Metadata In Arizona Public Records Can't Be Withheld 103
jasonbuechler writes in with news of the first state to declare that metadata is part of public records and must be released when the records are. "Hidden data embedded in electronic public records must be disclosed under Arizona's public records law, the state Supreme Court said Thursday... The Supreme Court's unanimous decision, which overturned lower court rulings, is believed to be the first by a state supreme court on whether a public records law applies to so-called metadata. 'This is at the cutting edge — it's the law trying to catch up with technology,' [one lawyer said]. The Arizona ruling came in a case involving a demoted Phoenix police officer's request for data embedded in notes written by a supervisor. The officer got a printed copy but said he wanted the metadata to see whether the supervisor backdated the notes to before the demotion."
Just a part (Score:5, Insightful)
of an ordinary "Audit Trail". Now, you don't have to rely on manual log-entries and sign-out sheets.
Cutting edge? (Score:5, Insightful)
Quoth the lawyer:
'This is at the cutting edge — it's the law trying to catch up with technology'
So it's not really the cutting edge then, is it? It's the law only now trying to cope with decades-old technology.
Re:Smart police officer (Score:5, Insightful)
Should probably get out of police work if he's got that much sense.
Nothing against police officers, but once you cut through the hyperbole it's mostly a processing job with a car and a gun. If you step out of that role as a processor you're likely to harm yourself or others.
Re:Just a part (Score:5, Insightful)
of an ordinary "Audit Trail". Now, you don't have to rely on manual log-entries and sign-out sheets.
It says a lot that this actually went to court in the first place, let alone that it went to the state Supreme Court. What part of "public record" needed clarification, exactly?
Re:Cutting edge? (Score:5, Insightful)
I think perhaps he was talking about it being the cutting edge of the law. Maybe. But probably.
Re:Cutting edge? (Score:5, Insightful)
Sterilize documents (Score:2, Insightful)
Sooner or later you'll see departments classify "temporary working notes" as mandatory-shred items, and require all "permanent records" to go through some process that strips them of non-visible information.
One relatively cheap way to do this is to print all documents to a digitally signed PDF or a graphics format. The digital signature is a bonus that authenticates the document.
Re:Smart police officer (Score:3, Insightful)
Don't you think it was just his lawyer or union representative asking for the documents? I don't know how demotion hearings work, but I would imagine you get a little help from an expert.
Re:Smart police officer (Score:3, Insightful)
They know their rights
That's odd, since they don't seem to respect anyone else's. I prefer to assume that they don't know, or that they are brainwashed.
Never attribute to malice, that which can be attributed to stupidity
Re:Smart police officer (Score:5, Insightful)
'He told me to make sure to pay taxes as if she was a contractor, ...'
This being embezzlement and all, there's a good chance that no income was declared. By you filing a tax form, the IRS would probably become extremely interested and start asking questions. An audit would not be pleasant for him or his wife.
Re:Smart police officer (Score:4, Insightful)
He told me to make sure to pay taxes as if she was a contractor, and turned back to his work obviously not wanting to be disturbed again.
Ok, that made me laugh. You just heard it as "Oh, you're not going to sue him, you're just going to let him get away with it? And all you care about is taxes are being paid?" But when I read it, I heard a smart lawyer saying it wasn't worth his time to go after the embezzler... But by declaring it on the taxes, he'd be raising a flag that the IRS could very likely investigate causing all sorts of problems. (It's highly unlikely the embezzler declared his embezzled income.) In other words, the lawyer quickly found a zero cost, legal way to get his 'revenge'. Tell me that's not worthy of a chuckle.