Civil Liberties in the Digital Age: Weekly Highlights (10/7/2011)

In the digital age that we live in today, we are constantly exposing our personal information online. From using cell phones and GPS devices to online shopping and sending e-mail, the things we do and say online leave behind ever-growing trails of personal information. The ACLU believes that Americans shouldn’t have to choose between using new technology and keeping control of your private information. Each week, we feature some of the most interesting news related to technology and civil liberties that we’ve spotted from the previous week.

The best Steve Jobs tributes (so far) [SF Gate]
“Tributes to Steve Jobs are springing up around the web. Here are five of the best.”

Italian-language Wikipedia hidden, may shut down [cnet]
“In a message it posted today, Wikipedia said it has hidden the Italian-language portion of the site due to a new law proposed by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s administration.”

Google Plus Now Lets You Lock Posts Before Sharing [ReadWriteWeb]
“Google Plus has enabled locking and closing of comments on posts before sharing. Users can now decide not to allow commenting or resharing before clicking ‘Share,’ instead of rushing to change the setting after the post becomes visible to others.”

FCC wants all cellphones to be GPS-capable by 2018 for improved 911 service [TechCrunch]
“… But come 2018, all of our directionally gifted friends will have GPS on their phones like it or not.”

Tracked: The Supreme Court Shouldn’t Let Technology Trump the Constitution [ACLU Blog of Rights]
We are asking the Supreme Court to hold that the government needs to establish probable cause and obtain a warrant before attaching a GPS device to a person’s car and tracking their every move.

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