Data Protection 2016
Noting widespread concern about the state of privacy in America, EPIC launched “Data Protection 2016,” a non-partisan campaign to make data protection an issue in the 2016 election.
Category: Actions
Coalition Petitions Education Department for Data Security Rules for Student Records
Legal scholars, technical experts, and many leading privacy organizations have petitioned the Education Department to establish a data security rule to protect student records. The experts and groups explained that data breaches now plague schools and colleges across the country, following recent changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The petition calls for the establishment of rules for encryption, privacy enhancing techniques, and breach notification.
Coalition Seeks Time to Review FBI Biometric Database
A coalition of civil rights, privacy, and transparency groups have urged the Department of Justice to extend the public comment period for the FBI’s Next Generation Identification database. The FBI database contains biometric data, such as fingerprint and retinal scans, on millions of Americans and raises significant privacy risks. The FBI is proposing to exempt the database from Privacy Act obligations, including legal requirements to maintain accurate records, permit individual access, and provide civil remedies.
Coalition Recommends Improvements to U.S. Open Government Plan
A coalition of open government groups have urged the country’s trade agency to improve the open government plan for the United States. The coalition called on the United States Trade Representative to (1) make public the rules for trade negotiations, (2) publish comprehensive updates after each round of negotiation, and (3) appoint an independent transparency officer.
Coalition Opposes NSA Data Transfer Plan
Over 30 organizations have urged the Obama Administration to halt proposed changes to Executive Order 12333 that would permit the NSA to transfer raw data collected to law enforcement agencies. The NSA’s vast data collection activities are traditionally limited to intelligence purposes. The proposal will permit use of NSA data by law enforcement and make personal data more widely available across the federal government.
Coalition Calls for Congressional Hearings on Unlawful TSA Mandate for Body Scanners
A coalition of more than 25 organizations have urged Congress to hold a hearing on TSA’s decision to end the opt-out for airport body scanners. Dozens of organizations petitioned the DHS secretary in 2010 to solicit public comments on the original program. In EPIC v. DHS the lawsuit that followed, the D.C. Circuit ruled that TSA violated federal law when it installed body scanners in airports without public comment. The agency said at the time that the body scanner program was optional. The Court also concluded because “any passenger may opt-out of AIT screening in favor of a patdown” there was