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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2005 U.S. Considers Restrictions on Social Security Numbers New FCC Chairman Expected to Stay the Course Microsoft and Student Settle over Software Resale Students Search the Web for Summer Jobs U.S. CONSIDERS RESTRICTIONS ON SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS Following recent incidents that exposed personal information on more than 175,000 individuals, U.S. lawmakers are considering placing new restrictions on companies that gather and sell such information. Relatively few regulations apply to companies such as ChoicePoint and LexisNexis that collect data about driving records, financial records, and other sensitive information. Social Security numbers appear to be at the crux of the issue: because they are unique, data companies rely on Social Security numbers to distinguish individuals, but the numbers are also a powerful weapon in the hands of identity thieves, who can use them to access confidential records, open new accounts, and wreak havoc with a person's privacy. At separate hearings in the House and the Senate, legislators discussed laws that would require data companies to notify any individual before they sell that person's Social Security number. Other suggestions included requiring disclosure of any incident that exposes sensitive information. Don McGuffey, vice president of ChoicePoint, which recently sold 145,000 records to identity thieves, told a Senate hearing that personal information had been compromised by his company in "a handful" of other incidents that were not made public. Reuters, 15 March 2005 http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=7911154 NEW FCC CHAIRMAN EXPECTED TO STAY THE COURSE President Bush has appointed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) member Kevin Martin as the new chair of the agency, replacing outgoing chair Michael Powell. Despite occasional differences of opinion between Martin and Powell, both Republicans, observers expect the general direction of the agency to remain stable. Specifically, the FCC has largely taken a deregulatory stance on technology issues, including fostering broadband services and emerging technologies such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP). That approach, which has often led to differences along party lines with the Democrats on the commission, is not expected to change. CNET, 16 March 2005 http://news.com.com/2100-1036_3-5620520.html MICROSOFT AND STUDENT SETTLE OVER SOFTWARE RESALE Microsoft and David Zamos have reached a settlement in their dispute over Zamos's sale on eBay of Microsoft software he purchased while a student at the University of Akron. After Zamos bought Windows XP Pro and Microsoft Office from the university bookstore, he found he was not permitted to return it, though it was unopened. Zamos, who paid about $50 for both products because of deep educational discounts, decided to sell the software on eBay, where he sold each for about $100. The sale prompted Microsoft to file a lawsuit alleging that Zamos improperly benefited from academic pricing, in violation of company policies. Zamos argued that such policies were not explained on the packaging, and he countersued the company, alleging that because of Microsoft's actions and policies, obtaining a refund for software is virtually impossible. Although both parties expressed their satisfaction with the resolution, a confidentiality agreement covering the settlement prevents disclosure of any details. A statement from Microsoft did note, however, that the company will "continue its commitment to protecting those intended to benefit from its academic program," suggesting it will continue to look unfavorably on anyone reselling academic purchases. Chronicle of Higher Education, 16 March 2005 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2005/03/2005031606n.htm STUDENTS SEARCH THE WEB FOR SUMMER JOBS A number of employment Web sites claim to include jobs as well as employment resources catering to high school and college students. Sites such as GrooveJob.com, Teens4Hire.org, and JobSherpa.com generally list high-turnover, entry-level jobs, many of which are geared toward students and others looking for seasonal employment and flexible hours to fit their schedules. The federal government also operates a job site, Studentjobs.gov, focused on younger workers. Some student-oriented job sites include tools to help users refine their job-hunting skills, such as assistance with writing resumes and hints on how to interview successfully. While some users praise the sites for offering jobs and services for younger workers, as compared to sites such as Monster.com or Yahoo's HotJobs, tracking how many individuals actually find employment is difficult. Still, operators of such sites said business is booming. GrooveJob.com's David Hunegnaw, for example, said traffic on his company's site has increased from 6 to 10 percent per month for the past five years. Wired News, 16 March 2005 http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,66908,00.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your settings, or access the Edupage archive, visit http://www.educause.edu/Edupage/639 Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE RESOURCES The EDUCAUSE Resource Center is a repository for information concerning use and management of IT in higher education. 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