Global Internet Freedom and the U.S. Government: Via Freedom to Tinker.

Over the past two weeks I've testified in both the Senate and the House on how the U.S. should advance "Internet freedom." I submitted written testimony for both hearings which can be downloaded in PDF form here and here. Full transcripts will become available eventually but meanwhile you can click here to watch the Senate video and here to watch the House video. In both hearings I advocated a combination of corporate responsibility through the Global Network Initiative backed up by appropriate legislation given that some companies seem reluctant to hold themselves accountable voluntarily; revision of export controls and sanctions; and finally, funding and support for tools, and technologies and activism platforms that will counter-act suppression of online speech.
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If "God Has a Plan For Sex," Does Obama Have a Plan for Monitoring Programs Overseas?: Via Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union.

(Originally posted on Daily Kos.)

On Saturday, the White House faith advisory council task force released recommendations for government agencies that do business with faith-based social service groups. These recommendations touch on several issues related to a recently filed lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. In that case, the ACLU asked a court to order the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to release documents related to its funding of religious abstinence-only-until-marriage programs overseas, which will likely uncover violations of the constitutional guarantee of separation of church and state. [ Read more ... ]

The Science of Liberty: Democracy, Reason, and the Laws of Nature: Via Cato Institute: Book Forum.

BOOK FORUM
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Noon (Luncheon to Follow)

Featuring the author, Timothy Ferris, with comments by Jason Kuznicki, Research Fellow, Cato Institute. Moderated by Brink Lindsey, Vice President for Research, Cato Institute.

Award-winning author Timothy Ferris discusses the relationship between science and liberal government, arguing that the fortunes of science and liberty rise and fall together. The scientific revolutions of the 17th and 18th centuries were, he argues, a powerful inspiration for the concurrent revolutions in government; together, they produced what we know as the modern world. [ Read more ... ]

Film Premiere: 10 Rules for Dealing with Police: Via Cato Institute .

FILM PREMIERE
Friday, February 12, 2010 (rescheduled to a new date yet to be determined)
Cato Institute 
1000 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. 
Washington, D.C.

With comments from William "Billy" Murphy, Attorney and 10 Rules Narrator and Neill Franklin, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. Moderated by Tim Lynch, Director, Project on Criminal Justice, Cato Institute.

Editor: Due to the weather conditions, we are unable to hold the film premiere. The event will be rescheduled for a future date and new invitations will be sent. You can also check back here at cato.org for updates. [ Read more ... ]

Wikileaks Meets Its Cash Goal — For Now: Via Threat Level.

The whistleblowing site Wikileaks has apparently raised the money it needs to continue operating for the time being, according to a message the organization sent out Wednesday night on Twitter.

“Achieved min. funraising [sic] goal. ($200k/600k); we’re back fighting for another year, even if we have to eat rice to do it,” read the tweet, without specifying whether it had raised the full $600,000 or just $200,000.

The site announced last December that it was ceasing day-to-day operations to focus on raising money. It said contributors could still send documents and tips through its anonymous submission tool. Last week, it was ceasing operations indefinitely because it had raised only $130,000 of the $200,000 it needed to maintain base operations annually. The site says it requires $600,000 to operate if it pays its staff of technologists and curators who sift through submissions to provide context for documents and other information valuable to its users.

The announcement page, beginning with: “We protect the world — but will you protect us?” has not changed, except to add that Wikileaks “will be back soon.” [ Read more ... ]

Wikileaks Closes Operations Temporarily Due to Budget Woes: Via Threat Level.

Wikileaks, the controversial whistleblower site, has temporarily shuttered its operations due to a dearth of funds to meet its operating costs.

The site announced last December that it planned to temporarily cease operations, save for its anonymous submission tool, until it could raise money for its operating costs.

But it has so far been unable to meet those needs. The site’s annual costs are $200,000 — $600,000 if staff is paid — but it has raised only $130,000 so far. The site will remain closed to allow administrators to focus on fundraising efforts.

