Category: patriot act

Yes, the Patriot Act amendment to track us online is real

[ad_1] Interestingly, one “Big Browser” company has a feature that’s a useful tool in this context. Like the way Apple can’t “read” your iPhone’s data (specifically, Apple can’t decrypt it), Google can only share what it can “read.” You can password protect your Chrome data by following the instructions here.  Anyway, to validate the concerns […]

Senate passes Patriot Act amendment strengthening independent oversight

[ad_1] Fifty-nine members of the Senate just voted in favor of my amendment to block warrantless government surveillance of Americans’ browser history. It failed by just one vote. McConnell is that much closer to giving Bill Barr the green light to spy on Americans’ private information. https://t.co/IV5ERbte48 — Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) May 13, 2020 The […]

Bipartisan bill would scale back key section of the Patriot Act

[ad_1] While there are a variety of facets to the bill, the most significant aspect of it is that it would prohibit the warrantless collection of cell-site and GPS geolocation data, as well as internet browsing and search history by US intelligence agencies. Additionally, the bill would eliminate the relevance clause that had allowed the […]

The NSA says it stopped tracking cellphone locations without a warrant

[ad_1] Last year the Supreme Court ruled, in a 5-4 decision, that a search warrant is required for law enforcement to perform cellphone tower searches to track someone’s location. The Daily Beast reported on a letter sent by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to Senator Ron Wyden affirming that ever since […]

NSA improperly collected even more call records than we thought

[ad_1] The report finds that the NSA improperly collected call record data in November 2017, February 2018 and again in October 2018. The October violation suggests the over-collection problems persisted (or new ones arose) even after the NSA admitted its error, and it might have had something to do with the NSA’s formal recommendation that […]

Netflix puts a ‘Patriot Act’ episode about bad internet access on DVD

[ad_1] It’s a topic we cover frequently on Engadget, and the episode, “Why Your Internet Sucks,” is a compelling watch. It’s a strong look at why millions of Americans are missing out on fixed broadband and why that’s such a problem. For instance, “About three million kids across the country have trouble completing their homework […]