Orwellian

Bob Higgs: Where’s the Outrage?

"We have now reached a condition in which state authorities know an immense amount about the personal lives of virtually everyone in the U.S. and many foreigners, as well. Do people suppose that this access to personal information will be used only for the pursuit of terrorists? Anyone who has looked even superficially into previous government information-collection programs knows better. State authorities will, at minimum, employ the communications data and other personal information now at their fingertips to pursue various sorts of criminals, especially persons suspected of tax evasion. Moreover, they will almost certainly use the information for partisan political purposes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBob Higgs: Where’s the Outrage?

Snowden plans to settle and work in Russia – lawyer to RT

"Anatoly Kucherena, a Russian lawyer who assists the whistleblower, told RT: 'It’s hard for me to say what his actions would be in terms of a positive decision [on the asylum plea],' Kucherena said. 'We must understand that security is the number one issue in his case. I think the process of adaptation will take some time. It’s an understandable process as he doesn’t know the Russian language, our customs, and our laws.' 'He’s planning to arrange his life here. He plans to get a job. And, I think, that all his further decisions will be made considering the situation he found himself in,' he added." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSnowden plans to settle and work in Russia – lawyer to RT

Oath Keepers Places Pro-Snowden Signs in DC Area, Encouraging More Whistle-Blowers

"Oath Keepers has launched a new campaign to place signs and billboards near Washington D.C. area defense and intelligence agencies, praising Edward Snowden for exposing the NSA spying on Americans and urging other government employees to follow Snowden’s example by becoming whistle-blowers. To launch this new campaign, Oath Keepers has placed three back-lit signs on the subway platform in the D.C. Metro Pentagon Station. The first sign at the Pentagon Station is done in the style of the theater scene from George Orwell’s 1984 and features Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, as 'Big Brother'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOath Keepers Places Pro-Snowden Signs in DC Area, Encouraging More Whistle-Blowers

A Black Box for Car Crashes

"Fourteen states have passed laws that say that, even though the data belongs to the vehicle’s owner, law enforcement officials and those involved in civil litigation can gain access to the black boxes with a court order. In these states, lawyers may subpoena the data for criminal investigations and civil lawsuits, making the information accessible to third parties, including law enforcement or insurance companies that could cancel a driver’s policy or raise a driver’s premium. Privacy advocates have expressed concern that the data collected will only grow to include a wider time frame and other elements like GPS and location-based services." Continue reading →

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Law professor: Should 3rd Amendment prevent government spying?

"If the government places a surveillance device in your home, is that sufficiently like quartering troops there to trigger Third Amendment scrutiny? What if it installs spyware on your computer or your cable modem? What if it requires 'smart meters' that allow moment-to-moment monitoring of your thermostat settings or toilet flushes? These specific concerns weren't what the Framers had in mind. In their day, to spy on a family in its own home, you'd have to put a soldier there. But now we have electronic troops in the form of software, gadgets and sensors. Maybe the law needs to take account of this." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLaw professor: Should 3rd Amendment prevent government spying?

Snooping Fears: German Firms Race to Shield Secrets

"Edward Snowden's revelations about data surveillance have left German firms feeling acutely vulnerable to industrial espionage. In the medium-sized business sector, which contains a host of world leaders in high-tech fields, the race is on to shield vital know-how. Be it Prism, Tempora or XKeyscore, reports about mass electronic surveillance and tapped Internet hubs and trans-Atlantic data lines have alarmed German companies. Many firms are now worried that the intelligence services aren't just trying to pinpoint terrorists but to get at German industrial secrets as well. They fear that their lead over US, British and French competitors could be at risk." Continue reading →

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Feinstein, Chambliss object to proposal to defund NSA mass phone surveillance

"The heads of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday voiced their opposition to a proposal that would defund some of the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance programs. 'The FISA business records program has contributed to disrupting numerous terrorist attacks against our nation. It has been reviewed and authorized by all three branches of government and is subject to strict controls,' Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Vice Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) said in a joint statement." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFeinstein, Chambliss object to proposal to defund NSA mass phone surveillance

Dzhokar Tsarnaev’s Throat Wound: Another Government Lie Bites the Dust

"In May, the story changed. It was said Tsarnaev didn’t have a bullet wound in his throat, but was cut. CNN later edited out the comment about the throat wound made by police. Now we have a photo of Tsarnaev allegedly surrendering. It was taken by a Massachusetts State Police photographer. Note the absence of a throat wound in the photo. Finally, according to a former wrestling teammate interviewed by the Boston Globe, the man [pleading not guilty] in court 'didn’t look like' Tsarnaev. Moreover, the man brought into court had a thick accent and Tsarnaev does not." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDzhokar Tsarnaev’s Throat Wound: Another Government Lie Bites the Dust

Chilling Development: NSA Takes on Amash Amendment

"The Huffington Post reports today that NSA director General Keith Alexander called an emergency Top Secret/SCI-level meeting on Capitol Hill to urge Members to vote against Rep. Justin Amash's (R-MI) amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill which would end blanket collection authority under the Patriot Act and stop the NSA and other agencies 'from using Section 215 of the Patriot Act to collect records, including telephone call records, that pertain to persons who are not subject to an investigation under Section 215.'" Continue reading →

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Criminals can’t escape the cameras

"Inventors are continuing to tap into the power of surveillance cameras, and capabilities that might have seemed like James Bond tricks are now reality, such as face-recognition software and license-plate readers. One such invention aims to 'see' potential crime before it happens. AISight is software that uses artificial intelligence to learn over time what normal behavior the camera records, so it can recognize when there is abnormal behavior. The system will send an alert to whoever is monitoring the cameras, such as a security guard, who can then decide how to react to the situation." Continue reading →

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