Although there are a wide variety of opinions regarding the suitability of public surveillance, nearly everyone agrees that the public has the right to know when such surveillance is occurring. For this reason, the Electronic Frontier Foundation maintains this web page documenting public surveillance and related information from around the world. We're concerned about the growth of videosurveillance, private and public, especially now that the FBI is going to be collecting lots of data, including from private sources.
If you know of documentation of video, audio, or other types of public surveillance— whether through media reports, pictures, video, text, or links to organizations doing work on this topic— please use our contact form.
Software Helps Businesses Check Calls -
New call monitoring software allows companies to check up on their employees and identify those who are playing computer solitaire, job hunting or even viewing pornography instead of helping customers, Associated Press via The News-Press (August 23, 2003)
Software Helps Firms Monitor Calls -
New call monitoring software allows companies to check up on their employees and identify those who are playing computer solitaire, job hunting or even viewing pornography instead of helping customers, Associated Press via The News Journal (August 22, 2003)
NICE Systems: A Company Behind 'This Call May Be Recorded' -
To ensure that their representatives, which can number in the thousands, provide polite, efficient and accurate service, companies are buying computer systems that allow them to record hundreds of hours of conversations, AP News via Wichita Eagle (August 10, 2003)
NICE Systems: A Company Behind 'This Call May Be Recorded' -
To ensure that their representatives, which can number in the thousands, provide polite, efficient and accurate service, companies are buying computer systems that allow them to record hundreds of hours of conversations, AP News via Star-Telegram (August 10, 2003)
NICE Systems: A Company Behind 'This Call May Be Recorded' -
To ensure that their representatives, which can number in the thousands, provide polite, efficient and accurate service, companies are buying computer systems that allow them to record hundreds of hours of conversations, AP News via Newsday (August 10, 2003)
NICE Systems: A Company Behind 'This Call May Be Recorded' -
To ensure that their representatives, which can number in the thousands, provide polite, efficient and accurate service, companies are buying computer systems that allow them to record hundreds of hours of conversations, AP News via Miami Herald (August 10, 2003)
NICE Systems: A Company Behind 'This Call May Be Recorded' -
To ensure that their representatives, which can number in the thousands, provide polite, efficient and accurate service, companies are buying computer systems that allow them to record hundreds of hours of conversations, AP News via Kansas City Star (August 10, 2003)
NICE Systems: A Company Behind 'This Call May Be Recorded' -
To ensure that their representatives, which can number in the thousands, provide polite, efficient and accurate service, companies are buying computer systems that allow them to record hundreds of hours of conversations, AP News via Bradenton.com (August 10, 2003)
NICE Systems: A Company Behind 'This Call May Be Recorded' -
To ensure that their representatives, which can number in the thousands, provide polite, efficient and accurate service, companies are buying computer systems that allow them to record hundreds of hours of conversations, AP News via Akron Beacon Journal (August 10, 2003)
US Postal Service Eyeing Technology for 'Smarter' Mail -
A presidential commission charged with studying ways to make the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) more efficient has recommended that the agency work with the Department of Homeland Security to develop sender identification technology for all U.S. mail, ComputerWorld (August 8, 2003)
Postal Service Researches 'Smarter' Mail -
A presidential commission charged with studying ways to make the U.S. Postal Service more efficient has recommended that the agency work with the Department of Homeland Security to develop sender identification technology for all U.S. mail, ComputerWorld via PC World (August 7, 2003)
Data Dump Required Before Flights -
The Transportation Security Administration on Thursday revealed details of the newest version of a computerized system designed to prevent terrorists from boarding airplanes by checking passengers' backgrounds against several databases, Wired News (August 1, 2003)
Wyden Introduces Personal Data Disclosure Bill -
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), one of Congress' leading critics of the Pentagon's controversial data mining project known as the Terrorist Information Awareness (TIA), has introduced legislation that would hold government agencies accountable for the use of private and personal information, InternetNews.com (August 1, 2003)
Senator Calls for Reports on Gov't Data Searches -
Civil liberties groups including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Center for Democracy and Technology are throwing their support behind a piece of legislation that would require U.S. agencies to report to Congress about the personal information they collect, IDG News Service (July 31, 2003)
Bill Calls for Reports on Data Searches -
Civil liberties groups including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Center for Democracy and Technology are throwing their support behind a piece of legislation that would require U.S. agencies to report to Congress about the personal information they collect, IDG News Service via PC World (July 31, 2003)
No Anonymity in the Digital Epoch -
The Police recorded a love song in the ‘80s that pledged, “Every move you make ... every step you take, I’ll be watching you.” Americans are living those words today, and not in the name of romance, The Detroit News via the Chronicle (July 24, 2003)
Researchers Vie to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via San Mateo County Times (July 20, 2003)
Netting Terrorists and Protecting Privacy -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via San Antonio Express (July 20, 2003)
Researchers Vie to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Oakland Tribune (July 20, 2003)
Researchers Vie to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Daily Review Online (July 20, 2003)
Videocams Will Monitor Plane Passengers -
Passengers who fly Southeast Airlines will be under the constant eye of digital video cameras providing a live feed and recordings of their faces and activities for security purposes, WorldNet Daily (July 19, 2003)
Life with Big Brother: Videocams Will Monitor Plane Passengers -
Passengers who fly Southeast Airlines will be under the constant eye of digital video cameras providing a live feed and recordings of their faces and activities for security purposes, WorldNetDaily (July 18, 2003)
Privacy Invasions 'R U.S. -
Since 9/11, domestic spying projects have become as American as apple pie, the 4th of July and baseball. And like baseball in the age of free agency -- when eligible players can switch teams when their contracts expire -- it's difficult to follow the multitude of spy ops without a scorecard, Working for Change (July 18, 2003)
Videocams Record Airline Flights -
Southeast Airlines said it plans to install digital video cameras throughout the cabins of its planes to record the faces and activities of its passengers at all times, as a precaution against terrorism and other safety threats. In addition, the charter airline, based in Largo, Florida, will store the digitized video for up to 10 years. And it may use face recognition software to match faces to names and personal records, the airline said, Wired News (July 18, 2003)
Pentagon Hires Company to Watch the Watchers -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Kansas City Star (July 17, 2003)
Orwellian Days Could Be Just Around Corners -
That Orwell turned out to be quite the Chicken Little, didn't he? His 1949 novel predicted a world where government cameras and microphones monitored every citizen at nearly every moment, and the real 1984 was nothing like that. Neither is the real 2003. But in some ways, his forecast was simply premature, Chicago Tribune (free registration) (July 15, 2003)
Can Scientist's Device Rein in Snoop System? -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Salt Lake Tribune (July 15, 2003)
Funding for TIA All But Dead -
The controversial Terrorism Information Awareness program, which would troll Americans' personal records to find terrorists before they strike, may soon face the same fate Congress meted out to John Ashcroft in his attempt to create a corps of volunteer domestic spies: death by legislation, Wired News (July 14, 2003)
'Privacy Appliance' Seeks to Harness Government Snooping -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via USA Today (July 14, 2003)
Researchers "Privacy appliance'' Seeks to Harness Government Snooping -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via The Times Leader (July 14, 2003)
Watching the Watchers -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via South Bend Tribune (July 14, 2003)
Researchers Seek to Safeguard Privacy in Anti-Terrorism Plan -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Seattle Times (July 14, 2003)
Researchers "Privacy Appliance" Seeks to Harness Government Snooping -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via San Jose Mercury News (July 14, 2003)
Associated Press Breaking News Digest -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via San Francisco Chronicle (July 14, 2003)
"Privacy Appliance" Seeks To Harness Government Snooping -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Information Week (July 14, 2003)
'Privacy Appliances' Seek To Harness Govt Snooping Powers -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Dow Jones International News (July 14, 2003)
SPY vs. SPY: Researchers "Privacy Appliance" Seeks to Harness Government Snooping -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Detroit News (July 14, 2003)
Can System Collect Data While Protecting Privacy? -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Cincinnati Enquirer (July 14, 2003)
Effectiveness of Privacy Appliance Questioned -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Buffalo News (July 14, 2003)
Device Aims to Keep Eye on Government Snooping -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Boston Globe (July 14, 2003)
Critics Doubt Privacy Filter's Effectiveness -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, Tulsa World (paid subscription) (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Wichita Eagle (July 13, 2003)
Tight Technology Leash Could Curb Watchdogs on Terror -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Ventura County Star (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Tallahassee.com (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Star-Telegram (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Sarasota Herald-Tribune (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Pioneer Press (July 13, 2003)
Device May Provide Privacy in Controversial Terrorist Hunt -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Orlando Sentinel (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Monterey Herald (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Miami Herald (July 13, 2003)
Privacy Protection -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Knoxville News Sentinel (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Kansas City Star (July 13, 2003)
Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Holland Sentinel (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Gainesville Sun (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Fort Wayne News Sentinel (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Democrat and Chronicle (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Bradenton.com (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Akron Beacon Journal (July 13, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via WCCO (July 12, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Times Daily (July 12, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via San Jose Mercury News (July 12, 2003)
Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Government Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Rutland Herald (July 12, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Monterey Herald (July 12, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via KDKA (July 12, 2003)
Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via CNN Asia (July 12, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via CBS11 (July 12, 2003)
Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Government Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Barre Montpelier Times Argus (July 12, 2003)
Watching the Watchers: Researchers Win Contract to Rein in Snoops -
The Pentagon's plan to sniff out terrorists from a sea of personal data collected by the government, banks, airlines, credit card companies and other sources has been criticized as the most sweeping invasion of privacy in history, AP News via Houston Chronicle (July 11, 2003)
Euro Scheme Makes Money Talk -
Euro cash could be embedded with radio frequency identification tags if a reported deal between the European Central Bank and Hitachi becomes reality, Wired News (July 9, 2003)
Big Brother Gets a Brain -
Everything is set for a new Pentagon program to become perhaps the federal government's widest reaching, most invasive mechanism yet for keeping us all under watch. Not in the far-off, dystopian future. But here, and soon, The Village Voice (July 9, 2003)
Asst. US Attorney Defends Act's Use -
The debate of the Patriot Act has civil liberties advocates and the federal government disagreeing about just what powers it enables, MLive.com (July 6, 2003)
Civil Defense vs. Civil Liberties -
Like many Americans, Matthew Lawrence is torn over a war on terrorism that some say pits civil defense against civil liberties. He wants terrorism stamped out. But he is concerned it may come at the expense of privacy and constitutional rights, Ann Arbor News (July 6, 2003)
New Tech Raises Privacy Concerns -
Radio frequency identification or RFID tags are essentially infinitesimal bar codes that can be read from a distance, and financial experts suggest they could help save companies billions. However, such technology figures to become controversial because it could endanger privacy, Wireless NewsFactor (June 30, 2003)
Report : ‘ Talon ’ to Gather Suspicious Information -
Taken offline last year, the controversial TIPS program is reportedly being replaced with “Talon,” a cutting edge Department of Defense database designed to snare and distribute “raw, non-validated” reports of “anomalous activities” within the United States, NewsMax.com (June 30, 2003)
New Tech Raises Privacy Concerns -
Radio frequency identification or RFID tags are essentially infinitesimal bar codes that can be read from a distance, and financial experts suggest they could help save companies billions. However, such technology figures to become controversial because it could endanger privacy, NewsFactor Network via CRM Daily (June 30, 2003)
DoD Logging Unverified Tips -
To track domestic terrorist threats against the military, the Pentagon is creating a new database that will contain "raw, non-validated" reports of "anomalous activities" within the United States, Wired News (June 25, 2003)
The Web, According To Google -
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Congress can force public libraries to use anti-pornography filters if they want to continue receiving federal funding for technology.
