Privacy

Creation of biometric database of all Americans tucked inside proposed immigration bill

Mmmyeahhh, no thank you very much.  From Public Secrets:

I mean, what’s so threatening about a biometric database of all adult Americans being in the immigration bill, citizen?

The immigration reform measure the Senate began debating yesterday would create a national biometric database of virtually every adult in the U.S., in what privacy groups fear could be the first step to a ubiquitous national identification system.

Buried in the more than 800 pages of the bipartisan legislation (.pdf)  is language mandating the creation of the innocuously-named “photo tool,” a massive federal database administered by the Department of Homeland Security and containing names, ages, Social Security numbers and photographs of everyone in the country with a driver’s license or other state-issued photo ID.

Employers would be obliged to look up every new hire in the database to verify that they match their photo.

Digital communications U.S. are being sniffed by government surveillance systems

ALL Digital Communications in the United States are Being Captured found at shtfplan.com:

You may be reading this article in the privacy of your own home, but somewhere in a National Security Agency control center your every move is being tracked. What time you logged on this morning, the web site you visited, how long you stayed and even what you said in the comments section – all of it – has been cataloged and possibly even flagged for suspicious activity.

Several years ago, to the disbelief of many, we discussed the tracking and archiving capabilities of advanced monitoring systems being implemented by the government. We noted that everything you do on a daily basis is being tracked.

CISPA sneaks through House while media busy covering Boston bombing

[W]hat is worrisome is that the legislation was passed in the House, largely by a party that is supposed to be all for smaller, less intrusive government. See how there isn't much difference these days between Republicans and Democrats?

At CISPA's core is the Fourth Amendment, which reads:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

That seems clear enough - no government intrusion into your private "effects" without "probable cause" and a search warrant. But, says Bomboy, CISPA would essentially nullify these rights as long as the federal government says it needs to do so to protect you:

CISPA is designed to let the federal government work with private companies to fight hackers and cybercriminals in and outside of the United States. As part of the effort to detect cyber threats, private companies could voluntarily share with the government data about Internet users. The sharing could be done in "real time" as the cybercops try to defeat and track down the evildoers. Companies could also share data among themselves as part of the effort.

Proposed WA law would allow the sheriff to inspect the homes of gun owners

Overreach much? Sheesh.

In California they are confiscating tens of thousands of legally purchased firearms while in Washington state a new law has been proposed that would allow the sheriff to inspect the homes of an assault weapon owner one time per year. How far will gun regulations go?

You can now be laser-scanned for stress, drugs, guns, and explosives from 160 feet away

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Crazy.

From smartphones to iPad’s — technology is great, as most of us use it throughout our day as a way of life in the year 2012.

However, now private security firms such as the Chertoff Group, Q-Tel, and other governmental agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) see that it is in the general public’s best interest if they can secretively scan the populace while raking in vast financial gains to boot.

Within the next few years DHS plans to scan you secretively from various locations including at airports with laser-based molecular scanners from distances of up to 164 feet away.

In fact, the machine is so advanced that it can sense traces of drugs, weapons, explosives, and even your adrenaline level, without ever touching you — delivering the information directly to agents through an interface.

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