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Everything You Need To Know About the Big New Data-Privacy Bill In Congress

Posted by timothy on from the easy-reading dept.

erier2003 writes with this excerpt from The Daily Dot: The United States and the European Union have agreed to a transatlantic data-sharing arrangement to protect U.S. companies' overseas activities and European citizens' privacy, but another initiative—one that's still working its way through Congress—could be just important to U.S.–E.U. relations and transnational privacy rights. The Judicial Redress Act is considered essential to a broader agreement between the U.S. and Europe over the sharing of data in criminal and terrorism investigations. The negotiations over the newly announced E.U.–U.S. Privacy Shield may have received more attention, but the concerns at the heart of this bill are no less important.

29 comments

  1. everything? by turkeydance · · Score: 0

    well, except that

  2. Error 500 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Getting Error 500 from TFA link...

  3. No privacy for Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    "to protect U.S. companies' overseas activities and European citizens' privacy"

    Says it all about our fascist country.

    1. Re:No privacy for Americans? by Sique · · Score: 3, Informative

      When you data gets mined by the FBI (and in theory also by the NSA), you have means of bringing that to court. Europeans not being citizens of the U.S. didn't even have this, as their privacy is not protected by the U.S. constitution. This was the main argument why the European Court ruled that the Safe Harbour Agreement does not provide sufficient protection to E.U. citizens and thus is invalid.

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      .sig: Sique *sigh*
    2. Re:No privacy for Americans? by wings · · Score: 1

      When you data gets mined by the FBI (and in theory also by the NSA), you have means of bringing that to court.

      It's a nice idea but I'm not sure this is working out in reality. Many of the publicised cases where this is attempted seem to end up with the case thrown out after ruling the individual has no standing since the FBI and NSA never admit to having or collecting the data in the first place and don't divulge any information about surveillance because 'national security'.

    3. Re:No privacy for Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aren't you a naive little bastard?

      There are dozens of cases where cases got thrown out simply because the NSA or FBI denied having the data or claimed nation security.

    4. Re:No privacy for Americans? by arglebargle_xiv · · Score: 1

      Congress naming that a "Data Privacy Bill" is along the same lines as them naming something an "Orbiting Peace Platform".

  4. tl;dr by jmcvetta · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Summary of the new laws: "You have no rights. You lose. Bend over and take it. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Thank you for your compliance. Violators will be shot."

    1. Re:tl;dr by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And pick up that motherfucking can! Citizen.

    2. Re:tl;dr by ausekilis · · Score: 1

      There's a military term for this (at least, I learned it while working on base): "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again", Bohica for short.

    3. Re:tl;dr by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We will pick up the can and screw it into your face.

  5. Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Government agencies regularly use warrants to compel U.S. tech companies to turn over user data—including that of foreigners—but only U.S. citizens, relying on the Privacy Act, can challenge those procedures.

    The government does not need a warrant for that data:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-party_doctrine

  6. Fixed! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > The United States and the gullible European Union have agreed to a transatlantic data-sharing arrangement to protect U.S. companies' overseas activities and pretend to protect European citizens' privacy

    In other news, I have a LAN Bridge to sell you. Don't worry about the missing shrink wrap or the NSA QC sticker. :-)

  7. BIG DATA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    BIG DATA is like sex in high school. Nobody's really sure how to do it, but everyone thinks everybody else is doing it, so everybody says they're doing it.

    Related: The NSA has a whole lot of sex in high school pictures among their BIG DATA.

    1. Re:BIG DATA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would like to believe that. Take the new Facebook "friends day" video (go check it out if you haven't seen it). Think about how they generate what photos to use. The answer. It uses poor algorithms that produce poor results. Well done! and this company is supposed to house all this wonderful data that can be used to figure society out.... NOT

      Big Data is essentially a waste of time as you've said. It doesn't dismiss the prevalent dangers such as witchhunt politics, fear mongering and destroying people to make examples of them.

      What happens when we all figure out a) tech companies are only driven by the talent of the technicians that are paid to to help them b) tech companies cannot keep up with human intelligence and creation. All they can do is feed off it and exploit it.

