From Wikileaks.org: Summary The CIA and other intelligence agencies have long been interested in the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecomminications (sic), or SWIFT. The Society, headquartered in Belgium, is the primary system used for international, and some national, bank transfers. Whoever controls SWIFT has access to the full details of millions of yearly bank…
Category: U.S.
EFF Obtains Records from Behind-the-Scenes Negotiations on Telecom Immunity
From the good folks over at EFF: Today the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) posted thousands of pages of records detailing behind-the-scenes negotiations between government agencies and Congress about providing immunity for telecoms involved in illegal government surveillance. The documents include drafts of legislation and communications between Congress and the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the…
KY: Pet privacy law restricts shared information
Cory Stark A new pet privacy law is taking some heat from animal control agencies. They’re concerned because the law restricts information that can be shared by veterinarians. Kentucky lawmakers passed legislation that restricts veterinarians from sharing any pet record information with animal shelters, grooming facilities and any individual who may have found a stray…
Obama stares down Patriot Act criticism
Susan Crabtree reports: The Obama administration is standing firm in its support of several George W. Bush-era Patriot Act powers in the face of sharp criticism from civil rights groups, liberal Democrats and a Dec. 31 deadline to extend key provisions of the bill. The Justice Department recently reiterated its request for Congress to extend…