m-o-o-t is an open-design, open-source cryptography project begun to defeat RIPAPart3 and make it look silly, and to allow UK citizens to communicate and to store information without worrying about it. It will also defeat Carnivore and the Australian and proposed NZ and Council of Europe laws.

The Register USA - Cypherpunks aim to torpedo RIP key seizure plan.

Privacy activists plan to undermine forthcoming UK Government regulations on the surrender of encryption keys through the release of an open-source cryptography project, called m-o-o-t.

The Home Office hopes to publish a much delayed draft Code of Practice for part three of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIP) Act, which deals with procedures for law enforcer to gain access to encryption keys or plain-text versions of scrambled messages, next month.

This was always the most controversial part of the Act, which the backers of m-o-o-t hope to defeat along with other similar government schemes throughout the world.

They state that their aim is "to defeat RIP Act Part 3 and make it look silly, and to allow UK citizens to communicate and to store information without worrying about it."

Mass High Tech - Connectivity conference addresses privacy concerns .

Privacy was one of dozens of panel discussions held at Connectivity 2002, a conference on telephony and connectivity that included more than a dozen visionaries from the Internet and telecommunications communities.

Silicon ~ silicon.com - Snooping Bill: It's back and this time it's personal. End of civil liberties in Europe?

Blanket surveillance of communications data could become a reality as the European Parliament votes on a key amendment to telecommunications law on Thursday.

The Parliament is due to vote on proposed changes to a 1997 directive on telecommunications privacy which covers everything from the monitoring of email to consumer rights over spam and cookies.

The amendments due to be voted on propose to beef up consumer protection with regards to data held on cookies, but are at the expense of government demands for more rights over citizen data.

Caspar Bowden, director of digital society think-tank the Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR), told silicon.com the vote would be a watershed moment for European civil rights.

He said: "It is very important MEPs reject this. If not, it's the end for civil liberties in Europe, it's game over.

[ ... ]

However, despite the reference to national security, explicit demands are made in the amendments to allow the provisions to be used for "criminal investigations".

In the UK the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act, drafted last year in the wake of 11 September, has already made most of the proposed surveillance measures legal.

However, FIPR's Bowden said an emphatic rejection of the proposals could make the more extreme UK measures illegal under European law.

SecurityFocus News: European Parliament poised to cave in on Internet privacy?

A campaign has been launched to persuade Members of the European Parliament to reject proposals on data retention which critics believe will have grave civil liberties implications.

A debate on general data retention of communications for law enforcement authorities, scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday in Brussels, is critical, as it constitutes the major step before the final adoption of the new EU Communications Data Protection Directive.

[ ... ]

Last week, however, the PSE/socialist group in the European Parliament joined the EPP/conservative group and accepted the demands of EU governments and law enforcement agencies to place communications under surveillance. They have tabled an amendment which reverses the Parliament's previous opposition to data retention, in a move described by critics as a 'cave in' which will do little to combat terrorism.

Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, said: "The EU governments already have all the powers they need under the existing Directive to combat terrorism, this measure has nothing to do with terrorism. The proposal by the EU governments is a cynical exploitation of public sentiment to introduce draconian powers to potentially place the whole population of Europe under surveillance."

"The European Parliament took a principled stand in November 2001 and on 18 April. Now it appears that the two largest parties - the EPP and PSE - may simply turn tail and accept the governments' demands," he added.

The Japan Times OnlineMSDF officer compiled personal data on people seeking Defense Agency info.

A Maritime Self-Defense Force officer compiled personal data on individuals requesting disclosure of Defense Agency information and passed it along to other agency officials, it was confirmed Tuesday.

Kyoji Yanagisawa, head of the agency's secretariat, told a news conference such private information is irrelevant in connection to public information disclosure and the officer may have violated the personal information protection law.

He said the agency will decide on punishment for the officials involved within the next few days.

According to the Defense Agency, the MSDF officer compiled personal data on 142 individuals who requested agency-related information between April 2001, when the information disclosure law went into effect, and March.

Mainichi Interactive (Japan) - Ministries may face inspection over private data collection.

Government ministries may be inspected over the illegal collection of private information about information seekers after the Mainichi exposed such a breach at the Defense Agency on Tuesday.

The head of the agency, Gen Nakatani, apologized Wednesday as the nature of the private information compiled about people who had asked for access to the agency's internal records apparently violates the privacy protection law.

"We caused serious trouble to those who sought access to agency records," Nakatani said during a Diet session. "I will do my utmost so that such a thing never happens again."

During another Diet meeting, an opposition politician said that each ministry and agency should make in-house investigation over whether they have committed similar privacy violation.

New York Times - Circuits Q&A - free registration required Broadcasting Your Data While Keeping It Secret.

Although W.E.P. is a standard feature of wireless networks using Wi-Fi technology, also known as the 802.11b standard, it has proved vulnerable and its code has occasionally been cracked. Still, efforts are under way to improve W.E.P.'s reliability, and activating it on a wireless network is better than leaving it unprotected.

