Friday, April 29, 2005
Teachers Sue Over Arrest at Bush Rally
"IOWA CITY, Iowa - Two teachers arrested at a 2004 campaign rally for President Bush and strip-searched at a county jail have filed a lawsuit alleging law officers conspired to violate their constitutional rights." AP reports here.
State Bill to Limit RFID
"While civil libertarians battle the federal government's decision to embed RFID chips in new U.S. passports, a California bill is moving swiftly through the state legislature that would make it illegal for state agencies and other bodies to use the technology in state identification documents." Wired has this article.
Wireless World: Rethinking passport chips
UPI reports: "The U.S. government may be rethinking a plan to imbed wireless tracking technology in the passport of every citizen after hearing objections about potential civil liberties violations, experts told UPI's Wireless World."
ALA President Carol Brey - Casiano responds to Oversight Hearing
"At today’s House Judiciary Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security subcommittee hearing, there was much discussion about the fact that terrorists used the public library prior to the 9/11 attacks." The ALA issued this response.
Wiretaps in U.S. Jump 19 Percent in 2004
"The number of secret court-authorized wiretaps across the country surged by 19 percent last year, according to court records which also showed that not a single application was denied." AP reports here.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
ACLU Calls For Fixes to Surveillance Law Weakened By the Patriot Act, Says Congress Must Reinstate Safeguards Against Abuse
"The American Civil Liberties Union called on lawmakers to fix portions of the Patriot Act that make it easier for law enforcement agents to spy on Americans in intelligence investigations. The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security held a hearing today on the Patriot Act, portions of which weakened the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s protections against abuse." The ACLU issued this press release.
Some fear law would create national ID card
"Congress is poised to pass a law that would make sweeping changes to the nation's system for issuing driver's licenses by imposing stringent requirements on states to verify the authenticity of birth certificates, Social Security cards, legal residency visas, and bank and utility records used to obtain a license." The Boston Globe has this article.
PATRIOT Act Oversight Hearing Thursday; Focus: Section 218 - Breaking Down 'The Wall'
"Arguably the biggest criticism of the government's efforts prior to Sept. 11, 2001 stems from the failure to "connect the dots" and share information by the different parts of the U.S. government, particularly the CIA and FBI. Section 218 of the USA PATRIOT Act began to break down "the wall" in order to facilitate information sharing by Federal law enforcement and the Intelligence Community." Yahoo has this news release about today's continued Patriot Act hearings.
PATRIOT ACT: Too much secrecy hurting renewal
"Excessive secrecy is hurting the Bush administration's effort to win renewal of the anti-terrorism Patriot Act, lawmakers told top law enforcement and intelligence officials Wednesday." AP reports here.
Patriot Act move fails in committee, heads to council
"A city committee Wednesday fell one vote short of asking the state’s congressional delegation to seek changes in the USA Patriot Act." Wisconsin's Post-Crescent reports here.
Ads That Know What You Want
"Picture this: You're shopping online for a new minivan, surfing automaker websites and buying guides. You then head to the homepage of your local paper to check out the headlines, and at the top of the page is an ad for a local car dealer, offering rebates and low financing on new minivans. If you're like many web users, you probably find it creepy that your local paper knows you're looking for new wheels. Even so, advertisers are betting you're far more likely to click on the car dealer's ad than a random banner for a dating site or DVD rentals." Wired has this article.
Panel Questions Patriot Act Uses
The Washington Post reports: "Members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence pushed the nation's top law enforcement and intelligence officials yesterday to share more information on the use and effectiveness of the most controversial provisions of the USA Patriot Act."
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
In Recent Letter to Congress and New Book from Greenhaven Press, Rutherford Institute President Calls for Broad Review of Patriot Act
"In a recent letter to members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, has joined a broad bipartisan coalition of organizations and individuals in calling for a broad review of the USA Patriot Act and the state of post-9/11 civil liberties in general. Whitehead’s concerns on the Patriot Act have also been included in a new book by Greenhaven Press, which is part of their 'Opposing Viewpoints' series." Read this press release.
