The “Four more years!” chant you may have heard last night was not an enthusiastic crowd supporting a presidential nominee. It was the groan of civil libertarians as Congress authorized an extension of three PATRIOT Act provisions that would have sunsetted this morning. The roll call from the Senate is here; from the House, here….
Category: Laws
Automotive Black Boxes, Minus the Gray Area
Keith Barry writes: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will later this year propose a requirement that all new vehicles contain an event data recorder, known more commonly as a “black box.” The device, similar to those found in aircraft, records vehicle inputs and, in the event of a crash, provides a snapshot of the…
There’s a Secret Patriot Act, Senator Says
Spencer Ackerman writes: You may think you understand how the Patriot Act allows the government to spyon its citizens. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) says it’s worse than you’ve heard. Congress is set to reauthorize three controversial provisions of the surveillance law as early as Thursday. But Wyden says that what Congress will renew is a…
Wireless providers exempted from data-logging plan
Declan McCullagh reports: Wireless providers won’t have to comply with extensive requirements in a new bill that would force Internet companies to log data about their customers. CNET was the first to report this exemption for wireless carriers in an article a few weeks ago. That legislation was publicly announced today by U.S. Reps. Lamar…