In a follow-up to my recent post on fraud in the library/school E-Rate fund, a preliminary investigation has now been launched, at the direction of House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman W.J. “Billy” Tauzin. Tauzin is a vocal critic of the program, and through his spokesman stated, “Schools are hooked up to the Internet for free and the federal government is robbed blind.”
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Daily Archives: February 3, 2003
New Database on 2004 Presidential Candidate Assets
The Buying of the President 2004 is a new searchable database from the Center for Public Integrity. This is a terrific resource, and is well worth a visit. A press release about the database is here, and indicates that there are currently 200 documents available on the financial history of the declared candidates, as well… Continue Reading
More Support for Verizon's Privacy Policy
Via Politechbot, Ohio State Law Professor Peter P. Swire, former Chief Counselor for Privacy to President Clinton, filed a declaration in Verizon v. Recording Industry Association of America supporting Verizon’s motion to stay the decision. Continue Reading
AmLaw Launches New Industry Reports
American Lawyer Media, Inc. launched a new service, Legal Market Information Source, providing “clients, law firms and companies marketing to the legal industry with trend data, reports, rankings and custom research on major U.S. and global law firms…Initial LMIS product offerings will cover four areas: law firm reports; legal industry briefs; industry ranking tables and… Continue Reading
Database to Track Foreign Students Not Ready for Prime Time
Here is a follow-up to a January 30 New York Times article on the State Department’s new database of 50 million visa applications to which federal and local law enforcement agencies will have access. This database is part of the Homeland Security initiative. As part of the compliance requirements, colleges and universities must report on… Continue Reading
Patriot Act and Libraries
Safeguarding Our Patrons’ Privacy: What Every Librarian Needs to Know about the USA PATRIOT Act & Related Anti-Terrorism Measures, videotape (120 minutes) and manual (27 pp.), published December 2002, are available for $35 from the Association of Research Libraries. Continue Reading
ALA Opposes Patriot Act
The American Library Association (ALA) issued a resolution on the Patriot Act that states the organization “considers sections of the act a president danger to the constitution and privacy rights of library users. It not only encourages librarians to defend user privacy, it also asks ALA to take action to obtain and publicize information about… Continue Reading
University Complies with RIAA File Sharing Demands
The University of Indiana Digital Student reported that several hundred students were forced to remove music download files from their computers or their Internet access would be discontinued, in accordance with an RIAA demand. I have made a series of posts on RIAA’s communications with college and university presidents indicating that they are responsible for… Continue Reading
Report on Domain Name Cyberscam
In April 2002, the FTC obtained a judgment and permanent injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennyslvania barring cybersquatter John Zuccarini from continuing an extensive cyberscam. It involved diverting individuals from their intended website destinations to the more than 5,300 sites he owned, through the use of commonly occuring misspellings… Continue Reading
Protecting Gov't Info Infrastructure
High-Risk Series: Protecting Information Systems Supporting the Federal Government and the Nation’s Critical Infrastructures (GAO-03-121), and Highlights. Continue Reading
