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Apr 24 15 10:04 PM
Like I said right at the beginning of the Snowden revelations….. the rich people behind the politicians, and all those politicians are rich too, want the edge on everyone….. to spend literally trillions of dollars on all the spying apparatuses around the world long before Islamic terrorists came along, they are not going to end it….. The only way I can see to foil all the spying is for tech companies.... not one or two, but all of them, do something about it.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said in a radio interview on Tuesday that he supports President Obama's decision to continue the National Security Agency's metadata collection program. The presumed presidential candidate appeared on "The Michael Medved Show," a nationally-syndicated radio program, while visiting Seattle for a fundraiser for his PAC, Right to Rise. Asked by Medved what he thinks is the biggest accomplishment of the Obama administration, Bush gave the president credit for sticking with the NSA's bulk collection of phone call times and other "metadata," a move that he said has led to the agency "being enhanced." "Advancing this -- even though he never defends it, even though he never openly admits it -- there has been a continuation of a very important service, which is the first obligation I think of our national government, is to keep us safe," he said. "And the technologies that now can be applied to make that so, while protecting civil liberties, are there. He's not abandoned them even though there was some indication that he might."
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said in a radio interview on Tuesday that he supports President Obama's decision to continue the National Security Agency's metadata collection program.
The presumed presidential candidate appeared on "The Michael Medved Show," a nationally-syndicated radio program, while visiting Seattle for a fundraiser for his PAC, Right to Rise.
Asked by Medved what he thinks is the biggest accomplishment of the Obama administration, Bush gave the president credit for sticking with the NSA's bulk collection of phone call times and other "metadata," a move that he said has led to the agency "being enhanced."
"Advancing this -- even though he never defends it, even though he never openly admits it -- there has been a continuation of a very important service, which is the first obligation I think of our national government, is to keep us safe," he said. "And the technologies that now can be applied to make that so, while protecting civil liberties, are there. He's not abandoned them even though there was some indication that he might."
Read more @ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/04/21/bush-credits-obama-for-continuing-nsas-metadata-program/
In a move likely to re-ignite public debate in America over electronic spying, Republicans have introduced a bill in the Senate to extend a controversial law empowering the government’s bulk collection of U.S. telephone records. President Barack Obama and many in Congress want to retain the mass data-collection program as a national security tool but want substantial changes in the program, which was secret until disclosed two years ago by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is sponsoring a bill to extend until Dec. 31, 2020, a provision of the USA Patriot Act that the National Security Agency used to collect and store vast quantities of “metadata” charting telephone calls made by Americans. The law is due to expire on June 1. Republicans said they would expedite Senate consideration of McConnell’s bill, which was submitted late on Tuesday, by sending it directly to the Senate floor rather than considering it first in committee. Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, acknowledged that prospects for the bill’s passage were uncertain but said it would establish the parameters for debate. The NSA program to collect and analyze telephone metadata was authorized by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
In a move likely to re-ignite public debate in America over electronic spying, Republicans have introduced a bill in the Senate to extend a controversial law empowering the government’s bulk collection of U.S. telephone records.
President Barack Obama and many in Congress want to retain the mass data-collection program as a national security tool but want substantial changes in the program, which was secret until disclosed two years ago by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is sponsoring a bill to extend until Dec. 31, 2020, a provision of the USA Patriot Act that the National Security Agency used to collect and store vast quantities of “metadata” charting telephone calls made by Americans. The law is due to expire on June 1.
Republicans said they would expedite Senate consideration of McConnell’s bill, which was submitted late on Tuesday, by sending it directly to the Senate floor rather than considering it first in committee.
Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, acknowledged that prospects for the bill’s passage were uncertain but said it would establish the parameters for debate.
The NSA program to collect and analyze telephone metadata was authorized by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Read more @ http://recode.net/2015/04/22/senate-republicans-move-to-extend-nsa-power-to-collect-phone-data/
MUNICH – Decix, the largest internet traffic exchange point (IXP) worldwide, has had it with the snoops. Today (23 April), the Frankfurt company confirmed a report by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung that it will file a complaint at the German Federal Administrative Court against the obligation to grant broad access to the German Intelligence Service (BND) to the traffic transiting its large switches. Decix management thinks the constitutionality of the activities is highly questionable and the G10 legislation (allowing for preventive surveillance under certain conditions) is not adapted to an international IP communication network. New revelations today that the US National Security Administration (NSA) used the data collected by the BND to spy on politicians and companies in Germany and the EU companies like EADS, Eurocopter and French authorities fired the renewed debate in Berlin. Around 650 large and small network providers from all over the world exchange their IP traffic at the Decix. The amount of data exchanged via the so-called switches in the 18 data centers around Frankfurt are stunning: 3.9 terabit/second during peak times. The exchange point is prepared to allow for as much as 13 terabit/second in the future. With all that data flowing through the Frankfurt Switches, it is an attractive point to tap for intelligence services and the company has to provide facilities for legal interception.
