surveillance

Feds Want New Ways to Tap the Web

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:25:58 -0500

Full article: Politico
Jennifer Martinez
The Obama administration is considering new regulations to require Web-based communications services to incorporate surveillance capabilities in their products, so law enforcement can conduct digital wiretaps if suspects message Facebook "friends" or conspire via Skype.

Breaking a Promise on Surveillance

Stevie Converse — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:16:17 -0400

Full article: New York Times
The Obama administration's request to make a change in the law that would allow them to see the names of anyone's e-mail correspondents and their Web browsing history without permission is an unnecessary and disappointing step backward toward more intrusive surveillance.

The White House Lets Idle an Important Civil Liberties Panel

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:42:40 -0400

Full article: Washington Post
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board is meant to protect Americans from intrusions in an era of invigorated counterterrorism action. But President Barack Obama has neglected to appoint anyone to the board.

Democrats Seek to Tighten Oversight of Surveillance Methods

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:00:28 -0400

Full article: Washington Post
Ellen Nakashima
Democratic lawmakers are pressing the Obama administration to strengthen civil liberties protections against surveillance methods used in counterterrorism investigations, but senior Justice Department officials declined to endorse or reject their calls.

White House Seeks Renewal of Surveillance Laws

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:54:06 -0400

Full article: Washington Post
Carrie Johnson and Ellen Nakashima
The Obama administration has for the first time set out its views on the controversial USA Patriot Act, telling lawmakers that legal approval of government surveillance methods scheduled to expire in December should be renewed, but leaving room to tweak the law to protect Americans' privacy.

Public Spied on 1,500 Times a Day in U.K.

Lindsy Embree — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:01:50 -0400

Full article: Reuters
Police, councils and the intelligence services made more than 500,000 requests to access private emails and telephone records in the U.K. last year, according to an annual surveillance report. The figures found that about 1,500 surveillance requests were made every day in Britain.

In '03, Hints of Skepticism by Sotomayor on Expanded Wiretapping

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:53:39 -0400

Full article: New York Times
Charlie Savage
Judge Sonia Sotomayor expressed skepticism in March 2003 about the expanded government surveillance powers in the USA Patriot Act, citing what she referred to as its broader authority "to impose nationwide wiretaps with little judicial supervision" and to monitor Internet use in search of terrorists.

Bush Administration Faces New Challenges to Spying Powers

Holiday Shapiro — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:30:19 -0500

Full article: Los Angeles Times
Carol J. Williams
A federal judge who earlier rejected Bush administration claims that it was exempt from laws governing domestic surveillance was asked to strike down an act of Congress that grants retroactive immunity for illegal wiretapping.

In Courtroom Showdown, Bush Demands Amnesty for Spying Telecoms

Holiday Shapiro — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:32:37 -0500

Full article: Wired
David Kravets
The Bush administration will try to convince a federal judge to let stand a law granting retroactive legal immunity to the nation's telecoms, which are accused of transmitting Americans' private communications to the National Security Agency without warrants.

Judges Urge Standard Cell Phone Tracking Policy

Stevie Converse — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:46:52 -0500

Full article: Washington Post
Ellen Nakashima
Magistrate judges across the country are renewing calls for Congress to set a consistent legal standard for law enforcement to meet when seeking cell phone tracking information about a wireless provider's customers.