FC: FTC commish, Gephardt oppose new privacy laws; Echelon update

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Tue Jun 19 2001 - 10:56:27 PDT

  • Next message: Declan McCullagh: "FC: More on FTC commissioners and the odds of new privacy laws"

    [A few months ago, around the time that Sen. Wyden was busy claiming that 
    privacy legislation this year was inevitable, we ran a piece that went 
    against conventional wisdom: 
    http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,42123,00.html EPIC's Marc 
    Rotenberg told me when I interviewed him for the article that "the 
    likelihood of privacy legislation in this Congress is high." No longer. 
    Even with a Democratic Senate and Sen. Hollings as committee chair, the 
    political winds are shifting away from new rules and regulations aimed at 
    corporations. Maybe next year. -Declan]
    
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    http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47_STO61130,00.html
    FTC member says privacy concerns becoming 'hysteria'
    2001-06-06 04:48:04
    
    On the business-to-consumer front, [FTC Commissioner Thomas] Leary said he 
    doesn't expect the FTC to impose any new privacy regulations, at least for 
    now. "In my view, there's a new hysteria on this question of privacy." [...]
    
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    http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/166960.html
    Gephardt Waxes GOP-Like On Privacy, Military Spending
    2001-06-18 15:35:04
    
    "It may be that sometime out in the future we all agree that the law needs 
    to be advanced or changed, but right now, we believe this is best left to 
    your own devices to try to figure out." Gephardt's position marks a 
    distinct shift in his personal stance on privacy legislation over the past 
    year. [...]
    
    http://www.vny.com/cf/News/upidetail.cfm?QID=195156
    Gephardt: Companies sensitive on privacy
    2001-06-18 19:14:09
    
    Gephardt: "Responsible companies know intuitively that it's in their deep 
    self-interest to protect the privacy of the consumer, so I believe they 
    have all the incentives they need in order to get this done." [...]
    
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    http://www.smh.com.au/news/0106/18/text/world11.html
    US wins Spain's favour with offer to share spy network material
    
    The United States has agreed to share highly classified material from the 
    Anglo-American Echelon intelligence network with the Spanish Government to 
    help Madrid's battle against the Basque separatist group ETA. The move is 
    seen as an attempt to smooth relations with Europe at a time of increasing 
    tensions. [...] The deal was alluded to by Mr Josep Piqué, Spain's Foreign 
    Minister, who confirmed in general terms that the US had agreed to spy on 
    ETA. "It opens up a very promising field of action, so that we can 
    definitely defeat terrorism. [...]
    
    http://www.vny.com/cf/News/upidetail.cfm?QID=194966
    UPI hears ...
    
    How did President George Bush secure the unexpected support of the Spanish 
    government for his missile defense plans, and even Spanish premier Jose 
    Maria Aznar's "understanding" of Bush's uncompromising opposition to the 
    Kyoto agreement on global warming? It seems that the Spaniards, in their 
    struggle against the ETA Basque terrorist group, are most grateful for 
    assistance from U.S. intelligence. [...]
    
    ***********
    
    
    
    
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