Issues

Intelligence Improperly Collected on U.S. Citizens By CHARLIE SAVAGE and SCOTT SHANE

December 18, 2009 - 4:11pm

WASHINGTON — In February, a Department of Homeland Security intelligence official wrote a “threat assessment” for the police in Wisconsin about a demonstration involving local pro- and anti-abortion rights groups.

Full Story-http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/us/17disclose.html?_r=3&partner=rss&emc=rss

EPIC Files Appeal for NSA Policy on Network Surveillance

November 25, 2009 - 10:39am

Today, EPIC filed a Freedom of Information Act appeal, seeking disclosure of NPSD 54, the classified Directive that describes a National Security Agency program to monitor American computer networks. EPIC submitted the original request to shed light on the extent of the federal government's surveillance of civilian computer systems, but the agency refused to disclose the document.

Airport rules changed after Ron Paul aide detained By Stephen Dinan

November 11, 2009 - 9:42am

An angry aide to Rep. Ron Paul, an iPhone and $4,700 in cash have forced the Transportation Security Administration to quietly issue two new rules telling its airport screeners they can only conduct searches related to airplane safety.

In response, the American Civil Liberties Union is dropping its lawsuit on behalf of Steve Bierfeldt, the man who was detained in March and who recorded the confrontation on his iPhone as TSA and local police officers spent half an hour demanding answers as to why he was carrying the money through Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

Exclusive: U.S. Spies Buy Stake in Firm That Monitors Blogs, Tweets By Noah Shachtman

November 4, 2009 - 10:35am

America’s spy agencies want to read your blog posts, keep track of your Twitter updates — even check out your book reviews on Amazon.

1,600 are suggested daily for FBI's list Number of names on terrorist watch list at 400,000, agency says By Walter Pincus

November 2, 2009 - 4:16pm

During a 12-month period ended in March this year, for example, the U.S. intelligence community suggested on a daily basis that 1,600 people qualified for the list because they presented a "reasonable suspicion," according to data provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee by the FBI in September and made public last week. Full Story