Category «Civil Liberties»

FBI executes search warrant at Washington Post reporter’s home

“The FBI executed a search warrant Wednesday morning at a Washington Post reporter’s home as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government materials. The reporter, Hannah Natanson, was at her home in Virginia at the time of the search. Federal agents searched her home and her devices. The …

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

Trump is trying to change how the midterm elections are conducted

Washington Post [no paywall]: “Five years ago, President Donald Trump pressured Republican county election officials, state lawmakers and members of Congress to find him votes after he lost his reelection bid. Now, he’s seeking to change the rules before ballots are cast. Trump, openly fearful that a Congress controlled by Democrats could investigate him, They …

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

Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods

404 Media [no paywall]: “A social media and phone surveillance system ICE bought access to is designed to monitor a city neighborhood or block for mobile phones, track the movements of those devices and their owners over time, and follow them from their places of work to home or other locations, according to material that …

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

Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality

The New York Times Interview with President Donald Trump, January 8, 2026: “On topic after topic, President Trump made clear that he would be the arbiter of any limits to his authorities, not international law or treaties. President Trump declared on Wednesday evening that his power as commander in chief is constrained only by his …

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

ICE Is Going on a Surveillance Shopping Spree

Follow on to ICE boosts weapons spending 600% Via EFF: “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has a new budget under the current administration, and they are going on a surveillance tech shopping spree. Standing at $28.7 billion dollars for the year 2025 (nearly triple their 2024 budget) and at least another $56.25 billion over …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Defense, Economy, Food and Nutrition, Government Documents, Legal Research, Privacy

Renee Nicole Good – ICE Cold Blooded Murder

Minneapolis Star Tribune: “Thousands gather to memorialize woman killed by ICE agent in Minneapolis The mother of the deceased driver identified the woman as Renee Nicole Good, 37. Video of the shooting shows agents near the vehicle as Good reversed and then pulled forward. One agent appeared to fire multiple rounds into the car [He …

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

Homeland Security Spending Trail: How to Follow the Money Through US Government Databases

EFF: “The U.S. government publishes volumes of detailed data on the money it spends, but searching through it and finding information can be challenging. Complex search functions and poor user interfaces on government reporting sites can hamper an investigation, as can inconsistent company profiles and complex corporate ownership structures. This week, EFF and the Heinrich …

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

Arsenal PAC

ARSENAL PAC – WE ARE democracy’s digital arsenal. We deploy democracy’s digital defenses: cutting edge technology for activists, journalists, academics, campaigns, and vulnerable communities. Crowdsourced reports + volunteer review = info without the noise. ResistMap lets anyone share what they see – from hate crimes to discrimination and law-enforcement overreach – so communities can stay …

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

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Health, Wants Access to Your Medical Records

Gizmodo: “ChatGPT users who have been utilizing the chatbot for (often dubious) health advice will now have a chatbot specialized just for that. On Wednesday, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health, a health-specific segment of the popular AI chatbot with the ability to connect to medical records, wellness apps, and wearables. “ChatGPT can help you understand recent …

Subjects: AI, Civil Liberties, E-Records, Health Care, Internet, Medicine

Here is the Agreement Giving ICE Medicaid Patients’ Data

404 Media: “A data sharing agreement between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which was designed for ICE to receive the personal data of nearly 80 million Medicaid patients, was published as part of a lawsuit earlier this year, with the public now able to see …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Records, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Health Care, Legal Research, Medicine, Privacy

The State of Anti-Surveillance Design

404 Media [no paywall]: “The same sort of algorithms that use your face to unlock your phone are being used by cops to recognize you in traffic stops and immigration raids.  Cops have access to tools that have scraped billions of images from the web, letting them identify essentially anyone by pointing a phone camera …

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