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The Center for Democracy and Technology /____/ Volume 4, Number 28
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A briefing on public policy issues affecting civil liberties online
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CDT POLICY POST Volume 4, Number 28 December 19, 1998
CONTENTS:
(1) CDT Unleashes Privacy Watchdog - http://watchdog.cdt.org
(2) CDT's Privacy Naughty and Nice Lists
(3) Notice is not enough...
(4) Subscription Information
(5) About CDT
** This document may be redistributed freely with this banner intact **
Excerpts may be re-posted with permission of
_____________________________________________________________________________
(1) CDT UNLEASHES PRIVACY WATCHDOG - http://watchdog.cdt.org
WANTED: Privacy Activists and Last Minute Holiday Shoppers
CDT today unveiled a new tool to help Internet users communicate their
privacy concerns to Web sites and join an ongoing campaign to
monitor the privacy practices of businesses operating online. Surveys
have shown that privacy is the #1 concern of Internet users. CDT's
Privacy Watchdog site gives consumers a quick way to scan and analyze
privacy policies, or lack thereof, and tell Web sites what they think.
To use the Watchdog, Internet users can visit http://watchdog.cdt.org
and answer a quick (seven question) survey to analyze the privacy
policies at the Web sites they regularly surf or shop at. For anyone just
interested in testing out the Watchdog, there is a random URL generator
that will send users to one of the top rated news and shopping sites on
the Web.
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(2) CDT'S NAUGHTY AND NICE LISTS
Based on the results submitted by Watchdog participants, CDT will begin to
build lists of those sites with privacy policies and those without. The
Naughty and Nice lists will provide Internet users with basic information
on the privacy practices of Web sites. Like Santa, we will be checking it
twice to make sure that sites end up on the right lists. However, unlike
Santa we won't be closing up shop on December 25.
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(3) NOTICE IS NOT ENOUGH
While notice is a first step, CDT will be reviewing the privacy policies
at Web sites visited by Watchdog participants to assess whether they are
meeting consumers' expectations of privacy and reflect time-honored
standards for privacy protection. See
http://www.cdt.org/privacy/guide/basic/generic.html. Detailed analyses will
appear at the Watchdog site as data is available.
_____________________________________________________________________________
(4) SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
Be sure you are up to date on the latest public policy issues affecting
civil liberties online and how they will affect you! Subscribe to the CDT
Policy Post news distribution list. CDT Policy Posts, the regular news
publication of the Center For Democracy and Technology, are received by
Internet users, industry leaders, policymakers and activists, and have
become the leading source for information about critical free speech and
privacy issues affecting the Internet and other interactive communications
media.
To subscribe to CDT's Policy Post list, send mail to
majordomo@cdt.org
In the BODY of the message (leave the SUBJECT LINE BLANK), type
subscribe policy-posts
If you ever wish to remove yourself from the list, send mail to the above
address with NOTHING IN THE SUBJECT LINE AND a BODY TEXT of:
unsubscribe policy-posts
________________________________________________________________________________
(4) ABOUT THE CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY/CONTACTING US
The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-profit public interest
organization based in Washington, DC. The Center's mission is to develop
and advocate public policies that advance democratic values and
constitutional civil liberties in new computer and communications
technologies.
Contacting us:
General information: info@cdt.org
World Wide Web: http://www.cdt.org/
Snail Mail: The Center for Democracy and Technology
1634 Eye Street NW * Suite 1100 * Washington, DC 20006
(v) +1.202.637.9800 * (f) +1.202.637.0968
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End Policy Post 4.28 12/19/98
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