Tag Archives: Privacy
Assembly Committee Approves Secret Recordings Of Cell Phone Calls
SACRAMENTO – The Assembly Committee on Public Safety voted 5-2 today to allow businesses to secretly record cell phone calls with customers under Assembly Bill 925 (Evan Low, D-Campbell), undermining a longstanding legal prohibition on such recordings in California. The committee’s two Republicans voted No on AB 925, taking a stand against weakening a key consumer protection. Low and his fellow Democrats approved the bill – a vote for secret recordings. Read More ›
AB 925 Lets Debt Collectors, Subprime Lenders, Others Secretly Record Phone Calls
SACRAMENTO – A coalition of California consumer, privacy, senior, student, labor and immigrant advocates urge the defeat of Assembly Bill 925 (Evan Low, D-Campbell), which would eliminate a longstanding prohibition against secret recordings of consumer cell phone calls by subprime lenders, debt collectors, student loan companies, hotels, health care providers, retailers and other businesses. Key backers of AB 925 include AT&T, Verizon and high-tech corporate lobbyists. Read More ›
Editorial: Phone Privacy Under Assault
by the Editorial Board, San Francisco Chronicle
“This call may be recorded … ” Businesses don’t just offer the message as a courtesy to their customers – obtaining “two-party consent” before recording a phone conversation had been the law of the state for more than two decades. However, that law would be weakened considerably under Assembly Bill 925, authored by Assemblyman Evan Low, D-San Jose. … An aide to Low suggested Monday that the bill would be amended to meet some of the concerns, Better yet, it needs to be scrapped. Read More ›
AB 925 Dies: Secret Recording Of Business-Customer Cell Phone Calls Remains A Crime
Democrats on the Assembly Committee on Public Safety approved AB 925 on a 5-2 party line vote after strenuous opposition from CFC and other consumer, privacy, senior, student, labor and immigrant advocacy groups weakened the bill. Amendments were not yet in print but reportedly would require notification to customers that a call may be recorded 20 seconds into a cell phone conversation, so it remains a bad bill. Read More ›
Privacy Getting Taken For A Ride
by Samantha Gallegos, Capitol Weekly
Sponsored by the Consumer Federation of California, a non-profit consumer-rights advocacy group, [Assembly Member Ed] Chau’s bill would set up privacy standards related to “personally identifiable data” that [Transportation Network Companies] — like Uber or Lyft — would be required to follow. Those standards don’t exist now, Chau said. “I guess you could say, well, protecting some personal data is better than protecting none,” said Richard Holober, executive director of the Consumer Federation. “Right now none is protected. And I don’t believe the flawed argument that Internet-based companies should have greater freedom than the other businesses who collect and share data.” Read More ›
Federal Data-Breach Bill Would Replace Dozens Of Stronger State Laws
by David Lazarus, Los Angeles Times
Among other significant differences between the federal bill and the state’s notification law, according to the Consumer Federation of California: The federal law would eliminate a state requirement that the California attorney general be given notice of any security breach; it would allow the state attorney general to file a civil lawsuit but prevent individuals from suing over a data breach; it would no longer require breached companies to provide free ID theft protection services, such as credit monitoring and fraud alerts. Read More ›
California Bill Would Force Uber To Guard Passenger Privacy
by Carolyn Said, San Francisco Chronicle
A bill pending in Sacramento would force Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing companies to follow stricter privacy rules. AB886 specifies that the smartphone-ordered ride services cannot disclose any data on passengers except to combat fraud or other crimes. It also says the companies must destroy all personal information when customers cancel their accounts. “We want to put the consumers in the driver’s seat about who owns their data and personal information, instead of having them take a back seat,” said bill author Assemblyman Ed Chau. Read More ›
AB 886 (Chau) Protects Uber Passenger Privacy
SACRAMENTO – Assembly Bill 886 (Chau, D-Monterey Park) will protect the sensitive personal information and credit card records of passengers using transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber. Read More ›
AB 886’s Privacy Protections For Uber Passengers Held Up
Update 6/1/2015: The deadline for bills to advance from committees to the Floor passed last week, forestalling any realistic chance of reviving AB 886 this session. The bill was defeated in the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee April 20. Committee Chair Anthony Rendon and Assembly Members Roger Hernandez, Miguel Santiago and Das … Read More ›
AB 886 Would Protect The Privacy Of Uber Passengers
Assembly Member Chau has pulled AB 886 from consideration. He and Consumer Federation of California are considering promising alternative strategies to protect the privacy of passengers using Uber and other so-called transportation network companies. The sensitive personal data collected by Uber, for example, includes name, address, bank account information, travel logs, as well as personal address books and online search records that it pulls from passenger smartphones. It’s becoming alarmingly common for corporations to “mine” such data and share – or sell – it to other businesses. Read More ›
Stolen Uber User Logins Are For Sale On The Dark Web: Only $1 Each
by Robert Hackett, Fortune magazine
The information is being advertised for sale on the black market AlphaBay, a website that can only be accessed through the Tor browser, an anonymity-preserving network used by political dissidents, privacy-minded Internet users and criminals. One person using the alias “Courvoisier” claims to have “thousands” of “hacked accounts” for sale, each for as little as $1. Read More ›
Government DNA Collection Under Microscope In California
by Jeremy B. White, The Sacramento Bee
Assemblymember Mike Gatto has a pair of bills that would allow parents to have their babies’ samples destroyed, and dictate when police officers can glean DNA. With the support of district attorneys, Assemblyman Jim Cooper has a bill allowing DNA collection from people convicted of certain misdemeanors. Read More ›
Privacy Legislation Proposed To Balance New Technology
by Katie Orr, Capital Public Radio
Technology is becoming an increasing part of our lives. And Democratic Assemblyman Mike Gatto and Republican Senator Ted Gaines announced today they are putting forward a package of bills designed to protect the privacy of consumers. The bills address body cameras, drones and data collection, among other things. Read More ›