The Consumer Privacy Rights Fund was created in 2002 with restitution payments from Union Bank, CalFed Bank and Fleet Bank. The goal of the Fund is to support projects that promote and preserve the privacy rights of consumers through public education campaigns, advocacy of consumer privacy rights, and/or research related to the preservation of consumer privacy rights.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

 

 

Privacy Rights Fund Grants
9/1/2006 - 8/31/2007

Consumer Federation of California Education Foundation
Financial Privacy Report Card
$21,100
To update a 2004 report card for use by consumers that analyzes the privacy policies of major national financial institutions. The report card will rate companies on the degree to which they exceed minimum statutory requirements, and report on the difficulties and costs businesses encounter in complying with privacy laws.  

Electronic Privacy Information Center
Privacy Law Sourcebook
Privacy and Human Rights Report
$20,000
To produce annual updates of two reports:  the Privacy Law Sourcebook and the Privacy and Human Rights Report.  The Privacy Law Sourcebook contains the full text of major privacy laws and is a leading resource for students, attorneys, researchers and journalists.  The Privacy and Human Rights Report tracks the adoption of data protection and open government laws in more than 70 countries.

First Amendment Project
Expressive Media Law Review
$20,000
To publish and disseminate a comprehensive review of case law and California statutes, regulations and ordinances related to the issue of privacy rights of consumers of expressive materials (such as books).

Identity Theft Resource Center
Research and Education Project
$80,000
To respond to requests from victims of identity theft by providing consumer complaint response, counseling and education, and to research the effects and breadth of identity theft crime.  The research will be published in an annual Aftermath Study, which is widely used by law enforcement, media, businesses and victim assistance personnel. 

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
Public Education and Consumer Assistance Project
$100,000
To conduct public education and consumer assistance by providing direct one-on-one response to telephone and email inquiries about privacy issues, and by publishing self-help guides for use by individuals.  Topics covered will include debt collection, employment background checks, identity theft, computer security and medical privacy.
Total $241,100

Privacy Rights Fund Grants
9/1/2004 - 8/31/2005

ACLU Foundation of Northern California
For Real ID Public Education Campaign $90,000
Support research and public debate about the privacy implications of having a national identity card in the form of uniform, machine readable state driver's licenses - and a corresponding national database of personal data. Radio Frequency Identity Devices (RFID), which can be scanned remotely without the knowledge of the ID holder, is one such technology that is being considered for use on these ID cards.

CALPIRG Education Fund
For Shine the Light on Privacy Project $43,182
Monitor compliance with California's existing identity theft and privacy laws and encourage Californians to understand their privacy rights. The project will focus on the Shine the Light on Privacy Act of 2003, which requires companies to respond to customers' inquires about information sharing practices, and allows customers to opt-out of all future sharing of their personal information.

Center For Democracy & Technology
For 'Spy Tags' - Protecting Consumer Privacy as Radio Frequency ID Tags Are Inserted into Everyday Products $55,000
Develop and promote privacy protection principles for the use of Radio Frequency Identity Devices (RFID), which are tiny chips implanted in common consumer products, bridge and road toll passes such as FasTrak, library books and government documents. RFIDs can be read remotely and passively, without scanning or direct contact, and they can be used to track an individual's movements in public or private settings. Personal identities can be linked to unique RFID tags, allowing individuals to be profiled and tracked without their knowledge by governmental entities, corporations or data thieves.

Consumer Federation of California Education Foundation
For Telecommunications Privacy Project
$25,000
Study the privacy practices of telecommunications companies, including traditional telephone companies, cell phone companies, voice over internet protocols (VOIP) and cable TV companies. Some of these firms are subject to California law - which prohibits information sharing about calls and calling patterns - while others are exempt. Regulated telecommunication companies are entering into joint marketing relationships with non-regulated entities, creating new potential for privacy violations. Findings will be summarized and published on a Telecommunications Privacy Scorecard.

Electronic Privacy Information Center
For Coordination and Submission of Privacy Comments to Federal and State Agencies
$20,000
Coordinate and submit consumer comments in state and federal rulemaking proceedings on consumer privacy issues; organize coalitions to endorse comments; and provide support for California-based organizations that wish to participate in federal rulemaking.