Critics have questioned the filters' effectiveness and complain that they sometimes block legitimate sites, but the disputed law was upheld with the stipulation that libraries may disable the filters for patrons who ask, BusinessWeek Online (June 24, 2003)
Stop Technology from Destroying Privacy -
The Police recorded a love song in the '80s that pledged, "Every move you make ... every step you take, I'll be watching you." Americans are living those words today, and not in the name of romance. Unless they retreat to the woods without their cell phones, personal computers and credit cards, their daily activities are tracked and recorded by both government and private interests, The Detroit News (editorial) (June 23, 2003)
The Web, According To Google -
Google has grown so fast that even those who use it religiously have started to worry about the tendency of its huge audience to increasingly regard the site as comprehensive when in reality its compilation of information is anything but. Here and there, moreover, Webmasters are starting to question the opaque rules that Google uses to determine what to index -- or not, BusinessWeek Online via WGAL Channel.com (June 23, 2003)
Buyer Beware -
Speaking at a conference this winter on Internet crime, eBay.com's director of law enforcement and compliance, Joseph Sullivan, offered law-enforcement officials extensive access to personal customer information, The Nation (June 20, 2003)
Patriot Act of 2001 Casts Wide Net -
Long-sought details have begun to emerge from the Justice Department on how anti-terrorist provisions of the USA Patriot Act were applied in nonterror investigations, just as battle lines are being drawn on proposed new powers in a Patriot Act II, The Washington Times via Frontpagemag.com (June 16, 2003)
Patriot Act of 2001 Casts Wide Net -
Long-sought details have begun to emerge from the Justice Department on how anti-terrorist provisions of the USA Patriot Act were applied in nonterror investigations, just as battle lines are being drawn on proposed new powers in a Patriot Act II, Washington Times (June 15, 2003)
Homeland Security Halts Computer Checks of Fliers -
Bay Area privacy activists say they have pried a victory of sorts from the Department of Homeland Security, which told them Friday that the government is rethinking a controversial computerized airline-screening system and has halted testing it, Tri-Valley Herald (June 14, 2003)
Airline Screening System Delayed -
Bay Area privacy activists say they have pried a victory of sorts from the Department of Homeland Security, which told them Friday that the government is rethinking a controversial computerized airline-screening system and has halted testing it, The Daily Review (June 14, 2003)
U.S. Rethinks New Program on Flight Risks -
Bay Area privacy activists say they have pried a victory of sorts from the Department of Homeland Security, which told them Friday that the government is rethinking a controversial computerized airline-screening system and has halted testing it, The Argus (June 14, 2003)
Government May Rethink Passenger Scanning System -
Bay Area privacy activists say they have pried a victory of sorts from the Department of Homeland Security, which told them Friday that the government is rethinking a controversial computerized airline-screening system and has halted testing it, San Mateo Country Times (June 14, 2003)
Feds Reconsider Passenger-labeling System -
Bay Area privacy activists say they have pried a victory of sorts from the Department of Homeland Security, which told them Friday that the government is rethinking a controversial computerized airline-screening system and has halted testing it, Oakland Tribune (June 14, 2003)
DOJ Net Surveillance Under Fire -
The Justice Department's statements -- and what it did not say -- in a congressional inquiry on the use of broadened surveillance powers authorized after the Sept. 11 attacks is raising a red flag among civil liberties groups. A central concern is the lack of clarity regarding the scope of Internet surveillance powers granted in the controversial USA Patriot Act, Wired News (June 10, 2003)
Unjust Rewards -
As the Justice Department seeks more snooping powers in the increasingly rocky "war on terror," civil liberties groups are raising red flags about the Patriot Act's unclear widening of Web surveillance abilities, TomPaine.com (June 10, 2003)
Critics Point to Snoop Factor in Airline Security -
Hate having to remove your shoes and belt at airport security checkpoints? Just wait. Air travel soon could become far more intrusive, privacy advocates say, Knight Ridder Newspapers via Detroit Free Press (June 10, 2003)
The Web, According to Google -
Google has grown so fast that even those who use it religiously have started to worry about the tendency of its huge audience to increasingly regard the site as comprehensive when in reality its compilation of information is anything but. Here and there, moreover, Webmasters are starting to question the opaque rules that Google uses to determine what to index -- or not, E-Commerce Times (June 10, 2003)
MTC Aims FasTrak at Traffic -
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission sent out a letter last week to 200,000 Bay Area residents advising that in September, it will use FasTrak transponders to monitor traffic. The MTC has taken extraordinary steps to avoid acting more like George Orwell's omni-present "1984" dictator, Big Brother, who watched the every movement of his fictional subjects, Tri-Valley Herald (June 9, 2003)
FasTrak to Watch Flow of Traffic -
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission sent out a letter last week to 200,000 Bay Area residents advising that in September, it will use FasTrak transponders to monitor traffic. The MTC has taken extraordinary steps to avoid acting more like George Orwell's omni-present "1984" dictator, Big Brother, who watched the every movement of his fictional subjects, Tri-Valley Herald (June 9, 2003)
FasTrak to Keep an Eye on Traffic -
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission sent out a letter last week to 200,000 Bay Area residents advising that in September, it will use FasTrak transponders to monitor traffic. The MTC has taken extraordinary steps to avoid acting more like George Orwell's omni-present "1984" dictator, Big Brother, who watched the every movement of his fictional subjects, Tri-Valley Herald (June 9, 2003)
Traffic Tracking Plan Spurs Fear of 'Big Brother' -
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission sent out a letter last week to 200,000 Bay Area residents advising that in September, it will use FasTrak transponders to monitor traffic. The MTC has taken extraordinary steps to avoid acting more like George Orwell's omni-present "1984" dictator, Big Brother, who watched the every movement of his fictional subjects, The Argus (June 8, 2003)
Traffic Tracking Plan Spurs Fear of 'Big Brother' -
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission sent out a letter last week to 200,000 Bay Area residents advising that in September, it will use FasTrak transponders to monitor traffic. The MTC has taken extraordinary steps to avoid acting more like George Orwell's omni-present "1984" dictator, Big Brother, who watched the every movement of his fictional subjects, San Mateo County Times (June 8, 2003)
Traffic Tracking Plan Spurs Fear of 'Big Brother' -
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission sent out a letter last week to 200,000 Bay Area residents advising that in September, it will use FasTrak transponders to monitor traffic. The MTC has taken extraordinary steps to avoid acting more like George Orwell's omni-present "1984" dictator, Big Brother, who watched the every movement of his fictional subjects, Oakland Tribune (June 8, 2003)
Airport Security Plan Decried -
Hate having to remove your shoes and belt at airport security checkpoints? Just wait. Air travel soon could become far more intrusive, privacy advocates say, Knight Ridder Newspapers via San Jose Mercury News (June 8, 2003)
Telling of Terrorist-Tracking Tech Tools -
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the agency in charge of the program, recently described to Congress how the Terrorism Information Awareness (TIA) program will develop and use technologies to fight terrorism. DARPA says the expanded surveillance powers would only affect suspected terrorists. Still, privacy and civil liberties groups warn that it would invade the privacy and trample the freedoms of ordinary Americans, Medill News Service via PC World (June 2, 2003)
USA: Spying for Fun and Profit -
New technology has become ubiquitous in the post-Sept. 11 world. Electronic monitors track web page visits or bank transactions. Even good old-fashioned video surveillance cameras are being used more than ever in conjunction with facial recognition software. All these technologies raise serious questions about invasions of privacy and violations of civil liberties, CorpWatch.com (May 28, 2003)
Spying for Fun and Profit -
New technology has become ubiquitous in the post-Sept. 11 world. Electronic monitors track web page visits or bank transactions. Even good old-fashioned video surveillance cameras are being used more than ever in conjunction with facial recognition software. All these technologies raise serious questions about invasions of privacy and violations of civil liberties, AlterNet (May 28, 2003)
Big Brother, Re-Branded -
Earlier this year, responding to broad skepticism and concern, Congress ordered the Pentagon to explain exactly what it intended to accomplish with its wildly controversial Total Information Awareness data surveillance initiative. This week, the military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency delivered that report. Its centerpiece: A name change, Mother Jones (May 23, 2003)
Pentagon Defends Data Search Plan -
The Pentagon submitted a report to Congress on Tuesday that said the Total Information Awareness program is not the centralized spying database its critics say it is. In fact, according to the report, the Total Information Awareness program is not even the Total Information Awareness program anymore. Instead, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which administers the program, has changed the name to "Terrorism Information Awareness," Wired News (May 21, 2003)
Spy Plan Faces Critical Deadline -
As college students across the country rush to finish their final papers, the Pentagon is preparing to turn in its final report on the Total Information Awareness project in hopes of getting a passing grade from Congress. More than a college transcript is at stake for the program, however. Its continued existence likely will turn on the report's reception, Wired News (May 19, 2003)
Psssst! The World is Watching You -
These are sobering times for Internet users who value their privacy. The government has expanded its online surveillance authority after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and Web users are bombarded almost daily with warnings about cyberterrorism, hackers, worms, spyware, identity theft and cookies, Knight Ridder via Seattle Times (May 17, 2003)
Feds Seek Broader Surveillance Power -
Government investigators will get even quicker and easier authorization to search phone and computer records of suspected terrorists, under a bill approved overwhelmingly by the Senate this week. Civil liberties and privacy advocates say the measure serves government secrecy at the expense of people's due process rights, PC World (May 9, 2003)
How to Halt Prying Eyes on the Net -
These are sobering times for Internet users who value privacy. The government has expanded its online surveillance authority since Sept. 11. And Web users are bombarded almost daily with warnings about cyberterrorism, hackers, worms, spyware and identity theft, Knight Ridder via Charlotte Observer (May 8, 2003)
