
The Department of Veterans Affairs racked up over 10,000 serious breaches of privacy since 2011, making it “the nation’s most prolific violator of laws protecting patients’ personal medical information,” as the Washington Examiner puts it.
by John Hayward6 Jan 2016, 12:36 PM PST0

There are many problems with funding our gigantic, intrusive federal government by passing gigantic omnibus bills in a blind year-end panic, as has become customary in decadent Washington, D.C. One problem is that voters don’t know what their “representatives” have slipped into those gruesome trillion-dollar pork sausages. Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) is trying to repeal a controversial cybersecurity law that slipped under America’s nose in the omnibus package, despite public unease about similar measures in the past.
by John Hayward30 Dec 2015, 10:25 AM PST0

With little fanfare, the Department of Homeland Security has updated Transportation Security Agency protocols to make it harder for travelers to opt out of airport body scanners. “While passengers may generally decline AIT [Advanced Imagery Technology] screening in favor of
by John Hayward23 Dec 2015, 1:32 PM PST0

In a segment from this Sunday’s 60 Minutes interview broadcast on Friday’s edition of CBS This Morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook reiterated his stance in favor of unbreakable encrypted communication for consumers, dismissing concerns that terrorists and criminals can use such systems to evade law enforcement.
by John Hayward18 Dec 2015, 9:05 AM PST0

Brussels is becoming less democratic and more monolithic by the week. At a time when 76 per cent of EU citizens believe corruption is widespread across the European Union, why is Britain giving away our personal and financial data? We
by Chris Muspratt18 Dec 2015, 6:08 AM PST0

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson spoke with reporters in the spin room after the GOP primary debate in Las Vegas, saying that he was happy with his performance because he had time to make some points on foreign policy.
by Alex Swoyer15 Dec 2015, 9:29 PM PST0

In what sounds more like the central conceit of a Philip K. Dick novel, the San Fernando Valley City Council has requested that the City Attorney’s Office investigate the merit of a bizarre approach to fighting prostitution.
by Nate Church3 Dec 2015, 6:33 AM PST0

The long-running debate over privacy vs. government surveillance – which is the high-tech iteration of the ancient struggle between liberty and security – gained new urgency after the Paris terror attack. Intelligence officials across the Western world are worried that terrorists have found new means of coordinating their efforts that cannot be monitored.
by John Hayward19 Nov 2015, 9:15 AM PST0

The UK Home Secretary, Theresa May, unveiled the government’s controversial Draft Investigatory Powers Bill in Parliament today. Dubbed ‘The Snooper’s Charter’ by critics, the bill will overhaul the surveillance powers of police and security services.
by Allum Bokhari4 Nov 2015, 10:30 AM PST0

Signal, an app for encrypting texts and calls on smartphones, is coming to Android phones.
by Allum Bokhari3 Nov 2015, 8:39 AM PST0

(Ferenstein Wire)—The technology industry is scrambling to understand how it will continue business in Europe, after the continent’s high court struck down a privacy agreement that protected U.S.-based companies operating abroad, known as Safe Harbor.
by Ferenstein Wire7 Oct 2015, 11:01 PM PST0

The Canadians are suing because Ashley Madison failed to protect the privacy of its users. The suit directly references the service that charged clients an extra fee to completely and permanently delete their information, but clearly did nothing of the sort, since people who paid the fee are included in the client list posted online. This was, not coincidentally, the primary charge leveled by the Impact Team hackers who stole, and ultimately released, the Ashley Madison subscriber database.
by John Hayward24 Aug 2015, 7:04 AM PST0

For all the swinging “progressive” talk about how Ashley Madison could be seen as a positive force, or even an instrument for improving the quality of marriage by helping us get over our sexual hangups – much of that talk emanating from the purveyors of the site, of course – what actually happened when that client list leaked out? Shame. Deep, deep waves of shame, rolling across the globe.
by John Hayward20 Aug 2015, 2:24 PM PST0

Snake River Shooting Products (SRSP) is now marketing a shotgun shell specifically designed to inflict maximum damage to prying drones flying over your backyard, front yard, swimming pool, or hot tub.
by AWR Hawkins19 Aug 2015, 5:39 PM PST0

On July 26 a Hillview, Kentucky, man was arrested and charged with “first degree criminal mischief and first degree wanton endangerment” after shooting down a drone that was “hovering” over his property.
by AWR Hawkins29 Jul 2015, 10:33 AM PST0

UKIP MEP Gerard Batten has blasted the National Police Aviation Service (NPAS) for going celebrity spotting while on duty. The NPAS London branch usually has an effective social media presence, but appears to have been wrong footed by posting voyeuristic photographs
by Oliver Lane15 Jul 2015, 6:32 AM PST0

Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for TSA in Richmond, VA, is being criticized for invading the privacy of a passenger by tweeting a photo of the passenger’s bag which contained some $75,000 in cash.
by Warner Todd Huston2 Jul 2015, 6:05 PM PST0

Marketing company Turn Inc. of Redwood City has been sued in what looks to be a huge mass tort lawsuit alleging a conspiracy with telecommunications giant Verizon Wireless to engage in undisclosed tracking and storing of Internet browsing histories.
by Chriss W. Street23 Jun 2015, 5:38 AM PST0

Websites run by the Canadian government were attacked on Wednesday, causing widespread service interruptions. The “Anonymous” hacker collective claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as a protest against the recent passage of a controversial anti-terrorism bill, which the hackers denounced as “a clear violation of the universal declaration of human rights.”
by John Hayward17 Jun 2015, 8:00 PM PST0

Today, if law enforcement wants to read our physical mail or search our safe deposit box, they need a search warrant. This fundamental right to privacy is established in the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. But currently, national and international privacy protection is not adequately applied to email and data stored on cloud computing servers. This needs to change—and a solution is at hand, if Congress will only move forward.
by Breitbart Texas2 Jun 2015, 7:50 AM PST0

Stan Wawrinka blasted French Open organizers after an article on his personal life appeared on the tournament’s official website.
by Mary Chastain25 May 2015, 12:03 AM PST0

Correspondence between Prince Charles and government ministers dating back to 2004 and 2005 has been released for public viewing after a 10 year legal battle. The text of the 27 letters include the exchange of opinions on subjects including illegal
by Donna Rachel Edmunds13 May 2015, 10:33 AM PST0

Under new EU rules, every new car and small in Britain will be fitted with a tracking device within the next three years. MEPs claim that the new technology, which automatically alerts the emergency services in the event of a
by Donna Rachel Edmunds30 Apr 2015, 12:32 AM PST0

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) made an appearance on Fox News Channel’s Hannity show on Tuesday evening, in a special interview filmed in Louisville, Kentucky, where he had announced he was running for president earlier in the day.
by Sarah Rumpf7 Apr 2015, 8:55 PM PST0

Move along now, folks, nothing to see here.
by Kipp Jones6 Apr 2015, 2:45 PM PST0