In the aftermath of 9/11, legislators cut legal corners to protect the nation. Congress should amend that now by revising certain expiring provisions of the law. Along with the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and the Bush administration’s illegal eavesdropping on U.S. citizens, the USA Patriot Act came to symbolize the excesses of the post-9/11 war…
Dutch police appeal gets rebuff from privacy activists
Peter Valk reports: A video of a man breaking into an old lady’s house was aired on a Dutch police website in a bid to put a name to the culprit. However, the publication immediately drew fire from anti-privacy campaigners, and raised the question of how far police can go in using public appeals for…
Ever-Present Surveillance Rankles the British Public
Sarah Lyall of Associated Press reports: It has become commonplace to call Britain a “surveillance society,” a place where security cameras lurk at every corner, giant databases keep track of intimate personal details and the government has extraordinary powers to intrude into citizens’ lives. A report in 2007 by the lobbying group Privacy International placed…
Conneaut councilman to sue peer over e-mail
Mark Todd reports: A Conneaut (Ohio) councilman is poised to sue another over e-mail messages posted last year, alleging Julio was involved in an extramarital affair. Ward 4 Councilman Tony Julio, at a press conference Friday afternoon, said Ward 1 Councilman Dave Campbell, under the user name “starsandbars,” posted messages in April 2008 on a…