Technology in the News

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Massive blimps over Maryland to conduct 24/7 domestic aerial surveillance | Computerworld Blogs

blogs.computerworld.com

by Darlene Storm

July 1, 2014

It's a bird; it's a plane; it's a...pair of high-dollar blimps capable of conducting surveillance 24/7 without blinking or sleeping, staying aloft for 30 days in a row, because the military and Raytheon say, "The threat is real."

Officials don't flat out say the terrorist threat, but they mention threats like anti-ship cruise missiles, drones with 10-foot wing spans, tactical ballistic missiles, large caliber rockets, and moving surface vehicles like swarming boats, mine-laying ships, automobiles and tanks. Marc Rotenberg executive director of The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) believes the threat is real all right, the threat to privacy that is. He said, "When the government is conducting real-time aerial surveillance within the United States, there are privacy issues that need to be addressed." While officials claimed that, on a clear day, people in downtown Baltimore will be able to see the unmanned blimps from 16 - 19 miles away, one of the two 243-foot long blimps will have 360-degree surveillance capabilities allowing it to see up to 340 miles in any direction; that one is on the lookout for "threats," while the second blimp carries a powerful integrated fire-control radar system "to detect, track and target a variety of threats."

Don't look now but the LED light fixtures are spying on you

blogs.computerworld.com

by Darlene Storm

July 1, 2014

If you feel like you're being watched at Terminal B in the Newark Liberty International Airport, then that's real and not paranoia.

Whether or not you pay any attention to the lighting overhead, the lighting may be paying such close attention to you that privacy advocates are warning about the "terrifying" potential for misuse. There are cases when a LED light can spy by covertly listening and then send that audio over 300 meters away to the eavesdropper. But this time, it is the LED fixtures that are the "backbone" of a new surveillance system scrutinizing and recording us. The New York Times reported that 171 LED fixtures inside Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport are "watching" us.

All but four nations are subject to NSA surveillance - new Snowden leak

RT

July 1, 2014

Previously undisclosed files leaked to the media by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden now show that the United States National Security Agency has been authorized to spy on persons in all but four countries.

The Washington Post published on Monday official documents provided by Mr. Snowden that shows new proof concerning the extent of the NSA's vast surveillance apparatus. One of the documents-a file marked "top secret" from 2010 and approved by the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court-shows that the NSA has been authorized to conduct surveillance on 193 foreign government, as well as various factions and organizations around the world, including the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency. "Virtually no foreign government is off-limits for the National Security Agency, which has been authorized to intercept information from individuals 'concerning' all but four countries on Earth, according to top-secret documents," journalists Ellen Nakashima and Barton Gellman wrote for the Post.

FCC report reveals which ISPs are ripping you off on internet speed

naturalnews.com

July 1, 2014

Occasionally, a government agency may deliver a somewhat helpful oversight service, at least in terms of consumerism.

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) provides oversight and reports on discrepancies among various ISP (internet service provider) advertised speeds compared to actual speeds and reports them. Overall, the FCC recently reported that most ISP groups provided at, just below, or just above their advertised speeds. Only a few were considerably off the mark between what they advertised and what they produced.

If The Cops Can Track You, You Should Be Able To Track Them. Here's How.

thefreethoughtproject.com

by John Vibes

July 1, 2014

The limitless possibilities of new technology are allowing people to fight back against police abuse like never before.

Not only can people record occurrences of police brutality, but there are also dozens of apps that are designed to help you stay a few steps ahead of "the man". Out of the many helpful apps that can be found on Cop Block's apps page, a GPS app called "Waze" is one of the most helpful for pinpointing the location of police and reporting police sightings to other drivers. When someone sees a police car or a speed trap somewhere along their route, they can make a report alerting other drivers in the area about the police activity.

Obama Likes Secrets, Including Yours

reason.com

June 30, 2014

The surprising thing about the Supreme Court's decision on police searches of cell phones was its unanimity.

The surprising thing about the Supreme Court's decision on police searches of cell phones was its unanimity. Aligned on the same side of a major law enforcement issue were liberal and conservative justices who normally fight like cats and dogs. All agreed that it's intolerable to let cops ransack the voluminous contents of mobile phones. Who could disagree? Well, cops, of course. And the Obama administration.

Cop With History of 'Malfunctioning' Body Cam Shoots 19-year-old Girl. Yep, Another 'Malfunction'

thefreethoughtproject.com

June 30, 2014

Officer Jeremy Dear has a history of a "malfunctioning" body camera during his applications of force.

According to Dear's personnel file, in January 2013, he helped break up a Downtown brawl and, in the process, he "did strike (the 22-year-old suspect) several times in his facial area with a closed fist," according to his description of the incident. Dear wrote that the man had struck him in the jaw and was resisting arrest, according to the personnel file. His lapel video was not on, but his partner's was on for the beginning and aftermath, according to the file.

CT School District Apologizes For Blocking Conservative Websites

reason.com

by J.D. Tuccille

June 30, 2014

On the website of Connecticut's Regional School District 14 is a commendable, but somewhat out-of-context, commitment to relative Internet freedom for public school students, dated June 20.

"Regional School District 14 takes the position that while it is obviously critical to block specific categories of websites as required by law (e.g., pornography, etc.), the blocking of otherwise appropriate websites, regardless of political or religious viewpoints, is WRONG." The statement goes on to note that "On Region 14's computers, some websites were blocked, while others were not," and it was all a big technical error.

Facebook fighting against 'largest ever' govt data request in court

RT

June 29, 2014

Facebook is locked in a legal battle over a court ruling that forced the site to hand over data from almost 400 profiles to authorities. The social media site argues the decision is unconstitutional and violates the Fourth Amendment.

Last summer, a New York court ordered Facebook to release data from the accounts of 381 people, who were suspected of being involved in a disability fraud case. The information included photos, private messages and other data. The social media platform had previously been unable to go public about their legal struggle against the "largest data request" by a government body because of a court gagging order. However, Chris Sonderby, Facebook Deputy General Counsel published a blog post on Thursday speaking out about the case after a New York judge granted permission to go public.

'Lost' emails, lost confidence

thehill.com

by Rep. Pete Olson

June 29, 2014

What's also troubling is the lack of outrage from the media on behalf of the Americans who were bullied by the IRS.

The First Amendment to the Constitution, in the Bill of Rights, "prohibits the making of any law... abridging the freedom of speech." Every American is protected by this inalienable right that ensures that the government cannot attack its citizens for their beliefs. Yet, one of the most powerful federal agencies, the Internal Revenue Service, did exactly that when they targeted conservative non-profit organizations seeking tax-exempt status. Officials at the IRS have admitted to these actions and Congress has been investigating. Yet, the IRS has refused to provide critical information about the extent of the targeting and who was involved. After promising for a year to deliver emails related to how certain conservative groups were targeted and who was involved in the decision making process, the IRS informed Congress last Friday that they cannot locate many of the emails in question prior to 2011 as the result of a computer crash during that year. Lois Lerner, former head of the IRS division that processes applications to determine tax-exempt status, is currently under investigation by three congressional committees, the Justice Department and the IRS inspector general. Her emails are the ones the IRS claims have both been erased and the data is unrecoverable due to the hard drive in question being recycled.

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