order to assist the terrorism investigation. Some firms, such as airlines and car rental agencies, are breaking their privacy policies by sharing data to analyze suspicious activity.

    I'm no expert on corporate privacy policies, but isn't there some sort of force majuere clause about giving information to law-enforcement authorities under extraordinary circumstances? Unlike info sharing between companies, law enforcement will not sell the data, spam or make marketing calls during dinnertime.

    Sharing data between corporations though should be a violation of privacy, since they are not proper law-enforcement authorities.

    And what will they do with those lists when the companies are done investigating?

    --

    I like fire ants. They are very spicy!

  2. Re:the real reason nobody likes this by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Interesting
    > 99.99% of the population is probably doing something illegal fairly regularly.

    "Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against - then you'll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We're after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens' What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted - and you create a nation of law-breakers - and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with."

    p.411, Ayn Rand, ATLAS SHRUGGED, Signet Books, NY, 1957

    Reposted under what I believe in good faith to be fair use.