News Room: Privacy
February 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), the author of the state’s online privacy law, today praised Attorney General Kamala Harris for the plan she announced Wednesday to bring the millions of users of mobile device applications, called “apps,” under the law’s protection.
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November 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
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State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) today recognized the California Office of Privacy Protection with a resolution celebrating that Office’s tenth anniversary. Simitian was joined in the recognition by his colleagues on the Senate Select Committee on Privacy and State Senator Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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August 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
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Earlier today Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill by State Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) to enhance consumer privacy protection when sensitive data is lost or stolen. Senate Bill 24 strengthens the state’s existing data breach notification requirements by providing consumers with the information they need to protect themselves against identity theft.
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Friday, August 19, 2011
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The California State Legislature has voted to approve Senate Bill 24 by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto); the bill now goes to Governor Brown for consideration. Senate Bill 24 strengthens and improves the state’s existing security breach notification requirements.
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July 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
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A new state law that takes effect Jan. 1 will add an extra layer of privacy for library users in the digital age.
California’s library privacy laws were created before the advent of the Internet and, as a result, an individual’s interaction with the library outside of circulation was not protected under state law until Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 445 earlier this month.
The bill was authored by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, but inspired by Librarylaw.com founder Mary Minow, who also manages the Stanford Copyright and Fair Use website.
Minow proposed the legislation as part of Simitian’s “There Oughta Be A Law” contest.
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Tuesday, July 12, 2011
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Senate Bill 445 by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) to provide 21st century privacy protections for California library patrons, has been signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. California’s library privacy laws were created before the use of the Internet. As a result, an individual’s interaction with the library outside of the typical library book circulation is not protected under current law.
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Wednesday, July 06, 2011
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The California Legislature has approved Senate Bill 445 by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) to provide 21st century privacy protections for California library patrons. California’s library privacy laws were created before the use of the Internet. As a result, an individual’s interaction with the library outside of the typical library book circulation is not protected under current law.
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January 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
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State Senator Joe Simitian announced today he has introduced a bill to enhance consumer privacy protection by strengthening the notification requirements when databases of personal information are compromised.
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December 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
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Once just a cruel joke, assuming another person’s identity on the Internet and fabricating an e-mail or Facebook account, is no longer a laughing matter.
A state law effective Jan. 1, authored by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, makes online impersonation, when it seeks to harm someone, illegal.
“As a Silicon Valley legislator, I’m nothing but enthusiastic about technology. But the question is, is the technology used wisely and appropriately?” Simitian said this week. “This (‘e-personation’) is one area where some constraint appeared necessary.”
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010
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With the start of the new year, maliciously impersonating someone online – with a phony Facebook page or e-mails apparently sent from their account – isn’t just a cruel prank anymore. It’s a crime. Senate Bill 1411, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), becomes law January 1, updating California’s 19th century impersonation law to the Internet age.
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September 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
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KQED Radio reports on Sen. Joe Simitian’s FasTrak privacy bill, Senate Bill 1268
“Bridge commuters will no longer have a conflict between privacy and convenience beginning in January. The governor has signed a bill written by state Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) to restrict law enforcement access to FasTrak data. Except in emergencies, the law requires police to go to court for a search warrant to get their hands on pesonally identifiable information.”
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010
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Legislation authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) to protect the privacy of drivers using the FasTrak payment system for toll bridges and roads has been signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010
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Maliciously impersonating someone online – out of revenge, or jealousy, or a twisted sense of humor -- isn’t just a cruel game anymore. It’s a crime. California’s 19th century impersonation law was updated to protect victims of e-personation yesterday when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). Senate Bill 1411 makes it a misdemeanor to impersonate someone online with intent to harm, intimidate, threaten or defraud.
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August 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
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Legislation authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) to protect the privacy of drivers using the FasTrak payment system for toll bridges and roads has passed the Legislature and is on its way to the Governor.
“There’s just no reason for a government agency to track the movements of Californians, let alone maintain that information in a database forever and ever,” said Simitian.
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Thursday, August 19, 2010
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The California Legislature has voted to enhance consumer privacy protection by passing Senate Bill 1166, by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which strengthens the notification required when databases of personal information are compromised. The bill now moves to the Governor’s desk.
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Thursday, August 12, 2010
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The California Legislature has taken an important step toward protecting victims of online impersonation, or e-personation, by passing Senate Bill 1411, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). The bill would make it a misdemeanor to maliciously impersonate another person online.
