From the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): Can the U.S. government secretly subpoena the IP address of every visitor to a political website? No, but that didn’t stop it from trying. In a report released today, EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kevin Bankston tells the story of a bogus federal subpoena issued to independent news site Indymedia.us,…
Category: Surveillance
News of the World cleared of hacking charges
John Leyden of The Register reports: The UK press self-regulation body has dismissed allegations that phone tapping of celebrities was endemic and ongoing at British tabloid the News of the World. The PCC investigation began in July after the Guardian reported how the NotW paid out more than £1m to settle privacy lawsuits from public…
NZ: Warren Young: Needless alarm over search and spy bill
Dr. Warren Young* writes: In an article on October 23, the Herald reported that the Search and Surveillance Bill before Parliament would give “sweeping powers to spy, bug conversations and hack into private computers” to a web of state agencies. The bill arose from a Law Commission report that recommended comprehensive reform of search and…
UK: Army of ‘citizen snoopers’ recruited by council to spy on neighbours
A council is enlisting 2,000 resident spies to report anti-social behaviour by their neighbours, it emerged today. The recruits, described by town hall chiefs as ‘Neighbourhood Champions’, will pass on evidence of graffiti, fly-tipping, litter and excessive noise. They could even be trained to report child abuse, domestic violence, racial harassment and other ‘hate crimes’….