MUNICH – Decix, the largest internet traffic exchange point (IXP) worldwide, has had it with the snoops. Today (23 April), the Frankfurt company confirmed a report by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung that it will file a complaint at the German Federal Administrative Court against the obligation to grant broad access to the German Intelligence Service (BND) to the traffic transiting its large switches. Decix management thinks the constitutionality of the activities is highly questionable and the G10 legislation (allowing for preventive surveillance under certain conditions) is not adapted to an international IP communication network. New revelations today that the US National Security Administration (NSA) used the data collected by the BND to spy on politicians and companies in Germany and the EU companies like EADS, Eurocopter and French authorities fired the renewed debate in Berlin.
Around 650 large and small network providers from all over the world exchange their IP traffic at the Decix. The amount of data exchanged via the so-called switches in the 18 data centers around Frankfurt are stunning: 3.9 terabit/second during peak times. The exchange point is prepared to allow for as much as 13 terabit/second in the future. With all that data flowing through the Frankfurt Switches, it is an attractive point to tap for intelligence services and the company has to provide facilities for legal interception.
Read more @ http://www.ip-watch.org/2015/04/24/largest-internet-exchange-point-announces-complaint-against-snooping/
Google (GOOGL) Chairman Eric Schmidt boasted on Wednesday about how improving the encryption of Google's products has successfully shut out warrantless surveillance by the NSA and other law enforcement. Schmidt talked about the encryption advances, and how former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's leaks prompted them, at BoxDev, a yearly developers conference for Box. "When the Snowden revelations came out, we were very, very upset," Schmidt told Aaron Levie, CEO of Box. "They never said anything to us. So we embarked upon a program to fully encrypt the information that our customers entrusted to us." Encryption makes it very difficult or impossible for information passed electronically to be deciphered, either by the NSA or even by the company doing the encryption. Snowden's leaks showed how the NSA uses warrantless mass surveillance of metadata, which Schmidt argued went beyond proper use of the Patriot Act. He and other tech company leaders started boosting their encryption to keep the security agencies from being able to read any email or communication without a warrant. Now encryption is not just a Google project, and it appears to be working. "Apple and others did the same," Schmidt said. "And we know our program works, because all the people doing the snooping are complaining about it." He's right about that. FBI Director James Comey told Congress that they should ban phone encryption because of how it helps criminals get away with their crimes. The surveillance is party of what the tech and Internet industry wants to see changed in the Patriot Act and why they are hoping it won't be renewed in its present form.
Google (GOOGL) Chairman Eric Schmidt boasted on Wednesday about how improving the encryption of Google's products has successfully shut out warrantless surveillance by the NSA and other law enforcement. Schmidt talked about the encryption advances, and how former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's leaks prompted them, at BoxDev, a yearly developers conference for Box.
"When the Snowden revelations came out, we were very, very upset," Schmidt told Aaron Levie, CEO of Box. "They never said anything to us. So we embarked upon a program to fully encrypt the information that our customers entrusted to us."
Encryption makes it very difficult or impossible for information passed electronically to be deciphered, either by the NSA or even by the company doing the encryption. Snowden's leaks showed how the NSA uses warrantless mass surveillance of metadata, which Schmidt argued went beyond proper use of the Patriot Act. He and other tech company leaders started boosting their encryption to keep the security agencies from being able to read any email or communication without a warrant. Now encryption is not just a Google project, and it appears to be working.
"Apple and others did the same," Schmidt said. "And we know our program works, because all the people doing the snooping are complaining about it."
He's right about that. FBI Director James Comey told Congress that they should ban phone encryption because of how it helps criminals get away with their crimes. The surveillance is party of what the tech and Internet industry wants to see changed in the Patriot Act and why they are hoping it won't be renewed in its present form.
