government surveillance

See the following -

How Hackers Beat the NSA In The ’90s and Can Do It Again

Gregory Ferenstein | TechCrunch | June 28, 2013

While the world parses the ramifications of the National Security Agency’s massive snooping operation, it’s important to remember an earlier government attempt at data collection and, more important, how a group of hackers and activists banded together to stop it. Read More »

'Copyright Week' Protest Channels Aaron Swartz's Activist Legacy

Dell Cameron | The Daily Dot | January 14, 2014

To the many who view themselves as netizens, citizens of the Internet, the loss of Aaron Swartz was a devastating moment in history. One year after his death, the memory of the 26-year-old activist is galvanizing the efforts of organizers who share his passion for the freedom of information. Read More »

3 NSA Veterans Speak Out On Whistle-Blower: We Told You So

Peter Eisler and Susan Page | USA Today | June 16, 2012

In a roundtable discussion, a trio of former National Security Agency whistle-blowers tell USA TODAY that Edward Snowden succeeded where they failed. Read More »

3 Ways To Strengthen Press Freedom At The U.S. Justice Department

Josh Stearns | MediaShift | July 2, 2013

One of the most troubling things about the politicians and pundits who are calling for Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald’s prosecution, calling him an accomplice to Edward Snowden’s leaks, is that just a month ago we saw the same language coming out of the Justice Department itself. [...] Read More »

36 Governments (Including Canada’s) Are Now Using Sophisticated Software To Spy On Their Citizens

Leo Mirani | Quartz | May 1, 2013

A new report from Citizen Lab, a Canadian research center, shows surveillance software sold by FinFisher, a “governmental IT intrusion” company owned by the UK-registered Gamma International, is now active in 36 countries. That’s up from the 25 countries reported two months ago. Read More »

5 Things To Know About The NSA Court Ruling

James Oliphant | Nextgov | December 17, 2013

A District Court decision that the NSA's sweeping data collection program is unconstitutional paves the way for a Supreme Court review of the counterterrorism program, and creates a major headache for the Obama administration in the process. Read More »

500,000 Contractors Can Access NSA Data Hoards

Natasha Lennard | Salon | June 11, 2013

Firms like Booz Allen have army of employees, but only Snowden spoke up Read More »

7 Reasons Why iPhone Fingerprint Security Might Not Be So Secure

Aliya Sternstein | Nextgov | September 11, 2013

Apple's latest smartphone, the iPhone 5S, contains a sensor for unlocking the device with a tap of the finger, including those belonging to a growing number of federal employees. The Defense Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are just a couple of the agencies that issue personnel iPhones for work. Read More »

A CEO Who Resisted NSA Spying Is Out Of Prison. And He Feels ‘Vindicated’ By Snowden Leaks.

Andrea Peterson | The Washington Post | September 30, 2013

Just one major telecommunications company refused to participate in a legally dubious NSA surveillance program in 2001. A few years later, its CEO was indicted by federal prosecutors. He was convicted, served four and a half years of his sentence and was released this month. Read More »

A Modern-Day Stasi State

Tim Shorrock | The Nation | June 11, 2013

Thanks to whistleblower Edward Snowden, we now know that an army of private contractors can monitor anyone’s phone calls and e-mails. Read More »

A Secret Court Making Secret Laws? That's No Democracy

Mike Masnick | Techdirt | July 8, 2013

Last December, well before the Ed Snowden leaks revealed some information about the FISA court (FISC) and its rulings, we had already noted that the court itself was almost certainly unconstitutional. Read More »

Africa: The Pros And Cons Of Social Media In Global Health

Nick Ishmael Perkins | AllAfrica | October 21, 2013

I was invited to moderate a panel at the World Health Summit in Berlin this week. [...]Within the first three hours of the summit, two other sessions had acknowledged that global health governance needed a shake-up and should move away from top-down, supply-driven models. Could social media, with their emphasis on dialogue and inherent transparency, be the solution? Read More »

Anonymous Claim Apple's Touch ID Is Linked To US Surveillance

Johnny Evans | Computerworld | October 1, 2013

Anonymous have some big claims concerning Apple [AAPL] Touch ID system, claiming a connection between the technology and the US defense industry to claim it's just another step forward for state surveillance. Read More »

Anyone Brushing Off NSA Surveillance Because It's 'Just Metadata' Doesn't Know What Metadata Is

Mike Masnick | Techdirt | July 8, 2013

One of the key themes that has come out from the revelations concerning NSA surveillance is a bunch of defenders of the program claiming "it's just metadata." This is wrong on multiple levels. Read More »

Apple, Facebook, Others Defy Authorities, Notify Users Of Secret Data Demands

Craig Timberg | The Washington Post | May 1, 2014

Major U.S. technology companies have largely ended the practice of quietly complying with investigators’ demands for e-mail records and other online data, saying that users have a right to know in advance when their information is targeted for government seizure.  

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