James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence who resigned at the end of President Obama's administration -- and who once controversially denied that the U.S. intelligence bureaucracy collects data on its own citizens just months before leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden showed that to be untrue -- is seemingly willing … Continue reading Former spy chief comments on ‘broken’ clearance system, ‘too much Big Brother’
Tag: big brother
Politico Magazine featured a story yesterday titled "The FBI's Growing Surveillance Gap," arguing that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is understaffed, which has led it to pursue controversial terrorism stings that some say amount to entrapment. But the Politico headline is ironic given some others this week. The author of the aforementioned article, Garrett M. … Continue reading Utility Pole Cameras: Big Brother Bureau is Watching
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated," the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states. While we still have the right -at least on paper - to privacy in our homes, however, many Americans appear increasingly willing to trade … Continue reading Tech Giants Promote Dystopian ‘Smart Homes’
Three years after his disclosures about mass surveillance first made headlines, former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has recently been back in the news as revelations related to the documents he leaked continue to emerge. Vice published a story today based on documents recently released in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit … Continue reading Three Years Later, Snowden Revelations Continue
As the FBI pushes for greater remote hacking powers and greater secrecy surrounding its massive biometrics database, ongoing cyber attacks raise concerns that, even as federal law enforcement hopes to increase its offensive capabilities, government agencies have not focused nearly enough on cyber defense. With the presidential election dominating the news cycle, cyber security … Continue reading Feds Eager to Collect Data Amid Hacking Revelations
A diverse range of organizations including Amnesty International USA, Uber and Lyft, as well as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and American Civil Liberties Union, published a letter this week urging the rejection of a plan to exempt the FBI's biometrics database from provisions of the Privacy Act. The "Next Generation Identification" (NGI) database, as it … Continue reading Groups Urge FBI Biometrics Transparency
The existence of IMSI-catchers, or "Stingrays" as the cell phone surveillance devices are known by their brand name, was first reported a few years ago, but many people remain unfamiliar with them. While many details about how they're used by various law enforcement agencies remain unknown, more continue to emerge. Last week documents were revealed, … Continue reading More IMSI-Catcher Revelations, Including That ‘Stingrays’ May Soon Be Obsolete
Privacy advocates claimed a small victory last week, as a proposed last-minute change to an Illinois face recognition law was withdrawn shortly after being introduced. Illinois has a strong biometrics privacy law, which requires companies to get consent before collecting biometric data such as face, iris, or fingerprint scans. The change, proposed by Illinois Senator … Continue reading Activists See Threat, Investors See Cash Cow
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