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Monday, August 09, 2010
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Two months ago, a reporter received a profanity-laced e-mail critical of one of her stories. The sender appeared to be Carl Guardino, the chief executive of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. He hadn’t sent the e-mail. Guardino was the victim of online impersonation. He soon found out he wasn’t alone - friends, colleagues and relatives had stories of usurped identities and tarnished reputations.
The state law on impersonation is not equipped to deal with the digital age. But a bill making its way through the Legislature is looking to change that. Inspired by Guardino’s story, state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, introduced a bill in June that would make it a misdemeanor to maliciously impersonate someone.
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Sunday, August 08, 2010
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Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Morain writes that the next governor needs to defend a state’s right to protect personal data.
In California, privacy is a fundamental right. This state has a constitutional amendment identifying privacy as inalienable. And for better or worse, legislators don’t see themselves as potted plants. Some actually care about state law. All that means the next governor will grapple with privacy or lack of it right here in Sacramento.
“States often have to lead to get attention at the federal level,” said Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, the Legislature’s most prolific author of bills that seek to provide at least a thin veil of privacy. Simitian helped push a first-in-the-nation requirement that companies tell us when a security breach has spewed our personal information into other people’s hands. Because of a 2004 Simitian bill, California requires companies doing business in the state to post privacy policies on their websites. Lately, Simitian has sought to limit the misuse of radio frequency identification. Now Simitian is carrying legislation to protect people who use FasTrak to pay bridge tolls.
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June 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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A San Jose Mercury News editorial called for online impersonation to be made illegal
Impersonating someone with the intent to harm, intimidate, threaten or defraud is illegal in California — except when it’s done online. Existing state law, written in 1872, didn’t anticipate the existence of Facebook, MySpace or a host of other Internet sites that unintentionally created new ways to harm innocent victims.
State Sen. Joe Simitian has a solution. His SB 1411 would make it a misdemeanor to maliciously impersonate another person online. The Legislature should pass the Palo Alto Democrat’s bill, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger should sign into law legal protections against online abuse.
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Sunday, June 20, 2010
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An oped article by Sen. Joe Simitian in the Santa Cruz Sentinel:
On the Internet, it’s easy to be someone else. You can set up a fake page on Facebook or MySpace; you can assume an identity on Twitter; you can appropriate someone else’s name when you create an e-mail account.
As the Internet provides new opportunities for mischief, or worse, state law must provide new protections. I have introduced Senate Bill 1411 to make it a misdemeanor to impersonate someone on the Internet if the intention is to harm, intimidate, threaten or deceive them. In addition, victims would gain the right to sue their tormenters.
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Tuesday, June 08, 2010
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The California State Senate took a step last week toward protecting victims of online impersonation by passing Senate Bill 1411, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which would make it a misdemeanor to maliciously impersonate another person online.
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Monday, June 07, 2010
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Legislation authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) to protect the privacy of drivers using the FasTrak payment system for toll bridges and roads passed the State Senate last week.
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Thursday, June 03, 2010
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Commuters on California toll roads and highways subscribe to a device kept in the car, allowing electronic toll collection as they pass through a toll booth. Payment is made by credit card. Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, wants to not only prevent this information from being sold, he is proposing that state agencies periodically dump all outdated data.
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May 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
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To ensure that drivers’ rights are respected as traffic control and enforcement technologies evolve, State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he has introduced a trio of transportation bills that protect motorists.
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April 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
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The California Senate has approved a bill that would update the state’s pioneering data breach notification law, the lawmaker who introduced the legislation announced Friday.
The bill from Democratic Sen. Joe Simitian is a reintroduction of the same measure that he proposed last year, but which was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The current legislation, known as SB-1186, builds on the landmark 2003 breach notification bill, SB-1386, by requiring that breach notification letters also contain specifics around the data-loss incident, including the type of personal information exposed, a description of the incident, and advice on steps to take to protect oneself from identity theft.
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Friday, April 16, 2010
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The California State Senate voted Thursday to approve Senate Bill 1166 by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). Senate Bill 1166 would strengthen and improve the state’s existing security breach notification requirements.
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March 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
November 2009
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
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With all the millions of cases of identity theft you would think we would want everybody to know when their sensitive data is in the wrong hands. But your right to know is far from guaranteed.
