EPIC Alert 18.06 - Open Government Week Special Edition
======================================================================= E P I C A l e r t ======================================================================= Volume 18.06 (Special Edition) March 18, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C. http://www.epic.org/alert/epic_alert_1806.html OPEN GOVERNMENT WEEK SPECIAL EDITION "Defend Privacy. Support EPIC." http://epic.org/donate Report All Screening Experiences at EPIC Body Scanner Incident Report http://epic.org/bodyscanner/incident_report/ ======================================================================= Table of Contents ======================================================================= [1] EPIC Celebrates Open Government Week [2] Supreme Court Advances Open Government [3] Congress Pursues FOIA Oversight [4] EPIC Launches 2011 FOIA Gallery [5] Homeland Security Spending Millions on Mobile Strip Search Devices [6] News In Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events TAKE ACTION: Stop Airport Strip Searches! - JOIN Facebook Group "Stop Airport Strip Searches" and INVITE Friends - DISPLAY the IMAGE http://thepublicvoice.org/nakedmachine.jpg - SUPPORT EPIC http://www.epic.org/donate/ ======================================================================= [1] EPIC Celebrates Open Government Week ======================================================================= Open Government Week, launched in 2005, is a national initiative to highlight the significance of open government and freedom of information. The American Society of News Editors first launched the event, for which participants include news media outlets, civic groups and non-profit organizations. The public can contribute to the initiative through public forums, classroom activities, online packages, essay contests, and songs. EPIC staff has participated in events throughout the week that promoted open government and freedom of information. The Washington College of Law at American University hosted its Fourth Annual Freedom of Information Day Celebration on March 14. EPIC Associate Director, Lillie Coney and Consumer Protection Fellow Sharon Goott Nissim participated in an ABA webinar on Public Access to Court Records on March 17. EPIC Director Marc Rotenberg testified in a hearing before the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, in which EPIC urged Congress to suspend the use of airport body scanners for primary screening. At American University, EPIC Senior Counsel John Verdi attended an event to discuss EPIC's work filing a "friend of the court" brief with the Supreme Court in the case of Sorrell v. IMS Health, Inc, while EPIC Staff Counsel Ginger McCall participated in the Unversity's "Fourth Annual Freedom of Information Day Celebration." Also this week, EPIC filed a motion for reconsideration in the Supreme Court case of Navy v. Milner. In the case, the Supreme Court held that the Freedom of Information Act’s “Exemption 2” is limited to employee relations and human resources issues. EPIC is currently challenging the use of Exemption 2 in its lawsuit to force disclosure of records concerning full body scanners at airport checkpoints. EPIC regularly files Freedom of Information Act requests and pursues lawsuits to force disclosure of critical documents that impact privacy. Open Government Week http://www.sunshineweek.org/About.aspx Subcommittee on National Security Hearing http://www.epic.org/redirect/031811natsec_hearing.html American University: Fourth Annual Freedom of Information Day http://www.wcl.american.edu/secle/founders/2011/20110314a.cfm EPIC: Milner v. Department of Navy http://epic.org/amicus/milner.html EPIC: Sorrell v. IMS Health, Inc. http://epic.org/privacy/ims_sorrell/ EPIC: Open Government http://epic.org/open_gov/ ======================================================================= [2] Supreme Court Advances Open Government ======================================================================= The Supreme Court recently delivered two major wins to open government advocates. First, the Court confined the Freedom of Information Act’s (FOIA) "Personal Privacy" exemption to information about individuals, and not corporations. Then, in Milner v. Department of the Navy, the Court restricted FOIA's second exemption restricted to internal employee relations and human resources issues, thus striking the use of the judicially-expanded uses of the exemption, known as “high 2.” In FCC v. AT&T, the Supreme Court held that federal protections for "personal privacy" do not permit corporations to prevent disclosure of government records related to them. AT&T had sought to prevent the disclosure of documents the company had submitted to the FCC, claiming that the corporation's "personal privacy" prevented the agency from releasing records pursuant to FOIA. EPIC filed a "friend of the court" brief in the case, urging the Justices to reject AT&T's claim. EPIC's brief cited the commonly understood meaning of "personal privacy" in the work of legal scholars and technical experts, as well as the use of these terms in an extensive survey of US privacy laws. The Court agreed with the FCC, EPIC and other “friends of the court,” writing, "the protection in FOIA against disclosure of law enforcement information on the ground that it would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy does not extend to corporations. We trust that AT&T will not take it