Policy Observatory

Citizens’ Security Bill demands to keep ID records

Fri 1 Aug 2014, 18:32

On 11 July 2014, the Spanish Council of Ministers adopted the Bill on the Protection of Citizens’ Security. The Government’s proposal has been strongly criticised. Restrictions to the freedoms of assembly and expression in protests received a lot of attention in the media, but EDRi says some provisions of the bill have barely been discussed. Measures which have been overlooked in the media include Article 25, which would oblige cybercafés and similar establishments to keep records of their clients’ IDs because these establishments “exercise activities which are relevant for citizens’ security”.

Tags: data retention, surveillance, Internet, Free, Wifi, Spain, Bill on the Protection of Citizens’ Security, proposal, law, cybersecurity, access

US Department of Justice thinks companies need to trust gov't on cybersecurity

Tue 9 Dec 2014, 22:20

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) said that the fight against cybercrime would be more effective if private companies put more trust in the country's law enforcement agencies and if they engage more.

But DOJ calls for legislation to require mobile phone operating systems to include back doors in newly announced encryption tools may be a major stumbling block to additional cooperation. FBI Director James Comey raised concerns about law enforcement access to criminal evidence on smartphones after Apple and Google both announced encryption tools for their mobile operating systems.

Dean Garfield, CEO of tech trade group the Information Technology Industry Council, said the tech industry will oppose efforts to pass a law requiring a back door in encryption tools. Such regulations would be "incredibly disruptive in a negative way," he said.

Tags: mobile phones, private companies, engagement, trust, legislation, back doors, cybersecurity, privacy, smartphones, DOJ, US Department of Justice, FBI, Information Technology Industry Council, cooperation, law enforcement, encryption

Access supports the efforts of Congress to pass cybersecurity legislation

Fri 12 Dec 2014, 22:40

The 13th U.S. Congress pushed through four positive last-minute cybersecurity bills over the past two days. President Obama is soon expected to sign these bills into law. The new cyber measures increase government transparency and Congressional oversight of federal cybersecurity efforts, while expanding coordination between civilian agencies. Access supports the efforts of Congress to pass cybersecurity legislation and hopes the momentum will lead to more significant legislation for the 114th Congress.

Tags: government transparency, surveillance reform, digital rights, privacy, cybersecurity

CISPA will be re-introduced after Sony hack

Fri 9 Jan 2015, 15:40

After privacy concerns derailed this controversial legislation in the U.S. Senate, CISPA will be re-introduced Friday by a senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, reports The Hill. Maryland Representative Dutch Ruppersberger said he’s bringing the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act back to the floor in response to the Sony hack, blamed on North Korea.

Tags: Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), Sony hack, cybersecurity, privacy, surveillance

Obama outlines new cybersecurity initiatives to protect consumers

Mon 12 Jan 2015, 23:00

Obama’s Student Digital Privacy Act would stop companies from selling student data to third parties, except for educational purposes, and from using such data to create targeted advertisements. The act is modeled on a California initiative that will take effect in January 2016.

Another proposed piece of legislation is the Personal Data Notification & Protection Act. If passed, it will require companies to alert customers within 30 days of discovering a security breach regarding customer information. It is meant to simplify the current framework for data breach notifications, which varies state by state.

Tags: data protection, legislative proposals, consumer protection, Sony hack, cybersecurity

US and UK to step up cyber defense efforts

Fri 16 Jan 2015, 15:00

The U.S. and the U.K. have been working together to prevent cyber attacks for some time, but are going to increase the collaboration. They will combine their expertise to set up “cyber cells” on both sides of the Atlantic to increase sharing information about threats and to work out how to best protect themselves and create a system that lets hostile states and organization know they shouldn’t attack, said U.K. prime minister David Cameron in an interview published by the BBC on Friday.

Tags: information sharing, surveillance, cybersecurity

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