[OP-ED]: My Government's Commitment to the Surveillance State – the UK Queen's Speech
BY Jon Worth | Monday, May 14 2012
Jon Worth argues that the Queen's Speech, delivered last week, presages a return to the "Big Brother" state in the UK. Read More
ALEC Weighs In On Federal Online Privacy Debate
BY Sarah Lai Stirland | Friday, April 6 2012
The conservative American Legislative Exchange Council urged the Commerce Department this week to stick to a market-oriented approach to privacy regulation as the administration corrals the private sector to adopt best ... Read More
Twitter User Under Investigation for Bachmann "Threat"
BY Raphael Majma | Wednesday, February 29 2012
A Twitter user who posted an allegedly threatening post about Rep. Michele Bachmann during her presidential campaign is currently the target of an ongoing grand jury investigation. Last week, the investigation came to light when a federal judge dismissed the user’s motion to quash a subpoena for Twitter to release his identity. The government filed the subpoena with Twitter as a part of the investigation to determine whether the Tweet was a “true threat.”
Read MoreThe Europe Roundup: More Protests and Halts to ACTA Ratifications
BY Antonella Napolitano | Tuesday, February 7 2012
In Europe, protests against the ratification of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement are not stopping, while some EU countries are instead halting the ratification of the treaty. In the UK, the Supreme Court is using Twitter to update on the Supreme Court's judgments in real time. Read More
The Europe Roundup: A FixMyStreet Milestone for mySociety
BY Antonella Napolitano | Monday, January 30 2012
Another milestone for FixMyStreet, open data in Finland and privacy issues in Germany. And don't miss today's tweetchat with Commissioner for Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes Read More
A New Data Protection Law for Europe: Giving Data 'Back' to Citizens?
BY Antonella Napolitano | Thursday, January 26 2012
Yesterday morning, European Commissioner for Justice Viviane Reding officially announced the creation of a much-awaited new data protection law. The aim of the bill is to give citizens full control of their personal data available online and to provide a single set of rules for European and international companies that use this data in their business. A game-changing move that will have significant impact on how these Internet companies work. Read More
New Wikileaks Release Helps Explain Who's Reading Your Email, and How
BY Nick Judd | Thursday, December 1 2011
Here and there, outlets like Wired's Threat Level blog or the Washington Post, with an ongoing focus on privacy in the Internet age, have peeled at the edges of the veneer that sits atop a vast and sophisticated ... Read More
Next PdPlus Call: Jeff Jarvis on Publicness, Privacy and the Future of the Web
BY Micah L. Sifry | Wednesday, November 30 2011
We're looking forward to our next Personal Democracy Plus conference call on Thursday December 8 at 1pm ET, which will be with longtime PdF friend and prolific blogger, author and journalism professor Jeff Jarvis. We'll ... Read More
Governments Must Not Censor the Internet: A Strong Remark From UK Foreign Minister
BY Antonella Napolitano | Tuesday, November 1 2011
In the opening address of the London Conference on Cyberspace, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague took a strong stance on freedom of expression, declaring that governments should not censor activities in cyberspace. His ... Read More
Google Data Shows Government Internet Surveillance Far Outstrips Wiretap Requests
BY Nick Judd | Tuesday, October 25 2011
Alongside an update to its public records about government requests for user information, Google this morning announced that it would begin disclosing not just the number of requests governments worldwide are making for ... Read More