Jan
4
Crossing the Thin Blue Line
January 4, 2009 | Comments Off on Crossing the Thin Blue Line
Police set to step up hacking of home PCs
As long as a senior officer “believes” it is “appropriate,” UK citizens can be subject to covert hacking of their email, instant messaging, and web browser history. A decision by the European Union’s council of ministers in Brussels allows for “remote searching” of hard drives at a user’s home, office, or hotel room. Civil liberty groups and opposition MPs have described the move as a sinister extension of the surveillance state which drives “a coach and horses” through privacy laws.
Dec
2
Broadcast Yourself…Sans Litigation
December 2, 2008 | Comments Off on Broadcast Yourself…Sans Litigation
Copyright Office Should Right DMCA Wrongs in Rulemaking: EFF Seeks Exemptions for Video Remixes, Cell Phone Unlockers
The Electronic Frontier Foundation proposes three exemptions to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, including lenience for amateur YouTube video creators.
Nov
15
Lessig for Tech Czar
November 15, 2008 | Comments Off on Lessig for Tech Czar
Yesterday the Washington Post included an article about Obama’s plan to appoint the federal government’s first chief technology officer, a much-needed position in today’s hi-tech world.
A leader such as Stanford Law professor and free culture advocate Lawrence Lessig would make an ideal candidate. Lessig has been instrumental in shaping ideas about the sharing of information and the future of the web. An Obama supporter and proponent of rooting out corrupution in politics, he would serve as an effective policy maker and advisor, and would be a certain asset to the president’s cabinet.