If you are trying to set up a home wireless network and are having problems getting everyone connected while the W.E.P. feature is turned on, make sure that all the computers are using wireless cards that support the same level of W.E.P. encryption that your wireless access point or base station does. More troubleshooting tips are available at www .practicallynetworked.com/support /wireless_encrypt.htm.

Slashdot | Your Rights Online - EFF Releases "The Tinseltown Club".

Seth Schoen writes: --- "Sing along, kids! EFF is debuting the EFF Action Center with a song produced by EFF and friends -- the Tinsel Town Club Song (a parody of the "Mickey Mouse Club Song"). "Tinseltown Club" makes fun of Disney for its support of legislation which takes away your rights. There's also an MP3 version (with better sound quality) for those who can't see the Flash animation, and we expect to make several other formats available soon. To help save bandwidth, we are encouraging listeners to share the song on peer-to-peer networks." --- Update: Seth has written in with some mirrors you can try, I've posted his note in the story..

BBC News | BUSINESS | New York takes on 'spam' e-mail.

Mr Spitzer's lawsuit against Niagara Falls-based MonsterHut.com accuses it of falsely telling clients that it sent the e-mails with consumers' consent.

Under New York state's advertising laws, the company could be ordered to pay a $500 (£342; 538 euros) penalty for each unsolicited message.

Mr Spitzer's lawsuit stated that more than 750,000 consumers asked to be removed from MonsterHut's mailing list, while others complained directly to MonsterHut's internet service provider.

"Negative consumer response to MonsterHut's spam has been overwhelming," the lawsuit said.

Slashdot | Your Rights Online - NY AG Sues MonsterHut Over Marketing Spam.

Ian Hill writes: --- "This BBC article tells how NY State Attorney Elliot Spitzer has sued marketing firm MonsterHut.com over "millions" of unsolicited e-mails. He claims MonsterHut.com falsely told its clients that e-mails sent on their behalf were sent to addresses who registered themselves as interested parties. Also at question is how exactly these addresses were collected." --- eviljim adds a link to a press release from New York's Attorney General and a reminder of how MonsterHut was disconnected from their ISP.

Electronic Frontier Foundation Action Center - Tinsel Town Club - Funny Flash music video (1.3Meg)about CBDTPA .

"Chicago Sun-Times" - Want to sell used CD or DVD? You may need identification . Caught by The Shifted Librarian.

Chicago retailers who buy and sell used CDs and DVDs would be treated like pawnshop owners--required to demand photo IDs and keep meticulous records of each transaction--under a crackdown launched by a City Council committee Tuesday to keep pace with the hot commodity for thieves.

[ ... ]

In October 1999, a rash of residential burglaries involving golf clubs, in-line skates and bicycles prompted a crackdown on used sporting goods stores. Like pawnshops, they were required to get two pieces of ID from the seller, one with a photo. If the seller didn't have a photo ID, the shop was required to take a Polaroid. The merchant also was required to keep a log of items purchased.

The New Yorker: Do Fingerprints Lie? The gold standard of forensic evidence is now being challenged.

New Scientist - Anti-snooping operating system close to launch .

Computer activists in Britain are close to completing an operating system that could undermine government efforts to the wiretap the internet. The UK Home Office has condemned the project as potentially providing a new tool for criminals.

Electronic communications can be kept private using encryption. But new UK legislation will soon give law enforcers the right to demand encryption keys from anyone suspected of illegal activity.

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) was introduced to update UK surveillance laws to include electronic communications. But privacy campaigners say it gives too much power to law enforcers and permits intrusive eavesdropping.

Peter Fairbrother, a mathematician and computer enthusiast, is programming the new operating system, called M-o-o-t. "It is aimed at anybody who's concerned about the government being nosey," he says.

M-o-o-t aims to beat RIPA powers by storing encryption keys and other data overseas, beyond the reach of investigators. No data will be stored on the computer's hardware.

Documents and email messages will be kept on servers outside the UK government's jurisdiction. Communication with these servers will be secured by encryption.

Political News from Wired News - EU Law Turns ISPs Into Spies?.

Civil liberties groups are vigorously opposing an EU proposal to require detailed and indefinite record-keeping of citizens' phone and Net use, saying it would put ISPs in the "spy business."

[ ... ]

If approved, the legislation would require the European Union's 15 member countries to draft laws requiring ISPs and telephone companies to keep track of phone calls, Internet surfing, e-mails, faxes and even pager messages, for an unlimited time period in case the data is needed by law enforcement authorities.

The proposal has been attacked by 40 different civil liberties groups in Europe and the United States, and an online petition has gathered over 16,000 signatures urging parliament members to vote against the data-retention measure.

BBC News | SCI/TECH | Turkey tightens control on the net.

Controversial new controls on the internet in Turkey have provoked protests from websites which fear they may be driven out of existence.

