Roy Mark

The traditional consumer “float” — the time between writing a check and when it actually clears the bank — will be shrinking if Congress approves legislation introduced Thursday that would permit banks to exchange checks by electronic image. The banking industry says the bill will benefit consumers by speeding up check clearing and making the […]

Richard Perle, the embattled advisor to Global Crossing, has resigned as chairman of the Defense Policy Board, an advisory group to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Perle has been under fire for serving on the defense board while Global Crossing is negotiating with the Pentagon over its proposed sale to Asian investors. A former assistant defense […]

Legislation that aims to provide prosecutors with the tools they need to win convictions against child pornographers passed the House of Representatives as an amendment to the Child Abduction Prevention Act of 2003 (H.R. 1104) Thursday afternoon by a 406-15 vote. The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith (R.-Tex.), hopes to address last year’s Supreme […]

WASHINGTON — American Web sites selling medication without requiring a valid prescription are proliferating and represent a “dark and dangerous corner of the U.S. health care system,” the House Committee on Government Reform was told Thursday morning. Currently, states have the primary regulatory control over medical practices and pharmacies. Under many of these laws, to […]

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA), along with 21 state and local consumer organizations in 14 states across the nation, is urging Congress to reverse a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision that relieves the regional Bell operating companies from sharing their copper lines for high-speed broadband services. In a letter sent to Congress Wednesday, […]

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) CAPPS II program, the controversial passenger screening system that has come under heavy criticism from both Congress and consumer groups, is in danger of not meeting the government’s own standards for funding. Mark Foreman, associate director for information technology and e-government for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), told […]

Legislation designed to create a spectrum relocation fund for federal agencies received the endorsement of the military, the administration and the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) Tuesday afternoon at a meeting of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. Sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton (R.-Mich.), the subcommittee chairman, H.R. 1320 […]

Congress has a special responsibility to provide technological and legal oversight of data mining programs to ensure invasive searches are focused on the most serious crimes, a George Washington University law professor told the House Subcommittee on Technology Tuesday morning. The subcommittee is investigating the possible privacy abuse issues arising out of the government use […]

WASHINGTON — Possible privacy abuse issues arising out of the government use of data mining technology will be examined Tuesday morning by the House Subcommittee on Technology. The hearing will explore instances where data mining technology is currently employed, examine the benefits and the pitfalls, and discuss the potential future uses of data mining by […]

Consumers who were victims of a pyramid scheme widely promoted on the Internet will get $20 million from SkyBiz, an alleged massive international operation based in Tulsa, Okla. The money is part of a settlement between the pyramid’s promoters and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which charged SkyBiz with violating federal deceptive practice laws. In […]

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Tex.) will chair the new House Cybersecurity, Science, and Research and Development subcommittee. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D.-Calif.), whose district encompasses parts of the Silicon Valley, will be the ranking minority member. The subcommittee will have oversight authority on issues involving the protection of government and private networks and computer systems from domestic […]

Psst! Want a good bet? Americans love to gamble, legally or illegally. Want a better bet? Internet gambling has grown from a nuisance vice to a booming e-commerce empire fueled in great part by Americans. Want the best bet? Congress wants to do something about it. Just what to do, however, is the big question […]