Read more @ http://dcinno.streetwise.co/2015/04/22/how-google-googl-keeps-the-nsa-out-of-your-data/
Crowds gathered Thursday at the University of the District of Columbia law school for a lecture given by Ben Wizner, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. Wizner also represents NSA contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden. Wizner has litigated cases involving post-9/11 civil liberties abuses as well as challenging airport security policies, watch lists, torture, and extraordinary rendition. He began the evening discussing how he never intended to work with the ACLU, as when he was in law school, he never dreamed the abuses he's currently fighting would be happening in the United States. "…and then 9-11 happened and Cheney was the president for 8 years and our civil liberties became very important again," he stated. He discussed how he took on the case of a German citizen, Khaled El-Masri, who was mistakenly handed over to the CIA after a mix up regarding his name. “If you ask someone ‘what rights should terrorists have?’ most people would say none, but if you present a mistake that was made [regarding] a clearly innocent man, then the conversation can be different.” Wizner also discussed the case of Jose Padilla, an American citizen arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, who was taken into custody and held as a material witness after the September 11 attacks.Former CIA Director Petraeus Gets Two Years Probation for Leaking State Secrets Upon realizing that there was no evidence to hold him, Wizner said, the authorities transferred Padilla to military prison as an “enemy combatant,” where he was tortured until he was nearly catatonic. “The court today held that Donald Rumsfeld is above the law and Jose Padilla is beneath it. But if the law does not protect Jose Padilla, it protects none of us, and the executive branch can simply label citizens enemies of the state and strip them of all rights — including the absolute right not to be tortured. If Jose Padilla is not allowed his day in court, nothing will prevent future administrations from engaging in similar abuses,” Wizner said it a statement regarding the case after the judge ruled in the government’s favor.
Read more @ http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Snowdens-Lawyer-I-dont-hesitate-to-say-hes-a-hero_3039-CHMTc2MzAzOQ==
WASHINGTON -- All eyes are on Congress as the June 1 expiration date looms for the National Security Agency program that sweeps up massive dragnets of Americans' phone data. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is charging forward with a full reauthorization of the Patriot Act program, the first serious push to say anything about the NSA this year. But no one in Congress seems exactly sure who's primarily responsible for addressing the pending expiration of the NSA program, though most agree that someone, somewhere should do something. On Tuesday night, McConnell and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) introduced a bill that would entirely reauthorize Section 215 of the Patriot Act, the provision that allows the NSA to collect the communications metadata of Americans. The fast-approaching expiration date is forcing Congress to wrestle with the program’s constitutionality for the first time since former NSA contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden publicly revealed the program in 2013.
WASHINGTON -- All eyes are on Congress as the June 1 expiration date looms for the National Security Agency program that sweeps up massive dragnets of Americans' phone data. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is charging forward with a full reauthorization of the Patriot Act program, the first serious push to say anything about the NSA this year.
But no one in Congress seems exactly sure who's primarily responsible for addressing the pending expiration of the NSA program, though most agree that someone, somewhere should do something.
On Tuesday night, McConnell and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) introduced a bill that would entirely reauthorize Section 215 of the Patriot Act, the provision that allows the NSA to collect the communications metadata of Americans. The fast-approaching expiration date is forcing Congress to wrestle with the program’s constitutionality for the first time since former NSA contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden publicly revealed the program in 2013.
Read more @ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/22/nsa-reform-congress_n_7121876.html
Germans by and large are wary of surveillance in all its forms, and nowhere is that more apparent than at the Big Brother Awards, which awards “prizes” to organizations and individuals around the world making especially egregious use of Germans’ private personal data. Organized by advocacy nonprofit Digitalcourage, the 15th annual BBAs were announced Friday night in Bielefeld, Germany, a northwestern city of about 330,000. The tech prize was awarded to Hello Barbie, a “smart” version of the toymaker Mattel’s iconic doll, that records everything its owner says and allows parents to review the sound clips. Probably the most timely award was in the category of Newspeak (as inspired by 1984’s totalitarian language): Digitale Spurensicherung—roughly, digital evidence security. Just days before, German justice minister Heiko Maas had proposed requiring all telecoms (link in German) to keep user metadata for up to 10 weeks under the guise of national security, and altogether, three Big Brother Awards awards went to the German federal government:
Germans by and large are wary of surveillance in all its forms, and nowhere is that more apparent than at the Big Brother Awards, which awards “prizes” to organizations and individuals around the world making especially egregious use of Germans’ private personal data.
