Kevin Bankston of EFF updates us on the progress of Conyers’ PATRIOT renewal and reform bill, the USA Patriot Amendments Act of 2009 (HR 3845): The mark-up got off to a somewhat worrisome start when Chairman Conyers introduced a “manager’s amendment” making numerous changes to the bill to address concerns raised by the Obama Administration…
Category: Surveillance
Tight controls urged in use of personal data
Dick Ahlstrom reports: People are in effect giving up a piece of their bodies when they provide personal biometric data, meaning tight controls are needed to ensure the data is properly used, according to the Irish Council of Bioethics. The council this morning publishes a considered opinion, “Biometrics: Enhancing Security or Invading Privacy?” The substantial…
DOJ Settles Former Drug Agent’s Suit for $3 million
The federal government has agreed to settle for $3 million a long-running suit in federal district court in Washington that alleged a former CIA officer and a State Department official unlawfully eavesdropped on a drug enforcement agent in Burma. The terms of the agreement were detailed in court papers filed Tuesday night in the U.S….
UK: Councils’ surveillance powers curbed
Alan Travis reports: The “surveillance state” powers of local authorities to snoop on the public are to be curbed under reforms announced by the home secretary, Alan Johnson. Junior council officials are to lose the authority to order surveillance operations including secret filming and eavesdropping for “trivial reasons” such as catching people putting out their…