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December 1, 2008 8:17:05 AM CST

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7 Stories

Brits Say Errant Flash Drive Jeopardized Data of 12M

Gov't system shut after find in parking garage

Daily Mail (UK) Daily Mail (UK) Nov 2, 08 12:34 PM CST
(Newser) - UK ministers shut down a government computer system after a memory stick containing sensitive personal data was found in a parking garage, reports the Daily Mail . The government insists the system hasn’t been breached, but an expert says the blunder jeopardizes the security of 12 million people. “The government cannot be trusted with all this information, but they collect more and more,” said one MP. More »

More about:  United Kingdom • Gordon Brown • insurance • computer security • hacker • personal privacy • private data • flash memory

 Hey Dummy, 
 Think Before 
 You Post 
 That Pic 

From work dodging firemen to jail happy juniors, some things should not be shared

PC World PC World Sep 18, 08 10:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - A picture may have been worth a thousand words before Facebook and YouTube came along, but in the Internet age the price can be much steeper for going public with one’s—er—privates. PC World presents 12 online photos that cost their owners dearly: “A defense attorney’s worse nightmare”: Two weeks after causing a serious crash while drunk driving, college student Joshua Lipton turned up at a Halloween party in an orange prison jumpsuit. When the pic made its Facebook debut, the judge awarded Lipton’s wit with a 2-year term. More »

More about:  Facebook • online privacy • personal privacy • stupidity • photo sharing

Comically Simple Ploy Pays Big for Kansas Candidate

Cartoon brings flood of donation, but Dem's bid for state legislature hardly done deal

Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Jul 28, 08 5:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - A cash-strapped candidate for the Kansas legislature has turned around his fortunes in the flash of a few thousand mouse-clicks: Before circulating sassy online cartoon strips, Sean Tevis had $1,525 in his campaign coffers; in less than two weeks, he’s raised nearly $100,000 more. The episode is dramatic evidence of the political power of web-based social networking, the Los Angeles Times reports. More »

More about:  Internet • social networking • campaign fundraising • Kansas • social conservatives • personal privacy • comic strips

 US and Europe 
 to Share 
 Private Data 

Security efforts to be eased by agreement

New York Times New York Times Jun 28, 08 7:13 AM CDT
(Newser) - The US and the European Union will soon allow security agencies to swap private information, including credit card purchases, travel histories and web surfing. The potential agreement is a breakthrough in a standoff between American counterterrorism officials and their trans-Atlantic counterparts, whose countries tend to have more stringent privacy laws. Draft language for the agreement has finally been ironed out, after 17 months of haggling. More »

More about:  terrorism • European Union • privacy • counterterrorism • personal privacy

Writing About Your Kids?
Set Some Limits

Some have age limits, others won't address certain topics

Slate Slate Jun 8, 08 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Writers can throw themselves head-first into the nasty, permanent archive that is the Internet—but what of their kids? Emily Bazelon polled writers for Slate and found that while details may differ, the general policy is, the more privacy the better. "The blog medium has a certain kind of immediacy, and a reciprocal surrendering of privacy, that we don't want in our lives forever,” says one writing dad. More »

More about:  children • journalism • ethics • online privacy • journalistic ethics • personal privacy

 Google Pushes 
 Privacy Reforms 

Firm hopes to allay concerns about its DoubleClick buy

ComputerWorld ComputerWorld Mar 27, 08 5:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - Google is working to ease concerns about privacy infringement in online advertising, ComputerWorld reports. The online giant hosted a meeting for the Consumer Privacy Legislative Forum, a group working to get a bill protecting online consumers’ information passed in Congress. Google will also file comments concerning the FTC’s proposed privacy regulations, which advocate transparency in the collection of user’s personal info. More »

More about:  Google • online advertising • online privacy • DoubleClick • FTC • online ads • personal privacy

GE Money Loses Data on 650,000 Credit Card Holders

Missing customer info raises data breach fears

Associated Press Associated Press Jan 18, 08 4:29 AM CST
(Newser) - GE Money has lost a computer tape with the personal information of up to 650,000 customers of JC Penney and other retailers, reports the AP. The tape went missing in the warehouse of a data storage company. There's "no indication of theft" and none of the data has yet been used, said a GE Money spokesman. More »

More about:  credit card • General Electric • data • JCPenney • personal privacy • data storage

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