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EPIC Alert 26.13

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1. EPIC Seeks Public Release of FTC Settlement with Facebook

EPIC has filed an expedited Freedom of Information Act request with the Federal Trade Commission seeking the public release of the FTC's proposed settlement with Facebook. EPIC wrote, "release of the requested information will inform the public about whether the FTC effectively held Facebook accountable under the consent order. Release of this information will also allow the public to scrutinize the FTC's final judgement and determine whether the settlement terms are an appropriate response to violations of the consent order."

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the FTC approved a $5 billion settlement with Facebook for violating a 2011 consent order that EPIC helped obtain. However, the details of the settlement have not been disclosed.

After the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the FTC opened a non-public investigation into Facebook's mishandling of users' personal data and its privacy practices. In a 3-2 vote, the FTC reportedly voted to approve the $5 billion dollar settlement. The proposed settlement has been transferred to the Justice Department's civil division for review.

Soon after news of a proposed settlement broke, Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CN), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) sent a letter demanding details from the FTC. "We believe the reported settlement is woefully inadequate," the Senators wrote. "We are concerned that the FTC has failed to impose strict structural reforms and managerial accountability that would put an end to Facebook's privacy invasions." The FTC is expected to respond by August 6.

In January, EPIC recommended that the FTC 1) impose substantial fines; 2) establish structural remedies; 3) require compliance with Fair Information Practices; 4) reform hiring and management practices; and 5) restore democratic governance. In a series of FOIA cases, EPIC uncovered the biennial audits of Facebook, the number of complaints pending against Facebook at the Commission (26,000), and records of meetings by the chief agency official responsible for overseeing enforcement. EPIC also launched the #EnforceTheOrder campaign.

In earlier comments on the 2011 consent order, EPIC recommended that the FTC require Facebook to restore the user privacy settings; give users access to all of the data that Facebook keeps about them; stop making facial recognition profiles without users' consent; make the results of the government privacy audits public; and stop secretly tracking users across the web.

2. Facing EPIC Lawsuit, DHS Suspends Media Monitoring Program

As the result of an EPIC lawsuit, the Department of Homeland Security has suspended a controversial effort to track journalists, news outlets, and social media accounts.

The "Media Monitoring Services" platform would have included an "unlimited" database of personal information from journalists and media influencers, including location data, contact information, employer affiliations, and past content. EPIC filed suit last year to block the program, arguing that the DHS had failed to complete required Privacy Impact Assessments.

In a settlement with EPIC, the agency acknowledged that it was not using the proposed system and agreed to complete required Privacy Impact Assessments before collecting personal data in the future. The agency also agreed to pay the attorney's fees incurred by EPIC in the case.

Earlier in the case, EPIC obtained records which revealed that the DHS bypassed the agency's own privacy officials and ignored the privacy and First Amendment implications of a federal agency monitoring particular journalists.

EPIC has previously obtained numerous Privacy Impact Assessments from federal agencies, including for a related media tracking system (EPIC v. DHS) and for facial recognition technology (EPIC v. FBI). In EPIC v. Presidential Election Commission, EPIC challenged the Commission's failure to publish a Privacy Impact Assessment prior to the collection of state voter data, ultimately forcing the Commission to suspend collection and delete the data it had obtained.

3. EPIC Files Complaint with FTC about Zoom

EPIC has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging that the videoconferencing company Zoom has committed unfair and deceptive practices in violation of the FTC Act.

EPIC told the FTC that Zoom intentionally designed its web conferencing service to bypass browser security settings and remotely enable a user's web camera without the knowledge or consent of the user. As a result, Zoom exposed users to the risk of remote surveillance, unwanted videocalls, and denial-of-service attacks.

The complaint asked the FTC to pursue an investigation, enjoin Zoom and other companies that engage in similar practices from such unlawful activities, and provide other remedies.

Over 30,000 companies currently use Zoom for video conferencing and online meetings. According to Zoom, government agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Energy, and several state agencies also use Zoom.

EPIC has brought many similar consumer privacy complaints to the FTC, including the complaint that led to the FTC consent order against Facebook and the complaint that led to the FTC consent order against Google. EPIC cited the Google order, which produced a $22.5M fine, in the complaint concerning Zoom.

4. EPIC Comments on Third Annual Privacy Shield Review

EPIC recently provided comments to the European Commission to inform the third annual review of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, a framework that permits the transfer of Europeans' personal data to the U.S.

