Drone surveillance: We are not alone… The Policy ThinkShop … Rise of Drones in U.S. Spurs Efforts to Limit Uses – NYTimes.com

Could the post September 11th climate of state power and police surveillance and this decades’ recessionary pressures on local budgets and community policing costs be the perfect storm for the spread of drones in our neighborhoods?

“They can record video images and produce heat maps. They can be used to track fleeing criminals, stranded hikers — or just as easily, political protesters. And for strapped police departments, they are more affordable than …”

via Rise of Drones in U.S. Spurs Efforts to Limit Uses – NYTimes.com.

Filed under: Blogosphere, Culture Think, drone attacks, News, Public Policy, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;, domestic surveillance, drones, drones coming to a neighborhood near you

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case on Surveillance – NYTimes.com

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to address one of the biggest controversies surrounding the response to the Sept. 11 attacks – the government’s aggressive use of electronic surveillance. The justices will decide whether a challenge to a 2008 federal law …

MORE via Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case on Surveillance – NYTimes.com.

Filed under: Blogosphere, Civic Engagement, consumers, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Culture Think, News, Privacy, propaganda and spin, Public Policy, waging war, WeSeeReason, 911; September 11; ground zero; remembering September 11; honoring the fallen from 911;, America after 911, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;, surveillance, violating people's privacy; unethical behavior in the media; Murdoch scandal; Rupert Murdoch spy empire; Rupert Murdoch; phone hacking scandal

North Korea’s gulag: Never again? | The Economist

IN LABOUR camps across its remote northern reaches, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea detains an estimated 150,000-200,000 political prisoners. The regime claims to hold precisely none. Or rather, in the formulation of the late Kim Jong Il, punishing the enemies of the state protects the …

MORE via North Korea’s gulag: Never again? | The Economist.

Filed under: Blogosphere, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Culture Think, Death and Dying, News, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;, North Korea

U.S. Relaxes Some Restrictions for Counterterrorism Analysis – NYTimes.com

The Obama administration is moving to relax restrictions on how counterterrorism analysts may retrieve, store and search information about Americans gathered by government agencies for …

MORE via U.S. Relaxes Some Restrictions for Counterterrorism Analysis – NYTimes.com.

Filed under: Blogosphere, Civic Engagement, Government Works?, News, Public Policy, WeSeeReason, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;

Bain Capital Tied to Surveillance Push in China – NYTimes.com

As the Chinese government forges ahead on a multibillion-dollar effort to blanket the country with surveillance cameras, one American company stands to …

MORE via Bain Capital Tied to Surveillance Push in China – NYTimes.com.

Filed under: Election 2012, News, WeSeeReason, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;, Mitt Romney

Murdoch Hacking Inquiry Expands to British Officials – NYTimes.com

A day after presiding over the publication of his new, damn-the-critics Sun on Sunday tabloid, Rupert Murdoch was confronted with fresh allegations from a top police investigator that the daily Sun had systematically paid …

MORE via Murdoch Hacking Inquiry Expands to British Officials – NYTimes.com.

Filed under: Blogosphere, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Culture Think, ethics, MashCrunchWired, Mass Media and Public Opinion, News, Paper Media, political corruption, political plots, propaganda and spin, Public Policy, Using Social Media, WeSeeReason, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;, violating people's privacy; unethical behavior in the media; Murdoch scandal; Rupert Murdoch spy empire; Rupert Murdoch; phone hacking scandal

How Companies Learn Your Secrets – NYTimes.com

Andrew Pole had just started working as a statistician for Target in 2002, when two colleagues from the marketing department stopped by his …

MORE via How Companies Learn Your Secrets – NYTimes.com.

Filed under: analytics, Blogosphere, Civic Engagement, consumers, Culture Think, News, WeSeeReason, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;, privacy, statistics and marketing

Red-light cameras: You’re on film | The Economist

ABOUT one in five Americans lives in one of the roughly 700 counties or cities that have signed contracts with private firms to install street cameras to record drivers who speed or run a red light. In theory, those systems sound like a good idea. Knowing they can be filmed, drivers might …

MORE via Red-light cameras: You’re on film | The Economist.

Filed under: Blogosphere, consumers, Culture Think, Mass Media and Public Opinion, News, Public Policy, regulations, Technology and You, WeSeeReason, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;

End Piracy, Not Liberty – Google

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.

The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.

MORE via End Piracy, Not Liberty – Google.

Filed under: access to education, Blogosphere, Changing Media Paradigm, Civic Engagement, Congressional Activity, consumers, Culture Think, Election 2012, Mass Media and Public Opinion, News, Public Policy, WeSeeReason, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;, copyrighting the internet, freedom of speech; right to know; public information; National Security; information as a weapon of war; CIA and Secrets; Big Brother is keeping secrets; Freedom of Information; individual rights vs., Internet Freedom

Indefinite Detention of American Citizens: Coming Soon to Battlefield U.S.A. | Matt Taibbi | Rolling Stone

There’s some disturbing rhetoric flying around in the debate over the National Defense Authorization Act, which among other things contains passages that …

MORE via Indefinite Detention of American Citizens: Coming Soon to Battlefield U.S.A. | Matt Taibbi | Rolling Stone.

Filed under: Blogosphere, Civic Engagement, Congressional Activity, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Culture Think, Election 2012, Government Works?, ideology, Intolerance, Mass Media and Public Opinion, News, political plots, propaganda and spin, Public Policy, Public Sector, Public Service, Religious freedom, social protests, symbolic uses of politics, Vote, waging war, WeSeeReason, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;, freedom of speech; right to know; public information; National Security; information as a weapon of war; CIA and Secrets; Big Brother is keeping secrets; Freedom of Information; individual rights vs.

The Surveillance Catalog – The Wall Street Journal

Documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal open a rare window into a new global market for the off-the-shelf surveillance technology that has arisen in the decade since the terrorist …

MORE via The Surveillance Catalog – The Wall Street Journal.

Filed under: Blogosphere, News, Technology and You, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;

Julian Assange Answers Questions on BBC’s World Have Your Say – On The Media

Today at 15:00 GMT, Julian Assange will be answering questions live on The BBC’s World Have Your Say. Unfortunately, due to region restrictions, US viewers are not able to watch the program live, but if you have a question for him, you can either post it on the World Have Your Say website in the comments section, or on the WHYS Facebook page. Once the episode is archived, we will post it to our blog. EDIT – It’s up now! Check below to see both …

MORE via Julian Assange Answers Questions on BBC’s World Have Your Say – On The Media.

Filed under: Blogosphere, Civic Engagement, Crimes and Misdemeanors, MashCrunchWired, Mass Media and Public Opinion, News, political corruption, political plots, Political Violence, Public Policy, Social Media, symbolic uses of politics, Technology and You, Using Social Media, WeSeeReason, Big Brother is Watching; government surveillance; FBI waste; September 11th impact on civil liberties; civil liberties; civil rights; freedom under fire;, freedom of speech; right to know; public information; National Security; information as a weapon of war; CIA and Secrets; Big Brother is keeping secrets; Freedom of Information; individual rights vs., Julian Assange, WikiLeaks