A note on the web site’s main page reads: We protect the world — but will you protect us? [ Read more ... ]

WikiLeaks, struggling to make ends meet, begs for donations: Via Law & Disorder Section - Ars Technica.

WikiLeaks—a wiki that made a name for itself by publishing anonymous, classified information—has been temporarily shut down due to its own budget crisis. The Sunshine Press, the nonprofit organization behind WikiLeaks, has decided to cease operations in order to "concentrate on raising the funds necessary" to keep the site going, and is begging for donations lest it be stuck offline forever. [ Read more ... ]

Calling for Interns, law clerks, and a Google Policy Fellow!: Via CDT - PolicyBeta.

CDT is now accepting applications for interns and law clerks for both the spring and summer. Law clerks and interns contribute substantially to CDT’s work by conducting legal and policy research; drafting reports and legal analyses; assisting in the preparation of testimony, presentations, legislation and briefs; and by helping create online and other educational resources. The small size of our organization guarantees close interaction with staff attorneys and policy experts. Law clerks and interns have the opportunity to work on a broad array of issues, including online free expression, electronic surveillance, digital copyright, cybersecurity, Internet governance, and a range of privacy issues from spyware to health privacy to RFID technology to government ID programs. [ Read more ... ]

Law.Gov: America's Operating System, Open Source: Via O'Reilly Radar.

Public.Resource.Org is very pleased to announce that we're going to be working with a distinguished group of colleagues from across the country to create a solid business plan, technical specs, and enabling legislation for the federal government to create Law.Gov. We envision Law.Gov as a distributed, open source, authenticated registry and repository of all primary legal materials in the United States. More details on the effort are available on our Law.Gov page. [ Read more ... ]

Chicago’s Loss: Is Passport Control to Blame?: Via In Transit Blog - NYTimes.com .

Did Chicago lose the chance to host the 2016 Olympics because of airport security issues?

Among the toughest questions posed to the Chicago bid team this week in Copenhagen was one that raised the issue of what kind of welcome foreigners would get from airport officials when they arrived in this country to attend the Games. Syed Shahid Ali, an I.O.C. member from Pakistan, in the question-and-answer session following Chicago’s official presentation, pointed out that entering the United States can be “a rather harrowing experience.”

President Obama, who was there as part of the 10-person team, assured Mr. Ali that all visitors would be made to feel welcome. “One of the legacies I want to see is a reminder that America at its best is open to the world,” he said.”

But Mr. Obama’s assurances may have not been enough to assuage critics like Mr. Ali. A few hours later the Games went to Rio de Janeiro.

The exchange underscores what tourism officials here have been saying for years about the sometimes rigorous entry process for foreigners, which they see as a deterrent to tourism. [ Read more ... ]

Goals for CFP 2010 … your thoughts?: Via CFP 2009 Blog.

The next few weeks will be a little schizophrenic around here, as we wrap up CFP 2009 and start the planning for CFP 2010. For ideas about speakers or topics you’d like to see at the conference, please continue to use the CFP 2010 brainstorming thread. This thread is specifically for discussions about the goals.

Potential co-chair Elizabeth Stark and I came up with these as a first cut … what do others think? [ Read more ... ]

Judge Threatens Sanctions in NSA Wiretap Case: Via Threat Level.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Obama administration has until Friday to convince a federal judge not to levy sanctions against the government for “failing to obey the court’s orders” in a key NSA wiretapping lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker is threatening (.pdf) to summarily decide the 3-year-old lawsuit in favor of the plaintiffs, and award unspecified monetary damages to two American lawyers who claim their telephone calls were illegally intercepted by the NSA under the Bush administration. The lawyer represented a now-defunct Saudi charity that the Treasury Department claimed was linked to terrorism.

