Technology And Liberty Blog Posts

Technology Changes Things. Latest Example: Student Records.

suzanne_ito — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:16:00 -0500

Schools care about kids. Some are better than others but educators get into the business because they want to help kids grow and learn. Any teacher will tell you one of the key ingredients for doing that is knowing your kids. What kind of student are they, how are things at home, are they having discipline issues, the list goes on and on. In order to accomplish this, schools (big surprise) keep records so they can monitor educational achievement and other things. Of course this is generally a good thing, caring equates to better education.

Your Life, Your Data. Or Is It?

suzanne_ito — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:01:00 -0500

(Originally posted on Daily Kos.)

When we update our status on Facebook, post those photos on Flickr, or shop for holiday gifts on Amazon, a whole lot happens behind the scenes. The more we do online, the more digital footprints we leave behind. Many sites we visit collect detailed information about us—our politics, hobbies, relationships and more.

Amended Google Book Settlement: Doesn't Deal with Privacy Problems

suzanne_ito — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:14:00 -0500

(Originally posted on the ACLU of Northern California's Bytes & Pieces blog.)

The Amended Google Book Search Settlement, filed with the Court on Friday, November 13, does not resolve the privacy concerns.

Privacy For Sale

suzanne_ito — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:16:00 -0500

Ron Peterson has a variety of exciting aliases. "In Florida I'm a female prostitute (named Ronnie); in Texas I'm currently incarcerated for manslaughter," Peterson, a California resident, said. "In New Mexico I'm a dealer of stolen goods. Oregon has me as a witness tamperer. And in Nevada — this is my favorite — I'm a registered sex offender." All of this is thanks to the unregulated data aggregation industry.

The Naked Truth

suzanne_ito — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:12:00 -0400

As we gear up for another holiday season, the Transportation Security Administration has added a new wrinkle: naked travel.

It's Funny Because It's True

Katy Nelson — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:14:00 -0400

Yesterday, Newark, N.J.

Life. Well-Watched.

suzanne_ito — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:47:00 -0400

On Wednesday, Wired's Ryan Singel reported the FBI's National Security Branch Analysis Center (NSAC), a datamining center, has collected 1.5 billion records on citizens and noncitizens alike for use in domestic criminal investigations. This wouldn't shock us, frankly, except Singel found that private companies like Sears, car rental company Avis and the Wyndham Worldwide hotel chain (parent company of budget hotels such as Travelodge, Ramada and Days Inn), have shared customer information with NSAC.

ACLU Submits Statement to House Judiciary Committee on Google Books

suzanne_ito — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:16:00 -0400

The ACLU submitted a statement to the House Judiciary Committee for yesterday's hearing on Google Book Search:

"The Fat Lady Has Sung for the Fourth Amendment"

suzanne_ito — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:09:00 -0400

Sacramento's KXTV reported on our lawsuit to enforce our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records about Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) policy of searching travelers’ laptops without suspicion of wrongdoing.

Please Join Authors, ACLU in Opposing Google Book Search Deal

suzanne_ito — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:25:00 -0400

(Originally posted on Daily Kos.)