Table of Contents

Occupy Wall Street movement highlights another harm from big banks: loss of privacy
Consumer Action signed onto a letter supporting Occupy Wall Street's demand for corporate accountability and transparency, particularly with regard to privacy violations by big banks.

FTC should swiftly conclude its review of children’s online privacy law
Consumer groups asked Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz to wrap up its review of the Children's Online Privacy Protection (COPPA) legislation, as more and more websites aimed at children are installing and using tracking technologies.

CA supports YouTube-Google in landmark case
Consumer Action joined the National Consumers League, Consumers Union, and the U.S. Student Association in an amicus brief supporting YouTube-Google in the Viacom v. YouTube case. The case, now in U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, is key to staving off threats to online innovation and expression.

Bill to protect online privacy needs strengthening in key ways
Consumer Action signed onto a letter to Senators John Kerry and John McCain laying out reasons why their bill to protect consumer privacy online fails to do so in an effective way.

Commerce should recommend increased protections for kids and teens online
In a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Consumer Action joined coalition members in responding to the agency's released "green" paper on online privacy. Specifically, groups asked the Department of Commerce to support stronger online protections for children and adolescents.

Give patients the tools they need to control their personal health information
In a letter that underscores the importance of patients controlling their medical information via privacy-enabling technology, Consumer Action and the Coalition for Patient Privacy answered the Department of Health and Human Services's call for comments on modifications to the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Enforcement Rules in the new HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act.

SEC’s proposed rule would expose personal financial information of homeowners
Consumer Action signed onto comments made to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on its Proposed Rulemaking on Asset-Backed Securities, a rule which would mandate an unprecedented release of individual-level financial data and would greatly increase borrowers’ risk for identity theft.

Congress should investigate Microsoft’s decision to undermine consumer privacy
Consumer Action joined in a letter to the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce Rep. Henry Waxman and a Ranking Member of the committee, Rep. Joe Barton, requesting that they formally open an investigation into the decision-making process that led to a severe weakening of privacy protections in Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

Privacy legislation must be grounded in Fair Information Practices
Consumer Action signed onto testimony presented by U.S. Public Interest Research Group's Consumer Program Director at a legislative hearing examining draft legislation aimed at regulating the collection and disclosure of personal information online.

Online privacy bill needs to be fortified with FIPs and other protections
Consumer and privacy advocates responded to calls for comments on a draft online privacy bill proposed by Representatives Rick Boucher and Cliff Stearns. Among other items, the letter asks for an incorporation of Fair Information Practices (FIPs) and no federal pre-emption of stronger state privacy laws.