EPIC detailed the latest developments in the U.S., including the failure to reform bulk surveillance under Section 702 of FISA, the absence of comprehensive federal privacy law and a data protection authority, and an executive order to collect data about non-citizens from across the federal government. "The need for U.S. comprehensive privacy legislation, enforced by a data protection agency, in the U.S has never been greater," EPIC wrote. "However, there has yet to be a vote on federal privacy legislation in either the House or Senate."

EPIC applauded appointments to the PCLOB and the U.S. endorsement of the OECD AI Principles but noted that major threats to privacy remain. "While EPIC welcomes positive developments in artificial intelligence policy and appointments to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, the bulk surveillance of non-U.S. persons is still authorized under U.S. law," EPIC wrote.

The European Commission approved Privacy Shield last year but urged the U.S. to adopt privacy legislation and to join the International Privacy Convention. The European Commission will make a determination about whether to renew the Privacy Shield this fall.

5. EPIC on Libra: ‘Facebook Clearly Cannot be Trusted With Consumers' Financial Data’

In advance of Congressional hearings on Facebook's plan to launch its own cryptocurrency called Libra, EPIC has sent statements to Senate and House Committees warning that "Facebook clearly cannot be trusted with consumers' financial data."

EPIC noted Facebook's history of misrepresentations to regulators, highlighting the promises Facebook made when the company acquired WhatsApp regarding user privacy—promises Facebook has since broken.

EPIC also discussed the Cambridge Analytica scandal and outlined Facebook's "long history of failing to protect user data." EPIC noted that the Cambridge Analytica data breach "was considered one of the most significant in the history of Internet-based services, and led almost immediately to investigations around the world."

As reported, a pending FTC settlement with Facebook would not address proposals made by EPIC and others to strengthen Facebook's protection of user data.

EPIC urged Congress to block Facebook's entry into cryptocurrency. "The company has a long history of both failing to maintain adequate security safeguards and of lying to regulators," EPIC wrote. "Congress should take action to stop Facebook's cryptocurrency before it's too late."

News in Brief

EPIC Leads Coalition Calling for Inclusion of Consumer Groups in Senate Privacy Task Force

EPIC organized a coalition letter to Senator Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Feinstein (D-CA), urging them to work with consumer and privacy groups in the newly formed Senate Judiciary tech task force. Blackburn recently held a closed-door session with representatives from tech companies, including Snap and Mozilla. The coalition letter said "We need you to pursue an open and inclusive process that ensures that meetings are held in public, that a record is established, and that the voices of consumers are heard." The groups also said "the United States needs comprehensive, baseline federal legislation" and "an independent data protection agency." The groups concluded, "We can no longer let industry groups and ineffective agencies decide how much privacy Americans may have."

EPIC Launches Campaign for U.S. Data Protection Agency

EPIC has launched a campaign urging the creation of a Data Protection Agency in the United States. In a recent statement, EPIC President Marc Rotenberg said "A data protection agency is the cornerstone of effective privacy protection. Data protection agencies act as ombudsmen for the public. They encourage innovation and good business practices. They identify emerging privacy challenges and pursue solutions. They take enforcement action when necessary and they impose penalties that are meaningful." EPIC has repeatedly told Congress that the FTC is not an effective privacy agency. Earlier this year, EPIC joined other organizations in support of "A Framework for Privacy Protection in the United States," which said "The US needs a federal agency focused on privacy protection, compliance with data protection obligations, and emerging privacy challenges." Visit epic.org/dpa for more information.

Ahead of Congressional Testimony, EPIC Organizes DC Panel on the Mueller Report

EPIC will host a panel discussion on the Mueller Report at Busboy's and Poets in Washington, DC on Tuesday, July 23. The event—"Behind the Black Ink"—precedes Robert Mueller's testimony next week before the House Judiciary and the House Intelligence Committees. Mueller's two-year investigation produced a 448-page report about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. EPIC is currently litigating a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to obtain the complete, unredacted report. Speakers at the EPIC event include Alan Butler, Ryan Goodman, Jason Leopold, Marcy Wheeler, and Anne Weismann.