Taking on Prying Eyes -
These are sobering times for Internet users who value privacy. The government has expanded its online surveillance authority since Sept. 11. And Web users are bombarded almost daily with warnings about cyberterrorism, hackers, worms, spyware and identity theft, Knight Ridder via Orange County Register (May 6, 2003)
IT Security on Campus: A Fragile Equilibrium -
A slew of legislation and industry regulations are pending that will force changes to your security policies and values on your campus. will your security bubble burst? The internet's ubiquity has blurred the lines between cyberspace and the physical world—the nation's power grid, water supplies, and other critical infrastructure—raising cybersecurity risks to unprecedented heights. Likewise, universities and colleges must now deal with infrastructure security as well as the traditional defense against hackers breaking into their systems and gaining unauthorized access to protected data, Syllabus Magazine (April 30, 2003)
Licensed to War Drive in NH -
A land where white pines easily outnumber wireless computer users, New Hampshire may seem an unlikely haven for the free networking movement. But the state, known for its Live Free or Die motto, could become the first in the United States to provide legal protection for people who tap into insecure wireless networks, Wired News (April 29, 2003)
Patriot Act II EFF Offers Analysis of Changes -
Though its existence has been denied, revisions may be in store for the controversial Patriot Act, which could impact everything from broadband communications to encryption. Spotted over at TechFocus; Cindy Cohn, Legal Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, offers up some analysis of the looming Domestic Security Enhancement Act, otherwise known as "Patriot Act II,", Dslreports (April 26, 2003)
How to Halt Prying Eyes on the Net -
The government has expanded its online surveillance authority in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. And Web users are bombarded almost daily with warnings about cyberterrorism, hackers, worms, spyware, identity theft and cookies. Fortunately, there are myriad tools for Internet users who want to reclaim at least some of their privacy, Knight Ridder via Charlotte Observer (April 24, 2003)
Firms Increase Spying on Web Usage -
When you're at work and take 10 minutes to post an item for sale on eBay, view the latest scores on ESPN or see how your stocks are faring, you probably don't think anything of it. Perhaps you should, Baltimore Sun via Contra Costa Times (April 24, 2003)
The PATRIOT Software Bonanza -
Civil libertarians like to call the USA PATRIOT Act a Big Brother nightmare come true. But if the rush by software companies to cash in on Congress' attempt to combat terrorism is any indication, it's not the government that privacy advocates should be watching with suspicion. It's the free market, Salon.com (paid subscription) (April 23, 2003)
The Secret Society -
Under Attorney General John Ashcroft, America is becoming an Orwellian state where people are locked up and no one can find out why -- least of all a compliant Congress, Salon (April 22, 2003)
Taking on Prying Eyes -
The government has expanded its online surveillance authority in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. And Web users are bombarded almost daily with warnings about cyberterrorism, hackers, worms, spyware, identity theft and cookies. Fortunately, there are myriad tools for Internet users who want to reclaim at least some of their privacy, Orange County Register (April 22, 2003)
Is It Safe for You to Surf at Work? -
When you're at work and take 10 minutes to post an item for sale on eBay, view the latest scores on ESPN or see how your stocks are faring, you probably don't think anything of it. Perhaps you should, Baltimore Sun via Fort Lauderdale Sun (April 21, 2003)
Net Users Try to Reclaim Privacy -
These are sobering times for Internet users who value their privacy. The government has expanded its online surveillance authority in the wake of Sept. 11. And Web users are bombarded almost daily with warnings about cyberterrorism, hackers, worms, spyware, identity theft and cookies, Mercury News via Contra Costa Times (April 20, 2003)
The Boss Is Watching You on the Web -
When you're at work and take 10 minutes to post an item for sale on eBay, view the latest scores on ESPN or see how your stocks are faring, you probably don't think anything of it. Perhaps you should, Baltimore Sun via Holland Sentinel (April 20, 2003)
The Patriot Act Erodes the Safeguards Protecting Civil Liberties -
The Justice Department claims the Patriot Act is to prevent another terrorist attack, yet no evidence was shown to prove the events of Sept. 11, 2001, would have been prevented if only our civil liberties were compromised earlier. In fact, the act is 342 pages long and includes many sections that do not deal with terrorism, but are provisions aimed at nonviolent, domestic computer crime, Roanoke Times, VA (April 18, 2003)
What Color Is Your Privacy Today? -
No matter what flavor you like your privacy, the Electronic Privacy Information Center says right now you're getting lemon. The nonprofit advocacy group recently unveiled its Privacy Threat Index, a color-coded takeoff on the Homeland Security Department's terrorist alert system. The organization invites other Web sites to use its graphic to alert people about attacks on personal privacy, Medill News Service via PC World (April 18, 2003)
Employers Increase Monitoring of Workers' Web Usage -
Increasingly across the United States, employers have been monitoring what their employees are doing while they're on the clock -- everything from what keystrokes they make to Web sites they surf to where they drive company-owned vehicles. And while workers nationwide aren't losing their jobs en masse because of "playing" when they should be working, it does happen, Baltimore Sun via Detroit News (April 18, 2003)
Security Agency Selects Privacy Watchdog -
Employees from 22 different federal agencies are being integrated into DHS, and one of Nuala O'Connor Kelly's responsibilities will be to protect the privacy of both employee and citizen data as databases are integrated, something Administration officials have acknowledged is an "enormous" task. Perhaps more controversial, however, will be DHS programs to improve security, such as the Transportation Safety Administration's CAPPS II (Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System) and the Total Information Awareness program spearheaded by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), Washington Internet Daily (April 17, 2003)
Privacy Protection -
The government has expanded its online surveillance authority in the wake of Sept. 11. And Web users are bombarded almost daily with warnings about cyberterrorism, hackers, worms, spyware, identity theft and cookies. It seems you can't wander down the Information Superhighway these days without wondering who is spying on you or surreptitiously sucking up all your personal information, San Jose Mercury News (April 17, 2003)
Privacy Protection -
The government has expanded its online surveillance authority in the wake of Sept. 11. And Web users are bombarded almost daily with warnings about cyberterrorism, hackers, worms, spyware, identity theft and cookies, Mercury News via SiliconValley.com (April 17, 2003)
Watched at Work -
Increasingly across the country, employers have been monitoring what their employees are doing with technology while they're on the clock -- everything from what keystrokes they make to Web sites they surf to where they drive company-owned vehicles. And while workers nationwide aren't losing their jobs en masse because of "playing" when they should be working, it does happen, Baltimore Sun (April 17, 2003)
Misguided Patriotism -
With more than two-and-a-half years left until Patriot's sunset, some Republicans are trying to make the act's provisions permanent. Meanwhile, the Bush administration is drafting legislation for "Son of Patriot," which would give federal law enforcement agencies even broader powers of detainment and surveillance and even punishment, Middletown Times Herald (April 16, 2003)
New Patriot Act Creates Uproar, Brings Together Uncommon Allies -
Fearful that the Bush administration is poised to ask Congress for greater anti-terrorism powers, including the right to strip Americans of their citizenship, liberals and conservatives are joining forces to block what they view as dangerous encroachments on civil liberties, Common Dreams (April 16, 2003)
New Patriot Act Creates Uproar, Brings Together Uncommon Allies -
Fearful that the Bush administration is poised to ask Congress for greater anti-terrorism powers, including the right to strip Americans of their citizenship, liberals and conservatives are joining forces to block what they view as dangerous encroachments on civil liberties, Dallas Morning News via Seattle Times (April 15, 2003)
'Super-DMCA' Fears Suppress Security Research -
A University of Michigan graduate student noted for his research into steganography and honeypots -- techniques for concealing messages and detecting hackers, respectively -- says he's been forced to move his research papers and software offshore and prohibit U.S. residents from accessing it, in response to a controversial new state law that makes it a felony to possess software capable of concealing the existence or source of any electronic communication, The Register (April 14, 2003)
Conservatives, Liberals Unite Against Push to Broaden Patriot Act -
Fearful that the Bush administration is poised to ask Congress for greater anti-terrorism powers, including the right to strip Americans of their citizenship, liberals and conservatives are joining forces to block what they view as dangerous encroachments on civil liberties, Dallas Morning News via Bradenton Herald (April 14, 2003)
The Trails Left in Web Server Logs - and Who's Seeing Them -
The privacy advocates and civil libertarians at the 13th annual Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference sometimes seem dwarfed by the enormity of the projects they oppose -- larger-than-life enterprises worthy of a James Bond villain. John Poindexter's Total Information Awareness project, if successful, would combine every government and private sector database into a massive data mining system capable of picking out aberrant behavior in the actions of seemingly-ordinary citizens. The Department of Homeland Security's CAPPS II program aims to run automatic background checks on every airline passenger in the U.S., The Register (April 6, 2003)
FBI Computers Enter the 21st Century -
The FBI, hoping to shred its paper-swamped reputation and maximize its crime fighting, has unveiled the biggest change in its workflow in 50 years: a $600 million computer network called Trilogy that will help the agency sift the massive amounts of data it collects, Network World Fusion (April 4, 2003)
Fear of A Million Big Brothers -
The U.S. government's surveillance push isn't the only thing on the minds of privacy advocates this year. Concern is growing about the trails netizens leave in routine Web server logs, and who's seeing them, Security Focus (April 3, 2003)
FBI Computers Enter the 21st Century -
The FBI, hoping to shred its paper-swamped reputation and maximize its crime fighting, has unveiled the biggest change in its workflow in 50 years: a $600 million computer network called Trilogy that will help the agency sift the massive amounts of data it collects, Medill News Service via PC World (April 3, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Yahoo News (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Wilkes Barre Weekender (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Wichita Eagle (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Tuscaloosa News (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Times Daily (March 31, 2003)
