Martin Matishak reports: A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Tuesday introduced legislation to renew a powerful electronic spying program for a dozen more years, while eschewing some of the reforms sought by privacy advocates. The measure marks the third bill introduced in the past month that would extend a law known as Section 702…
Category: Surveillance
Wiretaps, warrantless surveillance, GPS, videocams, Big Brother Society, and much more. Most Fourth Amendment search and seizure cases are included in this category.
Lewisburg residents turn to the ACLU to protect their right to privacy
Isabela Weiss reports: In Lewisburg, residents say their local officials violated their right to privacy through their complicated Social Gathering Ordinance. The ordinance requires residents to file five business days in advance for a permit to hold gatherings with 25 or more people if alcohol is served. Residents reached out to the Pennsylvania American Civil…
WhatsApp Malware Suit Against Israeli Spyware Firm to Stay in US
Robert Burnson reports: An Israeli spyware company that was sued by WhatsApp Inc. four years ago over an alleged malware-hacking scheme failed to persuade a US judge to move the dispute to its home country. US District Judge Phyllis Hamilton rejected NSO Group’s argument that American restrictions on data transfers would hamper the company’s ability to defend itself in federal court in…
LexisNexis Sold Powerful Spy Tools to U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Sam Biddle reports: The popular data broker LexisNexis began selling face recognition services and personal location data to U.S. Customs and Border Protection late last year, according to contract documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. According to the documents, obtained by the advocacy group Just Futures Law and shared with The Intercept, LexisNexis Risk…
EFF to Supreme Court: Fifth Amendment Protects People from Being Forced to Enter or Hand Over Cell Phone Passcodes to the Police
[Press Release, November 16, 2023] Lower Court Ruling Undermining Protections Against Self Incrimination Should Be Reversed WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today asked the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling undermining Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination and find that constitutional safeguards prevent police from forcing people to provide or use passcodes for their cell phones…
Court rules automakers can record and intercept owner text messages
Suzanne Smalley reports: A federal judge on Tuesday refused to bring back a class action lawsuit alleging four auto manufacturers had violated Washington state’s privacy laws by using vehicles’ on-board infotainment systems to record and intercept customers’ private text messages and mobile phone call logs. The Seattle-based appellate judge ruled that the practice does not meet the…