First Amendment Project
For Protecting Privacy for Consumers of Expressive Materials
$20,000
Advise retailers on how to structure their customer information practices to protect customer's privacy rights. Help provide legal counsel and representation of California consumers and retailers of expressive materials, such as books, newspapers, music, movies and videogames, whose records have been sought by law enforcement or other third parties.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
For Consumer Education and Complaint Handling
$100,000
Consumer complaint response and counseling; and research and outreach on consumer privacy issues including financial privacy, credit reporting, employment background checks, identity theft, Internet records, online privacy and medical privacy. Some of the educational materials (printed and web-based) will be available in both Spanish and English.

U. C. Berkeley Boalt School of Law Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic
For Effect of Privacy Regulations on Corporate Behavior
$35,000
Research on impacts of privacy regulation and self-regulations through interviews and surveys of chief privacy officers in various industry sectors about the effects of privacy laws and industry privacy initiatives on their businesses' privacy and security practices.

World Privacy Forum
For Job Search Site and Scholarship and College Financial Aid Site Privacy
$40,000
Update an existing study and consumer guide on job search privacy; research scholarship and student financial aid web sites to see which sites are selling parent and student personal information to listbrokers and marketing companies; and provide parents and students with a guide for using the Internet to search for scholarships without having to divulge sensitive information.

Privacy Rights Fund Grants
9/1/2002 - 8/31/2003

CalPIRG Charitable Trust
For Protecting the Privacy of Consumers in California
$30,000
Supports outreach efforts designed to broaden the constituency in California for increased privacy; complete research and release a report on identity theft; and conduct related media outreach.

Consumer Action
For Consumer Privacy Education and Advocacy Project
$47,000
Supports capacity building of community-based organizations to respond to identity theft, and to build support for policy efforts to increase privacy protections. Outreach includes multi-lingual fact sheets and hotlines, and training workshops for groups affiliated with the Consumer Action network.

CryptoRights Foundation
For Highfire: A Humanitarian Communications Privacy System
$40,000
Supports development of security software designed to protect the internet communications of human rights activists worldwide. After development, source codes will be available to the general public, providing for widespread dissemination.

First Amendment Project and Electronic Privacy Information Center
For California Consumer Privacy/ First Amendment Symposium
$42,000
Supports the costs of a statewide symposium on privacy issues and a related one-year fellowship.

Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights and First Amendment Project
For A Privacy Right for Californians
$100,000
Supports personal privacy protection through research, reports, media and public outreach, and developing model legislation.

Identity Theft Resource Center
For General Support
$100,631.77
Supports direct services to identity theft victims through a widely-used website and hotline, as well as the production and release of reports designed to help government agencies, law enforcement, media and legislators understand identity theft crime.

Privacy Activism
For Carabella, Episode 2: Student Privacy $45,000
Supports the development of the web-based outreach game Carabella, targeted towards college students. The game will address privacy issues relevant to students, including how to protect their personal information.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
For General Support
$140,000
Supports research and outreach on consumer privacy issues, including employment background checks, debt collection practices, and other financial privacy issues. Some of the educational materials (both printed and web-based) will be available in both Spanish and English.

U. C. Berkeley, Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic Center for Clinical Education
For Privacy Programs
$50,000
Supports programs to provide law students with hands-on experience in privacy issues, including development of a policy framework to guide ubiquitous computing (for example: ³smart² buildings that record occupants¹ actions), and model legislation.

Consumer Privacy Rights Grants
9/1/2001 - 8/31/2002

CalPIRG Charitable Trust / Consumer Protection Project
$50,000
Educate California consumers about financial privacy, identity theft and other abuses of personal information.

Consumer Action
$100,000
Increase the capacity of community-based groups in California serving senior, disabled, low-income, disadvantaged, and immigrant populations to help their constituents protect their privacy, including distribution of multilingual privacy education materials.

Consumer Federation of California Education Fund
$162,350
Organize a broad-based network of California consumers around privacy protection. Includes the publication of report cards describing financial institution policies and legislative activity.

Electronic Frontier Foundation/ First Amendment Project
$65,000
Educate Internet service providers about subscribers¹ privacy rights & help Internet users assert their privacy rights.

First Amendment Project/ Electronic Privacy Information Center
$55,000
Statewide symposium to advance the public understanding of the relationship between privacy, civil liberties, and freedom of speech.

Identity Theft Resource Center
$75,000
General support.

Privacy Foundation
$17,000
Analyze the data handling practices of online job-search websites and produce a report with a scorecard and consumer friendly rating system.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
$145,000
General support.

TOTAL PRIVACY RIGHTS FUND $1,263,981.77