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October 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed an update to California's landmark data-breach notification law, saying that the new bill would be too hard on businesses without adequately benefiting consumers.
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Sunday, October 11, 2009
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Today Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed State Senator Joe Simitian's (D-Palo Alto) Senate Bill 20. The bill would have strengthened and updated California's landmark privacy protection law that requires businesses and state agencies to notify residents when sensitive personal information is lost or stolen from their databases.
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September 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
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California State Sen. Joe Simitian could be called the father of state data breach notification laws. He received the award for Excellence in the Field of Public Policy at the RSA Conference 2007 in recognition of that -- though he's willing to share the credit.
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Sunday, September 27, 2009
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This year, Sen. Simitian is back with SB 20, a bill now on its way to the governor's desk. If signed, it would provide an important upgrade to California's landmark privacy protection law.
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Friday, September 11, 2009
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A new Senate bill in California, which seeks to complement the state's trailblazing SB-1386 data breach disclosure bill, is ready for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature.
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Wednesday, September 09, 2009
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The State Legislature approved State Senator Joe Simitian’s (D-Palo Alto) SB 20, a bill to strengthen and update California’s landmark privacy protection law.
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May 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
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Privacy Piracy host Mari Frank interviews State Senator Joe Simitian on his range of legislation aimed at protecting Californians' privacy.
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Monday, May 04, 2009
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian is inviting constituents in the 11th State Senate District to participate in the Senate’s first ever live streaming town hall from the State Capitol. “E-Upd@te With State Senator Joe Simitian” will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13th. All topics will be open for discussion during the one hour event.
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April 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
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Sacramento – The California State Senate approved today SB 20, legislation by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which aims to strengthen existing privacy protection laws for California consumers. The new law builds on legislation authored by Simitian in 2002 that requires a business or government agency that incurs a data breach to provide notice to the individual(s) whose information was compromised. More than 40 states have adopted similar legislation since that time, largely based on the California measure.
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March 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
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California's landmark data-breach notification law will get another update, if State Senator Joe Simitian gets his way.
Simitian, co-author of California's original 2003 legislation, has proposed a new bill, SB 20, that would spell out what companies must tell customers in their data breach letters and require that breaches affecting more than 500 people be reported to the state's attorney general.
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Friday, March 06, 2009
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Six years after California enacted the country's first data breach notification law, many state residents have received letters warning them that their data was exposed by a breach but usually they don't know how or how long, experts said at a privacy conference on Friday.
That would change with the passage of a measure proposed by California State Sen. Joe Simitian, who authored the country's first bill requiring companies to notify customers when a breach has occurred that exposes their data.
Senate Bill 20 would require that notification letters to consumers have a standard set of information such as information about the timing and circumstances of the breach.
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December 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
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Palo Alto – As Californians usher in the New Year, they will find new protections for many including victims of sexual abuse, veterans and seniors. The protections will come from laws that State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) authored and will take effect on January 1, 2009. The following are among the 14 bills that Simitian received signatures on this fall from the Governor.
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October 2008
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian’s legislation (SB 31) to outlaw “skimming,” the covert reading of personal information stored on RFID-enabled ID cards, was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill makes it a crime to surreptitiously read information stored on tiny electronic devices known as RFID tags.
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July 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed SB 612 by Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), giving victims of identity theft a better opportunity to obtain justice by allowing identity theft cases to be prosecuted in the county where the victim lives – which is not always the location of where the crime occurs.
“Protecting the personal information of every Californian is very important to me and I am committed to strong laws that safeguard every individual’s privacy and prevent identity theft. This common sense legislation will lead to more prosecutions of this terrible crime and anyone that commits or even thinks of committing identity theft should know that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Governor Schwarzenegger said.
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Wednesday, July 02, 2008
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California has passed a law that makes it easier to prosecute identity thieves.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 612 into law this week. It allows prosecutors to charge people with identity theft in the jurisdictions where the victims live. Without the bill, prosecutions could only take place where the crime occurred, which is usually in the perpetrators' towns or cities.
"That may make sense if it's in an old-fashioned property crime like a burglary, or even an auto theft," said Sen. Joe Simitian, a Palo Alto Democrat who sponsored the bill. "If an identity thief in Los Angeles goes online and steals the identity of a half dozen people in San Jose, the crime [had] to be prosecuted in L.A. That makes no sense at all, and, of course, it makes prosecution altogether unlikely."
