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.: Icelandic DNA project hit by privacy storm - 16th May 2004
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"It was meant to give Iceland a global lead in medical research and create one of the world's most powerful drug companies. But the launch of DeCode Genetics is threatening to become a national embarrassment.
One leading US biologist has called for an international scientific boycott of Iceland. Others say the company is profiteering. Now DeCode, which was set up to carry out pioneering work into genes and DNA, has been warned its actions may infringe the privacy rights of Icelanders. A unique experiment may be threatened, though DeCode angrily dismisses such fears...."
[Guardian] |
.: Big Brother to Watch Over Island - 16th May 2004
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"If you have ever seen the cult '60s British television program The Prisoner, in which captured Cold War spies live on an island under constant surveillance, you can imagine what life may soon be like on Ayers Island, on the Penobscot River near the University of Maine.
In coming years, visitors to Ayers Island, the site of an abandoned paper and textile mill in Orono, Maine, will be spied upon by a comprehensive network of video cameras, motion detectors and sensors. Lurking behind all of those sensors will be an artificial intelligence system that will decide who can be trusted and who is deserving of greater scrutiny...."
[Wired] |
.: Senate limits Pentagon 'snooping' plan - 24th Jan 2003
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"WASHINGTON--The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted unanimously to slap restrictions on a controversial Pentagon data-mining program that critics say would amount to a domestic spying apparatus. By unanimous consent, the Senate inserted a moratorium on the program into a massive spending bill, which was approved by a 69-29 vote late Thursday.
The vote represents an unusual triumph of privacy concerns over the Bush administration's arguments that the Pentagon's Total Information Awareness (TIA) program would be useful for national security. If fully implemented, TIA would link databases from sources such as credit card companies, medical insurers and motor vehicle agencies in hopes of snaring terrorists..."
[news.com] |
.: Will Your TV Become a Spy? - 9th Jan 2003
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"Hollywood wants every new digital set to include technology that would stop people from putting its shows on the Net. Bad idea.
While the economy and stock markets struggled, 2002 was a golden year for the silver screen. Thanks to blockbuster hits such as Spider-Man, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings, ticket sales hit $9.3 billion worldwide, a remarkable 13% rise over 2001's then-record receipts. So much for claims that piracy threatens Hollywood's livelihood..."
[BusinessWeek] |
.: Taking Liberties With Our Freedom - 2nd Dec 2002
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""The fix is in." So said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) of the mammoth new Homeland Security Act, which was signed into law last week.
McCain was upset about an array of goodies that were tacked onto the bill at the last minute by the House of Representatives. These included broad liability protections for makers of vaccines, and an array of other extremely valuable giveaways..."
[wired] |
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