The new measures are part of a new wide-ranging broadcasting law which place the internet under the same legislation as the rest of Turkey's media for libel and an offence called "lying news".

Under the new law, websites could face having to be officially registered and send copies of their material to the authorities.

The measures have been condemned by much of the internet sector, from service providers to users, who warn that the whole future of the net in Turkey could be at stake.

Slashdot | Your Rights Online - Turkey Regulates The Internet Out of Existance.

The Age (Australia)- Media giants to log into Gutnick Net case.

The High Court yesterday took the unusual step of allowing 18 media companies from around the world the right to intervene in a landmark Internet defamation case.

The court's move signals that it expects its ruling in the case - which could decide much of what can be published on the Net - to have international effects.

Justice Michael Kirby said the case raised the question of a potential "freezing effect" on freedom of speech on the Internet, and later remarked that Internet defamation laws could be misused by someone such as Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe.

The approval of the intervention by a majority of the court's full bench means that media and Internet groups including CNN, Yahoo, Amazon, The Guardian newspaper, Reuters and John Fairfax, owner of The Age, can effectively back Dow Jones' appeal against Melbourne businessman Joseph Gutnick.

They want the High Court to overrule a decision by the Victorian Supreme Court last year that Mr Gutnick was entitled to sue Dow Jones in Victoria.

It is the first time that an Internet defamation case of this kind has reached a final court of appeal.

Slashdot | Your Rights Online - Media Giants to Join Dow-Jones Libel Appeal.

EPIC Press Release on Carnivore & Anti-Terror Investigation - FBI's Carnivore System Disrupted Anti-terror Investigation . Internal Memo Calls Over-collection Of Data Part Of "Pattern" Showing "Inability Of The FBI To Manage" Foreign Intelligence Wiretaps

An FBI anti-terrorism investigation possibly involving Usama bin Laden was hampered by technical flaws in the Bureau's controversial Carnivore Internet surveillance system. The incident, which occurred in March 2000, is described in newly-released FBI documents obtained under court order by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). A written report describes the incident as part of a "pattern" indicating "an inability on the part of the FBI to manage" its foreign intelligence surveillance activities.

An internal FBI e-mail message dated April 5, 2000, and sent to M. E. (Spike) Bowman, Associate General Counsel for National Security Affairs, recounts how the Carnivore "software was turned on and did not work correctly." The surveillance system captured not only the electronic communications of the court-authorized target, "but also picked up E-Mails on non-covered" individuals, a violation of federal wiretap law. According to the Bureau document, the "FBI technical person was apparently so upset that he destroyed all the E-Mail take, including the take on [the authorized target]."

New York Times - free registration required Bin Laden Inquiry Was Hindered by F.B.I. E-Mail Tapping.

An FBI investigation two years ago that was apparently linked to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network was hampered by problems with the bureau's e-mail wiretap system.

The system, Carnivore, which was supposed to pick up e-mail from targets of counterterrorism investigations, "also picked up the e-mails of noncovered" individuals, according to an internal bureau e-mail message dated April 5, 2000, that was made public yesterday.

"The F.B.I. technical person was apparently so upset that he destroyed all the e-mail," apparently including mail related to the investigation, said the memorandum, addressed to M. E. Bowman, associate general counsel for national security affairs.

Bureau documents written the next week said Carnivore had a tendency to cause "improper capture of data" that "not only can violate a citizen's privacy, but also can seriously `contaminate' ongoing investigations" through unlawful interceptions.

Yesterday, a bureau official disputed the account in the memorandum. He said no information had been lost, because the e-mail had been recovered. The system gathered too much information, the official said, not because it was flawed or experimental, but because the Internet service provider gave agents outdated settings for the tapped computers.

[ ... ]

"This contradicts everything they've said" about "Carnivore" for nearly two years, said "David Sobel," general counsel for the "Electronic Privacy Information Center". "Carnivore is a powerful but clumsy tool that endangers the privacy of innocent American citizens. We have now learned that its imprecision can also jeopardize important investigations, including those involving terrorism."

New York Times - free registration required Identity Theft, and These Were Big Identities.

A Tennessee man who devised an audacious identity-fraud scheme to bilk jewelers and corporate executives out of $730,000 worth of diamonds and Rolex watches was sentenced to eight years in prison yesterday by a federal district judge in Manhattan.

The defendant, James Rinaldo Jackson, 41, said when he pleaded guilty in 2000 that he found the names of corporate executives in "Who's Who in America" and paid $50 to $100 to buy their Social Security numbers from Internet information brokers. He also fraudulently obtained their credit card numbers and other personal data, and impersonated his victims on the telephone to buy the jewels and watches.

"The defendant's crimes are everyone's worst nightmare," Judge Deborah A. Batts wrote earlier this month, "when it comes to fears of privacy, identity theft and credit card liability from the proliferation of information available, intentionally and unintentionally, from the Internet and various institutions with which we do business daily."