Network Archives

Indian government now snooping on SMSs, online chats

"The government last month quietly began rolling out a project that gives it access to everything that happens over India's telecommunications network—online activities, phone calls, text messages and even social media conversations. Called the Central Monitoring System, it will be the single window from where government arms such as the National Investigation Agency or the tax authorities will be able to monitor every byte of communication. But privacy and internet freedom advocates are worried that in the name of security, the government could end up snooping on people, possibly abusing a system that does not have enough safeguards to protect ordinary citizens." Continue reading →

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Use of secretive ‘Stingray’ FBI cell phone tracking tool ruled lawful by judge

"Despite the fact that the FBI was accused of hiding information from judges when obtaining authorization for use of the secretive 'Stingray' cell phone tracking device, a judge has ruled that the use of the device by federal agents was lawful. On Wednesday, Judge David Campbell dismissed the motion to suppress the information gathered through the Stingray device in the case of Daniel Rigmaiden. Campbell ruled that the use of the Stingray did not in fact constitute a 'severe intrusion' and ruled that 'no Fourth Amendment violation occurred.'" Continue reading →

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Biometric Database of All Adult Americans Hidden in Immigration Reform

"The immigration reform measure the Senate began debating yesterday would create a national biometric database of virtually every adult in the U.S., in what privacy groups fear could be the first step to a ubiquitous national identification system. Buried in the more than 800 pages of the bipartisan legislation is language mandating the creation of the innocuously-named 'photo tool,' a massive federal database administered by Homeland Security and containing names, ages, Social Security numbers and photographs of everyone in the country with a driver’s license or other state-issued photo ID." Continue reading →

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Mexico Bill Loosens Restrictions On Foreigners Buying Residential Property

"The longstanding restrictions on foreigners buying property along Mexico's coast and borders were loosened on Tuesday after Congress' lower house voted on a proposal that drew stiff criticism from some quarters. For decades, foreigners have had to use real-estate trusts or Mexican front companies to buy beachfront properties, because Article 27 of the constitution prohibits non-Mexicans from directly owning land within 31 miles (50 kilometers) of the coast and 62 miles (100 kilometers) of the nation's borders. The trusts and front companies have provided a lucrative income for banks, lawyers and notaries who are required to operate them." Continue reading →

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Open a Business in Chile in One Day, Over the Internet, for Free

"Can you really form a business in Chile in just one day, over the internet, and for free? About three months ago, Chile’s pro-business government decided that they just weren’t doing enough for local and foreign entrepreneurs (the Chilean government already has several grants and programs available for new businesses) so they got together and voted to change the way the incorporation process works in the country, making it much, much easier to start a business in Chile than in just about any other country in the world. See more details here. Remember what happened to Hong Kong and Singapore when they made similar changes to their governments?" Continue reading →

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Bulgarian Spring: Self-Immolations Highlight a Desperate Electorate

"Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets nationwide, with up to 30,000 demonstrating in Varna, a large city and seaside resort on the Black Sea coast. Old boys' networks left over from the communist era have divided the country among themselves. They dominate the parliament and government agencies, they secure the best contracts for themselves, they threaten the press and they are in league with organized crime. Bulgaria is the poorest country in the European Union, with a stagnating economy. Up to half a million Bulgarians have already emigrated." Continue reading →

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German Euro-Skeptic Party Gaining Ground

"The anti-euro party 'Alternative for Germany' (AfD) was officially founded just a few weeks ago, but it has clearly struck a nerve: It already numbers 10,476 members, SPIEGEL has learned -- some 2,800 of which have switched allegiance from Germany's established parties. As elections loom later this year, Alternative for Germany is making waves with an agenda that includes dissolving the euro currency zone and returning powers from Brussels to EU member-states. Although a survey released on Tuesday showed the party's support is currently barely nudging 4 percent, its rapidly swelling ranks could end up significantly altering the country's political landscape." Continue reading →

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The Enduring Glow of Gold

"The use of monetary stimulus, in the hopes that a demand kick will snowball into a virtuous cycle in each national economy, hasn't worked to achieve its main objective for the past five years. But it has created big fluctuations in asset markets, giving speculative capital a golden opportunity to engage in the biggest wealth redistribution in modern history. Despite its recent setback, gold remains a big beneficiary of the current macro environment. It could make a new high in the current year and rise much higher in 2014. The gold bull market will end when an inflation crisis pushes central bankers around the world to tighten aggressively." Continue reading →

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California: Privacy Groups Sue LAPD Over License Plate Readers

"Police agencies and politicians claim the high-speed tracking cameras are only used to find stolen cars, but the machines in Los Angeles have already collected 160 million pieces of information on the public, including individuals not suspected of having committed any crime. The ACLU and EFF sought last August to obtain a sample week's worth of the actual data LAPD collected so that the public could judge for itself. In September, LAPD refused to hand over the sample data, claiming it 'contains official information' and was part of an investigative file exempt from the public records law." Continue reading →

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America’s Roads Have Been Turned Into A Revenue Generating Surveillance Grid

"Back in the old days, the highways of America were great examples to the rest of the world of the tremendous liberties and freedoms that we enjoyed. Americans loved to hop into their vehicles and take a drive. But now government is sucking all of the fun out of driving. The control freak bureaucrats that dominate our political system have figured out that giant piles of money can be raised by turning our roads into revenue raising tools. At this point things have gotten so bad that even some police officers are admitting what is going on. Just check out what a few of them told Car and Driver." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmerica’s Roads Have Been Turned Into A Revenue Generating Surveillance Grid