Bowing to Critics, U.S. to Alter Design of Electronic Passports
"Responding to fears raised by privacy advocates that new electronic passports might be vulnerable to high-tech snooping, the State Department intends to modify the design so that an embedded radio chip holding a digitized photograph and biographical information is more secure." The New York Times has this article.
REAL ID Act is a burdensome mess
"THE REAL ID Act, passed 261-161 in the U.S. House in February, includes a complex array of provisions its sponsor says are designed to catch terrorists, but which seem more pointedly focused on curbing illegal immigration. That’s not a bad thing, but this bill goes about it the wrong way." The New Hampshire Union Leader contains this commentary.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Feds Rethinking RFID Passport
Wired reports: "Following criticism from computer security professionals and civil libertarians about the privacy risks posed by new RFID passports the government plans to begin issuing, a State Department official said his office is reconsidering a privacy solution it rejected earlier that would help protect passport holders' data."
War bill shields I.D. Act from ax
"Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said yesterday that Democrats will have to accept the Real I.D. Act -- written by House Republicans to limit asylum claims and crack down on illegal immigrants obtaining driver's licenses -- as part of the final emergency war-spending bill." The Washington Times reports here.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Retire the Patriot Act
"In the grand scheme of terrorism, which is more terrifying? Not knowing what the bad guys are reading or knowing for certain they're reading your credit card statement?" Yahoo has this commentary from eWEEK.
Does the FBI Have Your Fingerprints?
"Who's in the FBI database? Criminals, suspected criminals, government employees, military personnel, and a few others." Slate has this article.
Florida Planning Son of Matrix
"Florida law officials are contemplating a sequel to the controversial Matrix database that may be even more comprehensive than the original." Wired reports here.
Cantwell urges hearings on Patriot Act
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports: "Sen. Maria Cantwell joined library directors, local bookstore owners and members of the American Civil Liberties Union at the Seattle Central Library yesterday to call for Congress to scale back the USA Patriot Act."
Sunday, April 24, 2005
In Digital World, Privacy Is Being Eroded For Commercial Gain
"Each time someone uses a cell phone, visits an Internet site, turns on a cable TV service or swipes a credit card, they leave a digital trail. Companies track these trails for patterns and preferences. The digital footprints can be collected into profiles, or dossiers, so companies can pitch additional products or target advertising to customers." The Tampa Tribune reports here.
Students bring Patriot Act to Town Meeting
"Like many area towns, Sherborn is beset by a tight municipal budget, growth issues, and a school that needs repair. These topics usually provide plenty of fuel for debate at the annual Town Meeting. But when residents convene Tuesday, they also will be asked to rise above day-to-day issues and consider the Patriot Act." The Boston Globe has this coverage.
In Patriots' Cradle, the Patriot Act Faces Scrutiny
"FRAN KEILTY has been stopping customers at her bookstore, the Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington Depot, to give them an earful about the USA Patriot Act." The New York Times has this article.
Friday, April 22, 2005
Senate confirms Negroponte as first US intelligence chief
The Boston Globe reports: "John D. Negroponte won easy approval by the Senate yesterday to become the nation's first national intelligence director, a job created last year to better coordinate the nation's spy agencies following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."
Riding into the sunset with the Patriot Act
The Lansing City Pulse reports: "Bob Barr, former congressman from Georgia and a conservative Republican, is coming to Michigan next week to spearhead a movement to send parts of the USA Patriot Act riding into the sunset."
House Panel Studies Sharing of Intelligence
"Senior Justice Department officials resisted calls on Tuesday for stronger judicial checks on the government's use of foreign intelligence information, as Congress continued its debate over federal antiterror powers." The New York Times had this article on Tuesday's Patriot Act hearings.
Civil liberties groups unite against a surveillance society
"Civil liberties groups yesterday launched the International Campaign Against Mass Surveillance (ICAMS), calling on all national governments and intergovernmental organisations to abandon anti-terror efforts based on mass surveillance." Out-Law.com reports here.