Organized by advocacy nonprofit Digitalcourage, the 15th annual BBAs were announced Friday night in Bielefeld, Germany, a northwestern city of about 330,000. The tech prize was awarded to Hello Barbie, a “smart” version of the toymaker Mattel’s iconic doll, that records everything its owner says and allows parents to review the sound clips.
Probably the most timely award was in the category of Newspeak (as inspired by 1984’s totalitarian language): Digitale Spurensicherung—roughly, digital evidence security. Just days before, German justice minister Heiko Maas had proposed requiring all telecoms (link in German) to keep user metadata for up to 10 weeks under the guise of national security, and altogether, three Big Brother Awards awards went to the German federal government:
Read more @ http://qz.com/387613/hello-barbie-the-nsa-win-big-in-germanys-big-brother-awards-for-privacy-abuses/
The anti-terrorism bill includes everything from tapping phones and email accounts without a judge's approval to collecting metadata from mobile phones. Privacy is highly prized in France, and its politicians were among the loudest complaining when the NSA's widespread data collection came to light two years ago – despite accusations that France had a similar history of espionage. Now, in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris in January, the French government seems intent on imitating the US intelligence-gathering even more closely. A new bill that would empower French intelligence agencies has stirred a heated national debate over how to balance protection of privacy against the threat of extremist attacks – like the one allegedly foiled this weekend in Paris.
Privacy is highly prized in France, and its politicians were among the loudest complaining when the NSA's widespread data collection came to light two years ago – despite accusations that France had a similar history of espionage.
Now, in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris in January, the French government seems intent on imitating the US intelligence-gathering even more closely. A new bill that would empower French intelligence agencies has stirred a heated national debate over how to balance protection of privacy against the threat of extremist attacks – like the one allegedly foiled this weekend in Paris.
Read more @ http://news.yahoo.com/does-frances-proposed-surveillance-law-too-far-195858738.html
On June 25, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one groundbreaking opinion in two cases regarding cellphone searches incident to arrest. In a unanimous opinion, the court held that under the Fourth Amendment, police must obtain a warrant prior to searching the cellphone of an arrestee. The court found that the “immense storage capacity” of cellphones and their aggregation of data differentiated them from other items found on an arrestee’s person. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote that cellphones “could just as easily be called cameras, video players, rolodexes, calendars, tape recorders, libraries, diaries, albums, televisions, maps, or newspapers.”1 This commentary situates the Riley decision in the broader context of technology search cases and analyzes its potential implications for companies faced with a government request to turn over customer data. The Supreme Court’s acknowledgments of the altered technological landscape and the sensitivity of user data signal a potential shift in its third-party guidance, and its decision is a hopeful sign for companies seeking to protect user privacy in the face of digital data requests from the government. The Third-party Doctrine: An Overview The third-party doctrine states that an individual does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in any communication that is “voluntarily conveyed” to another. Whether this concerns a conversation with an informant, or transmissions to banks and telecommunications companies, the Supreme Court has generally held that if the information is made available to a third party, the government may access it without a warrant.2 In 1928 the high court held that warrantless wiretapping of telephone lines did not violate the Fourth Amendment, provided there was no physical trespass on an individual’s land. In dissent, Justice Louis D. Brandeis argued that the U.S. Constitution must be adapted to a changing world. He noted that “[s] ubtler and more far-reaching means of invading privacy have become available to the government.”3 Almost 40 years later, the court overturned that decision, holding that the warrantless wiretapping of a public telephone booth violated a defendant’s constitutional rights because the Fourth Amendment “protects people, not places.”4 As explained in Justice John Marshall Harlan II’s concurrence, the standard for Fourth Amendment protection was whether the individual had a reasonable expectation of privacy.
On June 25, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one groundbreaking opinion in two cases regarding cellphone searches incident to arrest. In a unanimous opinion, the court held that under the Fourth Amendment, police must obtain a warrant prior to searching the cellphone of an arrestee. The court found that the “immense storage capacity” of cellphones and their aggregation of data differentiated them from other items found on an arrestee’s person. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote that cellphones “could just as easily be called cameras, video players, rolodexes, calendars, tape recorders, libraries, diaries, albums, televisions, maps, or newspapers.”1
This commentary situates the Riley decision in the broader context of technology search cases and analyzes its potential implications for companies faced with a government request to turn over customer data. The Supreme Court’s acknowledgments of the altered technological landscape and the sensitivity of user data signal a potential shift in its third-party guidance, and its decision is a hopeful sign for companies seeking to protect user privacy in the face of digital data requests from the government.