EPIC Urges Antitrust Agencies to Raise their Game

In a statement to the Senate Judiciary committee, EPIC urged lawmakers to press the FTC and the Department of Justice on Enforcement of the Antitrust Laws. EPIC wrote that "companies that protect user privacy are being absorbed by companies that do not protect privacy." EPIC pointed to the Facebook-WhatsApp deal and the failure of the FTC to protect the personal data of WhatsApp users after the merger. EPIC previously testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about mergers in the online advertising industry after EPIC told the FTC that Google's acquisition of DoubleClick would diminish privacy and stifle innovation. EPIC earlier opposed Doubleclick's acquisition of Abacus, explaining that the deal would lead to increased profiling of American consumers. EPIC, Color of Change, the Open Markets Institute, and others have also urged the FTC to require Facebook to spin-off WhatsApp and Instagram.

EPIC to Congress: Require Algorithmic Transparency for Dominant Internet Firms

For a hearing on "Google and Censorship through Search Engines," EPIC sent a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee. EPIC said that "algorithmic transparency" could help establish fairness, transparency, and accountability for much of what users see online. In 2011, EPIC sent a letter to the FTC stating that Google's acquisition of YouTube led to a skewing of search results after Google substituted its secret "relevance" ranking for the original objective ranking, based on hits and ratings. The FTC took no action on EPIC's complaint. But the European Commission found that Google rigged search results to give preference to its own shopping service. The European Commission required Google to change its algorithm to rank its own shopping comparison the same way it ranks its competitors.

EPIC, Coalition Ask Congress to Block CIA Proposal to Limit Agency Accountability

EPIC and a coalition of government transparency advocates have urged Senate and House leaders to remove a proposed change to the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 that would dramatically expand the crime of disclosing the identity of intelligence agents. The CIA has been lobbying Congress to modify the Intelligence Identities Protection Act's penalties, which could be applied to whistleblowers, public interest organizations, and journalists who try to expose mismanagement, fraud, and corruption in the intelligence community. The letter from open government advocates also warned that the amendment could obstruct congressional oversight, weaken government accountability, limit public access to information, and chill journalists and public interest organizations.

EPIC Urges FAA to Act on Drone ID Broadcast Requirement

In comments on the Federal Aviation Administration's proposal to renew the drone registration system, EPIC urged the agency to move quickly on a drone ID broadcasting requirement. EPIC explained that the European Union has recently established comprehensive rules for drone operators, including a requirement for realtime ID that aligns with EPIC's previous recommendations to the FAA. The EU will require real-time broadcasting of the drone operator registration number, the geographical position of the drone, the drone route course, and the position of the drone operator. In a letter to the FAA earlier this year, Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and John Thune (R-SD) also urged the FAA to establish a rule for the real-time, remote identification of drones.

EPIC FOIA: FTC Enforcement Director Participated in Over 100 Meetings About Facebook Post-Cambridge Analytica


As a result of EPIC's Freedom of Information Act request, the Federal Trade Commission released records indicating that FTC Associate Director of Enforcement James A. Kohm participated in at least 162 meetings since the Commission adopted the consent order with Facebook in 2011. Almost 140 meetings occurred after Facebook admitted to the unlawful transfer of over 87 million user profiles to Cambridge Analytica. In March 2018, the FTC said it would reopen investigation of Facebook, but the agency has never taken an enforcement action against the country. EPIC launched the #EnforceTheOrder campaign this year to urge action by the FTC.

New Privacy Alliance Underway in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe

Civil society advocates are set to form a new NGO to promote privacy in Russia, Central, and Eastern Europe. The initiative was convened by Simon Davies, founder of Privacy International and author of "Privacy: A Personal Chronicle." EPIC's Public Voice Fund provided the seed funding for the project. EPIC President Marc Rotenberg said "We appreciate the good work of NGOs and academics to undertake this important collaboration." The initiative's Moderator, former Ombudsman of Georgia, Ucha Nanuashvili, stated "in the former Soviet states there's an urgent need for an initiative that brings together advocates and experts in a strong alliance." The annual meeting of the International Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners will be held this year in Tirana, Albania. The Public Voice plans to host a civil society event.

Justice John Paul Stevens, 1920-2019

Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens passed away this week. He was 99. EPIC remembers Justice Stevens for his many important opinions on privacy, open government, and the First Amendment. Justice Stevens played a pivotal role in cases concerning the Constitutional right of anonymity. In McIntyre v. Ohio (1995), he wrote for the Court "Under our Constitution, anonymous pamphleteering is not a pernicious, fraudulent practice, but an honorable tradition of advocacy and of dissent. Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority." In Watchtower Bible, a case concerning a permit requirement for pamphleteers, he said for the Court "It is offensive . . . to the very notion of a free society that in the context of everyday public discourse a citizen must first inform the government of her desire to speak to her neighbors and then obtain a permit to do so." And in Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District (2004), Justice Stevens wrote in dissent opposing a state stop and identify law, "A name can provide the key to a broad array of information about the person, particularly in the hands of a police officer with access to a range of law enforcement databases." Stevens was also a cryptographer for the Navy during World War II.

