Blog
Husband Guilty for Spying on Ex-Wife’s Cellphone
David P. Cressy has been sentenced to two years probation for spying on his ex-wife’s cellphone. Cressy admitted to placing the SpyBubble program on his wife’s cellphone. The program allowed him to intercept text and voicemail messages and also record both audio and...
Possible Updates to COPPA
Currently, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (“COPPA”), requires operators of children’s websites to obtain parental consent before they collect the personal information of children under the age of 13. However, COPPA has not kept up with the rapid...
Abuser Database from DHS Now Accessible to Disabled Adults
An abuser database kept by the Department of Human Services is now open to disabled adults who seek health care assistance in their homes. The access will be limited, but people will now be able to learn if a caregiver they want to hire is likely to neglect the...
Juvenile Criminal Records Can Now Be Shared
Under HB5602, signed into law by Governor Quinn, school officials and law enforcement are now allowed to share juvenile criminal records on a limited basis. The impetus behind the legislation was an attack on an Elgin teacher back in 2008. Law enforcement records...
Facebook Settlement Rejected
Judge Richard G. Seeborg of the United States District Court in San Francisco rejected Facebook’s settlement offer with regard to a class-action lawsuit filed last year. In the suit, the plaintiffs argued that Facebook violated California law by publicizing users’...
Cicero Settles Transgender Harassment Suit
The Town of Cicero will pay $10,000 and adopt a policy outlining how police treat transgender people in response to a lawsuit brought against the town by a transgender woman. She claimed two town police officers illegally stopped, searched and verbally abused her in...
Illinois Says NO to Employers Asking for Social Media Passwords
Yesterday, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed HB3782 which protects current and prospective employees’ right to privacy in the world of social media. The Bill, which goes into effect January 1, 2013, makes it illegal for an employer to request an employee’s or...
Change to Birth Certificates
A proposed settlement between the state of Illinois and the ACLU, has changed how the state handles birth certificates for individuals who have undergone a sex change. Under prior Illinois law, for an individual to change the gender on his or her birth certificate...
Twitter Ordered to Release Protester’s Tweets
Twitter has been ordered to turn over about three months’ worth of tweets sent by an Occupy Wall Street protester. The judge ordered all the material be turned over to him for his review and he would turn over relevant portions to the prosecutors. The case comes after...
EEOC Releases New Guidelines for Hiring Ex-Offenders
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has released new guidelines related to using criminal records to screen prospective workers. The guidelines may mean more trouble for employers but could help ex-offenders reenter the workforce. Under the new guidelines,...