Demands for cell phone data top 1.3 million | EFFector 25.20
In our 615th issue:
Law Enforcement Demanded Cell Phone User Info Well Over 1.3 Million Times Last Year
Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies have made over 1.3 million demands for user cell phone data in the last year, "seeking text messages, caller locations and other information." The New York Times called the new findings proof of "an explosion in cellphone surveillance" in the United States -- much of it done without a warrant. It's time for cell phone companies to start producing regular transparency reports about the data they hand to the government. And Congress should see this as a call-to-action to pass robust privacy legislation mandating warrants for cell phone subscriber, cell tower, and GPS data.Charles Carreon Drops Bogus Lawsuit Against The Oatmeal Creator
Attorney Charles Carreon dropped his bizarre lawsuit against The Oatmeal creator Matthew Inman, ending his legal campaign against Inman's humorous and creative public criticism of a frivolous cease and desist letter that Carreon wrote on behalf of his client Funny Junk. EFF and co-counsel Venkat Balasubramani represented Inman in the case, which was a typical SLAPP -- a strategic lawsuit against public participation.Top 10 Takedowns in Google's Copyright Transparency Report
When Google released its new Copyright Transparency Report on takedown requests of its search results, we got new insights into the massive number of complaints the search giant receives. We also saw that there are many requests that don't seem to meet the standard of a "good faith belief" of infringement. EFF compiled a list of the top 10 takedowns that stood out as misuses of the DMCA.EFF Updates
EFF has joined several national library associations in urging a federal court to find that the fair use doctrine permitted the creation of the valuable HathiTrust Digital Library (HDL). Although the case was filed long after the more famous Google Books lawsuit, Authors Guild v. HathiTrust presents a similar issue: whether digitization of books without granting full text access to the public is a legal fair use of copyrighted material.EFF's Defend Innovation campaign has elicited thousands of responses with varied viewpoints about software patents; some people think we go too far, while others believe we do not go far enough.
Despite Twitter's (and our) best efforts, it has been ordered to disclose to the government all of the information it has on an Occupy Wall Street protester. Twitter had stepped up to challenge the subpoena, and EFF submitted an amicus brief in support of their motion to quash.
We are partnering with MuckRock, an open government organization, to send out public records requests to every local law enforcement agency with a drone authorization from the FAA. The goal is to learn more about how drones are being used and to stop potential surveillance. In addition, MuckRock is offering its tools and inviting users to help write their own public records requests to police agencies in their town.
A controversial anti-privacy data retention mandate is notably absent from the child protection bill recently introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith. Smith had previously introduced H.R. 1981, which would have mandated that ISPs collect and maintain data on all Internet users not suspected of any crime.
Australian company Telstra admits to tracking mobile phone users; the ineffectiveness of a proposed European Union Data Protection regulation; an international take on Twitter's transparency report.
Bassel Khartabil, a longtime member of the open source software community and Creative Commons volunteer, has been detained in Syria since March 12, 2012, as part of a wave of arrests made in the Mazzeh district of Damascus.
EFF joined Knowledge Ecology International, Public Knowledge, and Public Citizen in a statement concerning a new copyright "3-step test" proposed in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.
miniLinks
After fighting off a bogus lawsuit with EFF's help, The Oatmeal creator Matthew Inman published photos of over $200k raised for various charities.Rep. Darrell Issa, who helped lead the campaign against SOPA, recently signed the Declaration of Internet Freedom.
Yochai Benkler, Faculty Co-Director of Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, speaks in depth about the ripple effects of the net's activism against SOPA/PIPA.
Administrivia
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| July 10, 2012 News and Thoughts for the day |
Officer marches into woman's home and yells at her to wake up because her grass is too long
By
Daily Mail Reporter
A woman got the shock of her life when she woke up to find a stranger in her bedroom, yelling at her to wake up because her grass was too long.
Erica Masters was asleep when Columbia County Code Compliance Officer Jimmy Vowell entered her Martinez, Georgia, home without permission to serve a violation notice for her overgrown lawn.
After knocking on the woman's door a few times, Vowell let himself and made his way into her bedroom, which was captured on surveillance video.
