12th annual Computers, Freedom & Privacy conference in SF this week

For over a decade, the Computers, Freedom & Privacy Conference has played a major role in the public debate on the future of privacy and freedom in the online world. The CFP audience is as diverse as the Net itself, with attendees not only from government, business, education, and non-profits, but also from the community of computer professionals, hackers, crackers and engineers who work the code of cyberspace. The themes have been broad and forward-looking. CFP explores what will be. It is the place where the future is mapped.

CFP2002 will explore the most important issues facing the Internet and freedom, including: consumer privacy, anonymity, broadband issues, wireless privacy and security, digital divide, critical infrastructure issues, public records, filtering, ICANN, disabilities access and much more.

Featured seminars will include California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, US Federal Trade Commission Chairman Timothy Muris, Author James Bamford, John Perry Barlow, State Senator Jackie Speier, Author Bruce Sterling and others. The organizers and attendants at the conference include a range of the leading international activists in computers and cyberspace. This conference, started by Jim Warren here in San Francisco, became known as the "oasis" where hackers, feds, cops, civil libertarians and the whole spectrum could come and try to communicate in hopes of negotiating some agreement.

For those who are not attending the conference itself there are a number of associated public events. On wednesday evening the 17th, the EFF will recognize 3 people at it's Pioneer award public reception http://www.indybay.org/calendar/event_display_detail.php?event_id=650&day=17&month=4&year=2002
Other events are Privacy International's Big Brother (aka Orwell) award to some of the worst contributers of the year, and there will be lots of schmoozing and birds-of-a-feather sessions.