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Jul 3 15 10:43 PM
France's Justice Minister has canvassed possible asylum for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden as WikiLeaks and French newspapers promise further revelations of US espionage against the French government and private companies. Justice Minister Christiane Taubira said on Thursday that she "wouldn't be surprised" if France decided to offer political asylum to Mr Assange, who is living at Ecuador's embassy in London, and Mr Snowden, who remains in exile in Russia.
France's Justice Minister has canvassed possible asylum for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden as WikiLeaks and French newspapers promise further revelations of US espionage against the French government and private companies.
Justice Minister Christiane Taubira said on Thursday that she "wouldn't be surprised" if France decided to offer political asylum to Mr Assange, who is living at Ecuador's embassy in London, and Mr Snowden, who remains in exile in Russia.
Read more @ http://www.smh.com.au/world/france-mulls-offering-asylum-to-julian-assange-and-edward-snowden-20150626-ghyg7i.html
WASHINGTON — Early in 2012, worried that suicide bombers might pass through airline security undetected, American counterterrorism officials ordered a drone strike in Yemen to kill a doctor they believed was working with Al Qaeda to surgically implant explosives in operatives, according to British intelligence documents. The documents, previously undisclosed, include details about how terrorism suspects are targeted in drone strikes and how strikes can go wrong at times. The documents also show how closely the National Security Agency has worked in Pakistan and Yemen with its British counterpart, Government Communications Headquarters, or G.C.H.Q. Britain has carried out drone strikes only in war zones in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. The documents raise the possibility that in addition, British intelligence may have helped guide American strikes outside conventional war zones. Drone strikes carried out by the C.I.A. and the military’s Joint Special Operations Command have received fresh scrutiny after President Obama disclosed in April that a strike had killed two Western aid workers held hostage by Al Qaeda in Pakistan. In that case, intelligence officers targeting the Qaeda compound had no idea the hostages were there, illustrating how incomplete or faulty information has led to civilian deaths in the drone campaign. Last week offered two more examples of the uncertain outcomes of airstrikes. A prominent Algerian terrorist, widely reported dead in a Pentagon strike by F-15s, appears to still be alive. And only several days after a strike in Yemen did American officials learn that an attack had killed the leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who was also the No. 2 leader of Al Qaeda’s global terror network.
WASHINGTON — Early in 2012, worried that suicide bombers might pass through airline security undetected, American counterterrorism officials ordered a drone strike in Yemen to kill a doctor they believed was working with Al Qaeda to surgically implant explosives in operatives, according to British intelligence documents.
The documents, previously undisclosed, include details about how terrorism suspects are targeted in drone strikes and how strikes can go wrong at times. The documents also show how closely the National Security Agency has worked in Pakistan and Yemen with its British counterpart, Government Communications Headquarters, or G.C.H.Q.
Britain has carried out drone strikes only in war zones in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. The documents raise the possibility that in addition, British intelligence may have helped guide American strikes outside conventional war zones.
Drone strikes carried out by the C.I.A. and the military’s Joint Special Operations Command have received fresh scrutiny after President Obama disclosed in April that a strike had killed two Western aid workers held hostage by Al Qaeda in Pakistan. In that case, intelligence officers targeting the Qaeda compound had no idea the hostages were there, illustrating how incomplete or faulty information has led to civilian deaths in the drone campaign.
Last week offered two more examples of the uncertain outcomes of airstrikes. A prominent Algerian terrorist, widely reported dead in a Pentagon strike by F-15s, appears to still be alive. And only several days after a strike in Yemen did American officials learn that an attack had killed the leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who was also the No. 2 leader of Al Qaeda’s global terror network.
Read more @ http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/world/middleeast/us-drone-strike-said-to-kill-doctor-trying-to-implant-bombs.html?_r=0
Talking points prepared in March for Canada’s surveillance chief accuse NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden of severely damaging Canada’s spy operations. The newly disclosed briefing document was prepared by the staff of the Communications Security Establishment — the Canadian counterpart to the National Security Agency — in anticipation of the appearance of newly arrived CSE chief, Greta Bossenmaier, before a House of Commons committee. The document includes the familiar, unsupported assertions about how Snowden’s “unauthorized disclosures” have “diminished the advantage we have had” over foreign targets, “both in the short term but more worryingly in the long term.” But what’s most interesting about the document is the part where Bossenmaier is advised on how to deal with any questions she might be asked by her overseers, should they request evidence to support her assertions. The section is headed: “IF PRESSED ON THIS OR ANY OTHER DISCLOSURE.” And here is everything that follows: We do not comment on the operations, methods, or capabilities of Canada or our allies. Bossenmaier followed instructions. When taking questions from the members of the House of Commons, she refused to clarify, respond to or elaborate on allegations of CSE’s illegal or unethical spying. “I hope you can appreciate that I cannot comment on the unauthorized disclosure of classified information,” she told Canadian parliamentarian Élaine Michaud.
Talking points prepared in March for Canada’s surveillance chief accuse NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden of severely damaging Canada’s spy operations.
The newly disclosed briefing document was prepared by the staff of the Communications Security Establishment — the Canadian counterpart to the National Security Agency — in anticipation of the appearance of newly arrived CSE chief, Greta Bossenmaier, before a House of Commons committee.
The document includes the familiar, unsupported assertions about how Snowden’s “unauthorized disclosures” have “diminished the advantage we have had” over foreign targets, “both in the short term but more worryingly in the long term.”
But what’s most interesting about the document is the part where Bossenmaier is advised on how to deal with any questions she might be asked by her overseers, should they request evidence to support her assertions.
The section is headed: “IF PRESSED ON THIS OR ANY OTHER DISCLOSURE.”
And here is everything that follows:
We do not comment on the operations, methods, or capabilities of Canada or our allies.