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February 2008
Friday, February 01, 2008
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Sacramento - “As criminals adapt technology to devise new ways to steal, the state must adapt its laws to prosecute them,” said State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), praising Senate approval of his Senate Bill (SB) 612, which would give victims of identity theft a better opportunity to obtain justice.
Simitian introduced SB 612, which passed 40-0, to allow identity theft to be prosecuted in the county in which the victim lives, which is not always the case now. Current law permits prosecution in the county in which the theft occurred or the county in which the information was illegally used, both of which may be hundreds of miles away from the victim’s home.
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Friday, February 01, 2008
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The California State Senate passed a bill Friday that would allow prosecution for identity theft cases in the county where the victim resides.
State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, co-authored Senate Bill 612 and praised fellow senators Friday for voting 40-0 in favor of the legislation.
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January 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
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Sacramento - The California State Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 364, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which would require that consumers receive a clear, informative notification letter when personal data kept by a business or public agency has been stolen. It also requires the state to establish a central reporting site to catalog security breaches. The vote of 30-7 moves the bill to the State Assembly.
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
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Sacramento - The California State Senate took action today to outlaw “skimming,” the surreptitious reading of personal information stored on RFID-enabled ID cards, State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, announced today.
RFID stands for radio frequency identification. It involves placing a “tag,” a tiny receptor device containing electronic information, on an object. The tag can be read by directing radio waves at it, which causes the tag to send back a signal containing the information.
“The problem is real,” Simitian said. In a controlled experiment, “the card I use to access the State Capitol was skimmed and cloned by a hacker in a split second. Minutes later, using that clone of my card, he was able to walk right into the Capitol through a ‘secure’ and locked entrance.”
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October 2007
Saturday, October 13, 2007
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Bosses will probably find other ways to get under your skin, but thanks to California lawmakers they won't be allowed to stick little electronic ID badges into your flesh.
A bill by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, which Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Friday, bars California employers and others from forcing people to have radio frequency identification (RFID) devices implanted under their skin. The bill goes into effect Jan. 1.
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Friday, October 12, 2007
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that Governor Schwarzenegger signed his Senate Bill 362, which would prohibit employers and others from forcing anyone to have a radio frequency identification (RFID) device implanted under their skin. The bill will go into effect on January 1, 2008.
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September 2007
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
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What if your credit card details, address, date of birth, bank account data - everything about you that an identity thief could possibly want - were stolen by hackers or accidentally leaked onto the internet by companies you thought you could trust?
If you think that sounds bad, it might just have happened to you already and if you live in the UK you would never find out about it. Until, that is, you discover someone has used your details in an identity fraud.
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Monday, September 03, 2007
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OK, so the system of employer-sponsored health care is disappearing. And pensions sure aren't what they used to be, either.
But the workers of California can breathe easy about one thing today, at least: the state Legislature has made it illegal for employers to implant identification devices in their skin.
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August 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that his Senate Bill 362, which would prohibit any person from forcing any other person to undergo an implant in their body of a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, passed the Senate Floor on a 28-9 vote today. The bill now goes to the Governor.
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Thursday, August 23, 2007
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Santa Cruz –The Santa Cruz County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced today that State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) is being honored for his work to protect the privacy rights of Californians. Simitian will accept the “True Patriot” award at the chapter’s annual awards ceremony in Santa Cruz on Sunday.
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Sunday, August 12, 2007
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Technology is not solely to blame for the erosion of privacy in this nation. Government and businesses have been trying to keep track of you and your habits since the days of the quill pen.
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July 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
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Re "Got chips? Implanting people with microchips raises intriguing possibilities -- and grave fears," July 21: I have been examining privacy concerns related to RFID (radio frequency identification tags) for the past few years.
I've introduced a package of bills that sets privacy standards for the use of RFID, including SB 362, which would prohibit any person from forcing any other person to undergo an RFID implant in their body or any other device that transmits their personal information. It passed out of the Senate and is awaiting a vote on the Assembly floor.
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June 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
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What if you lost a child and the authorities could track and find him or her, using radio frequencies? Now, what if authorities could track your movements in the same way, and know whether you were attending, for instance, an anti-war rally. The monitoring ability of RFID, which stands for radio frequency identification, has become a very hot topic lately. So far, it’s a debate that pits the electronics industry against privacy-rights advocates.
