Category «Freedom of Information»

The Public Library: A Photographic Love Letter to Humanity’s Greatest Sanctuary of Knowledge, Freedom, and Democracy

“A library is many things,” E.B. White once wrote in a letter to the children of a little town to inspire them to fall in love with their new library. “But particularly it is a place where books live, and where you can get in touch with other people, and other thoughts, through books… Books …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Education, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

Reuters Interactive Graph – Journalists killed 1992-2015

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists – Graphic by Matthew Weber/Reuters Graphics – Journalists killed – Click on any person to see more information on the Committee to Protect Journalists website. Users may query by: Name, Position, Gender, Country Killed, Organization worked for; Coverage; Local or foreign; Source of fire; Type of death.

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Knowledge Management

Paper – Why Critics of Transparency Are Wrong

Gary D. Bass, Danielle Brian and Norman Eisen – “From political polarization to a failure of leadership to weak campaign finance laws, there are a number of perceived reasons as to why Congress fails to do its job.  But a growing chorus of political commentators, and even some prominent political scientists, now point to long-established …

Subjects: Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

Attorney General Holder Announces Updates to Justice Department Media Guidelines

“Attorney General Eric Holder announced [January 14, 2015] expanded revisions to the Justice Department’s policy regarding obtaining information from, or records of, members of the news media. The updated policy was announced via a memo by Attorney General Holder to all Justice Department employees . “These revised guidelines strike an appropriate balance between law enforcement’s …

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

CIA Releases Redacted Report on Surveillance of Congress

“Several months after EPIC filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Central Intelligence Agency, the agency has released the Inspector General’s report on the agency’s surveillance of Congress. The Inspector General launched an investigation after the Senate accused the CIA of improperly accessing the computers of Senate staff who were investigating CIA torture …

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

DOJ IG Report on FBI Access to NSA Surveillance Data

“U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation access to overseas surveillance collected by sister organization the National Security Agency has expanded in recent years, with the law enforcement agency gaining access to collected but unprocessed data in 2009, according to a report released by the government. The FBI’s access to email and other data collected from overseas targets …

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

Global Chilling: The Impact of Mass Surveillance on International Writers

PEN America – “Global Chilling: The Impact of Mass Surveillance on International Writers is a new report demonstrating the damaging impact of surveillance by the United States and other governments on free expression and creative freedom around the world. The report’s revelations, based on a survey of nearly 800 writers worldwide, are alarming. Concern about …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Congress, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Privacy

Freedom on the Net 2014

Freedom on the Net 2014 – the fifth annual comprehensive study of internet freedom around the globe, covering developments in 65 countries that occurred between May 2013 and May 2014 –finds internet freedom around the world in decline for the fourth consecutive year, with 36 out of 65 countries assessed in the report experiencing a negative …

Subjects: Blogs, Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Legislation, Social Media

Senators Seek Answers on Use of Cell Phone Surveillance Devices

EPIC: “Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have asked Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson several questions about the government’s use of cell site simulators or “Stingray” devices to track cell phones. According to the letter, the Senators previously asked FBI Director James Comey …

Subjects: Congress, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research, Privacy

NSA Reports to the President’s Intelligence Oversight Board

Bloomberg – U.S. Spy Agency Reports Improper Surveillance of Americans “Following a classification review, the National Security Agency (NSA) is releasing in redacted form NSA reports to the President’s Intelligence Oversight Board (IOB). The release includes quarterly reports submitted from the fourth quarter of 2001 to the second quarter of 2013. The materials also include …

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