The Third-party Doctrine: An Overview
The third-party doctrine states that an individual does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in any communication that is “voluntarily conveyed” to another. Whether this concerns a conversation with an informant, or transmissions to banks and telecommunications companies, the Supreme Court has generally held that if the information is made available to a third party, the government may access it without a warrant.2
In 1928 the high court held that warrantless wiretapping of telephone lines did not violate the Fourth Amendment, provided there was no physical trespass on an individual’s land. In dissent, Justice Louis D. Brandeis argued that the U.S. Constitution must be adapted to a changing world. He noted that “[s] ubtler and more far-reaching means of invading privacy have become available to the government.”3
Almost 40 years later, the court overturned that decision, holding that the warrantless wiretapping of a public telephone booth violated a defendant’s constitutional rights because the Fourth Amendment “protects people, not places.”4 As explained in Justice John Marshall Harlan II’s concurrence, the standard for Fourth Amendment protection was whether the individual had a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Read more @ http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=3ba8be80-f543-40c8-8d08-9b6e6dead956
PGP creator tells TechWeekEurope companies should take privacy protection seriously and argues law enforcement is living in a “golden age of surveillance” Businesses should pay just as much attention to their privacy measures as they to security, according to Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) and Silent Circle founder Phil Zimmermann. Zimmermann, in London for UC Expo, told TechWeekEurope that the recent Sony hack demonstrated the business case for ensuring the collective privacy of a company and that intelligence and law enforcement agencies were living in a “golden age of surveillance.”
PGP creator tells TechWeekEurope companies should take privacy protection seriously and argues law enforcement is living in a “golden age of surveillance”
Businesses should pay just as much attention to their privacy measures as they to security, according to Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) and Silent Circle founder Phil Zimmermann.
Zimmermann, in London for UC Expo, told TechWeekEurope that the recent Sony hack demonstrated the business case for ensuring the collective privacy of a company and that intelligence and law enforcement agencies were living in a “golden age of surveillance.”
Read more @ http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/e-regulation/phil-zimmermann-privacy-silent-circle-166897
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a bill that would extend the surveillance provisions of the Patriot Act until 2020, instead of expiring on June 1. The bill, which the Republican leader introduced Tuesday night, would extend section 215 of the Patriot Act, the controversial part of the law that the U.S. National Security Agency used to collect U.S. telephone records in bulk. Digital and civil rights groups have protested the NSA phone records collection program, saying it violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protecting the country's residents against unreasonable search and seizure. The bill, if passed, would kill efforts in Congress to rein in the NSA's telephone records collection program. In addition to phone records, Section 215 of the Patriot Act allows the NSA or FBI to collect business records and "any tangible things" when the agencies have "reasonable grounds" to believe those records are relevant to an antiterrorism investigation.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a bill that would extend the surveillance provisions of the Patriot Act until 2020, instead of expiring on June 1.
The bill, which the Republican leader introduced Tuesday night, would extend section 215 of the Patriot Act, the controversial part of the law that the U.S. National Security Agency used to collect U.S. telephone records in bulk.
The bill, if passed, would kill efforts in Congress to rein in the NSA's telephone records collection program. In addition to phone records, Section 215 of the Patriot Act allows the NSA or FBI to collect business records and "any tangible things" when the agencies have "reasonable grounds" to believe those records are relevant to an antiterrorism investigation.
Read more @ http://www.computerworld.com/article/2913652/data-privacy/senate-leader-introduces-bill-to-extend-patriot-act-surveillance.html
A key provision of the Patriot Act that allows the NSA to legally spy on our phone records is set to expire soon. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has introduced a new bill that would renew it and allow the NSA to continue spying as usual. Under the bill, Section 215 of the post-9/11 Patriot Act would be extended until December 31, 2020. The core provision, which the National Security Agency uses to justify its bulk collection of U.S. phone records, is currently due to expire on June 1. Not all members of Congress are onboard with McConnell's bill. A bipartisan group of legislators is working on a surveillance reform bill that would limit the NSA surveillance capabilities.
