Location privacy: The challenges of mobile service devices

Adding to the current debate, this article focuses on the personal data and privacy challenges posed by private industry's use of smart mobile devices that provide location-based services to users and consumers. Directly relevant to personal data protection are valid concerns about the collection, retention, use and accessibility of this kind of personal data, in relation to which a key issue is whether valid consent is ever obtained from users. While it is indisputable that geo-location technologies serve important functions, their potential use for surveillance and invasion of privacy should not be overlooked. Thus, in this study we address the question of how a legal regime can ensure the proper functionality of geo-location technologies while preventing their misuse. In doing so, we examine whether information gathered from geo-location technologies is a form of personal data, how it is related to privacy and whether current legal protection mechanisms are adequate. We argue that geo-location data are indeed a type of personal data. Not only is this kind of data related to an identified or identifiable person, it can reveal also core biographical personal data. What is needed is the strengthening of the existing law that protects personal data (including location data), and a flexible legal response that can incorporate the ever-evolving and unknown advances in technology.     

European national news

The regular article tracking developments at the national level in key European countries in the area of IT and communications – co-ordinated by Herbert Smith LLP and contributed to by firms across Europe. This column provides a concise alerting service of important national developments in key European countries. Part of its purpose is to compliment the Journal's feature articles and briefing notes by keeping readers abreast of what is currently happening “on the ground” at a national level in implementing EU level legislation and international conventions and treaties. Where an item of European National News is of particular significance, CLSR may also cover it in more detail in the current or a subsequent edition.     

EU update

This is the latest edition of the Bristows column on developments in EU law relating to IP, IT and telecommunications. This news article summarises recent developments that are considered important for practitioners, students and academics in a wide range of information technology, e-commerce, telecommunications and intellectual property areas. It cannot be exhaustive but intends to address the important points. This is a hard copy reference guide, but links to outside web sites are included where possible. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy of information contained in these links.     

辅助生殖技术与亲子认定规则的变化简

人工辅助生殖技术的应用动摇了传统的亲子关系认定规则。本文主要介绍因人工辅助生殖技术而产生的亲子关系认定新规则和国外相关法律与司法实践。     

Britain's smart meter programme: A case study in privacy by design

Following requirements in the 1996 EU Energy Efficiency Directive, member states are developing programmes to encourage the installation of ‘smart’ power meters that record much larger quantities of data about power usage than traditional meters. These data can reveal a great deal of information about individual household activity, leading privacy regulators to call for privacy to be ‘designed in’ to these systems. The British smart metering programme has given some attention to this privacy by design process. This article assesses its effectiveness in this case, using documentary analysis, participant observation, and follow-up interviews with a range of stakeholders. It finds that decisions made early in the British programme had negative privacy impacts that have only been partially remedied by the later development of detailed rules on the processing of smart meter data by energy suppliers and distributors. The article also considers broader lessons for the privacy by design approach.     

运用GC-MS鉴别常见植物油物证

与矿物油的鉴别相比,植物油类之间的成分含量集中且所含脂肪酸种类也极为相近,对植物油的鉴别一直是刑事技术中的难题。实验采用四甲基氢氧化铵(TMAH)-甲醇甲酯化前处理方法结合气相色谱-质谱(GC/MS)联用检测方法,分析了案件中常见的18种植物油,并总结了其特征规律,具有较好的应用价值。     

道路交通肇事案件油漆物证的同一性认定

油漆物证在还原事故现场、提供可靠有利的证据方面发挥着不可替代的作用。本文利用显微观察和FT-IR技术对油漆物证进行逐层定性检测。结果发现:FT-IR技术能快速准确地分析比对车辆多层漆片,各层油漆的FT-IR指纹图谱均能得到一一对应。该技术的应用可为公安司法机关送检的毒品、炸药、伪造假币、书画防伪鉴定等案件物证样品的鉴定提供科学数据。     

从“南京幼女饿死事件”看困境儿童的保护

困境儿童保护是儿童保护工作中不可或缺的重要部分,是我国今后儿童保护的工作重点之一。＂南京幼女饿死事件＂反映出我国困境儿童尤其是事实无人照料儿童的保护存在制度疏忽、预警缺失和救助方式不当等问题。中国传统的＂家庭观＂是造成这一现状的文化原因,法律制度执行力弱、监护权难转移以及救助方式落后则是制度原因。     

论鉴定人出庭作证与刑事科学技术规范化建设

鉴定制度是我国证据制度的重要组成部门,在诉讼中发挥着日益突出的作用。随着法制的完善,鉴定人出庭作证将是常态化的工作,公安机关刑事科学技术部门要以此为契机,加强规范化建设,为鉴定人出庭作证提供制度保障。     

Early Adopters of Solar Panels in Developing Countries: Evidence from Tanzania

Who pioneers the adoption of solar home systems as a source of power in developing countries? While many scholars of electrification praise off‐grid options, evidence on their adoption from nationally representative surveys is lacking. We test existing and new hypotheses using the 2007 Tanzanian National Household Budget Survey. Since the survey is nationally representative and has more than 10,000 respondent households, it is ideal for our purposes. We find modest support for the notion that wealthier households adopt more readily than poorer ones. Surprisingly, electrified households adopt solar home systems more readily than other households, suggesting that solar home systems provide backup power. We further find that larger households adopt more readily than smaller ones and that a rural location or high education levels do not predict solar power use. These findings suggest that new policies are needed to promote solar home systems in poor and rural areas, where their development effectiveness is maximal.