Bossenmaier followed instructions. When taking questions from the members of the House of Commons, she refused to clarify, respond to or elaborate on allegations of CSE’s illegal or unethical spying. “I hope you can appreciate that I cannot comment on the unauthorized disclosure of classified information,” she told Canadian parliamentarian Élaine Michaud.
Read more @ https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/07/01/canadian-security-agency-says-snowden-leaks-dangerous-say/
Long term advantage over friends too!
OTTAWA - Canada's electronic spy agency says leaks by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden have "diminished the advantage" it enjoyed over terrorists and other targets, both in the short term and — of more concern — well into the future. In newly released briefing notes, the Communications Security Establishment says Snowden's disclosures about CSE's intelligence capabilities and those of its allies "have a cumulative detrimental effect" on its operations. The Ottawa-based CSE monitors foreign communications of intelligence interest to Canada, and exchanges a large amount of information with partner agencies in the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. The notes, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, were among the briefing materials prepared for CSE chief Greta Bossenmaier's March 25 appearance before the House of Commons committee on national defence. Documents Snowden handed to the media revealed the U.S. National Security Agency — the CSE's American counterpart — had quietly obtained access to a huge volume of emails, chat logs and other information from major Internet companies, as well as massive amounts of data about telephone calls.
OTTAWA - Canada's electronic spy agency says leaks by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden have "diminished the advantage" it enjoyed over terrorists and other targets, both in the short term and — of more concern — well into the future.
In newly released briefing notes, the Communications Security Establishment says Snowden's disclosures about CSE's intelligence capabilities and those of its allies "have a cumulative detrimental effect" on its operations.
The Ottawa-based CSE monitors foreign communications of intelligence interest to Canada, and exchanges a large amount of information with partner agencies in the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
The notes, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, were among the briefing materials prepared for CSE chief Greta Bossenmaier's March 25 appearance before the House of Commons committee on national defence.
Documents Snowden handed to the media revealed the U.S. National Security Agency — the CSE's American counterpart — had quietly obtained access to a huge volume of emails, chat logs and other information from major Internet companies, as well as massive amounts of data about telephone calls.
Read more @ http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/06/26/cse-says-snowden-leaks-er_n_7669178.html
Anonymous official sources go after Edward Snowden in the UK's media; plus, 30 years of covering Cuba from Miami. Last week, the front page of Britain's Sunday Times bore the headline: British Spies Betrayed to Russians and Chinese. For the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper's largely conservative audience, the implied breach of security perpetrated by former US National Surveillance Agency (NSA) analyst Edward Snowden could not have been more alarming. However, standing behind that headline was not a shred of evidence, not one provable fact. Rather, the Sunday Times' bold statement was founded on unnamed government sources making unsubstantiated claims which the journalists involved apparently left unquestioned. Critics panned the piece for swallowing the official line whole - something that Tom Harper of the Sunday Times saw no reason to deny. "We just publish what we believe to be the position of the British government at the moment," Harper told CNN in an interview. The idea that a whistleblower may have put national security at risk is a useful one for governments facing ever more scrutiny over the legal and moral basis for mass surveillance and other repressive domestic policies. Daniel Ellsberg and Chelsea Manning will know how Edward Snowden feels. Joining us to talk about the national security narrative and the line between stenography and journalism are Richard Norton Taylor of the Guardian; Ryan Gallagher of the Intercept; as well as Snowden sceptics Michael Cohen from the Boston Globe; and Anthony Glees, the director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham.
Last week, the front page of Britain's Sunday Times bore the headline: British Spies Betrayed to Russians and Chinese.
For the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper's largely conservative audience, the implied breach of security perpetrated by former US National Surveillance Agency (NSA) analyst Edward Snowden could not have been more alarming.
However, standing behind that headline was not a shred of evidence, not one provable fact. Rather, the Sunday Times' bold statement was founded on unnamed government sources making unsubstantiated claims which the journalists involved apparently left unquestioned. Critics panned the piece for swallowing the official line whole - something that Tom Harper of the Sunday Times saw no reason to deny.
"We just publish what we believe to be the position of the British government at the moment," Harper told CNN in an interview.
The idea that a whistleblower may have put national security at risk is a useful one for governments facing ever more scrutiny over the legal and moral basis for mass surveillance and other repressive domestic policies. Daniel Ellsberg and Chelsea Manning will know how Edward Snowden feels.
Joining us to talk about the national security narrative and the line between stenography and journalism are Richard Norton Taylor of the Guardian; Ryan Gallagher of the Intercept; as well as Snowden sceptics Michael Cohen from the Boston Globe; and Anthony Glees, the director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham.
Read more @ http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2015/06/sunday-times-snowden-saga-150620094101938.html
The National Security Agency (NSA) and its British counterpart Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) are not just infiltrating cell phone networks. They are hacking into the very thing that protects us from surveillance too. A new report from The Intercept describes the agencies' extensive efforts to reverse-engineer a total of 23 antivirus and security software applications to find new malware that they can "repurpose" for their own means. Most prominent among the antivirus companies named in the report is Kaspersky Labs, the Moscow-based security firm that is well-known for exposing state-sponsored malware. Other firms targeted by the agencies include Slovakian Eset, Romanian Bit-Defender, Finnish F-Secure and Czech Avast. Notably, security firms from the United States and United Kingdom, such as Symantec, Intel Security Group previously known as McAfee, and Sophos, are not in the list of targets. Remarkably, the agencies, especially GCHQ, are also willing to go through the legal hoops to obtain permission to subvert the antivirus software. One of the files taken from the Snowden archives is a top-secret warrant renewal request, which reveals the agencies' motivations for subverting security software. The document was filed in 2008 and issued to GCHQ by the U.K. Foreign Service Secretary under the Intelligence Services Act of 1994. "Personal security products such as the Russian antivirus software Kaspersky continue to pose a challenge to GCHQ's CNE [computer network exploitation] capability and SRE [software reverse-engineering] is essential in order to be able to exploit such software and to prevent detection of our activities," the document said.
