Tag: 1984 was a Warning not a Blueprint

Federal Government Censor Websites Using Copyright Laws

With all the debate surrounding the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) mission creep we often forget that the federal government has been practicing censorship by hijacking domains of websites. We’re told that SOPA will be OK because the government will only target copyright offenders but the truth is they’ve already used their authority to censor non-infringing websites:

Imagine if the US government, with no notice or warning, raided a small but popular magazine’s offices over a Thanksgiving weekend, seized the company’s printing presses, and told the world that the magazine was a criminal enterprise with a giant banner on their building. Then imagine that it never arrested anyone, never let a trial happen, and filed everything about the case under seal, not even letting the magazine’s lawyers talk to the judge presiding over the case. And it continued to deny any due process at all for over a year, before finally just handing everything back to the magazine and pretending nothing happened. I expect most people would be outraged. I expect that nearly all of you would say that’s a classic case of prior restraint, a massive First Amendment violation, and exactly the kind of thing that does not, or should not, happen in the United States.

But, in a story that’s been in the making for over a year, and which we’re exposing to the public for the first time now, this is exactly the scenario that has played out over the past year — with the only difference being that, rather than “a printing press” and a “magazine,” the story involved “a domain” and a “blog.”

[…]

Okay, now some details. First, remember Dajaz1.com? It was one of the sites seized over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend back in 2010 — a little over a year ago. Those seizures struck us as particularly interesting, because among the sites seized were a bunch of hip hop blogs, including a few that were highly ranked on Vibe’s list of the top hip hop blogs.

[…]

In fact, as the details came out, it became clear that ICE and the Justice Department were in way over their heads. ICE’s “investigation” was done by a technically inept recent college grad, who didn’t even seem to understand the basics of the technology. But it didn’t stop him from going to a judge and asking for a site to be completely censored with no due process.

The story goes into more detail but I’m sure you get the point. ICE has been shutting down domains based on “evidence” collected by completely unqualified individuals. Instead of laughing and tossing out requests for domain seizures judges have simply been saying, “Well I’m an agent of the state and you’re an agent of the state so you must be right. Sieze the domain!” This kind of ineptitude isn’t an exception but is the rule when it comes to government enforcement of almost anything.

Knowing this people still want to grant the government more power. What SOPA will do is allow this kind of incompetence to spread even further. I also guarantee you that many websites that are critical of the federal government will find themselves on the list of copyright offenders, by accident of course.

And to Think, Anti-Gunners Want to Prohibit People on the Terror Watch List from Owning Guns

From the horses fucking mouth:

POSITION: As a way to strengthen the Brady background check system, the Brady Campaign supports closing the Terror Gap.

PROBLEM: There is a gaping hole in our nation’s firearm laws that terrorists can exploit. Federal authorities can’t stop sales of guns – including military-style assault weapons – by federally licensed gun dealers to known or suspected terrorists because of gaps in current law. Our definitions of those prohibited from purchasing guns from federally licensed dealers do not include those known and suspected terrorists.

[…]

SOLUTION: Congress must pass the bill to close the Terror Gap to stop known or suspected terrorists from buying guns.

GET ACTIVE: Contact your Representative and Senators to urge them to support the Terror Gap bill.

I’ve been completely opposed to this because many innocent people appear on those lists. Now we’ve learned that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has been permitted to leave people acquitted of terrorist-related offenses on their lists:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is permitted to include people on the government’s terrorist watch list even if they have been acquitted of terrorism-related offenses or the charges are dropped, according to newly released documents.

[…]

The 91 pages of newly disclosed files include a December 2010 guidance memorandum to F.B.I. field offices showing that even a not-guilty verdict may not always be enough to get someone off the list, if agents maintain they still have “reasonable suspicion” that the person might have ties to terrorism.

There you have it, if your name appears on the list and you’re later acquitted the FBI can simply leave your name on there so long as they have “reasonable suspicion.” This means, beyond any doubt, that what anti-gunners are advocating is the removal of people’s right to keep and bear arms even if those people are innocent of any crime.

You know what’s rather funny about this? I’ve been saying due process is dead in this country for a while now and am often called paranoid for it. This document proves without any doubt that due process is in fact dead in this country. Welcome to the United Police State of America.

By the way, in case this document gets removed I’ve uploaded a copy to my server, which can be accessed here [PDF].

Lieberman Pushing to Further Censor Free Speech

I hate Joe Lieberman. He’s one of the dumbest fuckwits in Washington DC who seems to have a loud opinion about every single thing he doesn’t understand. Now he’s demanding that Google place a button on Blogger to flag terrorist content:

Joseph Lieberman, the independent senator from Connecticut, sent a letter to Google CEO Larry Page this week expressing his opinion that Google-owned blogging platform Blogger should provide a button that would let readers of Blogger-powered blogs flag “terrorist content,” according to a report.