If it survived appeal, such a ruling would be a blow to the government, but it would fall far short of deciding the important question the case asks: Can a sitting president, without congressional authority, create a spying program to eavesdrop on Americans’ electronic communications without warrants, as George W. Bush did in the aftermath of the 2001 terror attacks? [ Read more ... ]

U.N. torture official on America's legal obligations to impose accountability: Via Salon: Glenn Greenwald.

After President Obama announced last week that he opposes prosecutions of CIA officials who tortured detainees in reliance on OLC memos purporting to legalize that conduct (a decision which is not Obama's to make), the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, announced that Obama's policy of immunizing CIA torturers violates international law and, specifically, the clear obligations of the U.S. under the Convention Against Torture (signed by Ronald Reagan in 1988).   [ Read more ... ]

Jane Mayer: The CIA and DOD Lied to the Red Cross: Via ACLU Blog.

On Saturday, Alternet’s Liliana Segura interviewed The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer about the revelations of the ICRC report (PDF). Segura asked if the report contained any surprises for Mayer. It did: [ Read more ... ]

Protecting Free Speech During for the Olympic Torch Relay: Via The American Civil Liberties Union.

On April 9, 2008, the Olympic torch will make its only North American stop in San Francisco. As late as April 2, the details of the torch relay route, as well as the government’s plans for protestors, were under wraps. The ACLU of Northern California began pressuring the City to disclose this information. Michael Risher, staff attorney for the ACLU of Northern California, talks about the ACLU's efforts on behalf of both protestors and Olympic fans alike. Visit www.aclu.org/podcasts for all the latest audio from the ACLU."

Read Original Article:(Via The American Civil Liberties Union.)

ACLU Welcomes U.S. Decision To Join U.N. Human Rights Council: Via ACLU online newsroom.

Move Is Important Step Toward Restoring Status As Human Rights Leader

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed an announcement from the Obama administration that the United States will join the United Nations Human Rights Council, reversing a Bush administration decision to shun the top U.N. human rights body.

The following can be attributed to Jamil Dakwar, Director of the ACLU Human Rights Program: [ Read more ... ]

UN Attacks Free Speech: Via Slashdot: Your Rights Online.

newsblaze writes "The UN Human Rights Council assaulted free expression today, in a 23-11 vote that urges member states to adopt laws outlawing criticism of religions. The proposal came to the UN from Pakistan on behalf of the Organization for the Islamic Conference. There were 13 abstentions. South Korea, Japan, India, Mexico and Brazil, all strong democracies, allowed this to pass by abrogating their responsibility. While the resolution doesn't mention the online world, where does this subject get mentioned most, if not online?" [ Read more ... ]

Group Spots Giant Hacks by Combing Small Newspapers: Via Threat Level

Days before Heartland Payment Systems admitted to a computer intrusion that likely exposed hundreds of thousands of consumers to fraud, a group of volunteer security professionals sniffed out the truth on their own.

For years, researchers with the nonprofit Open Security Foundation have been scouring press reports, bank websites and other sources for information on consumer data spills, tallying more than 394 million records lost or compromised in 1,700 incidents since 2000.

In January, acting on a tip, David Shettler and his fellow foundation volunteers started looking for customer breach notifications coming from regional banks around the United States, and quickly found a pattern. [ Read more ... ]

EFF's 18th Birthday Party with DJ Spooky: Via EFF.org Updates

On Wednesday the 7th, EFF will be celebrating our 18th year of defending digital rights with our biggest bash yet!

Special guest DJ Spooky will be rocking the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, with help from mashup party pioneers Bootie, copyfighter and Surya Dub DJ Kid Kameleon, and EFF's Tones and Qubitsu.