Tim Wu Testifies Before House Antitrust Committee

Former EPIC Advisory Board member Tim Wu testified recently before a House committee regarding online platforms and market power. EPIC previously told the Subcommittee on Antitrust that "the internet advertising system today is not healthy. Two companies dominate the market. The privacy of Internet users is under assault. The revenue model that sustained journalism is broken. The current model is not sustainable. Privacy rules can help level the playing field." In 2000, EPIC opposed Doubleclick's acquisition of Abacus. In 2007, EPIC told the FTC that Google's proposed acquisition of DoubleClick would lead to consumers being tracked and profiled by advertisers across the web.

U.S. AI Commission Continues Secret Meetings 


On July 11, 2019, the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence held its third meetingbehind closed doors. Created by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, the AI Commission is tasked with considering "the methods and means necessary to advance the development of" AI to address the national security and defense needs of the U.S. Representatives of large tech firms, including Google and Microsoft, dominate the Commission. Like its first meetingin March, the AI Commission provided no notice of the meeting and no opportunity for public participation. According to reports, the AI Commission received briefings on AI research, national security uses of AI, and preparing the workforce for AI. The AI Commission's mandate specifies that comprehensive reports be made available to the public. EPIC previously filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking a copy of the AI Commission report, which has still not been released to the public.

IRS Issues Final Rule on Truncated SSNs

The IRS has issued a final rule to encourage employers to truncate employees' social security numbers (SSNs) on copies of W-2s and other forms furnished to employees. The new rule is intended to aid employers' efforts to protect employees from identity theft. EPIC submitted comments to the IRS in support of the rule, but argued that the rule should require employers to truncate SSNs rather than only allowing them to do so. EPIC said: "W-2 forms have been the target of several high-profile breaches" and recommended that the IRS require truncated SSNs "to protect employees from future breaches." EPIC has participated in the leading cases involving the privacy of the SSN and has frequently testified in Congress about the need to establish privacy safeguards for the SSN to prevent identity theft and financial fraud.

WSJ Reports that FTC Agrees to $5B Fine Against Facebook

The Federal Trade Commission has reportedly approved a $5 billion fine against Facebook, the largest fine in the Commission's history. EPIC brought the original complaint to the FTC that led to the 2011 Consent Order against Facebook. This is the first enforcement action the FTC has taken against Facebook in the eight years since the Consent Order was put in place. Earlier this year, an EPIC Freedom of Information Act request uncovered more than 26,000 complaints against Facebook pending at the Commission. EPIC also launched the #EnforceTheOrder campaign to urge action by the FTC. In January, EPIC recommended that the FTC enforcement action 1) impose substantial fines; 2) establish structural remedies; 3) require compliance with Fair Information Practices; 4) reform hiring and management practices; and 5) restore democratic governance.

Trump Issues Executive Order to Seek Citizenship Information From All Federal Agencies


President Trump recently announced that he will order federal agencies to transfer personal data to the Department of Commerce to determine the number of non-citizens in the United States. Trump stated, "We will utilize these vast federal databases to gain a full, complete, and accurate count of the non-citizen population including databases maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, and the Social Security Administration." President Trump has abandoned his quest to seek citizenship information on the 2020 Census after the Supreme Court ruled that the Commerce Department's decision to collect citizenship data "cannot be adequately explained" by the rationale provided by the agency. EPIC separately sought to block the Census Bureau's collection of citizenship data because the agency failed to complete required privacy impact assessments. Last month, the D.C. Circuit issued a decision in the case, ruling that EPIC did not have a legal basis to obtain Privacy Impact Assessments from the federal government. EPIC also filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case, joined by 23 legal scholars and technical experts, warning that "collecting citizenship status information from hundreds of millions of U.S. residents presents enormous privacy and security concerns." The federal Privacy Act also imposes limits on the ability of federal agencies to transfer personal data to other agencies. The DHS has previously stated that DACA applicant information would be used exclusively for the purposes for which it was provided.

