Category «Civil Liberties»

The Cambridge Online Trust & Safety Index

“The Cambridge Online Trust & Safety Index (COTSI) tracks the dynamics of the fake SMS-verifications market across different platforms and countries. The Index aims to answer the following questions: How easy (and cheap) is it to engage in online manipulation? Is the situation with fake accounts improving or worsening over time? Which online platforms are …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, E-Records, Economy, Financial System, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Social Media

On Russia’s New Official Dictionary and the Language of Authoritarianism

Literary Hub: “Russia has a new official dictionary. The Explanatory Dictionary of the State Language of the Russian Federation, compiled by St. Petersburg State University, with the assistance of the legal department of the Russian Orthodox Church, has joined the list of official reference materials within the Russian Federation. The dictionary, which defines authoritarianism as …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Education, Government Documents, Legal Research

Dozens of CDC vaccination databases have been frozen under RFK Jr.

Ars Technica: “Nearly half of the databases that public health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were updating on a monthly basis have been frozen without notice or explanation, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study—led by Janet Freilich, a law expert at Boston University, and …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Government Documents, Health Care, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Medicine

Federal Data Is Disappearing

Notus: The Trump administration has disrupted data collection on everything from homeland security, maternal mortality, hunger, drug use, education, disaster preparation and the economy. Joy Binion worked for the federal government collecting data on emerging substance abuse trends in emergency rooms across the country. Her work was part of the Drug Abuse Warning Network, which …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, E-Government, E-Records, Education, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

All 23 industrial warehouses ICE wants to turn into detention ‘death camps’

MAP: All 23 industrial warehouses ICE wants to turn into detention ‘death camps’ – “Plans are underway to double the detention capacity of the Trump administration’s federal police force by converting massive, industrial warehouses unsuitable for people to live in into detention centers. COURIER has independently verified the location of 23 mass detention campsites that …

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

A community organizer’s guide to Signal group chats

The Verge – Key privacy settings and best practices. “With ICE and CBP roaming the streets, united community action is more important than ever right now — from local mutual aid groups to school safety patrols. Known for its privacy features and end-to-end encryption, the Signal messaging app has become a popular platform for organizing …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, E-Records, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Accountability for ICE and CBP

Follow up to CBP Murdered Alex Jeffrey Pretti in Minneapolis MN on January 24, 2026 [Note – Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting. The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation

How Data Brokers Can Fuel Violence Against Public Servants

Wired [no paywall]: “A new report from the Public Service Alliance finds state privacy laws offer public servants few ways to protect their private data, even as threats against them are on the rise…A new report published Tuesday finds that while violent threats to public servants across the US have been increasing, “comprehensive” state-level consumer …

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

Attacks against the International Criminal Court: Who cares about victims of atrocity crimes?

Via LLRX – Attacks against the International Criminal Court: Who cares about victims of atrocity crimes? The attacks against the ICC are part of a wholesale U.S. assault on international legal norms and institutions since the 20 January 2025 inauguration of President Donald J. Trump. Exactly a year later, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney made …

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

Estimating the Costs of Troop Deployments to U.S. Cities

“Federal troop deployments to U.S. cities cost a total of $496 million in 2025, CBO estimates. Continuing current deployments will cost $93 million a month; 1,000 Guard personnel deployed to a city will cost at least $18 million a month. This letter responds to a request that the Congressional Budget Office estimate the costs associated …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research

The Deportation Data Project

The Deportation Data Project collects and posts public, anonymized U.S. government immigration enforcement datasets. We use the Freedom of Information Act to gather datasets directly from the government, and we also post datasets that the government has posted proactively or in response to others’ requests. We expect these datasets to be used by journalists, researchers, …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, E-Records, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents

A Running Count of How Many People ICE Has Killed and Injured

The American Prospect –  ICE doesn’t share its violent incidents with the public. So here’s our list. “The Trump regime’s deportation monomania has left far more people dead and wounded than it wants you to know. Agents’ public executions of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have rightly drawn widespread fury, heartbreak, and action. And they …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research