This year, concerns about the use of RFID have prompted State Senator Joe Simitian, of Palo Alto, to sponsor legislation. He wants to place real limits on the ability of authorities to use RFID to keep track of people and identify them.
Audio Segment on KPBS Website
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Monday, June 25, 2007
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Slap a chip costing a few cents on a clock radio or a bottle of Prozac, and you can track it from its manufacturer to the cash register at Wal-Mart. Build a chip into a special windshield tag, and it allows drivers to zip across the Golden Gate Bridge without stopping at a toll booth. Put one in a corporate identification card and all of a sudden it becomes an electronic door key.
Such is the power of radio frequency identification, or RFID, a technology that’s been around for a half-century but is finally beginning to transform commerce - and become controversial.
Full story on San Jose Mercury News website
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Tuesday, June 19, 2007
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SACRAMENTO - Attempting to prevent a potential clash between privacy rights and the latest technological advances, a Palo Alto lawmaker is trying to dissuade the state government, schools and private businesses from tracking people through the use of radio frequency identification devices such as electronic cards and implanted devices.
A legislative package of four measures by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, will be introduced in an Assembly committee today that would prohibit an employer from implanting tiny ID chips in workers, block RFID technology from being embedded in driver’s licenses, prohibit schools from issuing ID cards to track student attendance and make it a misdemeanor to skim identification cards - a method by which identity thieves secretly read the cards of unsuspecting people and clone new versions.
His measures, vociferously opposed by the tech industry, were prompted in part by the increasing availability of wireless equipment sold in stores and cyberspace that can read employee badges - even if they are in someone’s pocket or purse 20 feet away - and create a new card using that individual’s personal information.
Full story on San Jose Mercury News website
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April 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that his Senate Bills 28 and 29, which would protect information in driver’s licenses and sensitive student data by issuing a three-year moratorium on the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) or ‘smart chip’ technology in schools and driver’s licenses, have advanced through the Senate. They will be heard next in the Assembly.
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Monday, April 23, 2007
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SACRAMENTO- The California Department of Motor Vehicles could not issue driver's licenses that used radio waves to transmit motorists' personal information if legislation approved Monday by the state Senate becomes law.
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Monday, April 16, 2007
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Legislation approved Monday by the state Senate would ban public schools from using radio-wave devices containing personal information about students to take attendance and monitor students’ movement around campus.
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Monday, April 02, 2007
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The California legislature this month is expected to vote on several bills that would regulate the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in government documents. Similar legislation was approved by the body last year only to be vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in October.
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March 2007
Saturday, March 10, 2007
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I agree that a federally mandated identification system raises questions about privacy (Editorial, March 6). One of the technologies that has been considered for use in identification documents is radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. RFID technology uses chips that can be embedded in documents for tracking and identification purposes. With a device called a reader, anyone, including an identity thief, can read or "skim" the personal information in the chip. Last year, I introduced legislation to make California the first state to require privacy and security protections for RFID use in government identity documents. I was disappointed when the bill was vetoed. I've reintroduced it as Senate Bill 30 because I think the public wants us to anticipate and solve privacy problems before they occur. With the impending federal effort to create a national identification system, the need to address privacy concerns is all the more urgent and real.
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February 2007
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
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Sacramento – Senate President pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) announced that he has appointed State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) to three key posts: as Chair of the newly formed Senate Select Committee on Privacy; as a member of the State Allocation Board; and as a member of the State Coastal Conservancy.
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Friday, February 23, 2007
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All it takes is a second, and it's gone -- a modern day pick-pocket can snatch your credit card and other personal information without ever touching your wallet. The thieves need only a little know how, and about a hundred bucks. The technology we rely on everyday -- is being abused.
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007
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Palo Alto – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) today received the 2007 Award for Excellence in Public Policy at the opening session of the 16th annual RSA Conference, the world’s largest event for cyber security professionals to share and exchange ideas to address identity theft and security breaches. This year’s conference is expected to draw 15,000 computer security experts from around the world.
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October 2006
Sunday, October 01, 2006
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that his Senate Bill 768, which would have made California the first state in the nation to require privacy and security protections for the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) or ‘smart chip’ technology in government-issued identification documents, was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger on Saturday.
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September 2006
Friday, September 29, 2006
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Sacramento – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced today that he has signed SB 202, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which protects consumers’ phone records from being unknowingly obtained by others.
