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privacy

Thoughts on the Copyright Alert System

Submitted by New Media Rights on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 10:03

UPDATE: Added mention of the $35 appeal fee in the “Appeals” section below.

Today, major ISPs joined the RIAA and MPAA in announcing a joint program to deal with file-sharing. The document governing this agreement, a “Copyright Alert System,” is hosted here. Public Knowledge and the Center for Democracy and Technology issued a joint statement on the CAS, available here.

CMLP and Cyberlaw Clinic Urge First Circuit to Affirm First Amendment Right to Make Cellphone Recording of Police

Submitted by New Media Rights on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 08:31

With the help of Harvard Law School's Cyberlaw Clinic, the Citizen Media Law Project and a coalition of media and advocacy organizations submitted an amicus curiae brief last week to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in a case involving a lawyer who was arrested for using his cellphone camera to record on-duty police officers.

U.S. v. Warshak: Court protects email privacy under the 4th Amendment

Submitted by Guest Blogger on Fri, 12/17/2010 - 11:26

By Thomas Yohannan

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals handed down an important decision that affords emails protection under the Fourth Amendment. The amendment protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures. In U.S. v Warshak, the court ruled that although an internet service provider (ISP) has access to private emails, the government must obtain a search warrant before it may seize and search such emails.

Field Guide to Secret Audio and Video Recordings

Submitted by New Media Rights on Tue, 11/24/2009 - 13:49

Mi Casa Es Su Casa — But I Set the Rules

Paul Klocko got a surprise in the mail in April: a letter on official stationary from Weston, Wisconsin administrator Dean Zuleger, demanding that Klocko stop posting comments on the web criticizing him. The letter also asked that Klocko "come out from behind the cloak" and meet Zuleger in person.

California AB 632 - misguided legislation would overburden social media and undermine user privacy

Submitted by art neill on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 12:26

"Wrong Way ... Way Wrong" by Bob Fornal CC BY-NC-SA

The California Legislature is considering a bill from Assemblymember Davis regarding "Internet-based social networking: privacy" that is wrong for social media websites large and small, and does little to protect their users. The Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media passed a slightly improved version of the bill on March 31, 2009 (5 to 3), which means it is on to the Judiciary Committee, where it hopefully will be stopped.

New York Federal Court decision to compel Google to give Viacom YouTube users' viewer history

Submitted by New Media Rights on Mon, 07/07/2008 - 12:01

New York Federal District Court Judge Louis Stanton has ordered Googleⁱ to turn over details about YouTube user's video viewing histories. New Media Rights talked with the San Francisco Chronicle's Technology reporter Anastasia Ustinova about this troubling decision, and its implications for privacy and its chilling effect on an open, participatory grassroots culture.