The National Security Agency (NSA) and its British counterpart Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) are not just infiltrating cell phone networks. They are hacking into the very thing that protects us from surveillance too.
A new report from The Intercept describes the agencies' extensive efforts to reverse-engineer a total of 23 antivirus and security software applications to find new malware that they can "repurpose" for their own means.
Most prominent among the antivirus companies named in the report is Kaspersky Labs, the Moscow-based security firm that is well-known for exposing state-sponsored malware. Other firms targeted by the agencies include Slovakian Eset, Romanian Bit-Defender, Finnish F-Secure and Czech Avast. Notably, security firms from the United States and United Kingdom, such as Symantec, Intel Security Group previously known as McAfee, and Sophos, are not in the list of targets.
Remarkably, the agencies, especially GCHQ, are also willing to go through the legal hoops to obtain permission to subvert the antivirus software. One of the files taken from the Snowden archives is a top-secret warrant renewal request, which reveals the agencies' motivations for subverting security software. The document was filed in 2008 and issued to GCHQ by the U.K. Foreign Service Secretary under the Intelligence Services Act of 1994.
"Personal security products such as the Russian antivirus software Kaspersky continue to pose a challenge to GCHQ's CNE [computer network exploitation] capability and SRE [software reverse-engineering] is essential in order to be able to exploit such software and to prevent detection of our activities," the document said.
Read more @ http://www.techtimes.com/articles/62861/20150624/edward-snowden-files-reveal-nsa-and-gchq-operated-to-subvert-antivirus-and-security-software-to-spy-on-users.htm
During his time as Foreign Secretary in 2008, David Miliband allowed British spy agency GCHQ to bypass software copyright law to help it infiltrate computers, according to newly released leaks by Edward Snowden David Miliband, during his time as Foreign Secretary, granted British spy agency GCHQ permission to exploit popular software programs without being detected in order to learn new ways to hack computers. That was the revelation today after 23 new documents leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden were publicly released. GCHQ carried out ‘reverse engineering’ – a technique that allows hackers to find weak points in computer programs – on anti-virus and encryption software used by some of the world’s largest organisations, according to The Intercept. The leaked documents expose GCHQ’s attempts in 2008, when Miliband headed up the Foreign Office, to obtain warrants that allowed it to infringe software copyrights and breach licensing agreements. According to 'top-secret documents' obtained by The Intercept, GCHQ avoided its authorisation protocol for 'some continuous period of time'. When it did eventually obtain a warrant for reverse engineering, it did so through a section of British intelligence law that ‘does not explicitly authorise’ such activity, as shown in a 2008 warrant renewal application to Miliband. >See also: Brace yourself, Britain – totalitarianism is upon us, and David Cameron is leading it “The agency’s slippery legal maneuvers to enable computer hacking call into question U.K. government assurances about mass surveillance,” said Andrew Fishman and Glenn Greenwald, authors of today’s report from The Intercept. “To assuage public concern over such activity, the government frequently says spies are subject to rigorous oversight, including an obligation to obtain warrants.
During his time as Foreign Secretary in 2008, David Miliband allowed British spy agency GCHQ to bypass software copyright law to help it infiltrate computers, according to newly released leaks by Edward Snowden
David Miliband, during his time as Foreign Secretary, granted British spy agency GCHQ permission to exploit popular software programs without being detected in order to learn new ways to hack computers.
That was the revelation today after 23 new documents leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden were publicly released.
GCHQ carried out ‘reverse engineering’ – a technique that allows hackers to find weak points in computer programs – on anti-virus and encryption software used by some of the world’s largest organisations, according to The Intercept.
The leaked documents expose GCHQ’s attempts in 2008, when Miliband headed up the Foreign Office, to obtain warrants that allowed it to infringe software copyrights and breach licensing agreements.
According to 'top-secret documents' obtained by The Intercept, GCHQ avoided its authorisation protocol for 'some continuous period of time'.
When it did eventually obtain a warrant for reverse engineering, it did so through a section of British intelligence law that ‘does not explicitly authorise’ such activity, as shown in a 2008 warrant renewal application to Miliband.
>See also: Brace yourself, Britain – totalitarianism is upon us, and David Cameron is leading it
“The agency’s slippery legal maneuvers to enable computer hacking call into question U.K. government assurances about mass surveillance,” said Andrew Fishman and Glenn Greenwald, authors of today’s report from The Intercept. “To assuage public concern over such activity, the government frequently says spies are subject to rigorous oversight, including an obligation to obtain warrants.
Read more @ http://www.information-age.com/technology/security/123459685/new-snowden-leaks-show-david-miliband-gave-gchq-permission-hack-popular-software-programs
The US NSA and the UK’s GCHQ are understood to have worked together to subvert popular anti-virus software products like Kaspersky Labs’ software, according to the latest Edward Snowden revelations. The spy agencies are understood to have reverse-engineered popular anti-virus software packages and monitored email and web traffic to discreetly get past the software and obtain intelligence. According to The Intercept, the spy agencies paid particular attention to Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab, which is used by more than 400m people and includes more than 270,000 corporate clients. Snowden claims the NSA obtained sensitive customer information by monitoring email and web traffic on Kaspersky’s servers. While the security companies are engaged in a game of cat and mouse against hackers and creators of malware, the spy agencies are engaged with a game of cat and mouse with the security software companies. The most dangerous malware introduced to the internet is often created by spy agencies as part of cyber warfare, such as the Stuxnet virus, which is understood to have been created by a joint US/Israeli team codenamed “Operation Olympic Games” to take down industrial plants in Iran. Instead, the malware went viral, threatening industrial complexes worldwide.