Court: Computer Experts May Examine Georgia Voting Systems


A federal court in Georgia has ruled that Georgia election officials must allow the Coalition for Good Governance to review the state's election management databases. The Coalition argued that the databases "provide the roadmap that needs to be analyzed to identify flaws" in the state election system. EPIC recently filed an amicus brief in the case, joined by 31 legal scholars and technical experts. EPIC asked the federal court to stop Georgia's use of Direct Recording Electronic voting machines. Experts in election security have shown that DREs are insecure, vulnerable to attack, fail to provide a paper trail that enables auditing, and subject vote tallies to manipulation by remote adversaries. EPIC told the court, "the continued use of these systems poses a direct threat to personal privacy, election integrity, and democratic institutions." The case is Curling v. Raffensperger.

Bi-Partisan Effort Underway to Reform FOIA

Senators from across the aisle have criticized recent changes to the Freedom of Information Act and vow to introduce legislation to reform the FOIA. In Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media, the Supreme Court recently narrowed public access to government records. A few days later, the Environmental Protection Agency changed its FOIA regulations without a public comment opportunity. The EPA's changes are similar to the Department of the Interior's "awareness review"that allows political appointees to decide whether to withhold information and issue a misleading "no records" response. Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) are both considering legislation in response. Senator Grassley stated, "[the] recent Supreme Court ruling and even new regulations in the EPA and the Department of Interior are undermining access to public information. . . Americans deserve an accountable government, and transparency leads to accountability." EPIC wrote an amicus brief in Food Marketing Institute, warning the Court that a change in the FOIA "would deprive the public, and government watchdogs such as EPIC, of access to important information about 'what the government is up to.'" EPIC frequently uses the FOIA to promote government oversight.

White House Seeks Public Comments on AI and Federal Data

The White House is requesting public comment on which federal data and models should be made available for AI research, development, and testing. Comments are due by August 8, 2019. The request for public comments follows from the Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence, which also requires agencies to identify privacy, civil liberties, and security concerns associated with access federal data sets. The Privacy Act of 1974 imposes limits on how government agencies collect, use, and transfer personal data. In Scientific American, EPIC has strongly favored greater use of federal data that is not personally identifiable, such as statistical data and data concerning climate change, but has warned against the use of personal data maintained by federal agencies for AI projects. EPIC also recently filed comments with the National Institute of Standards and Technology urging the U.S. to implement the OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence and the Universal Guidelines for AI, which both emphasize the importance of privacy protection in AI research.

U.S. Courts Release 2018 FISA Report

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has issued the 2018 report on activities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The 2018 report reveals a significant decline in the number of total applications to the FISC. There were 1,318 FISA applications in 2018, down by three hundred applications from the total of 1,614 in 2017. The scrutiny of FISA applications by the Court remained steady after an uptick last year: 985 orders were granted, 261 orders were modified, 42 orders were denied in part, and 30 applications were denied in full. EPIC testified before Congress in 2012 on the need to improve review of FISA applications. EPIC Senior Counsel Alan Butler also recently appeared before Europe's highest court to provide expert analysis on U.S. surveillance law, including FISA authorities.

White House Explores Social Media 'Bias'

The White House recently hosted a social media summit to examine allegations of bias and censorship. EPIC objected to an earlier White House survey on this topic, noting that the White House failed to protect the privacy of respondents. EPIC told the White House that "this data collection is unlawful, unconstitutional, and itself a violation of the First Amendment." The White House has since disabled the survey. To address concerns about bias, EPIC supports algorithmic transparency and has urged federal agencies and Congress to mandate algorithmic transparency. In 2007, EPIC explained to Congress that after Google acquired YouTube, Google substituted its own subjective algorithm based on "relevance" for objective criteria, such as number of hits and user ratings. The practical consequence was to elevate the rankings of Google's own web pages and to demote the ranking of other web pages, including EPIC's. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) recently introduced the "Ending Support for Internet Censorship Act," which would require tech companies to submit to an external audit that proves that their algorithms and content-removal practices are politically neutral.

EPIC in the News

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EPIC Bookstore

EPIC publications and books by members of the EPIC Advisory Board, distinguished experts in law, technology and public policy are available at the EPIC Bookstore.