Technologies Create New Challenges for Patriot Act
"A House Judiciary subcommittee hearing focusing on electronic surveillance provisions of the Patriot Act raise complex issues regarding new technology, law enforcement and privacy." NPR has this report.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Fliers must have less privacy, says chief of homeland security
The Arizona Daily Star reports: "Americans will have to forgo some privacy concerns and accept high-tech scanners if they want effective passenger screening at airports, the homeland security secretary told the Senate Wednesday."
PATRIOT Act Oversight Hearing Thursday; Focus: Crime, Terrorism, and the Age of Technology -- Sections 209, 217, 220
U.S. Newswire issued this press release concerning today's Patriot Act oversight hearings.
Muslims Detained at Border Sue U.S. Homeland Security
"American Muslims detained at the border as they returned from a religious conference in Toronto sued the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday alleging they were targets of ethnic and religious profiling." The Washington Post reports here.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
The Important But Flawed USA Patriot Act: Why Congress Should Allow Certain Provisions to Expire This Year
"After September 11, 2001, when the Act was passed, the Executive argued that these broader powers would be used to put terrorists behind bars. In fact, several of the Act's provisions can be used to gain information about Americans in the context of investigations with no demonstrated link to terrorism." FindLaw.com has this commentary.
ChoicePoint Division Changes Tack
"A division of ChoicePoint that conducts background checks for employers and other organizations will begin notifying individuals when it provides damaging personal information about them. The newly announced policy is designed to bring the company into compliance with a federal law that requires such notice in certain cases." Wired has this article.
Can We Protect Our Privacy Through Legal Solutions? Or Is Technology Now Beyond Our Control? The ChoicePoint Dilemma
"Recently, Atlanta-based ChoicePoint - one of the world's largest data warehouses - saw its network illegally accessed by a ring of Nigerian scam artists. When this occurred, many Americans were forced to confront an ugly truth that privacy advocates have understood for a long time: Personal privacy, as we have known, understood, and applied it for years, is on life support." Bob Barr has this commentary.
State Supreme Court rules drug search illegal
"Officers asked both the husband and wife if they could search the home. Randolph said no but his wife consented to the search. Because of the search, officers found cocaine in the upstairs’ bedroom and Randolph was later indicted on charges of cocaine possession." Americus Times-Recorder has this article.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
ACLU Applauds End Of “Matrix” Program
"The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the termination of the 'MATRIX,' a controversial interstate information sharing program that combined government and private-sector data and made the results available to law enforcement officials across the nation." The ACLU has this press release.
GOP convention protesters settle contempt claims against NYC
"Lawyers for the city and for people arrested during Republican National Convention demonstrations last summer reached a settlement on April 15 that will cost the city more than $230,000." AP reports here.
High court to hear Md. 'Miranda' case
"At the urging of Maryland prosecutors, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed yesterday to hear the case of a teenager who allegedly implicated himself in a high-profile Annapolis slaying but was not tried because state judges determined he was unfairly questioned by police." The Baltimore Sun has this article.
Congress to review Patriot Act on Tuesday
"The U.S. House of Representatives is continuing its series of Patriot Act-related hearings. Up for review Tuesday by a Judiciary subcommittee: section 203 of the law." CNET News.com reports here.
Air Safety: Extending the No-Fly Zone
Time reports: "The no-fly list created by U.S. authorities, which singles out passengers who are potential terrorist threats, is the target of frequent criticism that it's incomplete and unreliable. But that hasn't stopped it from expanding dramatically."
Battlespace America: The new Pentagon can peruse intelligence on US citizens and send Marines down Main Street.
"In 2002, the Defense Department updated its Unified Command Plan, which made the already blurry lines between civilian and military even less legible. Since then, all over America, law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been making information about the public available to a Pentagon power center most people have never heard about: U.S. Northern Command." Mother Jones has this article.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Next Gen Weighs a 'Secure' Future
"For some participants at the Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference in Seattle last week the talks presented by activists, lawyers and public officials were fraught with pessimism about government surveillance. But when five Seattle teenagers with a sophisticated grasp of civil liberties and First Amendment rights took the stage Friday, the mood changed." Wired has this article.