The US NSA and the UK’s GCHQ are understood to have worked together to subvert popular anti-virus software products like Kaspersky Labs’ software, according to the latest Edward Snowden revelations.
The spy agencies are understood to have reverse-engineered popular anti-virus software packages and monitored email and web traffic to discreetly get past the software and obtain intelligence.
According to The Intercept, the spy agencies paid particular attention to Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab, which is used by more than 400m people and includes more than 270,000 corporate clients.
Snowden claims the NSA obtained sensitive customer information by monitoring email and web traffic on Kaspersky’s servers.
While the security companies are engaged in a game of cat and mouse against hackers and creators of malware, the spy agencies are engaged with a game of cat and mouse with the security software companies.
The most dangerous malware introduced to the internet is often created by spy agencies as part of cyber warfare, such as the Stuxnet virus, which is understood to have been created by a joint US/Israeli team codenamed “Operation Olympic Games” to take down industrial plants in Iran. Instead, the malware went viral, threatening industrial complexes worldwide.
Read more @ https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/2015/06/23/nsa-and-gchq-reverse-engineered-popular-anti-virus-software-snowden-reveals
First trailer for Oliver Stone's Edward Snowden movie is all drama
Technically Incorrect: Teasing the new movie "Snowden" with a trailer is no easy task. So the producers merely whet your appetite. Oliver Stone makes the sort of pleasant, sedate movies that even Merchant Ivory, those merchants of subtle stories from history, aspire to. He takes a character, delves into their deepest (and perhaps imagined) emotions and disinters them with the help of a well-designed pickax and trowel. You have, perhaps, seen his "JFK," "Nixon" and "W" movies, each of which don't exactly shy from stating an opinion. So when I heard he was making a movie about Edward Snowden -- the former NSA contractor who caused world consternation when leaked many classified US government documents to journalists who published some of their contents -- I felt sure this would be a touch more dramatic than the already-existing documentary, Citizenfour.
Technically Incorrect: Teasing the new movie "Snowden" with a trailer is no easy task. So the producers merely whet your appetite.
Oliver Stone makes the sort of pleasant, sedate movies that even Merchant Ivory, those merchants of subtle stories from history, aspire to.
He takes a character, delves into their deepest (and perhaps imagined) emotions and disinters them with the help of a well-designed pickax and trowel.
You have, perhaps, seen his "JFK," "Nixon" and "W" movies, each of which don't exactly shy from stating an opinion.
So when I heard he was making a movie about Edward Snowden -- the former NSA contractor who caused world consternation when leaked many classified US government documents to journalists who published some of their contents -- I felt sure this would be a touch more dramatic than the already-existing documentary, Citizenfour.
Read more @ http://www.cnet.com/news/first-trailer-for-oliver-stones-edward-snowden-movie-is-dramatic/
We live in a post-Snowden world. For many, that means assuming none of your digital assets are safe from surveillance. There are ways, however, to use the internet and insane mathematics in your favor to ensure that no one can see whatever it is that you're sending to someone else. It's called PGP, which stands for "pretty good encryption," and it's a way to encrypt your messages. Encryption, at its most basic form, is a way to cypher a message so that if anyone that sees the data in transit they have no way to know what the message says. OpenPGP is the most popular standard for digital encryption. In fact, Edward Snowden first contacted journalist Laura Poitras to inform her of his trove of documents using PGP. So let's take a look at what PGP is and how easy it is to use.See Here's how to send super-secure messages like Edward Snowden >>
We live in a post-Snowden world. For many, that means assuming none of your digital assets are safe from surveillance.
There are ways, however, to use the internet and insane mathematics in your favor to ensure that no one can see whatever it is that you're sending to someone else.
It's called PGP, which stands for "pretty good encryption," and it's a way to encrypt your messages. Encryption, at its most basic form, is a way to cypher a message so that if anyone that sees the data in transit they have no way to know what the message says. OpenPGP is the most popular standard for digital encryption.
In fact, Edward Snowden first contacted journalist Laura Poitras to inform her of his trove of documents using PGP.
So let's take a look at what PGP is and how easy it is to use.
See Here's how to send super-secure messages like Edward Snowden >>
Read more @ http://www.businessinsider.in/Heres-how-to-send-super-secure-messages-like-Edward-Snowden/articleshow/47790978.cms
DRESDEN, Germany -- When tourist Lars Lewandowski passed Edward Snowden Square in the eastern German city of Dresden on Tuesday afternoon, it took him a few moments to realize there was something special about the name. German street or square names usually honor only long-dead figures. But Snowden, the former U.S. government contractor who leaked sensitive information on the National Security Agency two years ago, is very much alive, even though U.S. authorities saw the need to offer assurances that they would not seek the death penalty for him if he ever returned home. On Sunday, German activists inaugurated the square to honor the whistleblower who has been celebrated as a hero by some and denounced as a criminal by others. "I think it's a good idea, although I'd say that more such initiatives are needed to really recognize Snowden's courage," Lewandowski said, reflecting a sentiment shared by many other passersby. "I think Snowden would deserve even a more impressive monument," one woman said. She did not want her name published, a not-uncommon request in privacy-obsessed Germany, where citizens frequently enforce their privacy rights in courts and have pressured Internet companies to protect their data. The renaming of the square in Dresden's Neustadt district is not the first mark of respect accorded the controversial American, and it is unlikely to be the last. However, Edward Snowden Square is distinct from previous gestures because it's probably there to stay. Its renaming was not officially approved by the city, but authorities have announced they will not take the sign down because it was legally put up on the property of a privately owned arcade. "Our message is that citizens should follow their consciences and not simply obey rules," Markwart Faussner, the owner of the arcade and the square, told The Washington Post. Faussner, who is a real estate businessman and certainly does not fit the stereotype of a typical leftist activist, had previously discussed the initiative with Snowden's German lawyer, who approved the idea.
