The National Sheriffs' Association wants more control over Internet service providers by requiring ISPs keep records of Internet usage for a minimum of eighteen months. This is all being done under the guise of fighting child pornography, but it could affect anyone who uses the Internet. This further invasion of privacy, which is to be imposed on private companies and presumably at their own expense, is going to make it much easier for all sorts of government agencies to spy on you.
Hey, here's an idea. If child pornography is such a big problem, maybe we should stop constantly letting the sex offenders out of prison. If we keep more perverts in jail and away from kids and computers, maybe a lot the child pornography problems will go away.
Click below to read Declan McCullagh's full article on CNET News.
"Police: Internet Providers Must Keep User Logs"
Showing posts with label privacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label privacy. Show all posts
May 10, 2011
Federal Government Forcing Chips in Cell Phones
Congress approved the Warning Alert and Response Network Act in 2006. This act legally requires that, beginning in 2012, all new cell phones sold in the United States must be equipped to receive alerts from the federal government. This involves incorporating a special microchip and software to be included in the phone.
The equipped phones will receive disaster warnings, Amber alerts, and messages from the President of the United States. Consumers are supposed to be allowed to opt out of the disaster warnings and Amber alerts, but they will not be allowed to opt out of messages issued by the President.
So, here is what is happening. The federal government is requiring cell phone makers to include extra equipment and software on your privately purchased cell phone. Private companies are being forced to add additional features to their products, and they will pass those costs on to you. You, as a consumer, will have no choice about having the extra equipment on your cell phone, which is your private property.
Here is the worse part. Since you cannot opt out of receiving messages from the President, you will be forced to receive messages from the President, whenever the President wishes to send a message to your phone. It does not matter if you want the messages or not, they will come to your phone if it has the chip.
The creepiest part is that the federal government is mandating cell phone features. The long-term potential for abuse is tremendous. Just imagine what sorts of things can happen when your government gains control over your private communication devices.
The equipped phones will receive disaster warnings, Amber alerts, and messages from the President of the United States. Consumers are supposed to be allowed to opt out of the disaster warnings and Amber alerts, but they will not be allowed to opt out of messages issued by the President.
So, here is what is happening. The federal government is requiring cell phone makers to include extra equipment and software on your privately purchased cell phone. Private companies are being forced to add additional features to their products, and they will pass those costs on to you. You, as a consumer, will have no choice about having the extra equipment on your cell phone, which is your private property.
Here is the worse part. Since you cannot opt out of receiving messages from the President, you will be forced to receive messages from the President, whenever the President wishes to send a message to your phone. It does not matter if you want the messages or not, they will come to your phone if it has the chip.
The creepiest part is that the federal government is mandating cell phone features. The long-term potential for abuse is tremendous. Just imagine what sorts of things can happen when your government gains control over your private communication devices.
November 13, 2010
We Won't Fly
Online group, We Won't Fly, has organized to resist the Transportation Security Administration's intrusive radiation-based full-body scans and the optional TSA pat-downs. We Won't Fly's Web site, http://wewontfly.com/, contains a lot of useful information and helpful tips about how travelers can lawfully resist and oppose these invasive measures. We Won't Fly encourages travelers to avoid flying whenever possible, refuse full-body scans, file complaints about abusive TSA pat-downs and other violations, notify hotels and airlines about changes to personal travel habits due to this out-of-control government agency.
November 11, 2010
November 24 Is National Opt-Out Day for TSA Full-Body Scans
Full-Body Scan Image (Image Presumed Simulated)
Amid a growing furor over the Transportation Security Administration's intrusive full-body scans, a group is forming a national day of protest against the TSA's egregious virtual strip searches. Protest organizers are asking you to standup for your privacy on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (November 24, 2010) by opting out the radiation-based full-body scans and demanding the pat-down instead.
If enough people opt-out of the full-body scan , the TSA will be overwhelmed and be forced to rethink this horrible invasion of privacy. You have the right to avoid the radiation and the imaging of your naked body. When asked to go through the full-body scanner, all you have to say is, "I opt out." You will then receive the pat-down. If the TSA employee does not behave himself or herself, file a complaint immediately. You have a right to this.
Go to www.optoutday.com to learn more about this national protest and learn how to get back some of your privacy.
January 21, 2006
Government Invades Privacy by Demanding User Search Data
The Federal government has once again overstepped its powers and made another chilling move into the private lives of law-abiding citizens.
The Department of Justice, under the direction of Attorney General, Alberto Gonzalez, requested random samplings of user search data. So far, the cowards at Yahoo, MSN, and AOL have surrendered some or all of the requested search data. Google is standing alone in opposition to the government’s attempt to invade what little privacy we have left.
The Federal government is defending itself by saying it does not want names of individual search engine users, and they are just conducting research that will help protect children from pornography. Why does the government suddenly feel it has the duty to protect children from pornography? Parents are responsible for protecting their children from pornography. This is not the responsibility of the government.
Regardless of the government’s reasons, it has no right to make demands on companies in the private sector to aid in spying on American citizens. If the Federal government wants to spy on its citizens, it should have to do it on its own with its own resources.
Hopefully, Google will continue to oppose this ridiculous intrusion by the Federal government. The other search engine companies (i.e., Yahoo, MSN, and AOL), which so quickly baked down, should be ashamed of themselves, and they deserve to lose market share to Google.
The Department of Justice, under the direction of Attorney General, Alberto Gonzalez, requested random samplings of user search data. So far, the cowards at Yahoo, MSN, and AOL have surrendered some or all of the requested search data. Google is standing alone in opposition to the government’s attempt to invade what little privacy we have left.
The Federal government is defending itself by saying it does not want names of individual search engine users, and they are just conducting research that will help protect children from pornography. Why does the government suddenly feel it has the duty to protect children from pornography? Parents are responsible for protecting their children from pornography. This is not the responsibility of the government.
Regardless of the government’s reasons, it has no right to make demands on companies in the private sector to aid in spying on American citizens. If the Federal government wants to spy on its citizens, it should have to do it on its own with its own resources.
Hopefully, Google will continue to oppose this ridiculous intrusion by the Federal government. The other search engine companies (i.e., Yahoo, MSN, and AOL), which so quickly baked down, should be ashamed of themselves, and they deserve to lose market share to Google.
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