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…
Category: Laws
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…
RI: Senate ready to outlaw asking for SSN
Bill Tomison reports: The Rhode Island Senate has approved a bill prohibiting merchants or others from using or requesting any part of your Social Security number. Rhode Island law already prohibited requiring an SSN on a check for transactions, but as a news release from Greg Pare, Director of Senate Communications, said Tuesday, some businesses…
Senators hint at DOJ’s secret reinterpretation and use of Section 215 of the Patriot Act
Chris Soghoian writes: According to two Democratic Senators, the Department of Justice has secretly reinterpreted a controversial provision contained in the USA Patriot Act to give the government surveillance powers that are “inconsistent with the public’s understanding of these laws.” The senators also accuse DOJ of misleading the American public when describing the use of…