DRESDEN, Germany -- When tourist Lars Lewandowski passed Edward Snowden Square in the eastern German city of Dresden on Tuesday afternoon, it took him a few moments to realize there was something special about the name. German street or square names usually honor only long-dead figures.
But Snowden, the former U.S. government contractor who leaked sensitive information on the National Security Agency two years ago, is very much alive, even though U.S. authorities saw the need to offer assurances that they would not seek the death penalty for him if he ever returned home.
On Sunday, German activists inaugurated the square to honor the whistleblower who has been celebrated as a hero by some and denounced as a criminal by others.
"I think it's a good idea, although I'd say that more such initiatives are needed to really recognize Snowden's courage," Lewandowski said, reflecting a sentiment shared by many other passersby.
"I think Snowden would deserve even a more impressive monument," one woman said. She did not want her name published, a not-uncommon request in privacy-obsessed Germany, where citizens frequently enforce their privacy rights in courts and have pressured Internet companies to protect their data.
The renaming of the square in Dresden's Neustadt district is not the first mark of respect accorded the controversial American, and it is unlikely to be the last. However, Edward Snowden Square is distinct from previous gestures because it's probably there to stay. Its renaming was not officially approved by the city, but authorities have announced they will not take the sign down because it was legally put up on the property of a privately owned arcade.
"Our message is that citizens should follow their consciences and not simply obey rules," Markwart Faussner, the owner of the arcade and the square, told The Washington Post. Faussner, who is a real estate businessman and certainly does not fit the stereotype of a typical leftist activist, had previously discussed the initiative with Snowden's German lawyer, who approved the idea.
Read more @ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/06/23/the-global-cult-of-edward-snowden-keeps-growing/
A Democratic presidential contender raises a provocative issue. It’s time to have this debate. Lincoln Chafee launched his 2016 campaign with a perfect illustration of why it is so vitally important that the race for the Democratic nomination for the presidency be contested and vibrant, with lots of debates, and serious interchanges not just on questions of economic inequality—which the candidacy of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will spotlight and define—but on issues such as mass surveillance and privacy rights. Chafee launched his candidacy several weeks ago with a takeaway statement about how “Our sacred Constitution requires a warrant before unreasonable searches, which includes our phone records. Let’s enforce that and while we’re at it, allow Edward Snowden to come home.” This has remained a steady focus for the former Rhode Island senator and governor as he has framed a decidedly uphill challenge to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and the other contenders for the party’s nomination. Like all candidates, Chafee says he is in it to win it. But he also says that “the first goal” of his candidacy is to assure that a wider range of issues is “discussed within the Democratic Party.” Just as Sanders has gone big on economic populism and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has gone big on immigration reform, Chafee has gone big on privacy rights in general and the Snowden case in particular. After Congress moved to place some restrictions on the mass surveillance that Snowden exposed—as a former Central Intelligence Agency officer and National Security Agency contractor who two years ago revealed that the National Security Agency had been making records of nearly every phone call in the United States—Chafee tweeted: “Congratulations to Congress for standing tall for civil liberties! Now let’s bring Snowden home. He has done his time.”
Lincoln Chafee launched his 2016 campaign with a perfect illustration of why it is so vitally important that the race for the Democratic nomination for the presidency be contested and vibrant, with lots of debates, and serious interchanges not just on questions of economic inequality—which the candidacy of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will spotlight and define—but on issues such as mass surveillance and privacy rights.
Chafee launched his candidacy several weeks ago with a takeaway statement about how “Our sacred Constitution requires a warrant before unreasonable searches, which includes our phone records. Let’s enforce that and while we’re at it, allow Edward Snowden to come home.”
This has remained a steady focus for the former Rhode Island senator and governor as he has framed a decidedly uphill challenge to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and the other contenders for the party’s nomination. Like all candidates, Chafee says he is in it to win it. But he also says that “the first goal” of his candidacy is to assure that a wider range of issues is “discussed within the Democratic Party.”
Just as Sanders has gone big on economic populism and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has gone big on immigration reform, Chafee has gone big on privacy rights in general and the Snowden case in particular.
After Congress moved to place some restrictions on the mass surveillance that Snowden exposed—as a former Central Intelligence Agency officer and National Security Agency contractor who two years ago revealed that the National Security Agency had been making records of nearly every phone call in the United States—Chafee tweeted: “Congratulations to Congress for standing tall for civil liberties! Now let’s bring Snowden home. He has done his time.”
Read more @ http://www.thenation.com/article/lincoln-chafee-adds-a-proposal-to-the-2016-debate-lets-bring-edward-snowden-home/
Continuing the search for secure, cross-platform, end-to-end encrypted chat and VoIP communication software, this article is part 2 of a series on encrypted Skype alternatives. Skype, Microsoft's voice over IP (VoIP) software, has been shown to be insecure on various levels over the years. The Snowden leaks have revealed it to be more of a mass surveillance malware than a secure communications platform. Secure communications like those between you and a friend as you sip coffee in your backyard are the ideal of end-to-end (E2E) encrypted online communications. Continue Reading...
Continuing the search for secure, cross-platform, end-to-end encrypted chat and VoIP communication software, this article is part 2 of a series on encrypted Skype alternatives.
Skype, Microsoft's voice over IP (VoIP) software, has been shown to be insecure on various levels over the years. The Snowden leaks have revealed it to be more of a mass surveillance malware than a secure communications platform.