personally." In Milner, Glen Scott Milner filed a FOIA request seeking “exploding arc maps,” which measure the potential radius of an explosion’s impact if one were to occur on a specific Navy base in Washington State. When the Navy refused his request, Milner took the case to federal court. The lower courts both agreed with the Navy, holding that FOIA’s Exemption 2, as construed by the courts, permitted the Navy to withhold the maps in question. Exemption 2 protects disclosure of material that is “related solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of an agency.” The lower courts’ interpretation, known as the “high 2 exemption,” includes within the exemption any records whose disclosure would risk circumvention of the law. On review, the Supreme Court stated that this practice contravened Congress’s intent that the exemption be limited to personnel issues. The Court emphasized that Congress intended all nine FOIA exemptions to be construed narrowly. EPIC is currently challenging the use of the “High 2 Exemption” in a suit against the Department of Homeland Security for unlawfully withholding documents about software modifications to its full-body scanners. EPIC sought documents that detail the operation and capabilities of the Advanced Target Recognition (ATR) software, permitting a public analysis of the sufficiency or insufficiency of ATR in mitigating risks to travelers’ privacy. The Court’s decision in Milner demonstrates that the Department of Homeland Security is improperly withholding information about the scanners from the public. FCC v. AT&T, Supreme Court opinion http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-1279.pdf EPIC: FCC v. AT&T http://epic.org/amicus/fccvatt/default.html Milner v. Department of the Navy, Supreme Court opinion http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-1163.pdf EPIC: Milner v. Dept. of Navy http://epic.org/amicus/milner.html EPIC: Open Government http://epic.org/open_gov/ ======================================================================= [3] Congress Pursues FOIA Oversight ======================================================================= Rep. Darrell E. Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, convened a public hearing on March 17, 2011 to investigate federal agencies’ treatment of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, including the Department of Homeland Security’s policy of vetting FOIA requests by political appointees. At the hearing, entitled "The Freedom of Information Act: Crowd-Sourcing Government Oversight," Rep. Issa sparred with ranking member Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) over allegations that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had demoted a lawyer in its Privacy Office for speaking to the Committee. DHS released a letter sharply disputing the allegation. The hearing featured testimony from a panel of privacy advocates, including Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch, Rick Blum of Sunshine in Government, and Angela Canterbury of the Project on Open Government Oversight. The panelists largely echoed observations that EPIC and the Privacy Coalition have made regarding slow processing of FOIA requests, agency obstruction of the requests, and unnecessary requests for FOIA-request clarifications. Criticism was primarily directed toward FOIA departments at DHS and the US Department of Justice. EPIC and a coalition of over 30 organizations and open government experts sent a letter to Rep. Issa supporting his call for public hearings on the Department of Homeland Security’s policy of vetting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests by political appointees. EPIC also had previously requested an investigation into FOIA practices at the Department of Homeland Security. EPIC said that the FOIA does not permit agencies to select requests for political scrutiny. The Supreme Court has held repeatedly that the identity of the requester and the reason for the request are irrelevant to processing FOIA requests. Rep. Darrell E. Issa (R-CA) http://issa.house.gov/ House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform http://www.epic.org/redirect/030111OGR.html Rep. Issa: Letter to DHS alleging whistleblower retaliation http://www.politico.com/static/PPM187_issa.html EPIC: Privacy Coalition letter to Rep. Issa http://epic.org/open_gov/foia/Issa_FOIA_Oversight_Ltr_02_15_11.pdf DHS FOIA Policy http://www.epic.org/redirect/030111DHSfoia.html EPIC: Letter to OGIS regarding DHS Political Review Policy http://www.epic.org/redirect/030111EPICltrOGIS.html Freedom of Information Act http://www.archives.gov/ogis/guidance/open-gov.pdf EPIC: Open Government http://epic.org/privacy/litigation/ EPIC: Litigation under the Federal Open Government Laws 2010 http://epic.org/bookstore/foia2010/default.html ======================================================================= [4] EPIC Launches 2011 FOIA Gallery ======================================================================= In celebration of Sunshine Week, EPIC published the EPIC FOIA Gallery: 2011. The gallery showcases key documents obtained by EPIC in the past year, including records detailing the privacy risks posed by airport body scanners, agency plans to expand the scanner program to non-airport locations, FBI abuse of surveillance authorities, and the Federal Trade Commission's failure to investigate Google Street View. EPIC's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation