Defense Department Latest To Be Caught Hoovering Up Internet Data Via Private Contractors

Everyone’s got a hunger for data. Constitutional rights sometimes prevent those with a hunger from serving themselves. But when they’ve got third parties on top of third parties, all Fourth Amendment bets are off. Data brokers are getting rich selling government agencies the data they want at low, low prices, repackaging information gathered from other third parties into tasty packages that give US government agencies the data they want with the plausible deniability they need.

Defense Department Latest To Be Caught Hoovering Up Internet Data Via Private Contractors

Mail fraud? Biden’s postal inspectors tracked pro-gun activists

The U.S. Postal Service monitored protesters across the country, snooping on Americans focused on issues involving guns and President Biden’s election, according to records obtained by The Washington Times.

“We determined that certain proactive searches iCOP conducted using an open-source intelligence tool from February to April 2021 exceeded the Postal Inspection Service’s law enforcement authority,” the Postal Service watchdog said in a March audit. “Furthermore, we could not corroborate whether other work analysts completed from October 2018 through June 2021 was legally authorized.”

Mail fraud? Biden’s postal inspectors tracked pro-gun activists

H/T: John Crump News

Welcome to the club!

California’s Age Appropriate Design Code Is Radical Anti-Internet Policy

from the well,-there-goes-the-neighborhood dept

Thu, Sep 15th 2022 12:55pm – Mike Masnick

This isn’t a surprise, but it’s still frustrating. Gavin Newsom, who wants to be President some day, and thus couldn’t risk misleading headlines that he didn’t “protect the children,” has now signed AB 2273 into law (this follows on yesterday’s decision to sign the bad, but slightly less destructive, AB 587 into law). At this point there’s not much more I can say about why AB 2273 is so bad. I’ve explained why it’s literally impossible to comply with (and why many sites will just ignore it). I’ve explained how it’s pretty clearly unconstitutional. I’ve explained how the whole idea was pushed for and literally sponsored by a Hollywood director / British baroness who wants to destroy the internet. I’ve explained how it won’t do much, if anything, to protect children, but will likely put them at much greater risk. I’ve explained how the company it will likely benefit most is the world’s largest porn company not to mention COVID disinfo peddlers and privacy lawyers. I’ve explained how the companies supporting the law insist that we shouldn’t worry because websites will just start scanning your face when you visit.

Gavin Newsom Fucks Over The Open Internet, Signs Disastrously Stupid Age Appropriate Design Code

Related:

California’s Age Appropriate Design Code Is Radical Anti-Internet Policy

Cuba solidarity group in Puerto Rico hits FBI harassment, defends rights

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — In response to FBI harassment of participants in a solidarity brigade to Cuba a few weeks after they returned to Puerto Rico, the Cuba Solidarity Committee of Puerto Rico has called for a protest at the Federal Building here Sept. 17 at 11 a.m. The action also calls for an end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

Cuba solidarity group in Puerto Rico hits FBI harassment, defends rights

ACERE Statement Condemning Senator Rubio’s Attempt to Intimidate and Harass Puentes de Amor

As Cuban-Americans and others came out on the streets of Miami on July 31 to oppose the over 60-year United States embargo against Cuba, Senator Marco Rubio decided to revive one of the ugliest and most condemned moments of U.S. history when he chose to engage in McCarthyist tactics and launch a campaign against U.S. citizens demanding diplomacy and engagement with Cuba, instead of continuing a failed policy of isolation and punishment.

ACERE Statement Condemning Senator Rubio’s Attempt to Intimidate and Harass Puentes de Amor

Related:

Bridges of Love ‘spreads Cuba’s communist propaganda.’ FBI must investigate this group | Opinion

Court To Public University: Yeah, It’s A 1st Amendment Problem When You Delete Comments You Don’t Like

Just a somewhat periodic reminder: publicly-funded colleges are government entities. Almost every public university is. Sometimes, they seem to forget what they are and act in ways governments can’t — not without violating rights.

Court To Public University: Yeah, It’s A 1st Amendment Problem When You Delete Comments You Don’t Like

Gavin Newsom Signs Hugely Problematic ‘Transparency’ Bill Into Law

from the but-why-gavin? dept

Wed, Sep 14th 2022 03:48pm – Mike Masnick

We’re still waiting to see if California Governor Gavin Newsom will sign the California Age Appropriate Design Code (AB 2273) into law, though all indications are that he will. However, he has now signed a different bad bill into law. He has happily signed what he calls the “nation-leading social media transparency measure” AB 587 into law. The bill is a disaster whether or not you support the goal of “transparency” for social media companies. Actually, the bill is a disaster especially if you support more transparency from social media companies.

Gavin Newsom Signs Hugely Problematic ‘Transparency’ Bill Into Law