Secure communications like those between you and a friend as you sip coffee in your backyard are the ideal of end-to-end (E2E) encrypted online communications.
Read more @ http://www.telepresenceoptions.com/2015/06/skype_alternatives_part_2_edwa/
At Apple’s recent Worldwide Developers Conference, the company placed a special focus on a topic that Re/Code’s Walt Mossberg terms Apple’s latest product: privacy. Senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi presented the new “Proactive Assistant” artificial intelligence features of iOS 9, emphasizing how Siri and Spotlight Search will be able to complete tasks already supported by Google Now, but without the obvious privacy drawbacks of Google’s services. Onstage, Federighi noted that the new software to be introduced with iOS 9 will try to anticipate the information you need, based on your calendar and location, as Google’s software already does. But he added that “we do it in a way that does not compromise your privacy. We don’t mine your email, your photos, or your contacts in the cloud to learn things about you. We honestly just don’t wanna know.” He told the developers at the event and a broader audience around the world that all of the information processing is done on the device and stays on the device, “under your control.” If Apple does need to perform a search online, it’s anonymous, not associated with your Apple ID, and not shared with third parties. Even as privacy becomes a key marketing point for Apple — the prominence of the topic at the company’s annual developers conference coincides with its campaign of speeches, TV appearances, and other messages to emphasize that Apple stands for privacy and, by default, its top rival Google does not — Mossberg points out that Apple’s argument for privacy isn’t airtight. While Mossberg thinks that the company is sincere in bolstering users’ privacy and believes that Apple’s hardware and software is, in fact, designed to keep sensitive data on the device rather than in the cloud, its case isn’t impregnable. It’s able to use privacy as a marketing point because privacy fits in with Apple’s business model and is harder to reconcile with that of Google, a company that relies on the collection of massive amounts of user data for ad targeting. Apple’s business model depends on selling hardware and software.
At Apple’s recent Worldwide Developers Conference, the company placed a special focus on a topic that Re/Code’s Walt Mossberg terms Apple’s latest product: privacy. Senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi presented the new “Proactive Assistant” artificial intelligence features of iOS 9, emphasizing how Siri and Spotlight Search will be able to complete tasks already supported by Google Now, but without the obvious privacy drawbacks of Google’s services.
Onstage, Federighi noted that the new software to be introduced with iOS 9 will try to anticipate the information you need, based on your calendar and location, as Google’s software already does. But he added that “we do it in a way that does not compromise your privacy. We don’t mine your email, your photos, or your contacts in the cloud to learn things about you. We honestly just don’t wanna know.” He told the developers at the event and a broader audience around the world that all of the information processing is done on the device and stays on the device, “under your control.” If Apple does need to perform a search online, it’s anonymous, not associated with your Apple ID, and not shared with third parties.
Even as privacy becomes a key marketing point for Apple — the prominence of the topic at the company’s annual developers conference coincides with its campaign of speeches, TV appearances, and other messages to emphasize that Apple stands for privacy and, by default, its top rival Google does not — Mossberg points out that Apple’s argument for privacy isn’t airtight.
While Mossberg thinks that the company is sincere in bolstering users’ privacy and believes that Apple’s hardware and software is, in fact, designed to keep sensitive data on the device rather than in the cloud, its case isn’t impregnable. It’s able to use privacy as a marketing point because privacy fits in with Apple’s business model and is harder to reconcile with that of Google, a company that relies on the collection of massive amounts of user data for ad targeting. Apple’s business model depends on selling hardware and software.
Read more @ http://www.cheatsheet.com/gear-style/why-edward-snowden-supports-apples-stance-on-privacy.html/?a=viewall
“Bullshit.” That’s how Hodding Carter III now describes the NSA surveillance program. But in an interview with WhoWhatWhy, the former Carter Administration official recalled how that same word could have just as easily described his initial reaction to Edward Snowden’s whistleblowing revelations in 2013. “I felt like Snowden was giving away the family jewels,” says Carter, his conversation a mix of old southern colloquialism, Yogi Berra-isms and sobering intellectualism. And even today, Carter worries that the anger and fear generated by Snowden could doom the former NSA contractor to some nefarious “unforeseen event,” like a helicopter crash. “We’re at the point in which we have elements of our security state who believe they must go way beyond the laws,” Carter says. “Killing what they consider to be a hard-core traitor would not be a big deal for them.” The only thing clear about Edward Snowden is that America’s perception of him is still very much unclear. And it might be that way for a long time. A Changing View of Snowden Two years after Snowden’s bombshell, Carter’s own journey is complete with his co-authorship of a new book fiercely defending Snowden, After Snowden: Privacy, Secrecy, and Security in the Information Age. What changed? Carter says he was initially torn between two allegiances—his time as an Assistant Secretary of State, protecting national security secrets, and his years as an investigative journalist. Eventually, the deep-digging reporter in him sided with Snowden. Carter doesn’t consider all leaks the same. He draws a clear distinction between Chelsea Manning’s torrential release of surveillance secrets through WikiLeaks, and the measured publication of Snowden’s secrets by journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras. He calls the massive release of Manning’s secret files—with no attempt to provide context—“like dumping flopping fish all over the floor.” By contrast, he says, instead of leaking raw files, Snowden’s camp vetted and curated the information first. “[They] took their long path to publication in order not to pull a Manning dump.”
“Bullshit.”
That’s how Hodding Carter III now describes the NSA surveillance program.
But in an interview with WhoWhatWhy, the former Carter Administration official recalled how that same word could have just as easily described his initial reaction to Edward Snowden’s whistleblowing revelations in 2013.
“I felt like Snowden was giving away the family jewels,” says Carter, his conversation a mix of old southern colloquialism, Yogi Berra-isms and sobering intellectualism.
