The Supreme Court hears 2 arguments today about whether the police can search the cell phones of suspects they arrest before obtaining an search warrant. Since most people today own smartphones which contain all sorts of private information, what the justices eventually decide will impact us all. My first question is, how many justices actually use cell phones?
Tag: privacy
A judge rules in favor of our privacy
A DC district judge ruled yesterday that the NSA’s collection of Americans’ phone records is most likely unconstitutional. This comes right after the outrageous 60 Minutes promotion/propaganda piece for the NSA last Sunday where the viewer was treated to little tidbits about Edward Snowden’s behavior so he comes across as a bit of a weirdo.
Americans and surveillance
Turkey has her ‘Standing Man’, America has her ‘Sitting Man’.
Standing Man in Turkey-AP
Counterterrorism programs and your privacy
Reading an interesting WSJ article about an Obama administration counterterrorism program which allows examination of the government files of all US citizens for possible (that’s the part which should worry you) criminal behavior, even if there’s no reason to suspect them. The article also referenced the 2002 Total Information Awareness program promoted by then DARPA director John Poindexter, which was widely criticized at the time. Here’s my view from 2002:
Surveillance and your privacy
He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.
I didn’t know this but the actual Benjamin Franklin quote is “Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety” or; “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety”.
Anyway, the Petreaus still-evolving mess has brought up the issue of surveillance and how far it reaches into our private lives. Glenn Greenwald over at The Guardian has great column about it.