activity over the past year has resulted in the disclosure of documents revealing domestic surveillance activities and critical privacy invasions. EPIC’s recent FOIA work has uncovered internal reports of intelligence law violations sent to the Intelligence Oversight Board by the Federal Bureau of Investigation illustrating intelligence practices not in compliance with Attorney General guidelines. A separate FOIA request has led EPIC to file a lawsuit against the National Security Agency for information about its partnership, including a cooperative research agreement, with Google. The suit challenged the agency’s statement that it could neither confirm nor deny the relationship. EPIC also currently has a FOIA request pending with the Department of Justice, seeking a justification for the Department’s support of the Internet Safety Act, which would require Internet service providers to retain user records for at least two years. Each of these FOIA matters is highlighted in the Gallery. Also featured are agency documents that EPIC has successfully forced disclosure of on domestic surveillance practices and risks to privacy. In 2009, EPIC filed a FOIA lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security that obtained hundreds of pages of travelers’ complaints, TSA operational requirements, and vendor contracts. In another FOIA matter, EPIC received documents and communications revealing the FTC's failure to investigate Google Streetview and a report from the State Department that detailed seecurity breaches of passport data for several presidential candidates. EPIC continues to pursue open government and transparency through FOIA requests and litigation. As part of its extensive work on FOIA matters, EPIC publishes Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws, which serves as the most comprehensive, authoritative discussion of the FOIA, the Privacy Act, Federal Advisory Committee Act, and Government in the Sunshine Act. EPIC FOIA Gallery 2011 http://epic.org/open_gov/foiagallery2011.html Freedom of Information Act http://www.justice.gov/oip/foia_updates/Vol_XVII_4/page2.htm EPIC: Open Government http://epic.org/privacy/litigation/ EPIC: EPIC v. Department of Homeland Security (Body Scanners) http://epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/epic_v_dhs.html EPIC: Patriot Act http://epic.org/privacy/terrorism/usapatriot/ EPIC: FOIA Note #17 http://epic.org/foia_notes/note17.html EPIC: Data Retention http://epic.org/privacy/intl/data_retention.html EPIC: Bookstore FOIA 2010 http://epic.org/bookstore/foia2010/default.html ======================================================================= [5] Homeland Security Spending Millions on Mobile Strip Search Devices ======================================================================= Documents obtained by EPIC under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed that the Department of Homeland Security spent millions of dollars on mobile body scanner technology that could be used at railways, stadiums, and elsewhere. EPIC’s FOIA request forced the agency to disclose details of body scanner programs that perform digital strip searches of individuals. To date, body scanners have been largely confined to airports, but the agency documents reveal scanner use at rail stations and plans to covertly scan individuals in a variety of locations. The records detail use of body scanners on New York and New Jersey subway trains in 2006. Subway riders were subject to full body scans. The agency saved the images of individuals and transmitted copies to body scanners vendors. Subway riders had no opportunity to avoid the scans or control dissemination of the “digital strip search” images. In addition, the records describe agency plans to secretly use body scanners away from transit hubs. According to the documents obtained by EPIC, the Department of Homeland Security plans to expand the use of full body scanners systems to covertly monitor crowds, peering under clothes and inside bags. The agency proposals contemplate these searches in a variety of locations, including sporting events and public gatherings. Under such programs, citizens would not know that they were subject to a scan. Pedestrians would nonetheless be exposed to body scanner radiation. Scientists have criticized the radiation exposure caused by the body scanner program, detailing the serious health risks caused by the scanners. Last August, many senators questioned the safety of the scanners. Last September, Ralph Nader sent a letter to the Senate expressing concern about radiation exposure. On March 16, 2011, Dr. David Brenner, the Director of Columbia University’s Center for Radiological Research, told Congress that airport body scanner use would likely result in 100 additional cancer cases annually. In November 2010, EPIC has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, seeking records concerning radiation emissions and exposure associated with airport full body scanners. The agency failed previously to disclose the records in response to an EPIC FOIA. Earlier this month, the agency admitted that routine maintenance checks indicated that several airport body scanners emitted ten times the amount of expected radiation. Last year, EPIC challenged the use of the airport body scanner in federal court. EPIC asked the court to suspend the program, calling the devices "invasive, ineffective, and unconstitutional." The lawsuit is