Download Magazine - Levin College of Law - University of Florida

Security for Low Wage Workers.” Sheaccepted the award at a luncheon inNew York, and a synthesis of the finalpapers will be made available to policymakers, congressional staff, executivebranch transition teams, and otherstakeholder communities (2008)Nancy E. DowdChesterfield Smith Professor of Law;Co-director, Center on Childrenand Families■ Participated in panel discussion,“Masculinities Theory and LegalInterpretation,” Southeastern Associationof Law Schools Meeting (July 2008)■ Moderated two panel sessions,International Society of Family Law,13th World Conference, Vienna,Austria (September 2008)Mark FensterUF Research Foundation Professor■ Published Conspiracy Theories:Secrecy and Power in AmericanCulture (rev. 2 nd ed., University ofMinnesota 2008)■ Presented “After Lingle,” 11 th AnnualGeorgetown Environmental Law &Policy Institute Litigating TakingsConference, Stanford Law School(November 2008)■ Presented “Democratic PropertyOwnership and the Commodificationof Community,” Property Works inProgress Conference, University ofColorado Law School (June 2008)■ Presented “The Dilemmas of LocalTransparency,” Annual Meeting, Law& Society Association, Montreal (May2008)Joan D. FlocksDirector, Social Policy Division, Centerfor Governmental Responsibility■ Testified on “Agricultural Exposures:Pesticide Policy and Farmworkers”before the President’s Cancer Panel(created in 1971 to annually advisethe president on cancer policy),Indianapolis, Ind. (October 2008)■ Presented “From the Public’sPerspective: Land Use and Socio-Environmental Justice in Florida,”University of Florida / University ofCosta Rica Conference, San Jose,Costa Rica (June 2008)■ Presented “The Political Economyof Pesticides,” Annual Conferenceon Legal and Policy Issues in theAmericas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (May2008)Book round-up: Jon MillsPrivacy: The Lost RightTechnology has intruded into every aspect of modern life,from how people die to how they conduct their public andprivate business. Although the benefits of technology areobvious, the risks can be huge.That’s because every cell phone call, credit card transaction,discount card purchase, Internet site visited, or e-mail sentor received is fair game for information poachers tofilch at will and without your knowledge. So statesa new book released this month, Privacy: TheLost Right (Oxford University Press), authored byJon Mills, a University of Florida Levin Collegeof Law professor, dean emeritus, and founderof the university’s Center for GovernmentalResponsibility.“Technology has moved too fast for thelaw, which is not totally surprising,” saidMills. “The combination of the Internet anda broad range of scientific advances, likegenetic testing, has created informationand societal changes with which the lawhas not been able to keep pace.”Privacy: The Lost Right draws on Mills’academic, courtroom and legislative experiencesand explores examples of privacy intrusions enabledby technology ranging from disclosure of privateonline video rentals, Internet purchasing habits,spyware that tracks personal online viewing habits,governmental and corporate intrusions, andsalacious or defamatory Web postings made byanonymous bloggers. He outlines the legal protections peoplehave — or don’t have — to prevent these intrusions, and offersoptions to bolster legal protections of privacy.Mills also relates his personal experiences as an attorneywho has made successful arguments in several, high-profilecourt cases that have defined the First Amendment boundariesof the press’ right to know and an individual’s right to privacy.These included blocking the release of grisly autopsy photosof six young people murdered by serial killer Danny Rolling,preventing the posting of Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s autopsy photosto the Internet, and closing the homicide investigation filecontaining detailed personal information on murdered fashionmogul Gianni Versace.These cases were sensationalized in the media and rivetedpublic attention, but the privacy invasions of the information agethat don’t garner any attention can do equal harm, said Mills.“People are unaware of how many intrusions they faceduring everyday life because it is not in any intruders’ interest toput the public on notice, and when they do it’s usually only inthe fine print,” said Mills. “We don’t know when somebody hasgathered and sold our private information, we don’t know thatsomebody looked at our medical records and that it affected theway we were treated in a job search.”Mills said it is not just government or the press or theanonymous bloggers or the data brokers that have the abilityto violate our privacy rights, it’s all of the above together.Although Americans enjoy the conveniences of the Internet,camera phones and online commerce, Mills contends few of ussurrendered all privacy for convenience — at least not knowingly.“Americans cherish their privacy and the legal tools thatprotect it. At no time in our history have the challenges topersonal privacy been so great,” said Janet Reno, former U.S.attorney general. “Jon Mills is uniquely qualified through legal,political and academic experience to address these challenges.”88 UF LAW