Last summer, after months of encrypted emails, I spent three days in Moscow hanging out with Edward Snowden for a Wired cover story. Over pepperoni pizza, he told me that what finally drove him to leave his country and become a whistleblower was his conviction that the National Security Agency was conducting illegal surveillance on […]
Biometrics: Scanning eyes, ears, heart and even scent
Posted on May 16, 2015 Written by
It’s hard to think of biometric identity technology without picturing Tom Cruise on the run in the movie Minority Report. Hunted by killer robots with iris scanning equipment and hailed by animated billboards that use similar tech to personalise their adverts, Cruise is reduced to a full eye transplant to evade capture and death. It made […]
Stanley Family Gets Custody Back of 4 Youngest Children – 3 Older Children Still in State Custody
Posted on May 15, 2015 Written by
A review hearing in Garland County Juvenile Court in Arkansas yesterday resulted in the case being closed for the four younger Stanley children. The parents now have full custody back of these four children. The three older Stanley children, however, remain in State custody. They are allowed to live at home with 20 hours a […]
In Landslide Vote, House Overwhelmingly Passes USA Freedom Act without Amendments
Posted on May 14, 2015 Written by
Is this the year Congress passes a bill to limit NSA spying? The House of Representatives certainly hopes so. But just how strong that reform will be remains to be seen. Minutes ago, the House of Representatives passed the USA Freedom Act overwhelmingly with 338 yes votes and 88 no votes. EFF is neutral on the […]
Motels Sharing “Daily Guest List with Police” and Aiding Warrant Checks on Every Guest
Posted on May 8, 2015 Written by
The motel and hotel industry is not only spying you, it is partnering with police. This isn’t just routine cooperation when police request information for criminal investigations. Instead, it is apparently everyday data sharing on every guest. It is a troubling private-public overlap where motel and hotel clerks are systematically sharing “do not rent” lists and […]
Michigan Proposes Bill to Require Official Visits to Parents Homeschooling Their Children
Posted on May 1, 2015 Written by
The busybodies in Michigan have proposed a new bill directed at children who are homeschooled, which will require two annual home inspections and official state registration. Stephanie Chang, a Michigan State Representative, is worried that homeschool parents will abuse their children while no one is watching. Apparently, the state wants to be the sole authority on child abuse; including indoctrination, […]
New Tech to Watch: Automated Vehicle Occupancy Detection
Posted on April 28, 2015 Written by
Journalists and transparency activists across the country have done a phenomenal job of shining light on how local law enforcement agencies use emerging technologies to surveil everyday people on a massive scale. It’s often like playing Whac-A-Mole and Go Fish at the same time. One day, the question may be whether police are using drones. […]
A Heartless Congressional Blunder!
Posted on April 22, 2015 Written by
A Teacher’s Perspective on the “Every Child Achieves Act of 2015” by Dawn Hoagland, gutsy public school teacher and regular contributor to ABCSOFDUMBDOWN.BLOGSPOT.COM The “Every Child Achieves Act” has passed unanimously out of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee in the Senate. The usual suspects are singing its praises while the people who actually read […]