[…]

“As demonstrated by this recent case, Google’s webhosting site, Blogger, is being used by violent Islamist extremists to broadcast terrorist content,” reads the reported Lieberman letter, which was posted online by blog TPM.

Where do I begin? First of all what qualifies as terrorist content is entirely subjective. If you ask a government agent any anti-government content would likely be considered terrorist content while people asking me what qualifies as terrorist content will get a quick response noting basically everything government agents have ever written.

Are people advocating terrorism using popular blogging software to get their message out? Yes. Is such content protected under free speech? You’re damned right it is. How can I say that? Easy, unless somebody is acting upon their advocacy of violence no crime has taken place because no victim exists. There is a day and night difference between saying something and doing something. Many people say things that they would never act upon, often times just to let off steam.

What Lieberman wants is really the censorship of speech. How do I derive that? What do you think that “terrorist flag” button is supposed to do? I’m sure if jack-booted thug Lieberman had his way it would send all available personal information about the post author to the Department of Motherland Homeland Security and dispatch a Reaper drone to blow the author straight to Hell. Since that isn’t really possible due to pesky laws (not that they’re stopping the government from doing anything) the next best thing will be to have the button remove the content from Blogger, at least for review.

Instead of trying to further stifle our rights how about you work on real problems Lieberman? Perhaps you can use your large and idiotic opinion to demand stupid changes that you believe will fix our country’s major debt problem. At least you could claim you’re working on a pressing issue in an attempt to justify that fat paycheck and great benefits package you earn for doing nothing besides being a dick.

Senate Declaring American Soil a Battlefield

It doesn’t get more blatant than this, the Senate is moving to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act which has some interesting additions made behind closed doors:

The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world. Even Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) raised his concerns about the NDAA detention provisions during last night’s Republican debate. The power is so broad that even U.S. citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself.

The worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday. The bill was drafted in secret by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a single hearing.

[…]

In support of this harmful bill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) explained that the bill will “basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield” and people can be imprisoned without charge or trial “American citizen or not.” Another supporter, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) also declared that the bill is needed because “America is part of the battlefield.”

Fascism is here ladies and gentlemen. Our “representatives” are voting on declaring our nation a battlefield, which will allow military personell to detain anybody without so much as charges being declared. The mere fact that senators of this country are even entertaining this idea demonstrates how far we’ve fallen from the original ideas of liberty this country was founded on.

I have no doubt that this erroneous legislation will be slammed through under the false pretense of national security and the war on terror. At this point I’m only hoping to alert people of this shit, it would take an insurmountable change of direction to steer our country around and move it back towards liberty, which I’m doubting more and more everyday is possible.

Cell Phones are the Greatest Spy Devices Ever Invented

Cell phones are one of the greatest double edged swords human being have ever invented. They’re incredibly convenient communication devices that not only allow the possessor to make and receive phone calls but also send and receive e-mails, text messages, instant messages from various services, and almost any other data communication you can think of. Due to the amount of personal information we put into these devices they also make the greatest spy gadgets ever invented as they have a microphone, list of contacts, your recent e-mail messages, your current and previous locations, and other similar types of data. Because of the latter rootkits installed on phones are far more dangerous than those installed on personal computers, which is why this is unnerving news to say the least:

You may recall from a few articles back that we started talking about something called CIQ or Carrier iQ. This is, essentially, a piece of software that is embedded into most mobile devices, not just Android but Nokia, Blackberry, and likely many more. According to TrevE, the software is installed as a rootkit software in the RAM of devices where it resides. This software basically is completely hidden from view and in it virtually invisible, and worst of all, rather complicated to kill (some devices more so than others and you will see why in a few minutes). This is given root like rights over the device, which means that it can do everything it pleases and you will have nothing to say about it.

Why do we go into this? Well, a while back I was having some conversations back and forth with TrevE regarding all the HTC’s PoCs that he has been working on, and he started wondering about CIQ, as according to him, was one of the worst things that he had found in HTC’s code. So, he decided to start digging a little into this and found out that there is much more to be said regarding this software than even manufacturers will dare say. It turns out that CIQ is not exactly what many people don’t see (as it is hidden), but it is rather a very useful tool for system and network administrators. The tools is used to provide feedback and relevant data on several metrics that can help one of the aforementioned admins to troubleshoot and improve system and network performance. Point and case, the app seems to run in such a way that it allows the user to provide the input needed via surveys and other things. To put things in a more visual way, this is what CIQ should look like

Carrier iQ is likely one of the most dangerous pieces of software in common use today. I do understand the great amount of benefit it gives to cellular providers but we all know anything accessible by said providers can also be access by the government, often without so much as a court order.