The Fight Against Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via The Globe and Mail (March 31, 2003)
Also Moved in Advance -
Barry Steinhardt is paid to be paranoid. The American Civil Liberties Union's cyberchief holds up his Handspring Treo, a combination organizer, phone and e-mail gadget, as he describes the many ways his government might spy on him. Snoops could try to tap into the calendar to see his meeting schedule. They could ask his service provider for phone and e-mail records. If Steinhardt were to upgrade to a device with global-positioning capabilities, investigators might even track his whereabouts, AP News via Stamford Advocate (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Seattle Post Intelligencer (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Sarasota Herald-Tribune (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP news via San Jose Mercury News (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Rapid City Journal, (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Raleigh News (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Newsday (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Macon Telegraph (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Kansas City Star (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Grand Forks Herald (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Duluth News Tribune (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Cyberchief Worried About Privacy -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via CNN International (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Centre Daily Times (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Biloxi Sun Herald (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Belleville News-Democrat (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Cyberchief Wants Chains Put on Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Atlanta Journal (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Akron Beacon Journal (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via Aberdeen American News (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Attorney Fights Digital Surveillance -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, AP News via ABC News (March 31, 2003)
ACLU Cyberchief Worried About Privacy -
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, trying to beat back a technology-propelled surveillance society has been [Barry] Steinhardt's No. 1 mission. He believes he will probably lose - but not without trying to at least win greater court oversight or other limits, CNN (March 30, 2003)
Who's Watching the Watch Lists? -
The head of the venture capital firm formed by the CIA to identify technologies for improving national security said he opposes government agencies' growing reliance on watch lists. Speaking Monday at the PC Forum technology conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, Gilman Louie, CEO of the CIA-backed In-Q-Tel, said he believes agencies should not rely merely on automated filtering tools to identify potential terrorists based on characteristics like travel patterns or citizenship status, Wired News (March 25, 2003)
Defense Contracts Boost Software Firm -
One Bay Area company that has seen a jump in providing software programs that could tell the contextual difference between "white house paint at Target" and "paint a target on the White House" to the Department of Defense is Sunnyvale's Inxight Software Inc., which coincidentally was assembling a team to pursue more contracts with the federal government just a month before the attacks, SFGate.com (March 17, 2003)
Security, Privacy Concerns Clash -
Mitchell D. Kapor, a personal computer industry software pioneer and civil liberties activist, resigned from the board of Groove Networks after learning the company's software was being used by the Pentagon as part of its development of the Total Information Awareness domestic surveillance system, Oakland Tribune (March 17, 2003)
Security, Privacy Concerns Clash -
Mitchell D. Kapor, a personal computer industry software pioneer and civil liberties activist, resigned from the board of Groove Networks after learning the company's software was being used by the Pentagon as part of its development of the Total Information Awareness domestic surveillance system, New York Times via San Mateo County Times (March 17, 2003)
What You Read, Watch Might Be an Open Book -
Is Big Brother watching the books you buy or the videos you rent? That question cannot be answered, under the USA Patriot Act. The law, passed before the dust from Sept. 11 settled, lets government agents seek court orders to seize records "for an investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities", Modesto Bee (March 17, 2003)
Kapor Leaves Groove Board -
Mitch Kapor has quit the board of Groove Networks after it sold collaboration software to a Department of Defense surveillance project, eWeek (March 17, 2003)
Smile for the Satellites, Suspects -
The Global Positioning System - or GPS - is fast becoming one of law enforcement's most useful, cost-effective, high-tech gadgets, DailyPress.com (March 17, 2003)
Kapor Resigns Board Seat After US Government Deal -
Software pioneer Mitch Kapor, a noted civil libertarian, said on Wednesday that he had left the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold software to the U.S. government for a controversial anti-terrorist surveillance project, but stopped short of saying that was the reason for his departure, Reuters via Forbes (March 13, 2003)
Kapor Resigns Board Seat After US Government Deal -
Software pioneer Mitch Kapor, a noted civil libertarian, said on Wednesday that he had left the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold software to the U.S. government for a controversial anti-terrorist surveillance project, but stopped short of saying that was the reason for his departure, Reuters via Yahoo News (March 12, 2003)
Kapor Resigns Board Seat After US Government Deal -
Software pioneer Mitch Kapor, a noted civil libertarian, said on Wednesday that he had left the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold software to the U.S. government for a controversial anti-terrorist surveillance project, but stopped short of saying that was the reason for his departure, Reuters (March 12, 2003)
Kapor Quits Board of Groove Networks -
Local software legend Mitch Kapor won't confirm or deny a published report that he quit the board of Beverly-based Groove Networks Inc. because of its involvement in a program that could help the federal government analyze personal information about millions of Americans, Boston Globe Online (March 12, 2003)
Kapor Drops Out of Groove -
Software pioneer and privacy advocate, Mitch Kapor, has quit the board of Groove Networks after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project, Australian IT (March 12, 2003)
Software Pioneer Protests Pentagon Spying -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Salt Lake Tribune (March 12, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Contra Costa Times (March 12, 2003)
Kapor quits Groove -
Mitch Kapor has left Groove Networks, and according to friends cited in the New York Times, it's because of his concern about the company's role in the fast-developing surveillance infrastructure, The Register (March 11, 2003)
Lofgren Bill Backs Digital Copying -
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren re-introduced a bill Monday that seeks to preserve consumers' rights to make digital copies of music, movies and books for their own use. The bill, dubbed the Balance Act, would establish consumers' rights in the digital world, San Jose Mercury News (March 11, 2003)
TIA Spurs Rejection, Interest -
Mitchell Kapor, founder of Lotus Development Corp. and co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, has resigned from Groove Networks Inc.'s board after learning that the company's software was being used as part of the Total Information Awareness (TIA) system, Federal Computer Week (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Resigns Groove Board -
Software pioneer and privacy activist Mitchell Kapor has stepped down from the board of Groove Networks, the company has confirmed. Groove, which makes collaboration software, quietly gave word of the resignation last week when it announced an additional $38 million in funding for its operations from existing investors such as Microsoft and Intel Capital, CNET News.com (March 11, 2003)
Kapor Resigns Groove Board -
Software pioneer and privacy activist Mitchell Kapor has stepped down from the board of Groove Networks, the company has confirmed. Groove, which makes collaboration software, quietly gave word of the resignation last week when it announced an additional $38 million in funding for its operations from existing investors such as Microsoft and Intel Capital, CNET News.com (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Yahoo News (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Resigns Post -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP news via Wired News (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Wilmington Morning Star (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Wichita Eagle (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Times Daily (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Seattle Post Intelligencer (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Sarasota Herald-Tribune (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via San Jose Mercury News (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Rapid City Journal (March 11, 2003)
Privacy Advocate Kapor Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Raleigh News (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Miami Herald (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Lakeland Ledger (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Kansas City Star (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Detroit News (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Kapor Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via CRN (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Resigns Groove Board -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP news via BusinessWeek (March 11, 2003)
Software Pioneer Quits Groove Networks -
Mitch Kapor, a software pioneer and privacy advocate, has quit the board of Groove Networks Inc. after it sold collaboration software to a controversial Department of Defense surveillance project. In an interview Tuesday, Kapor declined to elaborate on his departure other than to say he has long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and will remain a major Groove shareholder, AP News via Boston.com (March 11, 2003)
Developer of Surveillance Software Quits -
Mitchell D. Kapor, a personal computer industry software pioneer and a civil liberties activist, has resigned from the board of Groove Networks after learning that the company's software was being used by the Pentagon as part of its development of a domestic surveillance system. Mr. Kapor would say publicly only that it was a "delicate subject" and that he had resigned to pursue his interests in open source software, New York Times (March 10, 2003)
TSA Books Data Mining Program -
The Bush administration is again raising the ire of privacy groups with the announcement last week of a controversial pilot program for airlines known as the Computer-Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System II program (CAPPS II), InternetNews.com (March 4, 2003)