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February 2006
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
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Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) will serve on a keynote panel about data breach notification laws at the 2006 RSA conference, the world’s largest event for cyber security professionals.
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April 2005
Friday, April 08, 2005
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The American Civil Liberties Union will hold a press briefing about SB 682, Identity Information Protection Act of 2005, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). The measure would prohibit state and local governments from using radio frequency identification tags (RFIDs) that broadcast people’s most private information in driver’s licenses, library cards, and other identity documents. These tags put an individual’s privacy, safety, and financial security at risk. Speakers will discuss their support of the bill. After the press briefing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing about the bill.
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January 2004
Thursday, January 22, 2004
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Palo Alto – The Commonwealth Club, in partnership with the Stanford Macintosh Users Group (SMUG), welcomes Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) to their February 2 meeting which will be held at Stanford University. Simitian will address the nation’s oldest and largest public affairs forum on “Online Privacy Protection: How a Bill Becomes a Law (Really).”
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November 2003
Monday, November 10, 2003
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Palo Alto – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) today was named by Scientific American magazine as one of the “Scientific American 50” – the noted magazine’s annual list recognizing outstanding leadership in science and technology from the past year. Simitian was the only elected official in the country to be so honored.
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October 2003
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
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Sacramento - Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Privacy, announced today that Governor Davis signed Simitian’s bill (Assembly Bill 68) to protect the privacy of online users.
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May 2003
Monday, May 05, 2003
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Berkeley -- For many Internet users, logging onto the Web and anonymously posting their thoughts in a chat room, Web log, or other interactive site is part of the allure of the World Wide Web.
But while the Web may appear to be an open and free area for comment, a controversial remark posted about a company or individual by a Web user can quickly draw Web users into a complex and protracted legal battle.
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Monday, May 05, 2003
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Sacramento - Tomorrow Assemblymember Joe Simitian (D - Palo Alto) will present to the California Assembly's Judiciary Committee a bill designed to protect the privacy of anonymous Internet speakers.
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September 2002
Thursday, September 05, 2002
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Sacramento – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Privacy, announced today that his four-bill package to protect consumer privacy has cleared the Legislature and is pending the Governor’s signature. The centerpiece of the bill package is AB 2297, the Online Privacy and Disclosure Act of 2002. If signed by the Governor, AB 2297 will be among the most substantial state-initiated online privacy legislation in the United States.
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May 2002
Friday, May 31, 2002
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Sacramento – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Privacy, announced today that his legislation to enhance online privacy protection was narrowly passed by the 80-member State Assembly (42-28) and is headed to the State Senate for consideration.
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Monday, May 06, 2002
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Sacramento – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Privacy, announced today that his legislation to enhance online privacy protection will be heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, May 7th.
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April 2002
Friday, April 19, 2002
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Sacramento – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Privacy, announced today that his legislation to enhance the privacy of Californians has cleared its first hurdle – passage in the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy on Tuesday, April 16th. Assembly Bill 2922 seeks to hold the State more accountable for its data collection and sharing practices by establishing the first ever California Personal Information Inventory. The bill now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
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February 2002
Friday, February 15, 2002
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Sacramento - Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that the State Assembly’s Select Committee on Privacy will conduct a hearing on online privacy on Tuesday, February 19th. The hearing is titled: “Privacy in an Online Age” and is intended to explore issues of online privacy including the reliability and enforceability of privacy statements.
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Tuesday, February 05, 2002
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Sacramento - Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that he will introduce a bill later this month to clarify and protect consumers’ online privacy rights. Preparatory to the introduction of his bill, Simitian has invited representatives from online companies and consumer advocacy groups to join him in a discussion of online privacy issues. Two meeting dates have been scheduled. Simitian
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November 2001
Friday, November 02, 2001
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Sacramento – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that the Assembly Select Committee on Privacy will hold an informational hearing entitled "Financial Privacy: Where does California go from here?" on Thursday, November 15, 2001 from 2:30 PM – 6:00 PM in the Palo Alto City Council Chambers. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.
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May 2001
Thursday, May 24, 2001
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Sacramento - Assembly Speaker Robert M. Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) announced today that he has selected Assemblymember Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) to Chair the Assembly Select Committee on Privacy. Hertzberg noted that, “Privacy is a matter of growing concern to the public,” as more and more transactions are conducted online. The Select Committee on Privacy will initially focus on the issue of Internet privacy and then expand its scope to consider various other aspects of privacy.
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