And even today, Carter worries that the anger and fear generated by Snowden could doom the former NSA contractor to some nefarious “unforeseen event,” like a helicopter crash.
“We’re at the point in which we have elements of our security state who believe they must go way beyond the laws,” Carter says. “Killing what they consider to be a hard-core traitor would not be a big deal for them.”
The only thing clear about Edward Snowden is that America’s perception of him is still very much unclear. And it might be that way for a long time.
A Changing View of Snowden
Two years after Snowden’s bombshell, Carter’s own journey is complete with his co-authorship of a new book fiercely defending Snowden, After Snowden: Privacy, Secrecy, and Security in the Information Age.
What changed?
Carter says he was initially torn between two allegiances—his time as an Assistant Secretary of State, protecting national security secrets, and his years as an investigative journalist.
Eventually, the deep-digging reporter in him sided with Snowden.
Carter doesn’t consider all leaks the same. He draws a clear distinction between Chelsea Manning’s torrential release of surveillance secrets through WikiLeaks, and the measured publication of Snowden’s secrets by journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras. He calls the massive release of Manning’s secret files—with no attempt to provide context—“like dumping flopping fish all over the floor.”
By contrast, he says, instead of leaking raw files, Snowden’s camp vetted and curated the information first. “[They] took their long path to publication in order not to pull a Manning dump.”
Read more @ http://whowhatwhy.org/2015/06/22/edward-snowden-vindicated-by-the-usa-freedom-act-or-marked-for-death/
The Council of Europe declared its support of National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden on Tuesday and called on the European Union to offer whistleblowers asylum from “retaliation in their home countries.” From The Intercept: The call for Snowden to be allowed a “public interest defense” — something not available to whistleblowers charged under the Espionage Act of 1917, as Snowden has been — was part of a resolution to improve international protections for whistleblowers passed overwhelmingly by the 47-nation council’s parliamentary assembly at its meeting in Strasbourg, France. After the vote, Snowden spoke to the assembly by video from Moscow, where he has temporary asylum. “It would be committing a crime by discussing your defense,” Snowden said of his current legal prospects if he returned to the U.S. “I think it’s incredibly strong,” he said of the council’s resolution. “It’s a major step forward. … If you can’t mount a full and effective defense — make the case that you are revealing information in the public interest — you can’t have a fair trial.” U.S. government officials have repeatedly said that Snowden should return home to face the consequences of his actions. Snowden should “come back, be sent back, and he should have his day in court,” said National Security Advisor Susan Rice on “60 Minutes” in December 2013. Read more.
The Council of Europe declared its support of National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden on Tuesday and called on the European Union to offer whistleblowers asylum from “retaliation in their home countries.”
From The Intercept:
The call for Snowden to be allowed a “public interest defense” — something not available to whistleblowers charged under the Espionage Act of 1917, as Snowden has been — was part of a resolution to improve international protections for whistleblowers passed overwhelmingly by the 47-nation council’s parliamentary assembly at its meeting in Strasbourg, France.
After the vote, Snowden spoke to the assembly by video from Moscow, where he has temporary asylum. “It would be committing a crime by discussing your defense,” Snowden said of his current legal prospects if he returned to the U.S.
“I think it’s incredibly strong,” he said of the council’s resolution. “It’s a major step forward. … If you can’t mount a full and effective defense — make the case that you are revealing information in the public interest — you can’t have a fair trial.”
U.S. government officials have repeatedly said that Snowden should return home to face the consequences of his actions. Snowden should “come back, be sent back, and he should have his day in court,” said National Security Advisor Susan Rice on “60 Minutes” in December 2013.
Read more.
Read more @ http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/european_authorities_ask_america_let_edward_snowden_come_home_20150625
French artists called on French President Francois Hollande in an open letter to grant asylum to the whistleblowers Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Wikileaks founder Julian Assange currently resides at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, fearing extradition to the United States over espionage charges for publishing secret documents. Former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden, who faces similar charges, lives in Russia on a temporary residence permit. "For several years, Assange and Snowden have been paying in exile for their bravery. While the fairness of their struggle is accepted by general consent, the situation they face continues to cause resentment. They repeatedly appealed to France after offering France important services, revealing the scandalous practices that the United States used against our country," the letter published on Thursday on the online journal Mediapart, reads. French artists, including actor Vincent Cassel and philosopher Edgar Morin, urged Hollande to exercise the country’s right to grant asylum to the people “persecuted for their fight for freedom.”
French artists called on French President Francois Hollande in an open letter to grant asylum to the whistleblowers Julian Assange and Edward Snowden.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Wikileaks founder Julian Assange currently resides at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, fearing extradition to the United States over espionage charges for publishing secret documents. Former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden, who faces similar charges, lives in Russia on a temporary residence permit.
"For several years, Assange and Snowden have been paying in exile for their bravery. While the fairness of their struggle is accepted by general consent, the situation they face continues to cause resentment. They repeatedly appealed to France after offering France important services, revealing the scandalous practices that the United States used against our country," the letter published on Thursday on the online journal Mediapart, reads.
French artists, including actor Vincent Cassel and philosopher Edgar Morin, urged Hollande to exercise the country’s right to grant asylum to the people “persecuted for their fight for freedom.”
Read more @ http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150703/1024155465.html
I feel that once Snowden was on home soil all the promises would be broken, and they would find a loophole around anything written….. Remember what happened to the President of Bolivia’s plane….. And the death threats on Snowden…..