Ashcroft Proposes Vast New Surveillance Powers -
A sweeping new anti-terrorism bill drafted by the Justice Department would dramatically increase government electronic surveillance and data collection abilities, and impose the first-ever federal criminal penalties for using encryption in the U.S., Security Focus Online (February 28, 2003)
These Are Not Your Father's Wiretaps -
In the old days, tapping a phone was as easy as one-two-three. All calls ran over Ma Bell's copper wires. To listen in, law-enforcement agents simply requested that the phone company isolate the suspect's wire and record any calls made or received. One phone company. One network. One flip of a switch. That was eons ago by techno-standards, however, BusinessWeek Online via SecurityFocus Online (February 27, 2003)
Administration Drafts 'Patriot Act II,' Activists Concerned -
The Center for Public Integrity Feb. 9 published on its Web site a secret draft of the "Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003," or "Patriot Act II," as some within the Justice Department have called it. The new legislation would give the U.S. attorney general and the Bush administration sweeping powers concerning domestic intelligence-gathering, surveillance and law enforcement, while simultaneously decreasing judicial review and public access to information, according to the Center for Public Integrity, New California Media (February 26, 2003)
Appeal in Wiretap Case Denied -
Secure sites on the World Wide Web that are open only to approved users with passwords appeared to have lost some of their privacy yesterday when the Supreme Court passed up its first opportunity to shore up a legal barrier against electronic intruders, Boston Globe (February 25, 2003)
Civil-Liberties Groups Fight to Stop Airline-Security Plan -
Civil-liberties groups, energized by Congress's rebuke of
a vast Pentagon antiterror-surveillance program, are gearing up to curtail a second system in the works to keep closer tabs on airline passengers, Wall Street Journal Online (paid subscription) (February 24, 2003)
Groups Across Spectrum Blast Anti-Terrorism Measure -
Anti-terrorism legislation spearheaded by Attorney General John Ashcroft is threatening individual rights and degrading the system of checks and balances on executive power, charge groups ranging from the conservative Eagle Forum to the liberal American Civil Liberties Union, McClatchy Newspapers (February 24, 2003)
Right, Left Join Forces to Fight New Anti-Terror Bill -
Anti-terrorism legislation spearheaded by Attorney General John Ashcroft is threatening individual rights and degrading the system of checks and balances on executive power, charge groups ranging from the conservative Eagle Forum to the liberal American Civil Liberties Union, Sacramento Bee (February 23, 2003)
GPS Grows as Spy Tool -
While GPS technology that uses satellites has been a boon to millions who don’t want to get lost, others are increasingly turning to the same technology to track people and keep an eye on them, Chicago Tribune via Rutland Herald (February 22, 2003)
Ashcroft Proposes Vast New Surveillance Powers -
Proposed legislation leaked to the Internet on Friday would criminalize some uses of encryption, and dramatically increase federal law enforcement's domestic spying powers, Business Week Online (February 12, 2003)
Ashcroft Proposes Vast New Surveillance Powers -
A sweeping new anti-terrorism bill drafted by the Justice Department would dramatically increase government electronic surveillance and data collection abilities, and impose the first-ever federal criminal penalties for using encryption in the U.S., Security Focus Online via Register (February 10, 2003)
Security Role for Traffic Cameras -
Security cameras will be able to zoom in on the faces of drivers entering London's congestion charge zone as part of a sophisticated 'ring of steel' around the capital, Observer (February 9, 2003)
Funds in Doubt for US Cyber-Spy Plan -
Privacy advocates from the political left and right are joining forces with Congress to stop funding of the Pentagon’s Total Information Awareness (TIA) program, a cyber-surveillance system labled by critics as a “supersnoop” system, Daily Times (February 8, 2003)
Ashcroft Proposes Vast New Surveillance Powers -
A sweeping new anti-terrorism bill drafted by the Justice Department would dramatically increase government electronic surveillance and data collection abilities, and impose the first-ever federal criminal penalties for using encryption in the U.S., Security Focus Online (February 7, 2003)
Bush Database Plan Raises Privacy Concerns -
A central repository for antiterrorist information could risk personal liberties, critics say, IDG News Service via PCWorld.com (February 7, 2003)
City Hearing Would Allow Evanston a Voice in War Debate -
The Evanston Human Relations Commission convenes a special hearing in a few weeks to consider whether to write a resolution condemning the USA Patriot Act and other attacks on civil liberties since Sept. 11, Daily Northwestern (February 7, 2003)
Bush Proposes Huge Antiterror Database -
A forthcoming government database will compile information from all federal agencies and the private sector on people deemed possible terrorist threats, President Bush said Tuesday evening, CNet via ZDNet (January 30, 2003)
Bush Backs Big Brother Database -
A forthcoming U.S. government database will compile information from all federal agencies and the private sector on people deemed possible terrorist threats, President Bush said in his State of the Union address, CNet via GlobeTechnology.com (January 30, 2003)
PANOPTICON: Government and Privacy in the New Millenium -
Panopticon: a word from the early 18th century; an idea from the mind of Jeremy Bentham, English civic philosopher and designer of prisons; an idea that has become central to American life in the 21st Century, sfindymedia.org (January 8, 2003)
Broader U.S. Spy Initiative Debated -
Even its name, some say, is ominous and Orwellian, conjuring up visions of Big Brother tracking your video rentals, prescriptions or e-mail: "Total Information Awareness", sunspot.net (Maryland) (January 5, 2003)
You Are Being Watched -
Every day, in dozens of ways and places, you leave a tell-tale trail, a stream of electrons and images leading those who know how to follow it directly to your front door, MetroWest DailyNews.com (January 5, 2003)
Big Brother is Watching -
From wealthy private homes to military installations, security cameras are going high tech, Mercury-News (January 5, 2003)
US on Hong Kong: Calling the Kettle Black -
A clear manifestation of US exceptionism is a December 27 editorial in the New York Times deploring "Hong Kong's current drive to enact insidious security legislation that threatens its people's freedoms", Asia Times Online (January 3, 2003)
Bush's Year of U.S. Surveillance -
It may seem unreasonable, unfair and downright mean-spirited to compare the Bush administration to the minions of Sauron, the granddaddy of evil in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Wired News (January 2, 2003)
Getting Smart About Predictive Intelligence -
If you want to get ready for the biggest technology debate of 2003, you should spend a few hours this week with Tom Cruise, digitalmass.boston.com (December 30, 2002)
Report From Silicon Valley/ The specter of total privacy invasion -
First it was Echelon, the super-secret global eavesdropping program run by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), and then Carnivore, the super-secret Internet-snooping program run by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Daily Yomiuri (December 23, 2002)
US Government Database Spy Site Fading Away -
Growing controversy around the US Defense Department's shadowy Total Information Awareness project may be the cause of the steady decrease in the project's virtual presence, CNET News.com via ZDNet (UK) (December 23, 2002)
Activists Target Pentagon Internet Information Head -
Internet activists have a message for John Poindexter, the head of a controversial Pentagon research project to find terrorists by searching the everyday transactions of Americans -- Threaten to invade our privacy, we'll invade yours, Associated Press via nzoom.com (December 22, 2002)
A Year to Forget -
Enron, WorldCom, United; the war between Hollywood and Silicon Valley; a droopy stock market; and more, more, more spam, salon.com (December 20, 2002)
Fear Not -
You know times are tough for civil libertarians when they find themselves defending the FBI's intelligence operations, American Prospect (December 18, 2002)
Will Database Seriously Erode Privacy Rights? -
The government says it is several years away from revving up a massive computer database that would scour Americans' personal and financial information in the name of hunting down foreign terrorists, Knight Ridder News via billingsgazette.com (December 16, 2002)
Oakland City Council Votes on Resolution to Oppose the USA PATRIOT Act and Executive Order -
The resolution, drafted by the Oakland Civil Rights Defense Committee, an open organization of Oakland residents, resolves that the City of Oakland shall not voluntarily cooperate with investigations, interrogations, or arrest procedures that are in violation of individuals' civil rights, sf.indymedia.org (December 15, 2002)
USA Patriot Act Isn't Just About Patriotism -
A recent story I wrote gave me a chance to learn a lot more about the USA Patriot Act, a subject I had not paid attention to since it was debated in Congress last year, djournal.com (December 15, 2002)
Homeland Insecurity: Is Your Privacy in Danger? -
When President Bush signed the Homeland Security bill into law Nov. 25, feedback was mostly positive, SF Gate (December 12, 2002)
New Tools for Domestic Spying, and Qualms -
When the Federal Bureau of Investigation grew concerned this spring that terrorists might attack using scuba gear, it set out to identify every person who had taken diving lessons in the previous three years, New York Times (December 12, 2002)
Traffic Cameras Could Help Solve Crimes -
It may seem impossible to pick out a serial killer roaming the highways of a sprawling metropolitan region, but the task is far from hopeless, The New York Times (December 9, 2002)
Hackers Fight Totalitarian Governments -
An international hacker organization has issued a software license that allows the group or its licensees to take governments to court if officials attempt to misuse the software to violate human rights or if they insert surveillance or "spyware" code into the programs, WorldNetDaily.com (December 7, 2002)
United States: Civil Liberties Groups Query Homeland Security Act -
The Homeland Security Act passed by Congress and signed by President George Bush last week has sparked a flood of criticism from privacy and civil liberties advocates, who argue that the bill may move the US closer to a police state, Monday Morning (Lebanon) (December 3, 2002)
Activists Seek Anti-INS Resolution -
Grass-roots organizers in Montgomery County want lawmakers to pass a resolution that would instruct police not to comply with the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service, Washington Times (December 2, 2002)
Life During Wartime -
The Homeland Security Act signed by President George W. Bush Nov. 25 is certain to make corporate America feel secure, cheery even, in this season of economic gloom, San Francisco Bay Guardian (November 27, 2002)
Fishing for Data -
To harness the vast information flow generated each day, scientists are developing sophisticated software that can instantly mine streaming data, such as videos, without ever needing to archive it, csmonitor.com (November 27, 2002)
