technology

How the Government Hides Secret Surveillance Programs

"Parallel construction is when law enforcement originally obtains evidence through a secret surveillance program, then tries to seek it out again, via normal procedure. In essence, law enforcement creates a parallel, alternative story for how it found information. That way, it can hide surveillance techniques from public scrutiny and would-be criminals. A new report released by Human Rights Watch Tuesday, based in part on 95 relevant cases, indicates that law enforcement is using parallel construction regularly."

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Customs And Border Protection Clarifies: You Have No Rights While Traveling

"Their guidance claims the authority to search a traveler’s electronic devices 'with or without suspicion.' The guidance now claims passengers are 'obligated' to turn over their devices as well as passcodes for examination. If they fail to do so, agents can seize the device. That is all considered a 'basic search.' Agents must have suspicion in order to conduct an 'advanced search.' This includes copying information from devices, or analyzing them with other equipment. Finally, CBP agents can not 'intentionally' search information stored on the cloud, versus on the device’s hard drive."

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Senate Shuts Down Rand Paul Filibuster Against Surveillance Act Renewal

"Today's vote means reforms to provide stronger Fourth Amendment protections from unwarranted searches will not happen and a filibuster can't actually stop the scheduled vote. The USA RIGHTS Act is essentially dead, unless the full vote fails. (Spoiler: Since the renewal bill survived a cloture vote, it won't fail.)"

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Danish police prosecute 1,000 youngsters for sharing viral sex video

"Those who spread the video range in age from 15 to in their early 20s. If found guilty the young people's punishments will range from a criminal record to having their name added to child protection registers for 10 years. The age of consent in Denmark is 15 but it is a criminal offence to distribute images of anyone aged under 18."

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Japan Follows Hawaii With Its Own False Missile Warning

"Japan's public broadcaster sent out a false alert warning of a North Korean missile on Tuesday, just three days after Hawaii residents received an erroneous message about an incoming missile. 'North Korea appears to have launched a missile ... The government urges people to take shelter inside buildings or underground,' the message read, according to a translation from Reuters. The false warning went out just before 7 p.m. in the evening, through broadcaster NHK's Japanese mobile app and website."

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Swiss government announces launch of blockchain taskforce

"The Swiss government has created a blockchain taskforce to begin regulatory framework on startups and initial coin offerings. Switzerland has long been accepting toward blockchain startups and cryptocurrency organisations, and is home to 'Crypto Valley,' a region in the country known for the number of companies developing projects based on the technology."

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Tencent licenced to sell mutual funds to WeChat’s 1 billion users in China

"China’s market for reliable wealth management products is expected to explode in coming years, through the sales of funds and banking products, and traditional finance houses are now being seriously challenged in the market by emerging internet financial companies. Tencent has already teamed up with Howbuy, an online distributor of mutual funds, and a number of fund houses to line up nearly 100 mutual funds products via WeChat."

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Chinese Workers Abandon Silicon Valley for Riches Back Home

"Its tech giants hold three drawcards: faster growth in salaries, opportunity and a sense of home. China’s internet space is enjoying bubbly times, with compensation sometimes exceeding American peers’. One startup was said to have hired an AI engineer for cash and shares worth as much as $30 million over four years."

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