      Google with its immense data collection wont steer a clear perspective either. What it will create is just another colossal mess that will create a dysfunctional form of AI that wont represent a real artificial consciousness. I.E a contradictory mess which will amount to nothing, a failure.

      And Quantum computing, another short fall. They are trying to quantify the "unquantifiable" by justifying such a grand from science such as Quantum physics using a primitive sciences such as computer science and mechanical engineering. Its like trying to trap the entire ocean in a standard drinking glass, its an exercise in futility.

  8. It all means NOTHING! by fred911 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Because these days, those that enforce laws believe they are also above the law.

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    1. Re:It all means NOTHING! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Laws. Laws used to be a public good. They used to be a societal construct and a cohesive one. The laws used to bind us all to a standard.

      Not so much these days.

      Laws exist to crucify those who stand in the way, and in the most arcane sense imaginable. Laws serve to make the powerful feel vindicated....they really don't bear any resemblance to what we call right and wrong.

      I'm too busy working my shift to join the cause, and that's mostly by design.

    2. Re:It all means NOTHING! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Laws. Laws used to be a public good. They used to be a societal construct and a cohesive one.

      No, they are not and never were.
      Everyone is supposed to know the law. If you are eloquent then why would you need a lawyer? You are already supposed to know all the laws. What I'm getting at is that you don't know the law.

    3. Re: It all means NOTHING! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're misguided. The police use the argument ignorance if the law is inexcusable. This doesn't equate to "you need to know every law". No it equates too the police are _as_ ignorant. Lawyers and prosecutors jobs are to sort out the argument infront of a judge and jury therefore the verdict rests on law or rewrites law via president.

      As for extastental departments such as the NSA they blaitently break laws simply because they believe that their work is so important that breaking laws are necessary to catch the bad guys.

      Now in reality none of the above happens. These days it's all a mess driven by individual wants and needs. In essence what the legal framework is supposed to stand for simply doesn't apply.

      It's like cash money. What's the actual point anymore when we have credit/debit cards. Computer money is better and more affective but is tracked and monitored. Further, the parties in charge of computer money have created this terrible mess based on individual needs over fundamental economic principles and thus a collapse of the monetary system is inevitable. As is our legal system as we continue to flood it with shit.

  9. American Imperialism by paai · · Score: 1

    Thinly veiled american imperialism. If the fundamentalist islam was not worse, I would applaud another 9/11. Don't drivel about 'innocent victims', the US has been doing the same and worse all over the world.

    Paai

    1. Re:American Imperialism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Don't drivel about 'innocent victims'" Another 9/11 and the US will make no distinction between "innocent victims", "non-combatants", and "proportional responses" in retaliation.

  10. OUR CORRUPT LEGAL SYSTEM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Great book on the subject including a list of dirty lawyer tricks => http://netk.net.au/whitton/ocl...

  11. US consumers and EU Companies by romit_icarus · · Score: 1

    The United States and the European Union have agreed to a transatlantic data-sharing arrangement to protect U.S. companies' overseas activities and European citizens' privacy

    Significant are the omissions to protect the privacy of US citizens and EU companies!

  12. mixed signals by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    "You have no rights. You lose. Bend over and take it. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Thank you for your compliance. Violators will be shot."

    well do you want me to pick up the $200 on the ground or not?!

    oh it's all so confusing!

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    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  13. Cronies win, Americans lose by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just like any other law corrupt politicians pass.

  14. "Criminal and terrorism investigations"? by Rujiel · · Score: 1

    What they really mean is, ANY. BLOODY. INVESTIGATION. Amy oversight that could exist will only sigh a meek "oh well" after the fact of obvious misapplication.

  15. "Criminal and terrorism investigations" my ass. by Rujiel · · Score: 1

    What that really means is, ANY. BLOODY. INVESTIGATION. Any oversight there could be of this will only sigh a meek "oh well" after its obvious misapplication.

    Isn't it funny how a "privacy" bill heading through congress more often than not simply entails some destruction thereof?