More bank data may not aid fight against terrorism
Reuters reports: "A plan to force banks into disclosing hundreds of millions of wire transfers to help fight terrorist financing would overwhelm bankers and regulators and add questionable value to the war on terrorism, experts and officials say."
Surveillance Cameras Reduce Private Space
"It's there when you ride an elevator and make a purchase in a store. There's no escaping it in a museum. Look up at the stoplight and a camera may be watching you. Being lens-shy just doesn't cut it in today's camera-crazed world. Chances are, during a good part of your day, there's a camera nudging into your private space." AP reports here.
ChoicePoint Wins Menace Award
Wired.com reports: "The honorees were named as winners of this year's U.S. Big Brother Awards, a dubious prize intended to shame government agencies and companies that have done the most to invade personal privacy. Award recipients received a statue of a golden boot stomping on a human head."
Surveillance Works Both Ways
"In an attempt to establish equity in the world of surveillance, participants at the Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference in Seattle this week took to the streets to ferret out surveillance cameras and turn the tables on offensive eyes taking their picture." Wired.com has this article.
N.C. judge to rule on photos from camera phones
"A Superior Court judge must decide whether law enforcement officers overstepped when they downloaded images from the cell phone of a man accused of sexual offense and secret peeping." AP reports here.
ACLU files lawsuit against police in drug case
The Las Vegas Sun reports: "The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against the Metro Police department and several officers, claiming the police violated the civil rights of a man when they left drugs in the man's car and allowed him to be charged with drug possession."
Librarians cautious of Patriot Act
"About 15 people gathered at the Lake-view YWCA on Saturday morning to hear about the Security and Freedom Enhancement Act, which would repeal some of the powers granted to the government under the Patriot Act." Peoria's Journal Star News reports here.
Reading Patriot riot act
"America's freedoms are being challenged by anti-Muslim hysteria and abuses of the Patriot Act, said a convert to Islam and former Army chaplain, who spent 76 days in solitary confinement after being wrongly accused of aiding terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba." Newsday has this article.
Friday, April 15, 2005
No. 2 Intelligence Nominee Testifies on Privacy Rules
"The Air Force general nominated as the country's No. 2 intelligence official said Thursday that American intelligence agencies needed to push 'right up to that line,' established under privacy laws, in using eavesdropping, surveillance and other tools to gather information." The New York Times has this article.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Patriot Act Evasions
"Memo to Congress: Whenever Attorney General Alberto Gonzales starts talking like a, you know, sort of likably dodgy teenager confronted with dings on the family car, it's time to pay close attention." The Nation has this editorial.
Ridge Says RFID Boosts Security
"Tom Ridge, the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, this week told the manufacturers and users of radio-frequency identification technologies that their work will protect Americans from terrorism." Wired.com reports here.
GMU Faculty Decries Patriot Act
ABC 7 News reports: "Faculty members at George Mason University are joining academics across the country in denoucing the Patriot Act."
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Specter Voices Frustration Over Briefing on Patriot Act
The New York Times reports: "A senior Republican lawmaker expressed frustration Tuesday with the Justice Department's failure at a closed-door briefing to provide information about its use of the sweeping antiterrorism law known as the USA Patriot Act."
Gazette opinion: Time to make USA Patriot Act SAFE for all
"The 2005 Montana Legislature took a bipartisan stand for principles of liberty and freedom embodied in the state and U.S. constitutions when it overwhelmingly approved a resolution saying that provisions of the USA Patriot Act should expire this year." The Billings Gazette has this op-ed.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Negroponte Vows 'Unvarnished Truth' as Intelligence Chief
"John D. Negroponte, President Bush's nominee to be the country's first national intelligence director, pledged today to speak the "unvarnished truth" to people in power and to do his best to break down bureaucratic and mental barriers to gathering, sharing and analyzing information." The New York Times has this account.
