Category «Civil Liberties»

Essay Proposes FISA Is Not Adequate to Combat Technology Associated With Terrorism

Follow-up to yesterday’s posting, Lawful Intelligence and Surveillance of Terrorists in an Emergency by NSA Act Introduced Today, see Whispering Wires and Warrantless Wiretaps, by Kim Taipale, N.Y.U. REV. L. & SECURITY, No. VII Supl., “Bulletin: The NSA and the War on Terror,” (Spring 2006). “This essay examines certain implications of employing [automated data analysis …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, E-Government, Privacy

Lawful Intelligence and Surveillance of Terrorists in an Emergency by NSA Act Introduced Today

Press release: “Reps. Jane Harman (D-CA) and John Conyers (D-MI) today introduced the “Lawful Intelligence and Surveillance of Terrorists in an Emergency by NSA Act” (The LISTEN Act). The Act makes clear that any attempt to listen in on Americans or collect telephone or e-mail records must be conducted in accordance with the Foreign Intelligence …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Legislation, Privacy

Domestic Call Records Mined for Expansive Pentagon Database Program

USA Today reported that the nation’s three major telecommunications carriers have provided the Pentagon with call records for “tens of millions of Americans.” The paper also published this related editorial: NSA has your phone records; ‘trust us’ isn’t good enough. Related government documents and news: President Bush Discusses NSA Surveillance Program, May 11, 2006: “We’re …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, E-Government, Privacy

Ten Principles for Preserving Courts’ Role in American Democracy

Press release: “An ideologically diverse committee of experts, led by former FBI Director and federal judge William S. Sessions and former Congressman Mickey Edwards (R-OK), today released Ten Principles for Preserving Courts’ Role in American Democracy. These principles, articulated by the Steering Committee of the Constitution Project’s Courts Initiative, recommend that legislative and executive branch …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts

Wide Range of Privacy and Security Issues Involving RFID Exposed As Use Grows

The RFID Hacking Underground, by Annalee Newitz: “They can steal your smartcard, lift your passport, jack your car, even clone the chip in your arm. And you won’t feel a thing. 5 tales from the RFID-hacking underground.” “RFID chips are everywhere – companies and labs use them as access keys, Prius owners use them to …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Cybercrime, Government Documents, ID Theft, Privacy

Federal Court Challenges FCC’s Power to Enforce Broadband Internet Surveillance

Follow-up to yesterday’s posting, FCC Orders VoIP and Broadband IP Compliance With Law Enforcement Surveillance – today Reuters reports that in a case [American Council of Education v. FCC, 05-1404] before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the FCC’s surveillance order was met with skepticism by Judge Harry Edwards, who called …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Government Documents, Internet, Libraries, Privacy

Gov’t Terror Surveillance Includes Faith Based Groups

Press release: “The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Georgia today released new evidence that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is using counterterrorism resources to spy on peaceful faith- and conscience-based advocacy groups. School of the Americas Watch (SOA Watch) and its multinational faith-based network is the latest organization uncovered by the ACLU …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, Free Speech, Government Documents, Privacy

Hearing on FBI Oversight

Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on FBI Oversight, May 2, 2006. From the Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy: “The FBI’s participation in domestic spying — at the expense of the privacy and civil liberties interests of our citizens — is also evident in a recent report on the Bureau’s surveillance activities. According to a …

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

Authorized Wiretap Intercepts Increase 4 Percent in 2005

Follow-up to April 28, 2006 posting, FBI Used NSLs to Collect Info on Thousands of Americans, the following related documents from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts: News release, May 1, 2006: Authorized Wiretap Intercepts Increase 4 Percent in 2005 – “The number of orders authorizing or approving the interception of wire, oral or …

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

Governors Recommend Changes to REAL ID

Press release: “The nation’s governors teamed with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) to bring state concerns about REAL ID to the attention of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to a joint analysis by NGA, NCSL and AAMVA, the statute in its current …

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