PRIVACY + SECURITY BLOG

News, Developments, and Insights

Government vs. Google

According to the AP: Google Inc. is rebuffing the Bush administration’s demand for a peek at what millions of people have been looking up on the Internet’s leading search engine — a request that underscores the potential for online databases to become tools for government surveillance. Mountain View-based Google has refused to comply with a White […]

Making Sense of Public Attitudes Toward NSA Surveillance

MSNBC journalist Bob Sullivan, in his blog Red Tape Chronicles, writes: Ask Americans something like, “Should the government be allowed to read e-mails and listen to phone calls to fight terrorism?” and you’ll get a much different result than if you ask, “Should the government be allowed to read your e-mails and listen to your phone […]

Website Hacking Blackmail

A while back, I wrote about the Million Dollar Homepage, where Alex Tew, a student, created the idea of selling a million pixels on a website to advertisers for $1 each. His plan was successful, and he recently reached his goal of raising a million dollars in just a few months. But the story attracted some unsavory criminals […]

The Confirmation Hearings: A Meaningless Ritual

There is a lot of discussion about the lack of meaningful revelations in the Alito confirmation hearings. The Roberts confirmation hearings were also devoid of much meaningful substance as well. Basically, the nominee must say that he’ll have an open mind, that he will decide cases according to the “rule of law,” that he has respect for precedent, and […]

Cell Phone Records For Sale

The Chicago Sun Times reports: The Chicago Police Department is warning officers their cell phone records are available to anyone — for a price. Dozens of online services are selling lists of cell phone calls, raising security concerns among law enforcement and privacy experts. . . . To test the service, the FBI paid Locatecell.com $160 to […]