Baltimore Woman and Co-Schemers Fraudulently Obtained At Least $174,000 in Cash and Merchandise from 89 Individual Victims in a Three Year Period Baltimore, Maryland – Shanell Angelia Bowser, age 30, of Baltimore pleaded guilty today to stealing personal identifying information of insurance claimants from her employer to fraudulently obtain credit used to purchase merchandise and…
House committee approves Data Accountability and Trust Act
The Credit Union National Association reports: H.R. 2221, the Data Accountability and Trust Act, passed the House subcommittee on commerce, trade, and consumer protection by a voice vote during a Wednesday markup session. The bill, which was introduced by House Subcommittee Chair Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), would require businesses to notify affected customers when outside…
Appellate judge asks Supreme Court to clarify privacy rights
Carol J. Williams reports in the Los Angeles Times: Is there a constitutional right to informational privacy? That is a question that Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is asking the U.S. Supreme Court, saying that the justices hinted at such a right 32 years ago and “never said…
Risks of sharing personal genetic information online need more study, Stanford bioethicists say
With just $399 and a bit of saliva in a cup, consumers can learn about their genetic risk for diseases from breast cancer to diabetes. Now, thanks to social networking sites set up by personal genomics companies, they can also share that information with family, friends and even strangers on the Internet. Bonding over…
World Privacy Forum files comments with the FTC regarding proposed rules for health care-related data breaches
The World Privacy Forum filed extensive comments with the Federal Trade Commission today regarding its notice of proposed rulemaking for data breaches of information containing actual health care information or health care-related information. The FTC rulemaking will apply to a variety of record holders, especially vendors of personal health records. The Forum supported much…
Octomom Nadya Suleman says she didn't tell sperm donor of her decision to implant remaining embryos
The Tribune Newspapers reports: Octuplets mother Nadya Suleman told a celebrity Web site that she wants her children to have a father in their lives but that the sperm donor was upset and resentful when he heard about her pregnancy. …. In an interview with Radar Online, she said she used sperm from the…