Party with us from 8 p.m. until late. We'll be asking for a $25 donation at the door to fund our work defending your digital freedom, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Please RSVP to events@eff.org. 21+ only, cash bar. The first 400 people through the door will receive a free mix CD from DJ Spooky. [ Read more ... ]

International Human Rights Day 2008: Via Privacy.org - The Source for News, Information, and Action

International Human Rights Day - Privacy is a Fundamental Right. December 10, International Human Rights Day, commemorates the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human Rights Day 2008 marks the start of a year-long commemoration of the 61st anniversary of the Declaration. The document is the foundation of international human rights law, the first universal statement on the basic principles of inalienable human rights, and a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. Article 12 of the Declaration includes privacy as a fundamental human right.

Read Original Article (Via Privacy.org - The Source for News, Information, and Action.)

Digital Natives » Data Privacy Day + 4 Not So Obvious Privacy Tips:

Take out your calendars for the new year! Intel is sponsoring its second Data Privacy Day on January 28, 2009. Data Privacy Day, which is sponsored by a combination of tech companies, government organizations, and academic groups, aims to facilitate discussions on privacy, especially with regards to teenagers and social networking sites. The three-part framework includes educational materials, events, and government involvement. It was also nice to see the Digital Natives project, which has been active in all three of the above components, under their resources for data privacy issues. [ Read more ... ]

Global Network Initiative Hosts First Public Forum in Paris: Via Center for Democracy and Technology

The Global Network Initiative is hosting its first public forum in Paris tomorrow (Dec. 4th) in conjunction with the International Seminar on Business and Human Rights, during the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The evening's round table discussion will focus on how the GNI intends to address the complex and constantly evolving human rights challenges and opportunities presented by regulation and policy regarding the use of information and communications technologies and services. Through moderated discussion, the group hopes to draw out the participants' varied perspectives and encourage open and robust dialogue with the audience.

Read Original Article (Via Center for Democracy and Technology.)

Andre' M. Di Mino - Shadowserver: Via IT Conversations

Andre' DiMino of the Shadowserver Foundation discusses the darker side of the Internet and how Shadowserver is working to gather, track, and report on malware, botnet activity, and electronic fraud. In addition to giving its background, he talks about methodology and presents examples of some of the major security issues and how the problems are being solved.

Read Original Article (Via IT Conversations.)

Apply for the Summer Google Policy Fellowship and Work with EFF: Via EFF.org Updates

Students interested in technology law and policy may be interested in applying to work with EFF next summer through the Google Policy Fellowship, a program that gives students the chance to spend the summer working alongside host organizations on topics of Internet and technology policy.

Much like how the Summer of Code project aims to develop and promote open source projects, Google is hoping that policy fellowships will advance debate on key policy issues affecting the public. Google is kindly offering fellows a $7000 stipend (for a minimum of 10 weeks in June to August 2009) for working with host organizations like EFF on various topics.

Google's application deadline is December 12, 2008. Take a look at a list of EFF's focus areas and find application details here. Students who are accepted will be notified by Friday, February 13th.

Read Original Article (Via EFF.org Updates.)

The WIPO Broadcasting Treaty: Back from the Dead?: Via EFF.org Updates

Last year, we reported that WIPO Member States had decided to postpone holding an intergovernmental diplomatic conference to adopt the controversial Broadcasting Treaty. For us, and the many others who had expressed concern about the proposed treaty, this was welcome news. But it was short-lived. In 2008, the Broadcasting Treaty is being pushed by its supporters with a vengeance. Surprisingly, the US seems to have reversed its most recent position, and expressed support for continuing treaty negotiations so long as it includes webcasting.

Despite the fact that there has been no agreement on fundamental elements of the treaty after over 10 years of negotiations, in March there was a concerted move to resurrect negotiations, led by the European Community and Japan, with support from a set of other countries. At the September 2008 WIPO General Assembly meeting, a number of WIPO national delegates expressed support for finalizing treaty negotiations. Then in October, the long-standing WIPO Copyright Committee Chair, Mr. Jukka Liedes of Finland, produced an "informal paper" describing the process of negotiations so far, and proffered several options which would result in continuing discussions and finalization of the treaty. [ Read more ... ]