Technocracy

Think Government Is Intrusive Now? Wait Until E-Verify Kicks In

"If this part of the bill passes, all employers will be forced to use the government-run, Web-based system that checks potential employees' immigration status. That means, every American will have to obtain the federal government's prior approval in order to earn a living. E-Verify might seem harmless now, but missions always creep and bureaucracies expand. Surely we should link E-Verify to the criminal records of pedophiles? And why not all criminal records? We don't want alcoholic airline pilots, disbarred doctors, fraudster bankers and so on. E-Verify will be attractive as a way to enforce hundreds of other employment laws and regulations." Continue reading →

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Bruce Schneier: The Public-Private Surveillance Partnership

"The primary business model of the Internet is built on mass surveillance, and our government’s intelligence-gathering agencies have become addicted to that data. The NSA is also in the business of spying on everyone, and it has realized it’s far easier to collect all the data from these corporations rather than from us directly. In some cases, the NSA asks for this data nicely. In other cases, it makes use of subtle threats or overt pressure. If that doesn’t work, it uses tools like national security letters. The result is a corporate-government surveillance partnership, one that allows both the government and corporations to get away with things they couldn’t otherwise." Continue reading →

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8 Cities Where 911 Systems Recently Failed

"A watchdog agency has launched an official investigation into the system, which cost $88 million and has only been operational since May. In July, the New York Post reported that the system had crashed at least nine times in a single week. It's also drawn blame for leaving a crash victim unaided on a highway for almost two hours, and marooning a paramedic with a dead body. Made by a company called Intergraph Government Solutions—whose board is well stocked with former security officials from the George W. Bush administration—the software will soon be coming to Boston, which plans to spend $15 million on its contract." Continue reading →

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DC, Maryland: Speed Camera Firms Move To Hide Evidence

"The firms operating red light cameras and speed cameras in the District of Columbia and Maryland are working to suppress evidence that could be used to prove the innocence of a photo enforcement ticket recipient. In Washington, the Arizona-based vendor American Traffic Solutions has repositioned cameras and cropped photos so that it is impossible to determine whether another object or vehicle happens to be within the radar unit's field of view. The change is important since DC hearing adjudicators have been throwing out citations whenever another vehicle was visible, creating the possibility of a spurious radar reading." Continue reading →

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Oakland’s creepy new surveillance program

"The so-called Domain Awareness Center (DAC) would consolidate a vast network of surveillance data. The project was initially supposed to be about port security. But in a classic illustration of mission creep, the project as proposed would have pulled in over 1,000 cameras and sensors pointed at Oakland residents, including 700 cameras in Oakland schools. The DAC would enable the city to track individuals when they visit the abortion clinic, the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, or the union hall, or engage in other private activities. Disappointingly, and in the face of enormous opposition, the City Council voted on Tuesday to approve the DAC." Continue reading →

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Minnesota Starts to Regulate and Track Gold Coin Dealers

"Minnesota has passed legislation that would regulate bullion coin dealers. But it has coin dealers and coin club officials scratching their heads over just what it means and how to comply. Implementation of the bill will have the effect of licensing bullion coin dealers in the state. Bullion coin dealers will be subjected to registration as of July 1, 2014, with the state commissioner of commerce at a fee of $25 for a bullion coin dealer and $10 for his representatives. The legislation defines 'bullion coin' as any coin that contains 'more than one percent by weight of silver, gold, platinum, or other precious metals.'" Continue reading →

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When ‘Smart Homes’ Get Hacked: I Haunted A Complete Stranger’s House Via The Internet

"Due to Insteon not requiring user names and passwords by default in a now-discontinued product, I was able to click on the links, giving me the ability to turn these people’s homes into haunted houses, energy-consumption nightmares, or even robbery targets. Opening a garage door could make a house ripe for actual physical intrusion. Thomas Hatley’s home was one of eight that I was able to access. Sensitive information was revealed – not just what appliances and devices people had, but their time zone (along with the closest major city to their home), IP addresses and even the name of a child." Continue reading →

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Chile to Join US Visa Waiver Program

"As Chileans become increasingly wealthy and have more disposable income, they are starting to travel more, and as more of them go on vacation or shopping sprees in the US. American's will eventually start to learn about this relatively small country of 17 million people. There will also inevitably be more information sharing between the US and Chilean governments. I know some people down here who aren't thrilled about this and are worried about politicians throughout the world being 'in cahoots' more and more every day. I agree; however, it's a situation that's not unique to Chile." Continue reading →

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Moscow Subway To Use Devices To Read Data On Phones

"The head of police for Moscow's subway system has said stations will soon be equipped with devices that can read the data on the mobile telephones of passengers. In the July 29 edition of 'Izvestia,' Moscow Metro police chief Andrei Mokhov said the device would be used to help locate stolen mobile phones. Mokhov said the devices have a range of about 5 meters and can read the SIM card. According to experts, the devices can be used more widely to follow all passengers. Mokhov said it was illegal to track a person without permission from the authorities, but that there was no law against tracking the property of a company, such as a SIM card." Continue reading →

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Newly leaked NSA program sees ‘nearly everything’ you do

"The Guardian, which obtained slides of a NSA employee presentation, claims that the program is the 'widest-reaching' intelligence system. According to Snowden's files on X-Keyscore, NSA employees can, with just a few clicks, obtain everything from phone numbers to e-mail addresses. The agency also can see e-mail content, full Internet activity, browser history, and an IP address. According to the files and Snowden, the NSA can essentially see everything a person is doing on the Internet without the need for a warrant. Debate rages over whether such information is accessible and is being used in any negative ways by the U.S. government." Continue reading →

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