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…
Category: Laws
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…
Fed Threat Shuts Down TSA “Groping” Bill in Texas
Becca Aaronson reports: A threat from the federal government to shut down Texas airports or cancel flights may have killed legislation by Tea Party conservatives in the Texas Capitol to prohibit federal Transportation Security Agents from conducting “invasive searches.” “I don’t cave in to heavy handed threats by the federal government,” said an angry Sen….