MBTA, MIT students discuss security improvements (EFF press release)

Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release

For Immediate Release: Monday, December 22, 2008

Contact:

Jennifer Stisa Granick
   Civil Liberties Director
   Electronic Frontier Foundation
   jennifer@eff.org
   +1 415 436-9333 x134

MBTA, MIT Students Join to Discuss Improvements to
Automated Fare Collection System

Dismissal of Federal Lawsuit Brought by MBTA

Boston - Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA)
officials and three MIT student researchers announced today
that, following the dismissal of a federal lawsuit brought
by the MBTA against the MIT students, the parties agreed to
work together to identify and help improve security in the
MBTA's Automated Fare Collection System.

Pleased with the outcome, MBTA General Manager Daniel A.
Grabauskas said, "This is a great opportunity for both the
MBTA and the MIT students.  As we continue to research ways
to improve the fare system for our customers, we appreciate
the cooperative spirit demonstrated by the MIT students."

"The best way to fix these problems is to approach them
head on," said one of the students, RJ Ryan.  "Now that we
are on the same page, I am confident that we will be able
to resolve the issues we discovered."

"We've always shared the goal of making the subway as safe
and secure as can be," said student Zack Anderson.  "I am
glad that we can work with the MBTA to help the people of
Boston, and we are proud to be a part of something that
puts public interest first."

The MBTA and the researchers are working to make
improvements to the fare collection system that will be as
straightforward and inexpensive to address as possible.

The MIT students were represented in the lawsuit pro bono
by the Coders' Rights Project of the Electronic Frontier
Foundation (EFF).  EFF was assisted in this case by the
ACLU of Massachusetts Legal Director John Reinstein and
Fish & Richardson attorneys Adam Kessel, Lawrence Kolodney,
and Tom Brown.

For more on MBTA v. Anderson:
http://www.eff.org/cases/mbta-v-anderson

For this release:
http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/12/22

About EFF

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading civil
liberties organization working to protect rights in the
digital world. Founded in 1990, EFF actively encourages and
challenges industry and government to support free
expression and privacy online. EFF is a member-supported
organization and maintains one of the most linked-to
websites in the world at http://www.eff.org/


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