FC: Satellite TV and Tivo owners, be warned: You have no privacy

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

---

From: "Hugh Lilly" <h.lilly () gmx net>
To: <declan () well com>
References: <20030401003352.A1247 () attic tfi>
Subject: Fwd: //surveillance// FW: Is Your Television Watching You?
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 18:10:56 +1200

Declan,

For Politech if you wish. Love the list. Yours and IP are almost all I ever 
read
to keep up with tech issues.

Regards,

Hugh Lilly.

----------------Forwarded Message----------------

On Tuesday, April 01, 2003 6:33 PM +1300 [NZDT],
wade tillett <wade () thefrictioninstitute org> said:

(thanks to cursor.org for the link:)

http://www.tvweek.com/technology/030303isyourtv.html

Is Your Television Watching You?
By Phillip Swann

Could the federal government find out what you're watching on TV? Even if
you're not the subject of a criminal investigation?

If you're a satellite TV or TiVo owner, the answer is yes, according to
legal experts and industry officials.

Under the USA Patriot Act, passed a month after the 9/11 terrorist attack,
the feds can force a noncable TV operator to disclose every show you have
watched. The government just has to say that the request is related to a
terrorism investigation, said Jay Stanley, a technology expert for the
American Civil Liberties Union.

Under Section 215 of the Act, you don't even have to be the target of the
investigation. Plus, your TV provider is prohibited from informing you that
the feds have requested your personal information.

"The language is very broad," Mr. Stanley said. "It allows the FBI to force
a company to turn over the records of their customers. They don't even need
a reasonable suspicion of criminal behavior."

David Sobel, general counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center,
a Washington think tank, said the Cable Act of 1984 gives cable operators
greater protection against the Patriot Act.

...


Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He can be
reached at Swann () TVPredictions com.




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