SB 1587, the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act, passed in the Illinois House today by a margin of 105-12. It now heads to the Governor’s desk. Associated Press reports that Governor Quinn has not indicated whether he will sign it. Thankfully, some state legislatures are enacting laws when Congress hasn’t or won’t. Hopefully, their governors will…
Category: U.S.
Justice Department tries to force Google to hand over user data, gets some help from court
Declan McCullagh reports: A new lawsuit in Manhattan pitting the U.S. Department of Justice against Google offers a rare glimpse of how determined prosecutors are to defend a process that allows federal agents to gain warrantless access to user records, and how committed the Mountain View company is to defend its customers’ privacy rights against…
TSA removes body scanners criticized as too revealing
Mike M. Ahlers reports: The harshest critics labeled them “virtual strip searches.” Airport passenger screening that produced particularly realistic full-body images using backscatter technology. Others also expressed health concerns about low doses of radiation from the X-rays underpinning those scans. Well, it’s all over now as the Transportation Security Administration says it has met a…
U.S. Settles Lawsuit With Bradley Manning Supporter Who Had Laptop Seized at Airport Share
In a settlement reached with human rights activist David House, the government has agreed to destroy all data it obtained from his laptop and other electronics when he entered the U.S. after a vacation, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Massachusetts announced today. House, who was then working with the Bradley Manning…