LexisNexis Data on 300,000 People Feared Stolen
The Washington Post reports: "Information broker giant LexisNexis announced today that previously announced security breaches at the company could affect roughly 300,000 consumers, making it one of the largest potential identity theft incidents on record.
Rowley Speaks about Patriot Act, War on Terror
KARE 11 reports: "Coleen Rowley, a former Minneapolis FBI agent who criticized the government's pre-Sept. 11 counterterrorism efforts, said that while the Patriot Act is useful, it needs a system to combat infringements on civil liberties."
Videos Challenge Accounts of Convention Unrest
"Accused of inciting a riot and resisting arrest, Mr. Kyne was the first of the 1,806 people arrested in New York last summer during the Republican National Convention to take his case to a jury. But one day after Officer Wohl testified, and before the defense called a single witness, the prosecutor abruptly dropped all charges." The New York Times has this coverage.
Monday, April 11, 2005
Intelligence Chief Is Urged to Assert Powers Quickly
The New York Times reports: "Not since 1947, when the job of secretary of defense was established, has a government position materialized with as much fanfare, expectation and doubt as now surround the director of national intelligence, a post whose contours remain anything but clear."
Safety in Dullness: Relax—your records are too boring to interest the FBI
"Attorney General Alberto Gonzales recently assured the Senate Judiciary Committee the Justice Department 'has no interest in rummaging through the library records or the medical records of Americans.' This is pretty much the extent of the limits imposed by the USA PATRIOT Act on the FBI's ability to peruse your personal records: It can do so only if it wants to." Reason has this commentary.
Patriot Act no threat to libraries
"Section 215 has nothing to do with libraries. It doesn't mention the word 'library.' It simply authorizes the FBI to obtain 'tangible things' — primarily business records or other documents — in the course of an antiterrorism investigation." Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby offers this counterargument for letting Section 215 of the Patriot Act expire.
Teachers and Classmates Express Outrage at Arrest of Girl, 16, as a Terrorist Threat
"At Heritage High School in East Harlem, where the student idiom is hip-hop and salsa, the 16-year-old Guinean girl stood out, but not just because she wore Islamic dress. She was so well liked that when she ran for student body president, she came in second to one of her best friends - the Christian daughter of the president of the parent-teacher association, Deleen P. Carr. Now Ms. Carr, a speech pathologist who calls herself 'a typical American citizen,' is as outraged as the girl's teachers and classmates, who have learned that the girl and another 16-year-old are being called would-be suicide bombers and are being held in an immigration detention center in Pennsylvania." Truthout.org has this article.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Goodbye to Privacy
"Your mother's maiden name is not the secret you think it is. That sort of 'personal identifier' being used by banks, credit agencies, doctors, insurers and retailers -- supposedly to protect you against the theft of your identity -- can be found out in a flash from a member of the new security-industrial complex." The New York Times has this book review.
Revising the Patriot Act
"When Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who is not exactly a renowned civil libertarian, says the Patriot Act may need some adjustments, it clearly has serious problems." The New York Times has this editorial.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
ALA President Releases Statement Regarding USA PATRIOT Act Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
"'The American Library Association (ALA) is deeply concerned about statements made before the Senate Judiciary Committee by FBI Director Robert Mueller during hearings on the USA PATRIOT Act.'" Yahoo has this ALA press release.
Taking a New Approach to the Patriot Act
"Shortly before leaving office, former Attorney General John Ashcroft said his top regret was not doing more to bolster political support for the USA Patriot Act. Last week, the new AG, Alberto Gonzales, made it clear that he does not intend to repeat his predecessor's mistake." Legal Times reports here.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Padilla's Lawyers Push for High Court Review
"The case of alleged enemy combatant Jose Padilla is back before the Supreme Court -- roughly a year earlier than expected." Law.com has this article.