There is a second article that brings up some of the implications of this software being installed on many cell phones. To call such software a violation of privacy being too nice, it literally allows third parties to spy on your every move and potentially listen in to your conversations. Smart criminals would have abandoned cellular phones while performing their ill-deeds long ago but intelligent people never follow the mantra of, “if you’re not doing anything wrong you have nothing to fear” in regards to potential surveillance.

It doesn’t look as though there is much that can be done about Carrier iQ without giving up the convenience of smart phones. Still it is smart to be aware of this technology so you can make the decision of what is more important; have the ability to communicate almost anywhere or a stronger guarantee of privacy.

TSA Decides No Independent Study of X-Ray Scanner Safety is Needed

Remember some time back when the Transportation Sexual Assaulters Security Administration (TSA) promised to have an independent safety study performed on the x-ray body scanners? Neither does the TSA:

Earlier this month, a ProPublica/PBS NewsHour investigation found that the TSA had glossed over research that the X-ray scanners could lead to a small number of cancer cases. The scanners emit low levels of ionizing radiation, which has been shown to damage DNA. In addition, several safety reviewers who initially advised the government on the scanners said they had concerns about the machines being used, as they are today, on millions of airline passengers.

[…]

But at a Senate hearing of a different committee last week, Pistole said he had since received a draft report on the machines by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, or IG, that might render the independent study unnecessary.

In other words the government has put their foot down and x-ray scanners are staying regardless of the fact that they may cause cancer. Is there a conflict of interest in having the government perform the review of its own machines? Most certainly. Does the government give two shits about your health? Not at all. Therefore the first question is irrelevant in their eyes.

I contacted a representative of the TSA about this issue and he replied by saying, “HA HA HA HA HA HA! Shut up slave and get in the scanner.” Now that I think about it the man may not have been with the TSA, but he was a registered sex offender which is basically the same thing.

The bottom line is this: the government wants you used to the idea of constant warrantless surveillance. These scanners give them that by ensuring everybody who flies is searched without reason. Even now the TSA is performing warrantless searches in other venues such as truck weigh stations without so much as probably cause. If you think that is the final extent of the TSA’s power you are sorely mistaken, they will continue to expand their influence and I wouldn’t be surprised if we eventually see interstate checkpoints staffed by TSA agents. A populace under constant surveillance is much easier to control than one able to go about their business that remains unknown the the government.

No question exists in my mind about whether or not these scanners are going or staying. Were research presented by a well-known and respected institute that proved, with no uncertainty, that these scanners cause cancer we will still not be rid of them. Shortly after such research was released the government would likely release their own counter-research that said the chances of getting cancer from one of these machines is lower than the chances of somebody getting onto a plan with a weapon without the scanners and therefore, for the greater good, these scanners must remain.

As I said before we’re not traveling down the road to fascism, we’ve already reached our destination.

More Dictator Behavior

For a country that founded itself on tossing out a tyrannical jackass of a king we sure are in a hurry lately to establish the President as a new dictator. Not only can the man in the Oval Office declare war willy nilly on any nation we no longer aprove of but now he has the power to overtake all media:

It’s the first-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which hopes to provide key information immediately to all Americans in the event of a truly national emergency. This national system will look and sound much like the current (and local) emergency warnings often seen on TV or heard on radio, but the scope is larger and it can be put under the direct control of the President. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the National Weather Service (NWS) will all coordinate the test, but it’s FEMA that actually transmits the alert code.

Emphasis mine. So are there any other systems that we can just toss under the control of the President? Perhaps the President should be allowed to kill the Internet whenever he pleases… oh wait, they’re already working on that. Why not give the President exclusive deciding power on launching our nuclear arsenal while we’re at it?

Currently the government is slated to run a test of this system on Wednesday at 13:00 but they’re trying to figure out how to ensure the test doesn’t panic people:

Concerned that such a test might alarm people, the agencies are going to extraordinary lengths to provide a heads-up. I first heard about the test in an e-mail newsletter from my city government, which told residents last week, “Do not be alarmed when an emergency message will take over the airways… this is only a test.” The test will display a warning message on TV screens, though as my city helpfully noted, “Due to some technical limitations, a visual message indicating that ‘this is a test’ may not pop up on every TV channel, especially where people use cable to receive their television stations.”

Instead of spending buckets of money trying to alert everybody of the test I have a very cheap means of preventing panic; perform the test early in the morning, let’s say around 3:00. As a much smaller percentage of the populace is awake watching television and listening to the radio at that hour there will be a far smaller chance of creating widespread panic. I did it again, I came up with an effective way to save the government a ton of money so why haven’t I been hired as a financial consultant yet? Oh yeah, I refuse to work for the government.

Regardless of how this goes down those of us who are creeped out by the government’s constant grabs for power are going to be freaked out by this test no matter what propaganda we’re fed.