A key provision of the Patriot Act that allows the NSA to legally spy on our phone records is set to expire soon. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has introduced a new bill that would renew it and allow the NSA to continue spying as usual.
Under the bill, Section 215 of the post-9/11 Patriot Act would be extended until December 31, 2020. The core provision, which the National Security Agency uses to justify its bulk collection of U.S. phone records, is currently due to expire on June 1.
Not all members of Congress are onboard with McConnell's bill. A bipartisan group of legislators is working on a surveillance reform bill that would limit the NSA surveillance capabilities.
Read more @ http://www.komando.com/happening-now/305402/congress-could-renew-the-biggest-threat-to-americans-privacy
Patriot Act expires June 1 as bill to extend surveillance heads to Senate floor. The legal authority enabling the National Security Agency's bulk telephone metadata collection program that Edward Snowden exposed two years ago is set to expire June 1. But not if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others have their way. The Republican from Kentucky introduced the legislation (PDF) late Tuesday that would allow the once-secret program, authorized by Section 215 of the Patriot Act, to continue through 2020. McConnell invoked a rule that bypasses the usual committee vetting process, enabling the bill to go directly to the Senate floor, where a vote has not been scheduled. The measure, which immediately drew criticism from privacy advocates and some members of Congress, allows the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to essentially rubber-stamp government requests for so-called "business records" held by just about any institution, including the phone companies. Interpreted to require the telcos to cough up millions upon millions of calling records about their customers, it requires them to provide the National Security Agency with the phone numbers of both parties in a call, calling card numbers, the length and time of the calls, and the international mobile subscriber identity (ISMI) number for mobile callers. The NSA keeps a running database of that information, saying that it runs queries solely to combat terrorism.
The legal authority enabling the National Security Agency's bulk telephone metadata collection program that Edward Snowden exposed two years ago is set to expire June 1. But not if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others have their way.
The Republican from Kentucky introduced the legislation (PDF) late Tuesday that would allow the once-secret program, authorized by Section 215 of the Patriot Act, to continue through 2020. McConnell invoked a rule that bypasses the usual committee vetting process, enabling the bill to go directly to the Senate floor, where a vote has not been scheduled.
The measure, which immediately drew criticism from privacy advocates and some members of Congress, allows the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to essentially rubber-stamp government requests for so-called "business records" held by just about any institution, including the phone companies. Interpreted to require the telcos to cough up millions upon millions of calling records about their customers, it requires them to provide the National Security Agency with the phone numbers of both parties in a call, calling card numbers, the length and time of the calls, and the international mobile subscriber identity (ISMI) number for mobile callers. The NSA keeps a running database of that information, saying that it runs queries solely to combat terrorism.
Read more @ http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/04/congress-moves-to-renew-law-allowing-bulk-telephone-metadata-collection/
Privacy advocates seek more openness on NSA surveillance
WASHINGTON (AP) — As Congress considers whether to extend the life of a program that sweeps up American phone records, privacy advocates and civil liberties groups say too much about government surveillance remains secret for the public to fully evaluate its reach or effectiveness. The disclosure two years ago of the National Security Agency's surveillance efforts prodded the federal government to declassify reams of once-secret documents, including opinions from a secretive intelligence court laying out the program's origins and legal underpinnings. But critics say key language from the disclosed documents remains censored, the release of information has been selective, and the ongoing trickle of once-secret memos has raised concerns about how many other potentially illuminating records might yet remain outside the public's reach.
WASHINGTON (AP) — As Congress considers whether to extend the life of a program that sweeps up American phone records, privacy advocates and civil liberties groups say too much about government surveillance remains secret for the public to fully evaluate its reach or effectiveness.
The disclosure two years ago of the National Security Agency's surveillance efforts prodded the federal government to declassify reams of once-secret documents, including opinions from a secretive intelligence court laying out the program's origins and legal underpinnings. But critics say key language from the disclosed documents remains censored, the release of information has been selective, and the ongoing trickle of once-secret memos has raised concerns about how many other potentially illuminating records might yet remain outside the public's reach.
