Janet Protasiewicz’s victory matters not just for Wisconsin but also for any American who cares about democracy, fair elections, voting rights, and much more.
Wisconsin Chooses a Progressive Justice in the Most Important Election of 2023
Will have to wait and see if she’s really a progressive.
from the we-become-what-we-fear dept
Thu, Mar 30th 2023 10:49am – Mike Masnick
Earlier this month, we wrote about Mark Warner’s RESTRICT Act, mainly in the context of how it appeared to be kneejerk legislating in response to the moral panic around TikTok.
Senator Warner’s RESTRICT Act Is Designed To Create The Great Firewall Of America
America with Chinese Characteristics?! /sarcasm
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) plans to block a bill introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) that would ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok, The Hill reported Wednesday.
Sen. Rand Paul to Block Sen. Josh Hawley’s Bill to Ban TikTok
Bill to Ban Tik Tok Would Give Government Sweeping Powers to Crackdown on Tech
A person who violates the act could be fined up to $1 million or punished with up to 20 years in prison. The broad and vague definitions in the legislation caused many to wonder if people could be handed such harsh punishments for using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to get around future government censorship that could come as a result of the bill.
A spokesperson for Warner insisted that the legislation wasn’t designed to target individual users and pointed to the language that says someone “must be engaged in ‘sabotage or subversion’ of American communications technology products and services, creating ‘catastrophic effects’ on US critical infrastructure, or ‘interfering in, or altering the result’ of a federal election, in order to be eligible for any kind of criminal penalty.”
But the bill will give the Commerce Secretary the authority to deem what is considered “sabotage or subversion” or any of the other threats listed above. The legislation has grave implications for civil liberties and could be used against any individuals or tech and media companies the Biden administration, or any future administration would want to target.
Previously:
Tik-Tok bills could dangerously expand national security state
Congressional proposals to address Chinese ownership of the popular app go well beyond the hearing soundbites. Let’s explore.
Tik-Tok bills could dangerously expand national security state
from the but-this-is-the-system-Congress-wants…. dept
The FBI has long enjoyed its close relationship with the NSA… or at least the NSA’s collections. Data and communications collected under the NSA’s Section 702 program contain plenty of “incidental” snooping on Americans. That’s because even though it’s a foreign-facing collection, Americans who communicate with people outside of the United States are swept up in the dragnet.
Congressional Rep Who Discovered His Info Was Illegally Searched By The FBI Likely Has No Legal Remedy
“Well that’s unfortunate. If only he were part of some kind of body that had the power to change the law.” [1]
‘Hey, you can actually force-feed,’ Ron DeSantis said he advised, endorsing a practice detainee lawyers described as torture
DeSantis’s pivotal service at Guantánamo during a violent year
from the the-1st-amendment-still-matters dept
Freedom of speech and association include the right to choose one’s communication technologies. Politicians shouldn’t be able to tell you what to say, where to say it, or who to say it to.
The US Government Has Not Justified A TikTok Ban
Last week, the Biden administration asked Congress to permit its agents to continue to spy on Americans without search warrants. The actual request was to re-authorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. FISA requires warrants from the FISA Court for all domestic spying. Section 702 is a 2008 amendment to FISA. It expressly authorizes warrantless spying of foreign persons.
Spying In Plain Sight
The criminal investigation undertaken by the federal government against hundreds of participants in the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol is polarizing the country and shredding civil liberties.
Chris Hedges: Lynching the Deplorables
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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