Recent EPIC Publications

EPIC v. Department of Justice: The Mueller Report, edited by Marc Rotenberg (2019)

EPIC v. Department of Justice: The Mueller Report chronicles the efforts to obtain a full account of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. EPIC filed the first lawsuit in the country for the release of the full and unredacted Mueller Report and obtained a newly redacted version in early May 2019. EPIC is now challenging the redactions made by the Department of Justice in federal court. This volume is an essential guide to the legal arguments about the redactions, the dispute between the Attorney General and the Special Counsel, and EPIC's request for the Mueller Report and other records about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

The Privacy Law Sourcebook 2018, edited by Marc Rotenberg (2018)

The Privacy Law Sourcebook is the leading resource for students, attorneys, and policymakers interested in privacy law in the United States and around the world. The Sourcebook includes major US privacy laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Privacy Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Video Privacy Protection Act, and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. The Sourcebook also includes key international privacy frameworks such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the revised OECD Privacy Guidelines. The Privacy Law Sourcebook 2018 has been updated and expanded to include the modernized Council of Europe Convention on Privacy, the Judicial Redress Act, the CLOUD Act, and new materials from the United Nations. The Sourcebook also includes an extensive resources section with useful websites and contact information for privacy agencies, organizations, and publications.

Communications Law and Policy: Cases and Materials, 5th Edition, by Jerry Kang and Alan Butler. Direct Injection Press (2016).

This teachable casebook provides an introduction to the law and policy of modern communications. The book is organized by analytic concepts instead of current industry lines, which are constantly made out-of-date by technological convergence. The basic ideas—power, entry, pricing, access, classification, bad content, and intermediary liability—equip students with a durable and yet flexible intellectual structure that can help parse a complex and ever-changing field.

Privacy Law and Society, 3rd Edition, by Anita Allen, JD, PhD and Marc Rotenberg, JD, LLM. West Academic (2015).

The Third Edition of "Privacy Law and Society" is the most comprehensive casebook on privacy law ever produced. It traces the development of modern privacy law, from the early tort cases to present day disputes over drone surveillance and facial recognition. The text examines the philosophical roots of privacy claims and the significant court cases and statues that have emerged. The text provides detailed commentary on leading cases and insight into emerging issues. The text includes new material on developments in the European Union, decisions grounded in fundamental rights jurisprudence, and exposes readers to current debates over cloud computing, online profiling, and the role of the Federal Trade Commission. Privacy Law and Society is the leading and most current text in the privacy field.

Privacy in the Modern Age: The Search for Solutions, edited by Marc Rotenberg, Julia Horwitz and Jeramie Scott. The New Press (2015). Price: $25.95.

The threats to privacy are well known: The National Security Agency tracks our phone calls; Google records where we go online and how we set our thermostats; Facebook changes our privacy settings when it wishes; Target gets hacked and loses control of our credit card information; our medical records are available for sale to strangers; our children are fingerprinted and their every test score saved for posterity; and small robots patrol our schoolyards while drones may soon fill our skies.

The contributors to this anthology don't simply describe these problems or warn about the loss of privacy—they propose solutions.

Contributors include: Steven Aftergood, Ross Anderson, Christine L. Borgman (coauthored with Kent Wada and James F. Davis), Ryan Calo, Danielle Citron, Simon Davies, A. Michael Froomkin, Deborah Hurley, Kristina Irion, Jeff Jonas, Harry Lewis, Anna Lysyanskaya, Gary T. Marx, Aleecia M. McDonald, Dr. Pablo G. Molina, Peter G. Neumann, Helen Nissenbaum, Frank Pasquale, Dr. Deborah Peel, MD, Stephanie E. Perrin, Marc Rotenberg, Pamela Samuelson, Bruce Schneier, and Christopher Wolf.

Upcoming Conferences and Events

Behind the Black Ink: Expert Panel on The Mueller Report. July 23, 2019. Busboys & Poets, Washington, DC.

POLITICO: Unlocking the AI Data Puzzle in Federal Government. July 24, 2019. Washington Court Hotel. Washington, DC. Marc Rotenberg, EPIC President

Cyber Crime Review. Aug. 8, 2019. ABA Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA. Alan Butler, EPIC Senior Counsel.

'Designing New Digital Divides: Tech Platforms' Myth of Inclusion Drives Exclusion.' Aug. 11, 2019. Academy of Management, Boston, MA. Marc Rotenberg, EPIC President.

'In Harm's Way: Smart Regulation of Digital & Network Technology.' Aug. 12–14, 2019. Conference on Communications Policy, Aspen, CO. Marc Rotenberg, EPIC President.

41st International Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners Conference. Oct. 21–24, 2019. Tirana, Albania. Marc Rotenberg, EPIC President.

CPDP 2020: Data Protection and Artificial Intelligence. Jan. 22–24, 2020. Brussels, Belgium. Marc Rotenberg, EPIC President

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