“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… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Free Speech
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… Continue Reading
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… Continue Reading
The State of Free Expression Online: 2014 in Review
Notes from the Fight Against Surveillance and Censorship: 2014 in Review “In recent years, we’ve seen a dramatic, global surge in attempts to censor and surveil users worldwide. Nevertheless, in the face of such threats, I find myself energized and awed by our growing movement. In the past year, we’ve seen the whole community become… Continue Reading
Internet Monitor 2014: Reflections on the Digital World
“Internet Monitor is delighted to announce the publication of Internet Monitor 2014: Reflections on the Digital World, the project’s second annual report. The report is a collection of roughly three dozen short contributions that highlight and discuss some of the most compelling events and trends in the digitally networked environment over the past year. The publication,… Continue Reading
Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens
Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens. Perspectives on Politics / Volume 12 / Issue 03 / September 2014, pp 564-581 “Each of four theoretical traditions in the study of American politics—which can be characterized as theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy, Economic-Elite Domination, and two types of interest-group pluralism, Majoritarian Pluralism and… Continue Reading
Conflict Minerals and Resource Extraction: Dodd-Frank, SEC Regulations, and Legal Challenges
Conflict Minerals and Resource Extraction: Dodd-Frank, SEC Regulations, and Legal Challenges. Michael V. Seitzinger, Legislative Attorney; Kathleen Ann Ruane, Legislative Attorney. October 15, 2014. “Two sections of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) require that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) issue regulations to make public the involvement of U.S. companies in conflict minerals and in… Continue Reading
Report claims NSA has operatives in foreign communications companies
“The National Security Agency has had agents in China, Germany, and South Korea working on programs that use “physical subversion” to infiltrate and compromise networks and devices, according to documents obtained by The Intercept. The documents, leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, also indicate that the agency has used “under cover” operatives to gain access to… Continue Reading
NSA Releases “12333” Report, Fails to Address Bulk Collection
EPIC: “The NSA released a privacy report on its surveillance activities under 12333, an Executive Order that provides broad authority for data collection. But the report only addresses a narrow aspect of the EO 12333 collection – protections for U.S. persons in the context of targeted signal intelligence activities. The report fails to address bulk collection or… Continue Reading
Russia, Ukraine, and the West: Social Media Sentiment in the Euromaidan Protests
“Internet Monitor is delighted to announce the publication of “Russia, Ukraine, and the West: Social Media Sentiment in the Euromaidan Protests,” the fourth in a series of special reports that focus on key events and new developments in Internet controls and online activity. The report, authored by Bruce Etling, analyzes content from a range of online Russian- and English-language sources,… Continue Reading
A Public Accountability Defense for National Security Leakers and Whistleblowers
A Public Accountability Defense for National Security Leakers and Whistleblowers, Yochai Benkler. The Harvard Law & Policy Review, Vol 8 No 2. July 2014. “In June 2013 Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Barton Gellman began to publish stories in The Guardian and The Washington Post based on arguably the most significant national security leak in American history. By leaking… Continue Reading
Mapping Digital Media: Global Findings
Open Society Foundations: “The Mapping Digital Media project examines the global opportunities and risks created by new and digital media. Covering 56 countries, the project assesses how these changes affect the core democratic service that any media system should provide—news about political, economic, and social affairs—and how they can help advance open society values. Is a… Continue Reading
