Category «Civil Liberties»

UN – Reverse nature’s decline or there is no future

“In order to realise a “world living in harmony with nature” by 2050, UN experts today called on States to ensure that the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework is centred on human rights. “Healthy biodiversity and ecosystems are the foundation of life and fundamental to the enjoyment of human rights, including the rights to life, health, …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Climate Change, Economy, Education, Energy, Environmental Law, Food and Nutrition, Government Documents

Apple advances user security with powerful new data protections

Apple: “Apple today introduced three advanced security features focused on protecting against threats to user data in the cloud, representing the next step in its ongoing effort to provide users with even stronger ways to protect their data. With iMessage Contact Key Verification, users can verify they are communicating only with whom they intend. With …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, E-Records, Internet, Privacy

Twitter’s Rivals Try to Capitalize on Musk-Induced Chaos

The New York Times $: “New start-ups and other social platforms sense opportunity as Twitter grapples with changes from Elon Musk, its new owner…A race is on to dethrone Twitter and capitalize on the chaos of its new ownership under Elon Musk, the tech mogul who bought the social media company for $44 billion in …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Education, Financial System, Free Speech, Internet, Knowledge Management, Social Media

Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act: Data Integration and Individual Rights

CRS Report – Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act: Data Integration and Individual Rights, December 6, 2022: “Computers and information technologies have increased the amount of data that can be collected, stored, and processed. Computers make it easier to exchange, share, and match data on individuals across programmatic and agency boundaries, enabling the use of …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Records, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy

‘Our mission is crucial’: meet the warrior librarians of Ukraine

The Guardian – “When Russia invaded Ukraine, a key part of its strategy was to destroy historic libraries in order to eradicate the Ukrainians’ sense of identity. But Putin hadn’t counted on the unbreakable spirit of the country’s librarians… The battles of the 21st century are hybrid wars fought on any and all fronts: military, …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Education, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

TSA now wants to scan your face at security. Here are your rights.

Washington Post – $ – “Next time you’re at airport security, get ready to look straight into a camera. The TSA wants to analyze your face. The Transportation Security Administration has been quietly testing controversial facial recognition technology for passenger screening at 16 major domestic airports — from Washington to Los Angeles — and hopes …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Legal Research, Privacy, Transportation

Grad Students Analyze, Hack, and Remove Under-Desk Surveillance Devices Designed to Track Them

Vice: “In October, [Northeastern University] quietly introduced heat sensors under desk without notifying students or seeking their consent. Students removed the devices, hacked them, and were able to force the university to stop its surveillance….Surveillance has been creeping unabated across schools, universities, and much of daily life over the past few years, accelerated by the …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Education, Legal Research, Privacy

An Uncensored Library Created in Minecraft Defies Authoritarianism

Indubitably Odin: “Censored articles from around the world find refuge in this massive Minecraft map. Reporters Without Borders is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. In order to expand upon this goal, the organization has turned to an unlikely source: the video game …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Copyright, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

How the Supreme Court Is Erasing Consequential Decisions in the Lower Courts

The New York Times: “The Supreme Court is increasingly setting aside legally significant decisions from the lower courts as if they had never happened, invalidating them in brief procedural orders. The pace of these actions has increased in the past 22 months, neutralizing important civil rights and civil liberties decisions. Reasoned opinions by the federal …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research

Mapping the Mastodon Migration and Why it is not a replacement for Twitter

Absolutely Maybe: Mapping the Mastodon Migration: Is It a One-Way Trip or an Each-Way Bet for Science Twitter? – “…The best metrics I’ve seen for Mastodon growth are the number of active users per month, and the number of instances. Instances are the communities people join: Mastodon is what those instances are called as a …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Education, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Social Media

Border Researchers Now Can Use 65+ Open-licensed Images of Surveillance Tech

EFF – “From Camera Towers to Spy Blimps, Border Researchers Now Can Use 65+ Open-licensed Images of Surveillance Tech from EFF – The U.S.-Mexico border is one of the most politicized technological spaces in the country, with leaders in both political parties supporting massive spending on border security and the so-called “Virtual Wall.” Yet we …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Copyright, Defense, E-Records, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Privacy

Tracing Twitter from Its Roots as a Protest Tool to Elon Musk’s Acquisition

Crimethinc: The Billionaire and the Anarchists Tracing Twitter from Its Roots as a Protest Tool to Elon Musk’s Acquisition – “…But Twitter did not simply spring, fully formed like Athena, from the head of company co-founder Jack Dorsey. In fact, it was a modest refinement of a model already demonstrated by TXTmob, the SMS text …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Social Media