Marcia Hoffman writes: A couple weeks ago we told you about a victory in our long-running Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation for documents detailing telecommunications carriers’ lobbying efforts to get off the hook for their role in the government’s warrantless electronic surveillance of millions of ordinary Americans. On September 24, a federal judge ordered…
McKinnon refused extradition appeal
Computer hacker Gary McKinnon has been refused permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court against his extradition to the US. The High Court ruled the case was not of “general public importance” to go to the UK’s highest court. Glasgow-born Mr McKinnon, 43, of Wood Green, London, is accused of breaking into the US’s…
Household robots do not protect users’ security and privacy – researchers
People are increasingly using household robots for chores, communication, entertainment and companionship. But safety and privacy risks of information-gathering objects that move around our homes are not yet adequately addressed, according to a new University of Washington study. It’s not a question of evil robots, but of robots that can be misused. “A lot of…
Senate committee passes bill to reauthorize Patriot Act provisions
On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-8 to approve legislation to reauthorize expiring provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act and improve oversight of several tools used to gather intelligence. The USA PATRIOT Act Sunset Extension Act reauthorizes three provisions of the Patriot Act that are set to expire at the end of the year:…