pending. Mobile Body Scanner Records Obtained by EPIC FOIA http://www.epic.org/redirect/031811FOIAdocs_mobile.html EPIC: EPIC v. DHS (Suspension of Body Scanner Program) http://www.epic.org/redirect/031811EPICvDHS.html EPIC: Body Scanner Technology http://epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/ House of Representatives: Testimony of Dr. D. Brenner (Mar. 16, 2011) http://www.epic.org/redirect/031811Brennertest.html ======================================================================= [6] News In Brief ======================================================================= EPIC Urges Congress to Suspend Body Scanner Program In a hearing before the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, EPIC urged Congress to suspend the use of airport body scanners for primary screening. EPIC said the devices were not effective and were not minimally intrusive, as courts have required for airport searches. EPIC cited TSA documents obtained in EPIC's FOIA lawsuit which showed that the machines are designed to store and transfer images, and not designed to detect powdered explosives. EPIC was joined on the panel by radiation expert Dr. David Brenner, who has frequently pointed out the radiation risks created by these machines. The TSA, which is a federal agency funded by taxpayer dollars and responsible for the body scanner program, originally refused to testify at hearing. Eventually they showed up. Chairman Jason Chaffetz, who had previously sponsored a bill regarding body scanners, grilled the TSA officials and said the hearing would continue with more questions. TSA Oversight Pt. 1: Whole Body Imaging http://www.epic.org/redirect/031811TSA_oversight1.html Airport Screening: The Science and Risks of Backscatter Imaging http://blip.tv/file/3379880 111th Congress: H.R. 2027 (Limits on Use of Full Body Scanners) http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.2027: EPIC FOIA: TSA Procurement Specifications http://epic.org/open_gov/foia/TSA_Procurement_Specs.pdf EPIC: EPIC v. DHS (Suspension of Body Scanner Program) http://www.epic.org/redirect/031811EPICvDHS.html Senate Antitrust Agenda Includes Google, FTC Oversight Senator Kohl (D-WI) has announced the agenda for the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights. Among other issues, the Subcommittee will focus on competition in online markets and internet search, as well as oversight of the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission. EPIC had opposed Google's acquisition of online advertiser Doubleclick, which was approved by the FTC over the objection of former FTC Commissioner Pamela Harbor. EPIC later testified before the Antitrust committee on Google's growing dominance of essential Internet services. Sen. Kohl: Press Release (Mar. 10, 2011) http://www.epic.org/redirect/031811PRkohl.html In the Matter of Google/DoubleClick: Dissent of Commissioner Harbour http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/0710170/071220harbour.pdf EPIC: Google/ DoubleClick http://epic.org/privacy/ftc/google/default.html EPIC: Federal Trade Commission http://epic.org/privacy/internet/ftc/ DHS: We Have the Authority to Routinely Strip-Search Air Travelers The Department of Homeland Security told a federal court that the agency believes it has the legal authority to strip search every air traveler. The agency made the claim at oral argument in EPIC's lawsuit to suspend the airport body scanner program. The agency also stated that it believed a mandatory strip search rule could be instituted without any public comment or rulemaking. EPIC President Marc Rotenberg urged the Washington, DC appeals court to suspend the body scanner program, noting that the devices are "uniquely intrusive" and ineffective. EPIC's opening brief in the case states that the Department of Homeland Security "has initiated the most sweeping, the most invasive, and the most unaccountable suspicionless search of American travelers in history," and that such a change in policy demands that the TSA conduct a notice-and-comment rule making process. The case is EPIC v. DHS, No. 10-1157. United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit http://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/home.nsf EPIC v. DHS: Opening Brief (November 1, 2010) http://epic.org/EPIC_Body_Scanner_OB.pdf EPIC: EPIC v. DHS (Suspension of Body Scanner Program) http://www.epic.org/redirect/031811EPICvDHS.html Leahy, Cornyn Re-Introduce “Faster FOIA” Act During Sunshine Week Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt) and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) have introduced the "Faster FOIA Act," in order to speed up Agency processing of FOIA requests. Originally introduced in 2005, the Act would, among other things, create an advisory panel to examine FOIA backlogs and to provide recommendations on enhancing agency responses to FOIA requests. "The Faster FOIA Act will help ensure the dissemination of government information to the American people, so that our democracy remains vibrant and free," quoted Sen. Leahy, "as we commemorate Sunshine Week, I join all Americans in celebrating an open and transparent government." Faster FOIA Act: Press Release (Mar. 16, 2011) http://www.epic.org/redirect/031811PRfoia.html S. 627: Faster FOIA Act http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-627 EPIC: Open Government http://epic.org/privacy/litigation/ Georgetown Law Launches State Secrets Archive Database The