RFID policy panel raises privacy concerns
"Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has many current and future benefits, but U.S. policymakers need to be aware of potential privacy and security problems of the rapidly evolving technology, a privacy advocate and a security expert said Wednesday." The Industry Standard has this coverage.
Otter Reintroduces Safe Act
"With the USA PATRIOT Act under review, Congressman C.L. Butch Otter reintroduced legislation on Wednesday to help ensure an effective war on terrorism is fought without infringing on Americans' constitutional freedoms." AP reports here.
Jose Padilla v. Commander C.T. Hanft
"Accused enemy combatant Jose Padilla asks the U.S. Supreme Court to directly review the federal government's appeal from a U.S. District Court's recent decision ordering Padilla's release from military custody." How Appealing has the writ of certiorari (PDF).
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Passport to pry
"Civil libertarians are up in arms over government plans to embed new I.D. chips in visas and passports. And isn't it convenient that Tom Ridge is now the I.D. technology's biggest salesman?" Salon.com has this feature.
Delta Shares Flier Data in Health Effort
"Although privacy experts worry about the government gathering personal information on airline travelers, Delta Airlines is handing over electronic lists of passengers from some flights to help stop the spread of deadly infectious diseases." AP reports here.
Homeland Security panel picks controversial chief
"The Department of Homeland Security's privacy board chose as its chairman Paul Rosenzweig, a conservative lawyer best known in technology circles for his defense of the Pentagon's Total Information Awareness project." CNET News.com reports here.
Flawed FBI Probe Of Bombing Used A Secret Warrant
The Washington Post reports: "The Justice Department is acknowledging for the first time that the FBI used a secret search warrant to copy and seize material -- including DNA samples -- from the home of Brandon Mayfield, a Portland, Ore., man who was wrongly arrested and jailed last year in connection with the March 2004 train bombings in Madrid."
Key GOP Senator Expresses Patriot Act Doubts
"Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' campaign for renewal of the USA Patriot Act got a jolt Tuesday when a key Republican senator signaled that he may seek to trim parts of the 2001 anti-terrorism law. Gonzales, urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to renew the law before more than a dozen of its provisions expire Dec. 31, heard Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the panel, voice his skepticism about two of the statute's most controversial provisions." Truthout has this article.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Fla. Sheriff Used Records to Find Critic
"Orange County's sheriff used driver's license records to contact a woman who wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper citicizing his staff's use of Taser stun guns and describing him as fat." AP reports here.
Feds uncloak the Patriot Act
"Police invoked the Patriot Act when surreptitiously entering and searching a home or office without notifying the owner 108 times during a 22-month period, according to a one-page summary released by the Justice Department late Monday. On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told the Senate that police have employed secret court orders to obtain records 35 times so far." CNET News.com has this article.
Gonzales Defends Patriot Act at Judiciary Hearing as Congress Mulls Renewal
"Perhaps the most heated exchange during yesterday's hearing came during Durbin's questioning of Gonzales." Democracy Now has this excerpt.
Patriot Act Is Called Vital
"The Bush administration on Tuesday launched its campaign to preserve and expand the USA Patriot Act, the much-debated anti-terrorism legislation enacted after Sept. 11." The LA Times has this coverage.
Sen. Salazar backs reform of Patriot Act
"Gun rights groups and liberals came together Tuesday to back reforms to the Patriot Act sponsored by Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar and three other senators." The Pueblo Chieftain reports here.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
FBI Wants Greater Search Powers
"FBI Director Robert Mueller on Tuesday asked lawmakers to expand the bureau's ability to obtain records without first asking a judge, and he joined Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in seeking that every temporary provision of the anti-terrorism Patriot Act be renewed." MSNBC reports here.
Gonzales, Mueller Urge Congress to Renew Patriot Act
"Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller said Congress should renew the USA Patriot Act in full as lawmakers opened a two-month review of the law they crafted immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks." Bloomberg.com has this account.
Muslim Americans Question Border Screening
AP reports: "AMHERST, N.Y.-A group of Muslim Americans on Monday pressed a Department of Homeland Security official to explain why they were fingerprinted, photographed and held at the border after a religious conference in Canada."