The Council of Europe, the self-proclaimed “democratic conscience of Greater Europe,” urged the United States on Tuesday to allow NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden to return home and make the case that his actions had positive effects. The call for Snowden to be allowed a “public interest defense” — something not available to whistleblowers charged under the Espionage Act of 1917, as Snowden has been — was part of a resolution to improve international protections for whistleblowers passed overwhelmingly by the 47-nation council’s parliamentary assembly at its meeting in Strasbourg, France. After the vote, Snowden spoke to the assembly by video from Moscow, where he has temporary asylum. “It would be committing a crime by discussing your defense,” Snowden said of his current legal prospects if he returned to the U.S.
The Council of Europe, the self-proclaimed “democratic conscience of Greater Europe,” urged the United States on Tuesday to allow NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden to return home and make the case that his actions had positive effects.
Read more @ https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/06/23/european-council-calls-u-s-let-snowden-fair-trial/
"My country is on the wrong side of history," says director Laura Poitras as she accepts the German Film Award for best documentary Friday night in Berlin. Citizenfour director Laura Poitras has called on Germany to grant political asylum to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Poitras made the comment at the gala ceremony for the German Film Awards on Friday, June 19, after Citizenfour, a German-U.S. co-production, won the trophy for best documentary. "My country is on the wrong side of history," Poitras said, adding she hoped Germany "would lead the way and grant asylum to Edward Snowden." Poitras also thanked her German co-production partners for giving her "a safe place" to make Citizenfour. Much of the editing and post-production of the Oscar-winning film was done in Berlin in part to protect the film from censorship before its release.
Citizenfour director Laura Poitras has called on Germany to grant political asylum to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Poitras made the comment at the gala ceremony for the German Film Awards on Friday, June 19, after Citizenfour, a German-U.S. co-production, won the trophy for best documentary.
"My country is on the wrong side of history," Poitras said, adding she hoped Germany "would lead the way and grant asylum to Edward Snowden."
Poitras also thanked her German co-production partners for giving her "a safe place" to make Citizenfour. Much of the editing and post-production of the Oscar-winning film was done in Berlin in part to protect the film from censorship before its release.
Read more @ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/citizenfour-director-calls-germany-grant-803720
The NSA whistleblower continues to inspire as he speaks out against American imperialism from Russia, where he’s been since June 23, 2013. MINNEAPOLIS — It’s been two years since Edward Snowden fled the United States and began disclosing classified documents to the media, proving the existence of the NSA’s mass surveillance program which had only been the subject of rumor and speculation before. In early June 2013, Snowden began sharing thousands of documents he took as a Booz Allen Hamilton analyst working on a National Security agency contract with journalists Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald. He went public with his identity on June 9, and the U.S. government canceled his passport on June 22, leading Snowden to seek asylum in Russia, where he remains to this day. Whether he’s speaking to the tech industry about the importance of encryption at SXSW, or remotely diagnosing a reporter with epilepsy during an interview, Snowden continues to inspire with his words despite his exile. Here are a few of his best quotations. On NSA spying and whistleblowing: “These programs were never about terrorism: they’re about economic spying, social control, and diplomatic manipulation. They’re about power.” — “An Open Letter to the People of Brazil,” December 2013“The NSA set fire to the Internet’s future. The people in this room are all the firefighters.” — “Edward Snowden speaks to SXSW,” March 2014“Being called a traitor by Dick Cheney is the highest honor you can give an American.” — “Edward Snowden: NSA whistleblower answers reader questions,” Oct. 3, 2014 On Privacy: “Privacy matters. Privacy is what allows us to determine who we are and who we want to be.” — “Snowden Sends Christmas Message To USA,” Dec. 25, 2013“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.” — Edward Snowden’s “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit, May 21, 2015“Bathtub falls and police officers kill more Americans than terrorism, yet we’ve been asked to sacrifice our most sacred rights for fear of falling victim to it.” — “Edward Snowden: NSA whistleblower answers reader questions,” Oct. 3, 2014“I don’t want to live in a world where everything that I say, everything I do, everyone I talk to, every expression of creativity or love or friendship is recorded.” — “Edward Snowden: ‘The US government will say I aided our enemies,’” July 8, 2013 On the future: “A child born today will grow up with no conception of privacy at all. They’ll never know what it means to have a private moment to themselves an unrecorded, unanalyzed thought. And that’s a problem because privacy matters; privacy is what allows us to determine who we are and who we want to be.” — “Snowden Sends Christmas Message To USA,” Dec. 25, 2013“The tide has turned, and we can finally see a future where we can enjoy security without sacrificing our privacy. Our rights cannot be limited by a secret organization … Even the defenders of mass surveillance, those who may not be persuaded that our surveillance technologies have dangerously outpaced democratic controls, now agree that in democracies, surveillance of the public must be debated by the public.” — “An Open Letter to the People of Brazil,” Dec. 17, 2013“The conversation occurring today will determine the amount of trust we can place both in the technology that surrounds us and the government that regulates it. Together we can find a better balance, end mass surveillance, and remind the government that if it really wants to know how we feel, asking is always cheaper than spying.” — “Snowden Sends Christmas Message To USA,” Dec. 25, 2013
The NSA whistleblower continues to inspire as he speaks out against American imperialism from Russia, where he’s been since June 23, 2013.
MINNEAPOLIS — It’s been two years since Edward Snowden fled the United States and began disclosing classified documents to the media, proving the existence of the NSA’s mass surveillance program which had only been the subject of rumor and speculation before.
In early June 2013, Snowden began sharing thousands of documents he took as a Booz Allen Hamilton analyst working on a National Security agency contract with journalists Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald. He went public with his identity on June 9, and the U.S. government canceled his passport on June 22, leading Snowden to seek asylum in Russia, where he remains to this day.
Whether he’s speaking to the tech industry about the importance of encryption at SXSW, or remotely diagnosing a reporter with epilepsy during an interview, Snowden continues to inspire with his words despite his exile. Here are a few of his best quotations.
On NSA spying and whistleblowing:
On Privacy:
On the future:
"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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