Privacy Law

The Freedom of Information Act gives citizens the power to gain access to almost all public records. The Act has been a powerful tool for journalists or just curious citizens since its inception...

To the casual observer, "public information" may simply mean articles printed in a newspaper. But the concept is much more complex, involving an individual's legal right to have information, as...

An unlisted number is a telephone number that does not appear in telephone directories or phone books. Unlisted numbers are also concealed from any call recipient with a caller identification...

How to get cheap lawyers is a question asked more and more often in these trying economic times. In this case, cheap is a relative term. Lawyers go to school for at least 7 to 8 years, first for...

Video surveillance cameras have become so common in public places that most people accept them without a second thought. However, many patrons who go to bars and clubs to relax say that being...

Junk mail is both annoying and usually pointless, although many people don't know that they don't have to receive it. There are in fact several easy ways of reducing the amount of junk mail that...

Obtaining your home phone records is a bit stickier than it once was, thanks to the Telephone Records and Privacy Act signed into law in January 2006. This bill criminalized "pretexting"--the act...

The need to know secrets has existed perhaps as long as humanity has communicated. Starting in ancient China, when a messenger would cover a message in wax and travel with it hidden in his...

Twenty or thirty years ago it wasn't too difficult to find out who a phone number belonged to. We simply called the operator or asked at the telephone company. Nowadays there are privacy laws, and...

We all know how frustrating telemarketing calls can be. However, sometimes the telemarketers on the other line aren't legit and may attempt to scam you. If you don't know what to look for, you may...

The U.S. government and all 50 states have enacted statutes about recording phone conversations. It's best to know what is legal where you live, because if you record in violation of the operative...

Perhaps the most annoying thing in the world is a telemarketing call, just when you sit down to dinner. Nearly as bothersome is a mailbox full of junk mail, not spam, junk mail—the stuff that...

The most common reason for magnets under your car is that someone is tracking you. Vehicle tracking devices are attached to the undercarriage of vehicles by magnets. Learn to detect magnets under...

Is a telemarketer trying to scam you? Telemarketers can sure get irritating, especially since they have a habit of calling your phone again and again. Sometimes telemarketers call cell phones and,...

Telemarketers and phone solicitors are an unwanted pain that many of us have to deal with on a consistent basis. They call our cell phones while were at work, our home phones during dinner, and...

Harassing cell phone calls can be annoying and frightening. Unlike traditional landlines, you cannot block incoming calls on a cell phone. Fortunately, as of 2009 there are 44 states with laws...

Phone taps, or phone tapping, is a form of wiretapping. Wiretapping is the use of devices to intercept a telephone transmission for the purpose of electronic eavesdropping. These devices, commonly...

The legislative history of California's Identity Information Protection Act, sponsored by Sen. Joe Simitian, demonstrates the politics of persistence. Simitian introduced his legislation, aimed at...

If you have ever been a victim of identity theft, you know the devastating effects this crime can have on the personal and financial lives of its victims. Several federal laws do exist, however,...

The access to information is one of the tenets of a Democratic society, such as that of the United States. Making governmental records public ensures better access for the citizenry to that...

Hiring a private investigator is a highly personal decision. Most people keep their decision to hire a private investigator a complete secret. This can create a catch 22 if you don't know how to...

Technology is such that users of cell phones and even land lines can specify that their phone number not be visible to the recipient of the call. This feature is heavily used by telemarketers and...

Wire tapping, also called telephone tapping, refers to the practice of listening into telephone conversations, often without the speakers' knowledge. It may be used lawfully by police or other...

We have all had the calls during dinner, telemarketers! Argh! Here's a simple trick to keep them at bay.

Telemarketers seem to have an uncanny ability to know the worst possible time to call the house hawking their wares or services. There are ways to ask telemarketers to stop calling and do it where...

If someone you're looking for has an unlisted phone number, chances are, they don't want to be found. On the other hand, lots of migratory individuals are unlisted without any special concern on...

Telemarketing intrusions have become such a topic of interest that measures have been put in place to avoid these unwanted sales calls. There are now numerous ways to deflect an otherwise unwanted...

This is how to easily get telemarketers to stop calling you for 5 years.

The distinction between journalism that creates liability for invasion of privacy, and journalism that is protected by state law and the First Amendment is often unclear. The best protection...

The right to privacy basically means that you have a right to be left alone. Invasion-of-privacy lawsuits usually result from being portrayed in a very offensive manner, when private or...

Invasion of privacy claims can arise under the Constitution and statutes protecting privacy rights. More commonly, however, invasion of privacy claims arise under common law theories of negligence...

In the world of digital communication, an individual's privacy can be the first casualty. If you have a reasonable suspicion that someone is breaking privacy laws, you should report it to the...

If your privacy is being invaded, you may be hesitant to report it due to feelings of vulnerability or even embarrassment. But you should never forget that invasion of privacy is a crime, and like...

Whatever the motivation, if a sealed envelope is going to be opened it should be done right. There is no worse outcome than trying to secretly open a sealed envelope and botching the job so badly...

If you have been wrongfully accused of invasion of privacy, you still have options--even if you are convicted. You are allowed to appeal the verdict, which is not another trial, but rather a...

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 is a federal law that went into effect in 2000 and exists to monitor and regulate the access of children under 13 years old to the Internet. If...

At home, your online privacy is practically identical to your telephone or personal privacy, but the rules change when you are at the workplace. In some cases, judges have upheld the right of...

As technology improves and electronic eavesdropping becomes easier, it's important to know exactly what your privacy rights are, and when the government is allowed to violate them.

Millions of Americans talk on their telephones every day, taking for granted that no one is listening in on their conversation. If you are worried you might have a tap on your telephone, or you...

Freedom of speech is one of our most dearly held rights and a building block of any democracy. But there are laws that govern the assembly of people for the purpose of holding a protest rally....

If your company violates antitrust laws, punishment can include material or financial sanctions including the dissolution of your business. You must know your legal rights. Follow these steps to...

You can curtail or eliminate annoying calls from telemarketers. All it takes is a little effort and the following information.