illegal spying on Americans

Telecom Customers May Sue Government over Wiretapping, Court Says

Stevie Converse — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:31:45 -0500

Full article: Los Angeles Times
Carol J. Williams
An appellate panel reinstates a lawsuit against the federal government over post-9/11 warrantless wiretapping and sends the case back to U.S. district court for trial.

The Five Levels of ISP Evil

Stevie Converse — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:19:04 -0400

Full article: GigaOM
Dane Jasper
Recently a number of ISPs, using a system from Paxfire, have been caught improperly redirecting end-user traffic in order to generate affiliate payments. A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Paxfire and one of the ISPs. This is a serious allegation, but it's the tip of the iceberg. Most people don't understand the levels of sneakiness that service providers can engage in.

Researcher: iPhone Location Data Already Used by Cops

Stevie Converse — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:33:05 -0400

Full article: GigaOM
Bobbie Johnson
The findings of British programmers that the iPhone and 3G iPad is regularly recording the position of the device in a hidden file started a firestorm of media coverage. But as the details came to light, one researcher was left scratching his head -- because he'd already made the same discovery last year and says the data is already being put to use by law enforcement agencies.

Senator Questions Apple over iPhone Tracking

Stevie Converse — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:21:48 -0400

Full article: Ars Technica
Nate Anderson
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) wants answers. Security researchersrevealed the existence of a file on iPhones and on their computer backups that logs detailed cell phone triangulation data -- and has ever since iOS 4 was released last summer. The information is stored unencrypted by default, and is simple to access. That announcement led Franken to fire off a two-page letter, asking nine pointed questions of Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

How Apple Tracks Your Location Without Consent, and Why It Matters

Stevie Converse — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 10:18:26 -0400

Full article: Ars Technica
Jacqui Cheng
If you haven't yet enabled encrypted backups for your iPhone or iPad, now's definitely the time to start. Two security researchers have discovered a simple way to map out where you've been almost anywhere in the world -- without any hacking involved. And it's information that no one should have access to -- not even law enforcement, barring a court order.

CIA Invests in Software Firm Monitoring Blogs, Twitter

Stevie Converse — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:52:43 -0400

Full article: DemocracyNow.org
The investment arm of the Central Intelligence Agency has invested in a software firm called Visible Technologies that specializes in monitoring social media sites, including blogs, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter and Amazon.

Telephone Company Is Arm of Government, Feds Admit in Spy Suit

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:54:14 -0400

Full article: Wired
Ryan Singel
The Department of Justice has finally admitted it: The nation's telecom companies are an arm of the government -- at least when it comes to secret spying. Fortunately, a judge says that relationship isn't enough to squash a rights group's open records request for communications between the nation's telecoms and the feds.

The Importance of Free Speech Online in Iran, China, Kenya

Stevie Converse — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:46:48 -0400

Full article: PBS MediaShift
Mark Glaser
A video roundtable focused on free speech online in various countries, from Iran to China to Kenya -- and even mentioned the U.S. government's attempts at curtailing speech online over the years.

Former U.S. Attorney Approved Warrantless Tracking of Suspects

Stevie Converse — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:00:47 -0400

Full article: Think Progress
While serving as a U.S. attorney during the Bush administration, Christopher Christie, now a Republican candidate for Governor in New Jersey, tracked the whereabouts of citizens through their cell phones without warrants.

Gonzales Said to Have Intervened on Wiretap

Stevie Converse — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:57:56 -0400

Full article: New York Times
Mark Mazetti and Neil A.Lewis
When he was Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales intervened in a CIA wiretapping operation that involved Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) because the Bush administration saw her as a valuable ally in urging the New York Times not to publish an article about the National Security Agency's illegal warrantless wiretapping program.