Georgetown University Law Center has launched the most comprehensive public database of material related to the state secrets privilege, an evidentiary rule that permits the executive branch to withhold evidence from judicial proceedings if it believes that national security may be harmed by its release. The Database has been compiled under the direction of Professor Laura Donohue in Georgetown's Center on National Security and the Law. It is comprised of both published and unpublished judicial opinions that relate to the Privilege, as well as other information and resources dating back to 2001. Professor Donohue's research has revealed that the Privilege has been invoked on a large scale of matters, including personal injury, employment disputes, environmental concerns, and military matters. Georgetown University Law Center: Press Release (Mar. 15, 2011) http://www.law.georgetown.edu/news/releases/March.15.2011b.html State Secrets Archives http://www.law.georgetown.edu/cnsl/ssa/ EPIC: Privileges http://www.law.georgetown.edu/cnsl/ssa/ "Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws 2010" Available Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws is the most comprehensive, authoritative discussion of the federal open access laws. The 2010 updated version includes new material regarding President Obama's 2009 memo on Open Government, Attorney General Holder's March 2009 memo on FOIA Guidance, and the new executive order on declassification. The fully updated 2010 volume is the 25th edition of the manual that lawyers, journalists and researchers have relied on, first published by EPIC in 2002. Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws is published by EPIC in cooperation with Access Reports and the James Madison Project. The book draws upon the expertise of practicing attorneys who are recognized experts in the field. The publication features a foreword by Senator Patrick Leahy and has been endorsed by the Federation of American Scientists' Steve Aftergood. Electronic Privacy Information Center http://www.epic.org Cornell University Law School: Freedom of Information Act http://www.epic.org/redirect/110510FOIA.html EPIC: FOIA 2010 http://epic.org/bookstore/foia2010/ ======================================================================= [7] EPIC Bookstore ======================================================================= ================================ "Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws 2010," edited by Harry A. Hammitt, Marc Rotenberg, John A. Verdi, Ginger McCall, and Mark S. Zaid (EPIC 2010). Price: $75 http://epic.org/bookstore/foia2010/ Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws is the most comprehensive, authoritative discussion of the federal open access laws. This updated version includes new material regarding President Obama's 2009 memo on Open Government, Attorney General Holder's March 2009 memo on FOIA Guidance, and the new executive order on declassification. The standard reference work includes in-depth analysis of litigation under: the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and the Government in the Sunshine Act. The fully updated 2010 volume is the 25th edition of the manual that lawyers, journalists and researchers have relied on for more than 25 years. ================================ "Information Privacy Law: Cases and Materials, Second Edition" Daniel J. Solove, Marc Rotenberg, and Paul Schwartz. (Aspen 2005). Price: $98. http://www.epic.org/redirect/aspen_ipl_casebook.html This clear, comprehensive introduction to the field of information privacy law allows instructors to enliven their teaching of fundamental concepts by addressing both enduring and emerging controversies. The Second Edition addresses numerous rapidly developing areas of privacy law, including: identity theft, government data mining and electronic surveillance law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, intelligence sharing, RFID tags, GPS, spyware, web bugs, and more. Information Privacy Law, Second Edition, builds a cohesive foundation for an exciting course in this rapidly evolving area of law. ================================ "Privacy & Human Rights 2006: An International Survey of Privacy Laws and Developments" (EPIC 2007). Price: $75. http://www.epic.org/phr06/ This annual report by EPIC and Privacy International provides an overview of key privacy topics and reviews the state of privacy in over 75 countries around the world. The report outlines legal protections, new challenges, and important issues and events relating to privacy. Privacy & Human Rights 2006 is the most comprehensive report on privacy and data protection ever published. ================================ "The Public Voice WSIS Sourcebook: Perspectives on the World Summit on the Information Society" (EPIC 2004). Price: $40. http://www.epic.org/bookstore/pvsourcebook This resource promotes a dialogue on the issues, the outcomes, and the process of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). This reference guide provides the official UN documents, regional and issue-oriented perspectives, and recommendations and proposals for future action, as well as a useful list of resources and contacts for individuals and organizations that wish to become more involved in the WSIS process. ================================ "The Privacy Law Sourcebook 2004: United States Law, International Law, and Recent Developments," Marc Rotenberg, editor (EPIC 