Techsploitation: Totalitarian Information Awareness -
My favorite new example of authoritarian obfuscation has to be the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency's new techno-surveillance system Total Information Awareness, AlterNet.org (November 27, 2002)
Slashback: Salon, Privacy, Pricedrops -
Slashback with more on Salon's struggle to balance ads and subscriptions, online retailers versus online bargain hunters, the not-at-all-secret government proposal to obtain "Total Information Awareness" (including information about you), and more, slashdot.org (November 25, 2002)
Feds Link Computers to Enable Flow of Info -
The federal government is quietly assembling a group of databases that allow criminal investigators throughout the United States to easily share clues, San Diego Union-Tribune (November 25, 2002)
Massive Database Dragnet Explored -
Its name is Orwellian, its head has a notorious past, and its goal has civil libertarians and computer-privacy advocates in a frenzy: Let the government troll vast databases of credit-card transactions, medical records and other personal information for signs of terrorist activity, Mercury-News (November 21, 2002)
`Hactivists' Help Human-Rights Fight, Bit by Byte -
A hybrid has arrived at the intersection of human-rights activism and the derring-do of computer hacking, Chicago Tribune via CentreDaily.com (November 21, 2002)
Electronic ID Card to Start Trials Next Year -
The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Ministry and the Registration Administration Bureau (RAB) will introduce the country's first ID card equipped with a chip to store personal data by next April, according to ICT Minister Dr Surapong Suebwonglee, Bangkok Post (November 20, 2002)
War vs. Freedom? -
War is often the enemy of freedom, techcentralstation.com (November 12, 2002)
One in Five Major Firms Monitor E-mails by Staff -
More than one in five major Japanese companies monitor e-mail messages by executives and rank-and-file employees to block leaks of corporate secrets and customer information, according to a recent Kyodo News survey, Japan Times Online (November 10, 2002)
Pentagon Plans a Computer System That Would Peek at Personal Data of Americans -
The Pentagon is constructing a computer system that could create a vast electronic dragnet, searching for personal information as part of the hunt for terrorists around the globe — including the United States, New York Times (November 9, 2002)
Stage Set for Homeland Act -
As Congress prepares to reconvene in a lame-duck session after Tuesday's election, one of the largest pieces of legislation on the Senate's agenda is the controversial and deadlocked Homeland Security Act, which the House passed Sept. 9, Wired News (November 6, 2002)
iSee Charts Locations of Closed Circuit Television Cameras -
iSee is a web-based application charting the locations of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance cameras in urban environments, appliedautonomy.com (October 31, 2002)
An Electronic Cop That Plays Hunches -
Officials building a case against the Washington-area sniper suspects are using a new investigative tool to help trace their movements across the country, New York Times (October 28, 2002)
Internet Providers Say No to Blunkett -
The internet industry has refused to sign up to plans to give law enforcement and intelligence agencies access to the records of British web and email users, throwing David Blunkett's post-September 11 data surveillance regime into fresh disarray, The Guardian (U.K.) (October 22, 2002)
This is One Real Life Truman Show -
Computer databases already have a lot on us - credit cards keep track of airline ticket purchases and car rentals, supermarket discount programmes know our eating habits, libraries track books checked out and schools record our grades and enrolment, AP via The Economic Times (October 22, 2002)
Activists Protest Police Cameras -
Activists and civil libertarians say snapping cameras and whirring camcorders at demonstrations intimidate people who disagree with the government and should be regulated by the state, MaineToday.com (October 21, 2002)
Surveillance Cameras Play Increasing Role as Investigation Tool -
For years, the electronic eyes of surveillance cameras have stared from banks, traffic intersections, stores and countless other perches, CNN.com (October 21, 2002)
Activists Protest Police Cameras -
Activists and civil libertarians say snapping cameras and whirring camcorders at demonstrations intimidate people who disagree with the government and should be regulated by the state, Associated Press via Kennebec Journal (October 21, 2002)
Sounding Out Snipers -
Military researchers have been experimenting with counter-sniper systems designed to help soldiers spot a hidden assassin, ABCNews.com (October 18, 2002)
DOJ Describes Its Cybersurveillance (Sort Of) -
The Justice Department's implementation of the Patriot Act may satisfy a congressional inquiry, but privacy advocates want specifics on how the feds are safeguarding privacy while fighting terrorism, PCWorld.com (October 17, 2002)
GPS: Keeping Cons Out of Jail -
An electronic tracking system that follows suspects and criminals around their neighborhoods and compares the information to current crimes has received, of all things, the stamp of approval from the American Civil Liberties Union, Wired.com (October 15, 2002)
Appeals Court OKs Fax Intercepts -
FBI agents were not overzealous when conducting electronic surveillance against members of anti-government group the Montana Freemen, a federal appeals court has ruled, CNET News.com (October 14, 2002)
How Mobile Phones Let Spies See Our Every Move -
Secret radar technology research that will allow the biggest-ever extension of 'Big Brother'-style surveillance in the UK is being funded by the Government, The Guardian Unlimited (October 13, 2002)
Lazarus at Large: The Spy's Way to Watch TV -
I don't know where America's war on terror is actually being fought but wherever it is, a small San Mateo software company is on the front lines, San Francisco Chronicle (October 11, 2002)
No Cyborg Nation Without FDA's OK -
In May, three members of a Florida family were implanted with ID chips, sparking an international debate over the implications of the technology, Wired News (October 8, 2002)
GAO Study on Employee Computer Monitoring Released -
A newly released study from the U.S. General Accounting
Office finds that large corporations commonly monitor
employee email and web use, GAO (September 1, 2002)
Feds Open 'Total' Tech Spy System -
Had Winston Churchill been alive in the months subsequent to Sept. 11 he might well have described U.S. intelligence agencies' performance prior to the attack thusly: Never have so many known so much and done so little, Wired (August 7, 2002)
More May Lose Jobs Due to Vulgar E-mail -
More state employees are expected to be fired for using state computers to distribute e-mail messages involving vulgar jokes and cartoons, state and union officials said Monday, DesMoinesRegister.com (July 30, 2002)
Learning to Love Big Brother: George W. Bush Channels George Orwell -
As President Bush wages his war against terrorism and moves to create a huge homeland security apparatus, he appears to be borrowing heavily, if not ripping off ideas outright, from George Orwell, SFGate.com (July 28, 2002)
School Criticised For Fingerprinting Pupils -
Civil liberties groups have criticised schools for using a hi-tech thumb-scanning device to counter the problem of lost library cards, EducationGuardian.co.uk (July 25, 2002)
DC Police Use Surveillance Cameras on the Fourth of July -
The United States Park Police and District of Columbia Police operated video surveillance cameras during the Fourth of July festivities on the National Mall, EPIC Report (July 11, 2002)
Beware the Cyber Cops -
Even with safeguards, allowing the government to store Internet traffic is an awful idea, Forbes.com (July 8, 2002)
Rental Car Tracking Spurs Suit -
Budget charged drivers for going past boundaries, Arizona Daily Star (July 6, 2002)
Virginia Beach Installs Face-Recognition Cameras -
Fourth of July beach-goers in Virginia Beach, Va., probably won't take much notice of the 13 cameras positioned over popular pedestrian walkways, but the cameras will notice them, automatically recording and comparing their faces to images of suspected criminals and runaways, Washington Post (July 3, 2002)
Airlines Plan Quick System For Identifying Passengers -
Several airlines have begun working on plans for a passenger identification system that would rely on background checks, fingerprints, iris scans and high-tech IDs to verify individuals' identities and speed security screening at airports, The Washington Post (June 22, 2002)
Better Encryption Systems Give FBI New Challenges -
With a congressional license to expand its surveillance capabilities, the FBI is working to keep up with ever-evolving encryption systems used by terrorists and criminals, The Daily Texan via U-WIRE.com (June 14, 2002)
FBI Powers May Feed Cyberspying -
Internet privacy advocates alarmed by broad new surveillance powers given to the Department of Justice say it's only a matter of time before FBI cyberspying explodes to new levels ? and they are looking at the mythical "Magic Lantern" as the next Trojan horse of e-spying, FOXNews.com (June 14, 2002)
FDA Launches Investigation Into VeriChip -
City police, criticized for photographing a post-Sept. 11 peace vigil, have agreed not to videotape or photograph demonstrations unless there is a legitimate reason, ABCnews.com (May 17, 2002)
Press Coverage of Implanted Chips Distorted? -
As "Good Morning America," "Inside Edition," and "The CBS Evening News" televise the much-hyped "chipping" of eight individuals starting today, Lee Tien, the senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is speaking out passionately about what many experts believe are serious threats posed by implanting chips in humans – threats he says are not being adequately portrayed by the major media., WorldNetDaily (May 10, 2002)
Hawaii Halts Use of Traffic Cameras -
Gov. Ben Cayetano on Wednesday ordered a halt to the use of cameras to catch speeders, a safety measure many Hawaii motorists considered so underhanded they tried to subvert the system. Cayetano said the Legislature was about to repeal the program anyway. "The traffic van cam law is the creation of the Legislature, and if they want to now cancel the program it will be canceled," he said in a statement. The van-mounted cameras, introduced on Oahu two months ago and operated by a private company, were coupled with radar and automatically photographed a speeder's license plate. A ticket was then issued by mail to the car's owner, Yahoo! News (April 10, 2002)
Police Propose DC Area Video Surveillance Rules -
Police released a draft of proposed internal regulations on video surveillance, but a key lawmaker said that the guidelines are too vague and that legislation is needed to govern law enforcement use of the expanding technology. In a four-page document circulated to D.C. Council members, police officials propose limits for a computerized video monitoring system that is emerging as one of the nation's most extensive, Newsbytes at Washington Post (April 10, 2002)
I've Got a Chip Under My Skin -
Companies are allowed to market computer ID chips which can be embedded under a person's skin in the US, after the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the technology its qualified approval, The Register (April 5, 2002)
Airport Face-Recognition Systems No Safety Panacea -
Face recognition technology is being touted as a powerful weapon in the war on terrorism, but its potential for spotting criminals before they set foot on commercial airliners is overblown, according to experts who have tested so-called biometric systems, Computeruser (April 1, 2002)
