The Obama administration is on the verge of backing an F.B.I. plan for an overhaul of surveillance laws that would make it easier to wiretap people who communicate by Internet rather than phone. Original post on nytimes.com Comments on reddit.com
Since the tragedy in Boston three weeks ago, there has been much talk in the media and political circles about technology that helped capture the suspects, the role of surveillance, and the critical issue of how privacy should be handled in the digital age. Yet the public facts known so far do not call for new governmental surveillance powers or tools. Instead, the investigation supports the conclusion that the government’s current actions did not cross the Fourth Amendment line, and complying would not harm future terrorism investigations. Original post on eff.org Comments on reddit.com
Glenn Greenwald: A former FBI counterterrorism agent claims on CNN that this is the case Original post on guardian.co.uk Comments on reddit.com
The Statue of Liberty is getting a facelift, though the changes aren’t only cosmetic. An upgraded Original post on slate.com Comments on reddit.com
Pursuing criminal hacking groups is high on the FBI’s list of priorities—but the bureau is adopting some hacking techniques of its own. And a Texas judge isn’t happy about it. On Monday, a judge denied an FBI request to install a spy Trojan on a computer in an unknown location… Original post on slate.com Comments on reddit.com
RT is the first Russian 24/7 English-language news channel which brings the Russian view on global news. Original post on rt.com Comments on reddit.com
Internal government documents obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center have revealed that the US Department of Justice is secretly helping AT&T and other service providers evade… Original post on theverge.com Comments on reddit.com
Internal document from the Drug Enforcement Administration complains that messages sent with Apple’s encrypted chat service are ‘impossible to intercept,’ even with a warrant. Read this article by Jennifer Van Grove on CNET News. Original post on cnet.com Comments on reddit.com
Governmental use of unmanned surveillance drones has inspired a lot of concern about privacy, but New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg thinks the battle’s already over. In a radio interview this… Original post on theverge.com Comments on reddit.com
Yet more embarrassing information on the Kim Dotcom spying fiasco has surfaced in New Zealand. Documents show that in December 2011 when the spying began, police already had information which stated that Dotcom – codenamed Original post on torrentfreak.com Comments on reddit.com
Bruce Schneier says our surveillance state is efficient beyond the wildest dreams of George Orwell, and consumers are given little chance to opt out Original post on cnn.com Comments on reddit.com
They are used by the FBI to bypass courts and conduct secret surveillance. But now, in what could prove to be a major blow to the Department of Justice, a federal court has found that National Security Letters are unconstitutional. In a ruling released today, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston… Original post on slate.com Comments on reddit.com
The Pentagon operates drones abroad that are armed with sophisticated sensors, Hellfire missiles, and laser-guided bombs. The House of Representatives wants to know if they’re used at home. Read this article by Declan McCullagh on CNET News. Original post on cnet.com Comments on reddit.com
Chattanooga Police Chief Bobby Dodd states no more officers will face discipline in the beating of a federal inmate last June, other than the two he fired for using excessive force. But he says surve Original post on tv.com Comments on reddit.com
The Conservative Canadian government is abandoning its much-criticized internet surveillance bill, which would have allowed the government to keep tabs on its citizens and was disguised under the cloak of fighting child pornographers. Original post on rt.com Comments on reddit.com
Addendum (added Feb. 10, 1:50PM EST): I’ve decided that the way I’m going to deal with this is by doing disk forensics on my computer and moving on, continuing Original post on nadim.cc Comments on reddit.com
Oliver Stallwood: Activists in Berlin are teaming up to trash surveillance cameras. Points are given, with bonus scores for the most innovative modes of destruction Original post on guardian.co.uk Comments on reddit.com
Reason has a great (if disappointing) post noting the very different reactions from both the press and the public to silly and exaggerated stories about privacy issues around Facebook as compared to the Senate reapproving the FISA Amendments Act… Original post on techdirt.com Comments on reddit.com
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has signed into law a five-year extension of the U.S. government’s authority to monitor the overseas activity of suspected foreign spies and terrorists. Known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the law allows the government to monitor overseas phone calls and emails without obtaining a court order for each intercept. Original post on seattlepi.com Comments on reddit.com
This week, as Congressional incompetence threatens to plunge the US into another recession, it’s comforting to know that Democrats and Republicans can still agree on at least one thing: that the US… Original post on theverge.com Comments on reddit.com
The US Senate has voted to approve the FAA Sunsets Extension Act of 2012, which will authorize warrantless surveillance of Americans for counter-terrorism purposes for another five years. The bill… Original post on theverge.com Comments on reddit.com
How the surveillance state co-opted personal technology Original post on reason.com Comments on reddit.com
The Best in Uncensored News Information and Analysis Original post on blacklistednews.com Comments on reddit.com
Glenn Greenwald: That the stars of America’s national security establishment are being devoured by out-of-control surveillance is a form of sweet justice Original post on guardian.co.uk Comments on reddit.com
The Canadian Association of Police Chiefs is calling on the federal government to pass its controversial internet surveillance bill so police can fight cybercrime more effectively. Original post on cbc.ca Comments on reddit.com
Lately, Mike Janke has been getting what he calls the “hairy eyeball” from international government agencies. The 44-year-old former Navy SEAL commando, together with two of the world’s most renowned cryptographers, was always bound to ruffle some high-level feathers with his new project—a surveillance-resistant communications platform that makes complex encryption… Original post on slate.com Comments on reddit.com
