New High Tech Telephone Surveillance Application

From this article in Security Focus, news that Verint Systems, “a global organization providing analytic software solutions for communications interception, digital video security and surveillance,” to governments around the world, has launched a sophisticated new application called ULTRA IntelliFind that monitors telephone communications and creates a database of specified key words which are then searchable …

Subjects: Patriot Act, Privacy

Copyright Symposium at Harvard

The Harvard Journal of Law & Technology (JOLT) Symposium 2003, Copyright and Fair Use: Present and Future Prospects, was held on March 15, and comments on several sessions were blogged on Copyfighter’s Musings and FurdLog. Bios for the program’s participants, including Rep. Boucher, are here.

Subjects: Copyright

New Survey on ID Theft

A survey of 1,000 adults conducted by FindLaw indicates that most American are aware of the growing rate of ID theft, and are taking certain precautions to protect themselves. These efforts include shredding credit card receipts and other financial documents prior to disposal, limiting access to social security numbers, and reviewing bank and credit card …

Subjects: ID Theft

New Mexico Bill on Civil Liberties and Patriot Act

Representive Max Coll introduced House Joint Memorial 40 to the New Mexico Legislature, “Affirming Civil Rights and Liberties; Declaring Opposition to Federal Measures that Infringe on Civil Liberties.” The House subsequently issued this substitute bill that includes the following statement: The bill seeks to “direct public libraries to post in a prominent place within the …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Freedom of Information, Libraries, Patriot Act

Wyden Secures Approval for CAPPS Oversight

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced yesterday that the Senate Commerce Committee approved an amendment that would put into place Congressional oversight of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) controversial Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II). The CAPPS II system is at the center of a contentious battle between advocates of the privacy and civil liberties …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Legislation, Privacy

Marked Increase in Use of Search Engines

According to a survey of global Internet usage and search engine referrals by WebSideStory, Inc., web users are increasingly likely to go directly to sites from which they seek specific information, rather than to rely on secondary links. In addition, “…search engines apparently are becoming the card catalog to the Web,” with usage showing significant …

Subjects: Search Engines

March 16 is Freedom of Information Day

From the American Library Association: “On Freedom of Information Day, March 16, the American Library Association urges libraries and librarians across America to join in celebrating the public’s “right to know” by sponsoring activities to educate their communities about the importance of promoting and protecting freedom of information.”

Subjects: Freedom of Information

Erosion of Civil Liberties Post 9/11

From the Lawyer’s Committee on Human Rights, a new report, Imbalance of Powers, How Changes to U.S. Law and Policy since 9/11 Erode Human Rights and Civil Liberties (PDF), focuses on the following areas: (1) Open Government; (2) Right to Privacy; (3) Treatment of Immigrants, Refugees and Minorities; and (4) Security Detainees and the Criminal …

Subjects: Civil Liberties