Read more @ http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/26593623/article-Privacy-advocates-seek-more-openness-on-NSA-surveillance-?instance=secondary_story_bullets_left_column
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a bill Tuesday night to reauthorize a portion of the Patriot Act that allows the National Security Agency to sweep up call records on millions of Americans until 2020. McConnell began the process of placing the bill on the Senate calendar Tuesday night under Rule 14, which allows the legislation to skip committee markup. The bill, cosponsored by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, “extend[s] authority relating to roving surveillance, access to business records, and individual terrorists as agents of foreign powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 and for other purposes.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a bill Tuesday night to reauthorize a portion of the Patriot Act that allows the National Security Agency to sweep up call records on millions of Americans until 2020.
McConnell began the process of placing the bill on the Senate calendar Tuesday night under Rule 14, which allows the legislation to skip committee markup.
The bill, cosponsored by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, “extend[s] authority relating to roving surveillance, access to business records, and individual terrorists as agents of foreign powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 and for other purposes.”
Read more @ http://benswann.com/mcconnell-fast-tracks-bill-to-reauthorize-patriot-act-until-2020/
They have got to him??? Threatened him???
Rand Paul hates the Patriot Act and NSA mass surveillance. Just don't ask him what he thinks of fellow Kentuckian Mitch McConnell's plan to keep both alive. April 23, 2015 If Rand Paul is upset by Mitch McConnell's fast-track push to extend the Patriot Act and preserve government mass surveillance, he's not saying so. The Republican presidential candidate loves to bash the National Security Agency's spying powers. He has pledged to end the NSA's bulk collection of U.S. call data "on day one" if voters send him to the White House. He's even sued the Obama administration on grounds that mass surveillance violates the Fourth Amendment rights of every American. But Paul has so far refused to weigh in on a measure Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced late Tuesday that would extend unchanged the soon-to-expire provisions of the Patriot Act until 2020, thereby keeping the NSA call-records program intact. Paul has not yet issued any statement about the McConnell bill, and his office repeatedly said the senator had no comment at this time.
April 23, 2015 If Rand Paul is upset by Mitch McConnell's fast-track push to extend the Patriot Act and preserve government mass surveillance, he's not saying so.
The Republican presidential candidate loves to bash the National Security Agency's spying powers. He has pledged to end the NSA's bulk collection of U.S. call data "on day one" if voters send him to the White House. He's even sued the Obama administration on grounds that mass surveillance violates the Fourth Amendment rights of every American.
But Paul has so far refused to weigh in on a measure Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced late Tuesday that would extend unchanged the soon-to-expire provisions of the Patriot Act until 2020, thereby keeping the NSA call-records program intact.
Paul has not yet issued any statement about the McConnell bill, and his office repeatedly said the senator had no comment at this time.
Read more @ http://www.nationaljournal.com/tech/rand-paul-is-suddenly-quiet-about-his-favorite-topics-20150423
The future of the Patriot Act grew uncertain Wednesday as an effort to restrain the government’s surveillance powers encountered resistance on both sides of the Capitol. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) upended the debate late Tuesday evening by offering a surprise bill that would extend the Patriot Act for five years without changes. In the House, meanwhile, a bipartisan plan to reauthorize the law while also making major reforms to the National Security Agency (NSA) hit a snag amid opposition from some hawkish Republicans. Now, a bill that backers had hoped would be introduced and passed through committee by the end of the week is up in the air.
The future of the Patriot Act grew uncertain Wednesday as an effort to restrain the government’s surveillance powers encountered resistance on both sides of the Capitol.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) upended the debate late Tuesday evening by offering a surprise bill that would extend the Patriot Act for five years without changes.
In the House, meanwhile, a bipartisan plan to reauthorize the law while also making major reforms to the National Security Agency (NSA) hit a snag amid opposition from some hawkish Republicans. Now, a bill that backers had hoped would be introduced and passed through committee by the end of the week is up in the air.
Read more @ http://thehill.com/policy/technology/239712-mcconnell-upends-patriot-act-fight
The Channel Seven reporter, her police officer boyfriend and the disgraced footy star: Cop charged with leaking confidential files on Ben Cousins so his girlfriend could get the scoop on his arrest
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3051722/The-TV-reporter-police-officer-boyfriend-fallen-footy-star-Cop-charged-leaking-confidential-information-Ben-Cousins-allow-girlfriend-scoop-arrest.html
Read more @ http://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/disgraced-former-cia-director-general-david-petraeus-sentenced-in-court/story-fnh81jut-1227318102562
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~
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