EFF press release: “…The FBI’s use of NSLs was expanded under the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001, allowing federal agents to gather private
records about anyone’s domestic phone calls, emails, and financial transactions without any court approval — as long as an FBI agent claims that the information could be related to a terrorism or espionage investigation. EFF submitted a FOIA request about the reported misuse of NSLs in March, and when no documents were forthcoming, EFF sued the FBI for their immediate release. Last month, a judge held that the FBI was required to release records related to the inspector general’s report beginning on July 5, with more documents to be disclosed every 30 days. In all, 1138 pages of NSL records were released to EFF late last week in the first batch of documents complying with the court’s order.”
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Daily Archives: July 9, 2007
White House Conference on the Americas
White House Conference on the Americas – July 9, 2007 Remarks by President Bush in a Conversation on the Americas Mrs. Bush Announces the Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research of the Americas Fact Sheet: White House Conference on the Americas Special Briefing with Thomas Shannon on the Upcoming White House Conference on the… Continue Reading
"I've Got Nothing to Hide" and Other Misunderstandings of Privacy
“In this short essay, written for a symposium in the San Diego Law Review, Professor Daniel Solove examines the “nothing to hide” argument. When asked about government surveillance and data mining, many people respond by declaring: “I’ve got nothing to hide.” According to the “nothing to hide” argument, there is no threat to privacy unless… Continue Reading
NYC "Ring Of Steel" Surveillance Plan Raises Major Privacy Concerns
Press release: “The New York Civil Liberties Union today called on the City of New York to ensure that any new surveillance plan for New York City is subject to public input and external oversight mechanisms and includes significant privacy protections to prevent abuse. The NYCLU’s call came in response to today’s disclosure that the… Continue Reading
DOD OIG Post-Payment Review and Analysis of Procurement
D-2007-110 Identification and Reporting of Improper Payments through Recovery Auditing (July 9, 2007) (Project D2006-D000FJ-0156.001) PDF and Summary. “Recovery auditing is a post-payment review and analysis of procurement and payment documents that DoD Components use to identify overpayments to contractors. For FY 2006 DoD reported it successfully used recovery audits to identify nearly $200 million… Continue Reading
Google Purchases Online Security Firm Postini
Press release: “Google Inc. announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Postini, a global leader in on-demand communications security and compliance solutions serving more than 35,000 businesses and 10 million users worldwide. Postini’s services — which include message security, archiving, encryption, and policy enforcement — can be used to protect a… Continue Reading
GAO Report Released Today Critical of National Weather Service Operations Prototype
Weather Forecasting: National Weather Service’s Operations Prototype Needs More Rigorous Planning. GAO-07-650, June 8, 2007. “Using advanced systems and trained specialists located in 122 weather forecast offices throughout the country, the National Weather Service (NWS) provides storm and flood warnings and weather forecasts to protect life and property and to enhance the national economy. To… Continue Reading
MotherJones Examines Role of Web 2.0 in Political Campaigns
“Open-source politics is the idea that social networking and participatory technologies will revolutionize our ability to follow, support, and influence political campaigns. Forget party bosses in smoky backroomsnetroots evangelists and web consultants predict a wave of popular democracy as fundraisers meet on MySpace, YouTubers crank out attack ads, bloggers do oppo research, and cell-phone-activated flash… Continue Reading
Recent CRS Reports on Iran, Iraq , India, Pakistan, Trafficking in Persons
Potential F-22 Raptor Export to Japan, Updated July 2, 2007 Iraq: Government Formation and Benchmarks, Updated June 27, 2007 Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses, Updated June 27, 2007 Iraq: Oil and Gas Legislation, Revenue Sharing, and U.S. Policy, June 26, 2007 India-U.S.Relations, Updated June 26, 2007 Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for… Continue Reading
Vacancy Report Finds Homeland Security and Continuity of Government at Risk
Press release: “Today, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, identified in a staff report that nearly one quarter of the senior leadership positions located in the Department of Homeland Security are vacant. The overall senior leadership vacancies, termed executive resources, total 24%, and refer to positions in the highest… Continue Reading
New Think Tank Report Questions Government Calls for Less Regulation of RFID Technology
Press release: “Imposing new regulations on RFID technology is premature, according to Playing Tag: An RFID Primer, a new report released today by the Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a California-based free-market think tank. A relatively new technology like RFID tends to spark fear in people, but fear should not drive government regulation, said K. Lloyd… Continue Reading