Total Information Awareness (TIA) System -
The goal of the Total Information Awareness (TIA) program is to revolutionize the ability of the United States to detect, classify and identify foreign terrorists – and decipher their plans – and thereby enable the U.S. to take timely action to successfully preempt and defeat terrorist acts, Information Awareness Office (March 21, 2002)
D.I.R.T. Spyware Exposed on Web -
Software marketed as a computer surveillance tool for law enforcement investigators has its secrets laid bare on an anonymous Web site, Security Focus Online (March 14, 2002)
Big John Wants Your Reading List -
The FBI, armed with a warrant or subpoena from the FISA court, can demand from bookstores and libraries the names of books bought or borrowed by anyone suspected of involvement in "international terrorism" or "clandestine activities", Salon.com (March 6, 2002)
Criminal Lineups Use Drivers' Photos -
Ever been in a criminal lineup? Maybe you haven't, but the picture on your driver's license might have, and could be in the future. Legislation to restrict law enforcement's use of face-recognition technology shed new light Tuesday on the practice, which surprised many people. Law enforcement routinely scans the state's driver's license photographs to find look-alikes for criminal photo lineups. Senator wants state practice stopped as invasion of privacy, Denver Post (March 6, 2002)
Virginia Won't Enact Limits on Facecams -
A bill that would have required a judge's approval to use facial-recognition software was shelved yesterday by a Senate panel, leaving localities unchecked in implementing the technology. Virginia Beach plans to start using the software to find felons and runaways beginning May 31, but House Majority Leader Delegate H. Morgan Griffith said better safeguards are needed to ensure the technology is not abused, Washington Times (March 5, 2002)
Virginia Won't Enact Limits on Facecams -
A bill that would have required a judge's approval to use facial-recognition software was shelved yesterday by a Senate panel, leaving localities unchecked in implementing the technology, The Washington Times (March 5, 2002)
NPR on Facecams -
Keep smiling -- you no longer know when you may be on camera. Video cameras are popping up in public parks, playgrounds and on street corners in cities throughout the nation. Post 9-11, has the use of high-tech cameras become a necessary security precaution or an invasion of privacy? A debate on National Public Radio's Justice Talking puts that question to Electronic Privacy Information Center Director Marc Rotenberg and security expert Robert J. Castelli, advocates who hold opposing views on video surveillance and face recognition technology, Justice Talking (February 25, 2002)
Drivers Face Road Charge by Satellite -
All cars will be fitted with a 'big brother' satellite tracking meter to charge drivers up to 45p a mile for every journey taken under radical plans to slash congestion on British roads. The scheme, proposed by the Government's independent transport advisers, would see drivers handed monthly bills charging them for every single journey, Observer (February 24, 2002)
Privacy Questions -
New technologies to provide remote control of people's houses via the Internet are fueling concerns over the future of individual privacy. Some of these technologies are being promoted by the Internet Home Alliance, a trade organization whose membership list includes General Motors, Sun Microsystems, Panasonic, Sears Roebuck and Hewlett-Packard. One such system, named Onstar at Home, allows a person to use the Internet and thereby alter home thermostats, turn on house lights and even open front doors. Onstar's setup also includes a web camera to photograph whatever is going on inside a given house. Concern is growing as to what effect these devices will have on privacy. In its published answers to Frequently Asked Questions, the IHA has admitted that "[n]o pilot programs are currently planned that address" the potential privacy implications of the technologies it is attempting to foster, Internet Home Alliance (February 24, 2002)
Big John Wants Your Reading List -
The FBI, armed with a warrant or subpoena from the FISA court, can demand from bookstores and libraries the names of books bought or borrowed by anyone suspected of involvement in "international terrorism" or "clandestine activities", The Village Voice (February 22, 2002)
Beefed-Up Global Surveillance? -
The Council of Europe, which includes nearly all European nations, is meeting this week to prepare additions to a controversial "cybercrime" treaty that would cover decoding terrorist messages. The United States, Canada and Japan are non-voting members of the council. Peter Csonka, the head of the Council of Europe's economic crime division, said when the drafting process for the so-called Second Protocol is complete, the document will address "how to identify, how to filter, and how to trace communications between terrorists", Wired.com (February 20, 2002)
Too Much Surveillance Means Too Little Freedom -
These used to be the Great Unwatched, free people conducting their private lives; now they are under close surveillance by hundreds of hidden cameras.A zoom lens enables the watchers to focus on the face of a tourist walking toward the Washington Monument or Lincoln Memorial. The monitoring system is already linked to 200 cameras in public schools. The watchers plan to expand soon into an equal number in the subways and parks. A private firm profits by photographing cars running red lights; those images will also join the surveillance network, International Herald Tribune (February 19, 2002)
Body of Evidence -
Biometrics turns your face, hand, or eye into your badge of identity, US News (February 18, 2002)
Scanning Tech a Blurry Picture -
Iris-scanning and face-matching technologies don't work nearly as well as their manufacturers have claimed, the Department of Defense has discovered, Wired (February 16, 2002)
Real Audio: Smart Cards and Biometrics -
The “Smart Cards and Biometrics: An Appropriate Answer to Terrorism” conference provided an excellent insight into the ongoing debate over national security and the public’s right to privacy. All three panelists presented clear and comprehensive arguments for and against smart cards and biometrics. While everyone in the room was clearly concerned over the privacy violation smart cards and biometrics as security measures pose to the general public, the panelists were not completely abolishing the idea of introducing such safety measures into society, but rather wanted to show the audience that these measures were merely “quick fixes” to the problem, not real solutions, PC3 Village (January 29, 2002)
More Power to Listen to Private Telephone Conversations? -
Gov. Gray Davis' controversial bid to give state and local law enforcement more power to listen to private telephone conversations was dealt a setback Tuesday as the state's legislative counsel concluded that California does not have the authority under federal law for such wide-ranging surveillance, Mercury News via SiliconValley.com (January 15, 2002)
High Court OKs Video Surveillance Suit -
The Supreme Court cleared the way Monday for employees of a trucking company to pursue an invasion-of-privacy suit against the company, which installed video surveillance cameras in bathrooms, USA Today (January 7, 2002)
Camera Surveillance Systems for Taxis -
In Perth, Australia, where camera surveillance was made mandatory for taxicabs, attacks against cab drivers and other major troubles were reduced by 60% one year after the introduction. The prime reason for this was that the attacker had to take his identification for granted. The first offenders in Germany have already been arrested with the help of taxi cameras. 7 murders in 1998, another 2 this year in the German taxicab industry and the incomparably higher number of assaults and robberies should get everybody in the industry to have a closer look at this crime deterrent, Ventil Taxi Magazin (January 1, 2002)
What's Our National Identity? -
Oracle's Larry Ellison and Harvard's Allen Dershowitz have been all over the media recently pitching a National ID Card. One poll indicates 70% public support for the notion, Sierra Times (December 6, 2001)
Facial Recognition Technology Approved at Va. Beach -
Facial recognition technology, which uses cameras to scan people on the street and in crowds and compares faces to ones in a computer database of suspected criminals, will be coming to the Virginia Beach oceanfront, WVEC.com (November 13, 2001)
Oakland to Be First U.S. Airport to Use Face-Recognition ID System -
Oakland International Airport announced Wednesday it will become the first airport in the country to use face-recognition technology, capturing the contours of travelers' eye sockets and nose curvatures on film, then comparing the images to a law enforcement database, ZDNet News (November 2, 2001)
ACLU of Massachusetts Letter Regarding Facial Recognition Technology at Logan Airport -
The ACLU of Massachusetts wrote a letter to Boston's Logan Airport management regarding reports that the airport was considering installation of facial recognition technology, ZDNet News (November 2, 2001)
ACLU: Face-Recognition Systems Won't Work -
As U.S. airports begin installing face-recognition systems to thwart terrorism in the wake of the September 11 attacks, civil rights activists are rushing to decry the technology as ineffective and invasive, ZDNet News (November 2, 2001)
ACLU Warns Of Face Recognition Pitfalls -
The American Civil Liberties Union is urging airport security officials to consider the limitations of face-recognition technology before rushing to install the systems as a hedge against terrorism, Washington Post (November 2, 2001)
U. Maryland Police Add High-Tech Monitoring Equipment to Campus -
Five years after University of Maryland Police first began installing and monitoring a handful of cameras around the campus, the department moved into a new facility last week that will include a high-tech system monitoring more than 400 cameras and card-readers on the campus, The Diamondback / U-Wire (October 29, 2001)
T.F. Green Airport to Install Face-Recognition Technology -
T.F. Green Airport will become one of the first airports in the country to deploy face-recognition technology in the war on terrorism, AP via Boston.com (October 27, 2001)
Oakland to Be First U.S. Airport to Use Face-Recognition ID System -
Oakland International Airport announced Wednesday it will become the first airport in the country to use face-recognition technology, capturing the contours of travelers' eye sockets and nose curvatures on film, then comparing the images to a law enforcement database, Mercury News via SiliconValley.com (October 17, 2001)
Sedation Anew? -
Prosecutors seeking to hold people they suspect were in the early stages of terrorist plots may turn anew to a very old weapon - the Civil War-era law on sedition, Yahoo Daily News (November 8, 2001)
Let's Listen In -
The Justice Department has decided to listen in on the conversations of lawyers with clients in federal custody, including people who have been detained but not charged with any crime, whenever that is deemed necessary to prevent violence or terrorism, Washington Post (November 8, 2001)
Using Sedition Law Gives Government Greater Latitude -
The U.S. government is relying on a seldom-used but powerful legal tool, an 18th-century law on sedition, to investigate the Sept. 11 terror attacks, AP via SF Gate (November 8, 2001)
Airport Face-Recognition Systems No Safety Panacea -
