PRIVACY + SECURITY BLOG

News, Developments, and Insights

high-tech technology background with eyes on computer display

Do Computer “Unlawful Access” Laws Exempt Improperly Accessing a Spouse’s Account?

Email - Improper Access

Do computer “unlawful access” laws exempt improperly accessing a spouse’s account? Short answer: No.  This case got considerable media attention and outrage when it was first reported.  A man accessed his wife’s email without her consent.  They were separated.  He was charged with violating the Michigan’s computer unlawful access law, MCL 752.795, which is similar […]

Losing Our Religion

Balkin Constitutional Redemption

I thoroughly enjoyed Jack Balkin’s Constitutional Redemption, and I found myself largely in agreement with many of Jack’s major claims.   But overall, I find it hard to share his optimism. At its core, Balkin’s constitutional jurisprudence is one founded upon faith — a faith in redemption.  He concludes his book with the following paragraph (SPOILER […]

Student Privacy in Peril: Massive Data Gathering With Inadequate Privacy and Security

TeachPrivacy Ad Privacy Training Security Training 01

In October, personal financial data — including social security numbers, loan repayment histories and bank-routing numbers – of thousands of college students was exposed on the Department of Education’s (ED) direct loan website. For seven minutes, anyone surfing the direct loan website could find personal information about students who had borrowed from the Department of […]

Should Teachers Be Banned from Communicating with Students Online?

Education Privacy

Increasingly, states and school districts are struggling over how to deal with teachers who communicate with students online via social network websites.  One foolish way to address the issue is via strict bans, such as a law passed in Missouri earlier this year that attempted to ban teachers from friending students on social network websites.  […]