Like many politicians, Mike Rann has been perfectly happy to exploit his private life when it suited him. Yet the moment there’s a hint of sex, he suddenly demands silence.
Privacy
leaked 
UK plans to create Internet Piracy General with power to appoint militias, create laws
A UK government source claims a new Bill will give the Secretary of State unprecedented powers to pass laws on online piracy without debate and confer investigative and enforcement powers to record labels and movie studios, giving them access to personal information and files.
Automatic enrollment: Sneaky plot or common sense?
Crikey pundits have been duking it out over the NSW government’s plan to introduce automatic electoral enrollment. Is it really a “shameful encroachment on basic rights”, or just good bureaucratic process? William Bowe wraps the debate.
‘Stronger democracy’ gives way to strong-arm democracy in NSW
NSW government agencies will be collating the private data of NSW citizens and providing it to the NSW Electoral Commission to automatically update the electoral roll. There’ll be no opting out; you will have no choice.
Fort Hood: citizen journalists can’t handle the truth
The tweets, blogs and blurry mobile phone photos flooding the internet during the Fort Hood shooting did nothing but spread misinformation and breach the privacy of those killed or wounded in the incident, says Paul Carr.
Provoking public figures for publicity
The Tele’s Katherine Keating story is part of an old media game, says Margaret Simons: provoke a public figure, then make their reaction the news
Keating on the stairs: beating or beat up?
Insiders say a Sunday Telegraph alleging Paul Keating’s daughter kicked and threatened to kill one of its photographers was at best a beat-up, and at-worst a total fabrication.
leaked 
The UK police’s “spotter cards” for protesting troublemakers
Check out the highly confidential “spotter cards” used by British bobbies to identify “troublemakers” at protests — just one part of their controversial “overt surveillance” approach. One “troublemaker” responds here.
What about some “border protection” for our personal information?
The Rudd government may be tightening up border control on refugees, but when it comes to our private information, they’re about to open the floodgates, allowing personal data about Australians to be exported to anyone, anywhere in the world.
US spies buy a stake in social media
America’s spy agencies are pumping money into a software firm that specialises in monitoring blogs and social media services like Flickr, YouTube, Twitter and Amazon. So what do they want with our tweets and twitpics?
Wankley Awards: Daily Tele‘s hermaphrodite
exclusive
The Daily Tele has broken a whopping world exclusive today: South African runner Caster Semenya is a hermaphrodite… maybe someone should tell her?
Proposed intercept laws could create thousands of “Little Brothers”
Proposed amendments to the Telecommunications Act could dramatically increase the monitoring of your electronic communications. What will the loss of privacy mean?
Facebook fail: privacy alert on uploaded minutiae
A law suit unfolding in California about privacy and Facebook, has been described, and possibly kindly, as a “jumbled mess”, thanks to discrepancies in national privacy laws.
The end of privacy
It takes only 10 digits to label each human being on the planet uniquely, says scientist Ari Juels, and as our world becomes increasingly digitised and databased, we must accept that we’ll soon be wearing our names on our foreheads. Your mobile phone is probably already squealing on you.
The benefits of making health data public are no secret
The government has called for submissions on proposals for developing healthcare identifiers and related privacy legislation. Dr Trevor Kerr looks at some of the potential benefits that could flow from making health data more open.
Invasion of privacy is not okay — even if it’s Kyle Sandilands’
Kyle Sandilands may have been one of the most repulsively cruel broadcasters in recent memory, but that doesn’t justify News Ltd tracking down and publishing the private financial arrangements between him and his banks, says Jeremy Sear
Back to the USSR in Russia?
All post offices in Russia have been ordered to provide “special facilities” for state security officers to inspect and open letters and parcels, prompting fears the country is returning to Soviet-era invasions of privacy.
What about Mark Sanford’s privacy?
What should have us all in some kind of uproar is the fact that South Carolina Governor Sanford’s private emails are being broadcast all over the world, writes Lee Siegel. And yet the media is just snickering.
Fiona Connolly, we want your gym photographs
So who is this Woman’s Day editor, this 33-ish mother of one responsible for publishing perhaps the most egregious invasion of privacy in recent times? asks editor Jonathan Green
Law students dig up dirt on Supreme Court Justice
A US University law class pieced together a 15-page dossier of private information about US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. He’s none too pleased.
Facebook’s missing fingers
Facebook is totally awesome except for the whole work/friends/family thing. Here are five things that the social networking site is missing.
D’Ascenzo under pressure over Wickenby breaches
Commissioner of Taxation Michael D’Ascenzo is under pressure after details emerged that the ATO secrecy has been breached, writes Chris Seage.
The Marcellin College database debacle
A “human error” last month saw the personal details of over 6000 former Marcellin College students published online, writes Eleri Harris.
Facebook: how to defame someone without really trying
Tasmanian politician Paula Wriedt is the latest high profile victim of Facebook attacks, but why aren’t the proprietors of social networking sites doing more to prevent their use for harrassment?