Scroll down for video
‘He let himself in and actually came through the house and into my bedroom. And yelled at me to wake me up, to let me know that I needed to come back outside and sign the violation notice,' Masters told WJBF.COM.
‘I woke up, I didn't have my glasses on or my contacts in and all I see is this big burly figure standing in my doorway. A big, huge guy with a grey shirt. It scared the mess out of me.’
Masters has now pressed charges against Vowell and the county. ‘I'm really just not comfortable with where I am right now, so I've decided to press charges. At least to put my mind at ease. And to hopefully help keep other Columbia County citizens a little bit safer as well.' she said.
But Vowell, who has been placed on administrative leave, will not face criminal charges, it has been revealed.
It is not yet known whether he will return to work.
Code Compliance Officers cannot enter homes without permission unless there are extenuating circumstances, and Masters feels her privacy has been violated.
Vowell had been serving an order because Masters' grass was longer than 12 inches, which the woman says she will change.
'I do understand that my yard needs to be cut. I understand that. I have no problem with that. I understand them having to serve a violation notice, but the way they handled it was completely unacceptable,' she said.
A woman got the shock of her life when she woke up to find a stranger in her bedroom, yelling at her to wake up because her grass was too long.
Erica Masters was asleep when Columbia County Code Compliance Officer Jimmy Vowell entered her Martinez, Georgia, home without permission to serve a violation notice for her overgrown lawn.
After knocking on the woman's door a few times, Vowell let himself and made his way into her bedroom, which was captured on surveillance video.
Scroll down for video
Shocked: Erica Masters was asleep when Columbia
County Code Compliance Officer Jimmy Vowell entered her Martinez,
Georgia, home without permission
Stranger: Vowell made his way into the woman's bedroom and yelled at her to wake up
‘I woke up, I didn't have my glasses on or my contacts in and all I see is this big burly figure standing in my doorway. A big, huge guy with a grey shirt. It scared the mess out of me.’
Masters has now pressed charges against Vowell and the county. ‘I'm really just not comfortable with where I am right now, so I've decided to press charges. At least to put my mind at ease. And to hopefully help keep other Columbia County citizens a little bit safer as well.' she said.
But Vowell, who has been placed on administrative leave, will not face criminal charges, it has been revealed.
Intruder: After knocking on the woman's door a few times, Vowell let himself in
Rude awakening: The woman was forced to wake up from her slumber to sign the violation notice
Location: Masters' home in Martinez, Georgia, where the incident took place
Code Compliance Officers cannot enter homes without permission unless there are extenuating circumstances, and Masters feels her privacy has been violated.
Vowell had been serving an order because Masters' grass was longer than 12 inches, which the woman says she will change.
'I do understand that my yard needs to be cut. I understand that. I have no problem with that. I understand them having to serve a violation notice, but the way they handled it was completely unacceptable,' she said.
Watch video here
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Zionica News
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: "Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the robbing city. She heard not the voice: she received not correction: she trusted not in the Lord: she drew not near to her God. Her princes within her are as roaring lions: her judges are as wolves in the evening, which leave not the bones till the morrow. Her prophets are light, and wicked persons: her priests have polluted the Sanctuary: they have wrested the Law. The just Lord is in the midst thereof: he will do none iniquity: every morning doeth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not: but the wicked will not learn to be ashamed." (Zephaniah 3:1-5, 1599 Geneva Bible) |
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Conviction could soon mean eviction in Sunbury
City ratchets up tenant rules to ‘one and done’
SUNBURY, PA — In a last-minute change, Sunbury Mayor David Persing and City Council have decided that if you are convicted of selling drugs just one time while renting in city limits, not only will the law get you, but you will also be homeless.“It’s one and done,” Persing said during Monday’s city council meeting.
“There is no way to track convictions and this is a better way to make sure the ordinance is enforced.”
The new ordinance — that will be in effect by August — now states that, once convicted, an individual will be immediately evicted banned from living inside the city.
In a vote of 3-1, council passed the first reading of the ordinance.
Persing, Councilmen Todd Snyder and Jim Eister voted yes, while Councliman Joe Bartello voted no.
Councilman Kevin Troup was absent.
More than 15 landlords were in attendance and no one really challenged the addition.
The Conservative Byte
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| July 10, 2012 |
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