Category «Civil Liberties»

The Global Principles on National Security and Freedom of Information

“The Global Principles on National Security and the Right to Information were developed in order to provide guidance to those engaged in drafting, revising, or implementing laws or provisions relating to the state’s authority to withhold information on national security grounds or to punish the disclosure of such information. They are based on international (including regional) …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents

Amnesty International’s 2013 report – The State of the World’s Human Rights

“The Amnesty International Report 2013 documents the state of human rights during 2012. The Foreword and the country-by-country survey of 159 individual countries and territories set out a global overview of human rights violations and abuses inflicted by those in power on those who stand in the way of their vested interests. Human rights defenders, often themselves living …

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

ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging NSA’s Patriot Act Phone Surveillance

Follow up to previous postings, By Brett Max Kaufman, Legal Fellow, ACLU National Security Project: “In the wake of the past week’s revelations about the NSA’s unprecedented mass surveillance of phone calls, today the ACLU filed a lawsuit charging that the program violates Americans’ constitutional rights of free speech, association, and privacy. This lawsuit comes …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Patriot Act

Pew – Majority Views NSA Phone Tracking as Acceptable Anti-terror Tactic

Public Says Investigate Terrorism, Even If It Intrudes on Privacy: “A majority of Americans – 56% – say the National Security Agency’s (NSA) program tracking the telephone records of millions of Americans is an acceptable way for the government to investigate terrorism, though a substantial minority – 41% – say it is unacceptable. And while …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, Free Speech, Internet, PC Security, Privacy

NYT and WaPo: How the U.S. Uses Technology to Mine More Data More Quickly

Follow up to related postings, via the New York Times: “Today, a revolution in software technology that allows for the highly automated and instantaneous analysis of enormous volumes of digital information has transformed the N.S.A., turning it into the virtual landlord of the digital assets of Americans and foreigners alike. The new technology has, for …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Patriot Act, Privacy

UK Guardian identifies leak of NSA Surveillance memo, EPIC cites Presidential Policy Directive 20, Atlantic highlights use of metadata

Follow up to previous postings: UK Guardian – Verizon forced to hand over telephone data – full court ruling;  EPIC: Sweeping NSA Domestic Surveillance Order Approved Without Any Ties to Foreign Intelligence Collection and EPIC – Congress Begins Investigation of NSA Domestic Surveillance Program see: Via EPIC: “Presidential Policy Directive 20 orders the creation of …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Patriot Act, Privacy

EFF – Gov’t Says Secret Court Opinion on Law Underlying PRISM Program Needs to Stay Secret

News release: “In a rare public filing in the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), the Justice Department today urged continued secrecy for a 2011 FISC opinion that found the National Security Agency’s surveillance under the FISA Amendments Act to be unconstitutional.  Significantly, the surveillance at issue was carried out under the same controversial legal …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research, Patriot Act, Privacy

New York Times on the Government Data Surveillance Program

New York Times on-going reporting: Obama Calls Surveillance Programs Legal and Limited (June 8, 2013) In U.S., News of Surveillance Effort Is Met With Some Concern but Little Surprise (June 8, 2013) Administration Says Mining of Data Is Crucial to Fight Terror (June 8, 2013) News of U.S. Surveillance Draws Anger of Activists and Militants …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Cybercrime, E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Patriot Act, Privacy

DNI Statement on Recent Unauthorized Disclosures of Classified Information

Follow up to previous postings: UK Guardian – Verizon forced to hand over telephone data – full court ruling;  EPIC: Sweeping NSA Domestic Surveillance Order Approved Without Any Ties to Foreign Intelligence Collection and EPIC – Congress Begins Investigation of NSA Domestic Surveillance Program see: DNI Statement on Recent Unauthorized Disclosures of Classified Information, June …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Internet, Privacy

Commentary – Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have ‘Nothing to Hide’

Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have ‘Nothing to Hide’ By Daniel J. Solove Most attempts to understand privacy do so by attempting to locate its essence—its core characteristics or the common denominator that links together the various things we classify under the rubric of “privacy.” Privacy, however, is too complex a concept to be reduced …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Internet, Patriot Act, Privacy

EPIC: Sweeping NSA Domestic Surveillance Order Approved Without Any Ties to Foreign Intelligence Collection

Follow up to previous posting, Verizon forced to hand over telephone data – full court ruling, more information news today that provides a more accurate view of the depth and breath data collection of American citizens: via EPIC: An unprecedented order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court indicates that the FBI and the NSA obtained …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, E-Government, Government Documents, Patriot Act, Privacy

Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic

UN Human Rights Council, June 4, 2013: “The conflict in Syria has reached new levels of brutality. This report documents for the first time the systematic imposition of sieges, the use of chemical agents and forcible displacement. War crimes, crimes against humanity and gross human rights violations continue apace. Referral to justice remains paramount. This …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Uncategorized