2005). Price: $40. http://www.epic.org/bookstore/pls2004/ The Privacy Law Sourcebook, which has been called the "Physician's Desk Reference" of the privacy world, is the leading resource for students, attorneys, researchers, and journalists interested in pursuing privacy law in the United States and around the world. It includes the full texts of major privacy laws and directives such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Privacy Act, and the OECD Privacy Guidelines, as well as an up-to-date section on recent developments. New materials include the APEC Privacy Framework, the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act, and the CAN-SPAM Act. ================================ "Filters and Freedom 2.0: Free Speech Perspectives on Internet Content Controls" (EPIC 2001). Price: $20. http://www.epic.org/bookstore/filters2.0 A collection of essays, studies, and critiques of Internet content filtering. These papers are instrumental in explaining why filtering threatens free expression. ================================ EPIC publications and other books on privacy, open government, free expression, crypto and governance can be ordered at: EPIC Bookstore http://www.epic.org/bookstore ================================ EPIC also publishes EPIC FOIA Notes, which provides brief summaries of interesting documents obtained from government agencies under the Freedom of Information Act. Subscribe to EPIC FOIA Notes at: http://mailman.epic.org/mailman/listinfo/foia_notes ======================================================================= [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events ======================================================================= "The Review of the EU Data Protection Framework: Latest State of Play." European Parliament, Room JAN4Q2, Brussels, Belgium, 16 March 2011. For More Information: sophie.bots@europarl.europa.eu. "The Tenth Workshop on Economics of Information Security." The George Mason University, 14-15 June 2011. For More Information: http://weis2011.econinfosec.org/index.html. "Computers, Freedom, and Privacy 2011." Georgetown Law Center, Washington D.C., 14-16 June 2011. For More Information: http://www.cfp2010.org/wiki/index.php/Announcement_of_CFP_2011. ICANN Board Meeting. Singapore. 19-24 June 2011. For More Information: http://www.icann.org/. EPIC Public Voice Conference. Mexico City, Mexico, 31 October 2011. For More Information: http://www.thepublicvoice.org/. ======================================================================= Join EPIC on Facebook ======================================================================= Join the Electronic Privacy Information Center on Facebook http://facebook.com/epicprivacy http://epic.org/facebook Start a discussion on privacy. Let us know your thoughts. Stay up to date with EPIC's events. Support EPIC. ======================================================================= Privacy Policy ======================================================================= The EPIC Alert mailing list is used only to mail the EPIC Alert and to send notices about EPIC activities. We do not sell, rent or share our mailing list. We also intend to challenge any subpoena or other legal process seeking access to our mailing list. We do not enhance (link to other databases) our mailing list or require your actual name. In the event you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe your e-mail address from this list, please follow the above instructions under "subscription information." ======================================================================= About EPIC ======================================================================= The Electronic Privacy Information Center is a public interest research center in Washington, DC. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging privacy issues such as the Clipper Chip, the Digital Telephony proposal, national ID cards, medical record privacy, and the collection and sale of personal information. EPIC publishes the EPIC Alert, pursues Freedom of Information Act litigation, and conducts policy research. For more information, see http://www.epic.org or write EPIC, 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009. +1 202 483 1140 (tel), +1 202 483 1248 (fax). ======================================================================= Donate to EPIC ======================================================================= If you'd like to support the work of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, contributions are welcome and fully tax-deductible. Checks should be made out to "EPIC" and sent to 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009. Or you can contribute online at: http://www.epic.org/donate Your contributions will help support Freedom of Information Act and First Amendment litigation, strong and effective advocacy for the right of privacy and efforts to oppose government regulation of encryption and expanding wiretapping powers. Thank you for your support. ======================================================================= Subscription Information ======================================================================= Subscribe/unsubscribe via web interface: http://mailman.epic.org/mailman/listinfo/epic_news Back issues are available at: http://www.epic.org/alert The EPIC Alert displays best in a fixed-width font, such as Courier. ------------------------- END EPIC Alert 18.06 ------------------------