Big Brother in Our Street Lights

I’m getting rather sick of all the new devices coming out that help our government spy on us. The number of new devices and laws being presented the help government agents listen in on our conversations and watch our ever move is mind-boggling. Not satisfied with the current state of eavesdropping technologies now even street lights are being converted from their benevolent use of providing light to a more sinister purpose:

They are being used for entertainment and safety. but some critics say this is nothing more than the watchful eye of big brother keeping track of your every moment.

[…]

When you step come into view of the street light, there is a camera that spots you, and the person on the other side sees you by white specs on a black screen. The camera senses that somebody is there, and if wants, it can even take your picture.

The system is also capable of recording conversations making critics cry invasion of privacy.

While this is being touted as a great thing by the manufacturer I must say what they think is great I think is despicable:

He said this project “demonstrates how business and government can work together for economic, environmental and social benefits.”

I get a sick feeling in my stomach every time I hear a business tycoon say they can or have demonstrated how business and government can work together. There is a term used to describe a social and economic system where business and government hop into bed together, and that term is fascism. No good comes from a tyrannical government working hand-in-hand with private businesses and let’s be honest, the only thing faster than light is the speed our government is driving down tyranny road.

While I have no expectation of privacy when I’m out and about I do expect my supposed Constitutional protections against government snooping to apply at all times.

The EFF Looks at the Three Most Dangerous Provisions of the PATRIOT Act

To celebrate 10 years of tyranny under the USA PATRIOT Act the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has posted an article that looks into the three most dangerous provisions of this blatant power grab of legislation:

1. SECTION 215 – “ANY TANGIBLE THING”

Under this provision, the FBI can obtain secret court orders for business records and other “tangible things” so long as the FBI says that the records are sought “for an authorized investigation . . . to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities.” The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court must issue the order if the FBI so certifies, even when there are no facts to back it up. These “things” can include basically anything—driver’s license records, hotel records, car-rental records, apartment-leasing records, credit card records, books, documents, Internet history, and more. Adding insult to injury, Section 215 orders come with a “gag ” prohibiting the recipient from telling anyone, ever, that they received one.

It’s always nice when the federal government can go on a fishing expedition without even having so much as factual evidence to back up their accusation. The most egregious part of Section 215 though is that those who are targeted with the order to provide evidence are forbidden from ever telling anybody.

2. NATIONAL SECURITY LETTERS

Among the most used — and outright frightening — provisions in the PATRIOT Act are those that enhanced so-called National Security Letters (NSLs). The FBI can issue NSLs itself, without a court order, and demand a variety of records, from phone records to bank account information to Internet activity. As with 215 orders, recipients are gagged from revealing the orders to anyone.

This is another piece of the PATRIOT Act that allows the federal government to obtain personal information and gag the information provider. When the federal government wants information about you they can issue a National Security Letter, have the information provided to them, and prevent the provider from informing you that the information was handed over. For instance if the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) want any e-mail messages received by or sent from to your GMail account Google would have to provide them but would be prohibited from informing you that government agents demanded the data.

3. SNEAK AND PEEK WARRANTS

Section 213 of the PATRIOT Act normalized “sneak-and-peek” warrants. These allow law enforcement to raid a suspect’s house without notifying the recipient of the seizure for months. These orders usually don’t authorize the government to actually seize any property — but that won’t stop them from poking around your computers. Again, sneak-and-peek warrants could be used for any investigation, even if the crime was only a misdemeanor.

This provision is the reason all of my data is encrypted at all times. The drives in my computer and the external backup drives are all entirely encrypted. Data can’t be retrieved from or written to my drives without the decryption keys (technically an agent could wipe my drive, reinstall the operating system, and include key-logging software but all my data would be missing which would raise some serious red flags). I advise everybody to use disk encryption technology on their systems.

There you have it, a nice overview of three provisions of the PATRIOT Act that shit all over our supposedly Constitutionally guaranteed rights of protection.

State Censorship

Uncle let us know that members of law enforcement in the United State have amped up the frequency in which they ask Google to remove videos of police brutality from YouTube:

The technology giant’s biannual transparency report shows that Google refused the demands from the unnamed authority in the first half of this year.

According to the report, Google separately declined orders by other police authorities to remove videos that allegedly defamed law enforcement officials.

The demands formed part of a 70% rise in takedown requests from the US government or police, and were revealed as part of an effort to highlight online censorship around the world.

Figures revealed for the first time show that the US demanded private information about more than 11,000 Google users between January and June this year, almost equal to the number of requests made by 25 other developed countries, including the UK and Russia.

First of all that’s one hell of an increase in takedown requests by the government. Second let us all take a second to thank Google for refusing to remove the videos. The rate of attempted government censorship and demands of customer personal information isn’t surprising but it is still depressing for those of us who would rather not live under a police state.