Face recognition technology is being touted as a powerful weapon in the war on terrorism, but its potential for spotting criminals before they set foot on commercial airliners is overblown, according to experts who have tested so-called biometric systems, Reuters via Yahoo! Finance (October 8, 2001)
Being Watched: A Cautionary Tale for a New Age of Surveillance -
The surveillance society that seemed unthinkable in the United States prior to the September 11 attacks is already the reality in Britain, New York Times (October 7, 2001)
Davis Signs Bill Establishing Yellow-Light Times -
Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation Friday to fight "speed traps" by requiring minimum yellow-light intervals at intersections equipped with red-light cameras, Sacramento Bee (charge for retrieval) (October 6, 2001)
Canada's Privacy Commish: Video Surveillance a "Threat" to Privacy -
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada, George Radwanski, today released the following letter of finding to David Loukidelis, Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia, following an investigation of video surveillance activities by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Kelowna, B.C., Politech (October 6, 2001)
Canada's Privacy Commish: Video Surveillance a "Threat" to Privacy -
The Commish noted in passing that in finding this sort of video surveillance to be unacceptable from the point of view of privacy rights, my position is consistent with that of the Québec Information and Privacy Commissioner who had investigated a similar surveillance activity in the City of Sherbrooke in 1992. The Québec Commissioner concluded that the City of Sherbrooke contravened the Québec privacy legislation by "systematically collecting nominative information on video tape when it was not necessary for the carrying out of its duties or the implementation of a program under its management", Politech (October 4, 2001)
Face Recognition Useless for Crowd Surveillance -
Anyone offended by the Orwellian implications of using face-recognition technology to scan airport crowds for terrorists can take heart in the fact that the technology is, quite simply, worthless in that situation, The Register (September 27, 2001)
Facial Recognition System Considered for U.S. Airports -
Government and aviation officials are poised to begin using facial recognition systems to scan airport terminals for suspected terrorists, Washington Times (September 24, 2001)
Unlikely Allies Fight New Surveillance Tool -
Stroll down the streets of Ybor City, a national historic landmark district where wrought-iron balconies curve around old brick buildings, and you may not notice the little cream-colored cameras suspended on poles above your head, Sacramento Bee (charge for retrieval) (September 9, 2001)
Roseville Police Consider Use of Cameras at Problem Intersections -
In an effort to discourage motorists from running red lights in the city, the Roseville Police Department is considering using cameras to enforce red-light violations, Sacramento Bee (August 12, 2001)
Rigging Traffic Lights Hurts Safety -
When Mesa, Arizona, added about a second of yellow time to traffic lights at several intersections, there was a 73 percent reduction in red light entries—and a major drop in accidents, so the city subsequently ditched the automated cameras it used to monitor intersections and send out automated tickets, Detroit News (August 12, 2001)
Car Fetish -
Although MPD officials insist that using cameras to reduce speeding is effective, they know it's mostly about money: The MPD and its corporate partner, Lockheed Martin IMS—which provides the cameras and processes the paperwork—estimate that they will rake in a total of $160 million from traffic fines by 2004, Washington City Paper (August 10, 2001)
Reporters Scowl at Face Scanners -
In an attempt to allay growing public concern, defenders of face-recognition software for video cameras gathered in the nation's capital on Wednesday, Wired News (August 9, 2001)
'They Made Me Feel Like a Criminal' -
He was just having lunch in Ybor City when a surveillance camera captured his image and weeks later, the police show up, St. Petersburg Times (August 8, 2001)
Arguments, Pro and Con, on Ybor City Spy in the Sky -
19 citizens addressed the Tampa City Council on Thursday on the topic of using face-recognition software to scan the public streets of Ybor City, St. Petersburg Times (July 20, 2001)
Click. BEEP! Face Captured -
Surveillance cameras and face-scanning software have not been met with silence in Ybor City as about 100 masked protesters compared the system to Big Brother, St. Petersburg Times (July 19, 2001)
City Council Splits on Ybor Cameras, Greco to Have Last Word -
The Tampa City Council took a fully-informed look at Ybor City's controversial high-tech face-scanning software, Bay News (July 19, 2001)
Cameras May Help Identify Profiling Cases -
Considering the seeming or real proliferation of citizen complaints about racial profiling, the Seattle City Council's unanimous decision to experiment with video cameras in police cars comes none too soon, Seattle Post-Intelligencer (July 18, 2001)
Smart Cameras at Casinos Spark a Debate on Privacy -
Most casino gamblers realize they are being watched by hidden cameras, but many may not know about technology that analyzes facial features as distinctly as a fingerprint, San Diego Union Tribune (July 17, 2001)
Tampa Gets Ready For Its Closeup -
Thanks to the city's latest crime prevention program, Tampa residents and visitors are captured on film — not by friends or loved ones, but by automated cameras, Time Magazine (July 16, 2001)
Cameras Are a Proven Deterrent With Red-Light Runners -
Article raises the specter of damage caused by red-light runners, Sacramento Bee (charge for retrieval) (June 21, 2001)
Red-Light Photos Are Just the Beginning -
Do we want to submit to constant monitoring by the government - or do we value our right to some degree of privacy in public spaces more than catching scofflaws? Sacramento Bee (charge for retrieval) (June 20, 2001)
Red-Light Cameras Take New Hit -
A bug in San Diego's red-light camera system that resulted in 5,000 canceled tickets has energized camera critics who say the glitch casts doubts on red-light systems in other jurisdictions, Sacramento Bee (charge for retrieval) (June 9, 2001)
Seeing Red Over 'Gotcha' Camera -
At one point, it generated $10,000 a day in fines, snapping pictures of dozens of drivers who were caught in the act, but now it turns out that the most active camera in the District's war against red-light runners--billing $1.5 million in just over six months--is a high-tech trap for motorists, Washington Post (May 19, 2001)
Devious Beaverton Red Light Cameras May Come to Portland -
Television programs in Beaverton, Oregon, report that red lights with cameras have comparatively shorter yellow light timing, and such cameras may be coming in Portland, KOIN 6 News (May 18, 2001)
Peace Calls Traffic Camera 'Cash Cow' -
More than 25,000 citations have been issued by a red-light camera at one intersection over 18 months, generating more than $6.8 million in fines and, at that intersection, the city cited one-fourth of the 107,000 motorists caught by its 18 red-light cameras, yet data from the same time show no accident reduction, San Diego Tribune (May 5, 2001)
Issue of Red-Light Cameras Heats Up -
The chairman of the state Senate's Privacy Committee lashed out against red-light cameras Wednesday, likening the technology to the "classic Southern sheriff who sets up the speed trap, Sacramento Bee (charge for retrieval) (April 26, 2001)
Yellow Lights Not Timed to Make You Break Law -
Sherry Jackson walked out to her mailbox last fall and discovered a few black-and-whites of Jackson, in her van, in the middle of the intersection of J Street and Alhambra Boulevard after the light had turned red, Sacramento Bee (April 16, 2001)
Terrorism Fears Push Md. Toward Wider Police Power -
Maryland's House of Delegates is preparing to pass anti-terrorism legislation today that would dramatically expand the ability of police to tap phones and eavesdrop on the e-mail and Internet activity of suspected criminals -- part of a deluge of terror-busting measures under consideration in nearly every state capital, Washington Post (March 24, 2001)
New Zealand 'Interception' Laws To Cover ISPs -
New Zealand telecommunications network operators and Internet service providers will be legally obligated to install a system that will allow police or the secret service to eavesdrop on phone calls or e-mail messages, the New Zealand government has confirmed, Newsbytes at Washington Post (March 21, 2001)
Smile, You're On Scan Camera -
When football fans learned that their faces were scanned and compared to mugshots of common criminals at this year's Super Bowl, many were outraged, Wired News (March 14, 2001)
D.I.R.T. Spyware Exposed on Web -
A closely-held software package designed to allow law enforcement agencies to secretly monitor a suspect's computer turned up on an anonymous Web site in the Netherlands Wednesday, along with user manuals, financial information, contracts and invoices apparently stolen from the company that makes the surveillance tool. Frank Jones, founder of New York-based Codex Data Systems, blamed unnamed critics in the security and hacking community for the exposure of his company's spyware product, called D.I.R.T. (Data Interception by Remote Transmission). But Jones downplayed the significance of the leak, dismissing the documents as outdated and obsolete, and emphasizing that the program won't run properly without a software key -- which is not including in the trove of purloined files, Security Focus Online (March 14, 2001)
Beaverton Red Light Cameras -
Television report in Beaverton, Oregon, reports that red lights with cameras have comparatively shorter yellow light timing, KOIN 6 News (RAM video format) (February 14, 2001)
Snooper Bowl? Biometrics Used at the Super Bowl to Detect Criminals in Crowd -
As 100,000 fans stepped through the turnstiles at Super Bowl XXXV, a camera snapped their image and matched it against a computerized police lineup of known criminals, from pickpockets to international terrorists, AP via ABCNews.com (February 13, 2001)
Call It Super Bowl Face Scan I -
When tens of thousands of football fans packed into a Florida stadium for Super Bowl XXXV, they weren't merely watching the game: They were also being watched, Wired News (February 2, 2001)
An Introduction to Evaluating Biometric Systems -
How and where biometric systems are deployed will depend on their performance. Knowing what to ask and how to decipher the answers can help you evaluate the performance of these emerging technologies, Computer (February 1, 2001)
ACLU: Face-Recognition Systems Won't Work -
As government officials have said, they could be anywhere. Which means they must be sought out everywhere. Airports around the country are preparing to install the facial-screening system being tested at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport. The facial scans are part of a far-reaching shift in the nature and purpose of American high technology, a change hastened by the Sept. 11 attacks, LA Times (January 19, 2001)
Folsom Eyes Red-Light Cameras -
The Folsom City Council on Tuesday directed staff members to study the use of automated photo systems to enforce red-light violations at traffic signals, Sacramento Bee (January 14, 2001)
The Government is Using Your Driver's License to Play Big Brother -
Driving is a privilege, not a right. But it's a privilege that has become a virtual necessity. For many Americans, a driver's license is a also license to earn a living, see friends, go shopping, and get away from it all on the weekends. Take away that card, and people will do almost anything to get it back, Wired (February 1, 1994)