From the National Security Archive:
Today’s release of a report by several agency inspectors general reinforces the National Security Archive’s argument in our Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that the Justice Department should declassify and release the legal justifications for the surveillance program authorized by President Bush after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The new [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Big Brother's Shadow category.
National Security Inspectors General Release Critique of Warrantless Surveillance Program
From Canada – Tories seek to widen police access online
From The Globe and Mail:
Police will have sweeping new powers to collect information about Canadian Internet users without a warrant, and activate tracking devices in their cellphones and cars under legislation proposed by the Conservative government yesterday and criticized by privacy advocates as excessive.
If the government’s latest shot at introducing “lawful access” legislation – something [...]
Judge halts suits over NSA wiretapping
From CNET:
A federal judge in San Francisco has tossed out a slew of lawsuits filed against AT&T and other telecommunications companies alleged to have illegally opened their networks to the National Security Agency.
U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker on Wednesday ruled that, thanks to a 2008 federal law retroactively immunizing those companies, approximately 46 lawsuits brought [...]
Letter Sent to Congress Requesting Investigation into Use of USA Patriot Act Authorities
From SLA’s Public Policy blog:
On 21 May, SLA signed on to a letter sent to members of Congress urging a comprehensive investigation into the use of the authorities granted under the USA Patriot Act and additional surveillance legislation and guidelines.
FISA Surveillance Down, NSL Requests Up in 2008
From Secrecy News:
During calendar year 2008, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approved 2,083 applications for authority to conduct electronic surveillance and physical search of suspected foreign intelligence and terrorist targets under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, according to a new annual report to Congress (pdf) from the Justice Department. The Court made substantive modifications [...]
UK Government shifts onus on ISPs to retain communications data
From Information World Review:
The Home Office has moved away from its original plan of a centralised database for storing everyone’s email, social networking and other web activity. Instead, it wants all communications service providers to hold data required by the public authorities.
The idea of a centralised “super database” was mooted last October as part of [...]
Massive FBI Data-Mining Project Needs Congressional Oversight
From the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) called on Congress today to examine the Investigative Data Warehouse (IDW) — a massive FBI data-mining project that includes a billion records, many of which contain personal information on American citizens. Supporting its request, EFF provided Congress with its new report on IDW, published today with [...]
UK Plan to monitor all internet use
From the BBC:
Communications firms are being asked to record all internet contacts between people as part of a modernisation in UK police surveillance tactics.
The home secretary scrapped plans for a database but wants details to be held and organised for security services.
The new system would track all e-mails, phone calls and internet use, including visits [...]
Judge Rejects DOJ’s Claims of Secrecy in Wiretapping Case
From OMB Watch:
On Friday April 17 Judge Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern California District ordered the government to meet with attorneys representing the charity, Al-Haramain, and either agree on a protective order that would safeguard classified information, or submit a statement to the court detailing where they agree and cannot agree. [...]
Officials Say U.S. Wiretaps Exceeded Law
From the New York Times:
The National Security Agency intercepted private e-mail messages and phone calls of Americans in recent months on a scale that went beyond the broad legal limits established by Congress last year, government officials said in recent interviews.
Several intelligence officials, as well as lawyers briefed about the matter, said the N.S.A. had [...]