Patriot Act Changes to Be Proposed
"Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales will propose some 'technical modifications' to the controversial USA Patriot Act today in an effort to address the concerns of critics and ensure that the anti-terrorism legislation is renewed by Congress later this year, according to a Justice Department official." The Washington Post reports here.
Justice Dept. Defends Patriot Act Before Senate Hearings
"On the eve of Senate hearings on the government's power to fight terrorism, the Justice Department on Monday defended the law passed after the Sept. 11 attacks as 'an invaluable tool' and released new data showing increased use of a particularly controversial type of search warrant." The New York Times has this account.
Net Aids Theft of Sensitive ID Data
"Want someone else's Social Security number? It's $35 at www.secret-info.com. It's $45 at Iinfosearch.com, where users can also sign up for a report containing an individual's credit-card charges, as well as an e-mail with other 'tips, secrets & spy info!'" Truthout has this article.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Gonzales to defend Patriot Act renewal
"As Attorney General Alberto Gonzales prepares his defense of expiring provisions of the Patriot Act, the anti-terrorism law's opponents are hoping to persuade Congress not to extend what they say are intrusions into Americans' lives." AP reports here.
'Real ID' Bill Caught in Legislative Limbo
"A bill that would require all states to verify federal immigration documents and birth certificates before issuing federally recognized drivers' licenses to its residents is still in limbo as Congress returns from its Easter recess and possibly toward a renewed push." FoxNews.com has this article.
Supreme Court Won't Hear Drug Dogs Case
"The Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider whether police can have drug dogs sniff outside people's homes without any specific suspicion of illegal activity. Justices let stand a lower court ruling that allowed the dog sniff, rejecting an appeal from a Houston man who said it was an improper police 'search' that violated his Fourth Amendment right against arbitrary searches." AP reports here.
The next chapter in the Patriot Act
"If you thought the congressional debate over Terri Schiavo was intense, wait until the one over the Patriot Act begins this week." CNET News.com has this commentary.
House condemns Patriot Act
The Billings Gazette reports: "Montana lawmakers overwhelmingly passed what its sponsor called the nation's most strongly worded criticism of the federal Patriot Act on Friday, uniting politicians of all stripes."
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Government Wiretaps, Searches Up 75 Percent
"Washington - The government requested and won approval for a record number of special warrants last year for secret wiretaps and searches of suspected terrorists and spies, 75 percent more than in 2000, the Bush administration disclosed Friday." AP reports here.
Privacy Advocates Criticize Plan To Embed ID Chips in Passports
"A government plan to embed U.S. passports with radio frequency chips starting this summer is being met by resistance from travel and privacy groups who say the technology is untested and could create a security risk for travelers." The Washington Post has this article.
Friday, April 01, 2005
California Lawmakers Grill ChoicePoint Over Privacy Concerns
"Data broker ChoicePoint Inc., the focus of a national furor over privacy, said Wednesday that it supported legislation that would allow people to see -- and correct, if necessary -- records the company kept on them, the Los Angeles Times reports." The Direct Marketing Association reports here.
Fred Korematsu, 86, Fought World War II Internment, Dies
"Fred Korematsu, the Japanese-American whose court case over his refusal to be interned during World War II went to the U.S. Supreme Court and became synonymous with this nation's agonized debate over civil liberties during time of war, has died." The Sun-Sentinel reports here.
Anti-Patriot article sparks heated debate
"WALPOLE -- The Finance Committee last night approved a watered-down version of the spring Town Meeting article asking voters to formally oppose the USA Patriot Act in a meeting that prompted one member to storm out of the room in protest." The Daily News Transcript has this account.
Patriot Act to be scrutinized
News.com reports: "The tumultuous process of reviewing portions of the USA Patriot Act is about to begin. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn., said Thursday that his Judiciary Committee will begin a series of three hearings starting April 5 to examine the 2001 law and consider which sections should be renewed before their Dec. 31 expiration date."
