Via Austin Corbett @austincorbett.bsky.social– Here is a list of every app on your phone selling your location data to advertisers, interested unknown 3rd parties, and the US government. Thanks to 404 Media and @josephcox.bsky.social There are 12, 373 apps on this Google doc as of today – the apps are used by children and adults… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Civil Liberties
The State of Democracy, January 2025
Marist Poll: “While more than seven in ten Americans say the issues that divide the country pose a serious threat to the nation’s democracy, there has been a steep decline in the proportion of Americans who have this view. In fact, many Americans think most of the key components to the U.S. democracy are working… Continue Reading
On The Fragility of Our Knowledge Base
JSTOR Daily: “Historian Glenn D. Tieffert shows how state interests in the People’s Republic of China can be protected by editing online databases and collections. Digital databases are vulnerable to authoritarian regimes. In fact, argues historian Glenn D. Tiffert, “no corner of the knowledge economy lies beyond their reach.” “Digital platforms offer [censors] dynamic, fine-grained… Continue Reading
Four Key Instruments of Russian Propaganda
United 24 Media: “Russia’s propaganda machine uses a calculated strategy—dismiss, distort, distract, and dismay—to manipulate perceptions and erode trust in truth worldwide. The world is only now confronting information warfare, but Russian propaganda has been refining it for decades. The term “disinformation” itself is a product of propaganda, deliberately crafted by Joseph Stalin to sound… Continue Reading
2025: Keep democracy alive. Our New Year’s resolution
FrameLab – Advice for defeating the authoritarian threat – “It is hard to compete with Woody Guthrie’s timeless list of New Year resolutions from 1943, which includes these ever-relevant goals: Work more and better. Read lots of good books. Keep hoping machine running. Help win war – beat fascism. Wake up and fight. But here’s… Continue Reading
Some Justice Department Lawyers Look for Protection and the Exits
WSJ via MSN – “Justice Department lawyers who have angered President-elect Donald Trump and his allies are facing tough decisions about whether to stay in government—and how to best protect themselves from threats of retribution after Inauguration Day. Dozens of prosecutors and agents have worked on cases that potentially make them vulnerable, such as special counsel … Continue Reading
CCRI Safety Center
CCRI – Cyber Civil Rights – “If you are a victim or survivor of image-based sexual abuse, you may want some help deciding what to do next. We know that every individual has a unique set of circumstances, so the resources below are designed to meet a range of needs. First, immediately below you’ll find… Continue Reading
New law in NJ limits the banning of books in schools and public libraries
WHYY: “When Martha Hickson was the librarian at New Jersey’s North Hunterdon HighSchool, she fought against attempts to ban books that her critics labeled as inappropriate because they contained sexual content, and she became a target of book banners. “I received hate mail, shunning by colleagues, antagonism by administrators, and calls for my firing and… Continue Reading
Arkansas Law Criminalizing Librarians Ruled Unconstitutional
AP: “A federal judge on Monday struck down key parts of an Arkansas law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” materials to minors. U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks found that elements of the law are unconstitutional. “I respect the court’s ruling and will appeal,” Arkansas Attorney General Tim… Continue Reading
Review of DOJ Process to Obtain Records of Members of Congress, Media
DOJ Oversight and Review Division 25-01. Redacted For Public Release. A Review of the Department of Justice’s Issuance of Compulsory Process to Obtain Records of Members of Congress, Congressional Staffers, and Members of the News Media: “In the spring and summer of 2017, CNN.com (CNN), The New York Times, and The Washington Post published articles… Continue Reading
Gisèle Pelicot, person of the year 2024
The New European [unpaywalled] – Our 2024 Person of the Year has changed the rules, reversed the language and given women permission to reject shame …But then Gisèle Pelicot did the unthinkable. She demanded that the court show the tapes to her rapists and journalists while she faced her attackers. She stared the rules in the… Continue Reading
What is your digital footprint and how can you protect it?
Proton VPN Blog: “Whenever you do something online, you leave a trail of information behind that can be used to uniquely identify and track you. This is your digital footprint(new window). In this article, we’ll look at: What is a digital footprint? Digital footprint examples Why does your digital footprint matter? How to check your… Continue Reading
