Welcome shift in U.S. government’s stance on encryption
Last week The Washington Post disclosed a draft memorandum, allegedly penned by U.S. National Security Council staff members, indicating quiet but widespread agreement that the president should at least defer weakening encryption through compelled technical backdoors.
Former CIA operative latest victim of U.S. war on whistleblowers
Reporters Without Borders is deeply concerned by the precedent set in the United States’ government’s case against a former CIA operative convicted of allegedly divulging classified information to New York Times reporter James Risen.
Apple lauded for refusing U.S. government demand for iMessage backdoor
The “New York Times” recently confirmed a rumour that Apple has been involved in a dispute with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding iMessage encryption.
Ashley Madison’s owners give in to temptation to misuse U.S. copyright law
Ashley Madison’s owners have been sending numerous takedown notices to platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and others in an attempt to stop the dissemination of millions of names and email addresses of the site’s users.
Ambiguities in U.S. Law of War Manual pose potential threat to press freedom
While not legally binding, the manual poses a risk to global press freedom: Its abstruse instructions may be misunderstood by U.S. commanders as carte blanche to stop journalists from disseminating information.
Condemning charges against journalists covering Ferguson protests
Amid reports of a heavy handed police response to protests in Ferguson on the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, three journalists are now unexpectedly facing charges almost a year after the incidents in question.
How Beijing’s censorship impairs U.S.-China relations
Over the past two years, the Chinese authorities have taken new steps to block Chinese citizens’ access to information from U.S. companies and media. These actions not only limit Chinese citizens’ access to news and entertainment, but they also harm U.S. businesses, media outlets, and innovators.
Increased risks for filmmakers and sources in documentaries’ Golden Age
As they take on investigative reporting functions, documentary filmmakers should adopt the model of the press freedom community to protect themselves and their sources from threats both old and new.
New U.S. hostage policy will allow for negotiations by journalists’ families
RSF hails the policy improvements, including provisions for involving the families more and the possibility of negotiating with hostage-takers, but says the US authorities must now demonstrate that they are equal to the hopes raised by the announcement.
Facebook fails censorship test for omitting U.S. government request information
Information on U.S. government takedown requests missing from Facebook’s Government Request Report. EFF urges Facebook to publish the data and show U.S. government agencies that censorship shouldn’t happen in the dark.
U.S. Congress passes Freedom Act, increasing NSA oversight
The new USA Freedom Act imposes long overdue limits on the scope of records collection and new measures to increase transparency and oversight of surveillance by the National Security Agency.
TISA: Yet another leaked treaty you’ve never heard of makes secret rules for the Internet
Like its sister agreements, TISA will enact global rules that impact the Internet, bypassing the transparency and accountability of national parliaments. The only difference is that its focus is on services, not goods.
U.S.: Court ruling rejects NSA bulk collection of Americans’ phone records
A federal appeals court has ruled that the NSA’s bulk collection of phone records is illegal, saying Congress didn’t authorize collection of a ”staggering” amount of information on Americans.
The U.S. Senate should reject mass privacy violations
The United States Senate should definitively end bulk data collection and reject a new bill that would endorse and extend the National Security Agency’s mass violation of privacy rights in the US.
Human Rights Watch sues US Drug Enforcement Administration over surveillance
Although the Drug Enforcement Administration has indicated the program was “suspended” in 2013, this suit seeks to ensure the program is permanently terminated, that it cannot restart, and that all of Human Rights Watch’s illegally collected records have been purged from all government systems.
“Blurred Lines” ruling redefines the absurd limits of U.S. copyright laws
Copyright advocates maintain that the laws are an essential tool for stimulating creativity and the production of new songs. The “Blurred Lines” ruling proves exactly the opposite.