Tag: FISA

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 1/11/18

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Best of 2017

In the spirit of the turning year, we thought we’d join in the “best of 2017” trend underway and choose the most important Electronic Cottage program from 2017. Turns out, it might wind up being the most important Electronic Cottage program of 2018 as well. The renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has been pushed into 2018 and will now expire if not renewed by Congress by January 19, 2018. Here’s why what happens around that renewal will affect not only our digital lives but out lives in general.

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 11/30/17

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

This is not a happy time in Washington as Congress and federal agencies like the FCC are in a big hurry to make laws and regulations before the end of the year. That means a lot of important things that will affect our digital lives don’t make it to the front page or, often, any page. Renewal of Section 702 of the FISA is one of them. A new book, “Beyond Snowden,” offers some suggestions that Congresspeople ought to consider – it offers ways to make our out of control government surveillance of Americans both more effective and more consistent with our Bill of Rights. Here’s how.

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 11/23/17

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

There are lots of things in the digital world to be grateful for so today we offer a few.
And not to put a pallor over those good things, there is one that is not so good that we need to pay attention to right now: Congress’s proposed renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Here are links to some background materials for those who are interested. Review them, form an opinion, and let your congress people know what you think – right away.
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/10/24 congress_pushes_competing_laws_in_spy_program_battle/
https://na-production.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Opposition_Ltr_to_SSCI_702_Bill_45.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/demandprogress/letters/Coalition_Supports_Poe-Lofgren_-Shut_the_Backdoor-_Amdt_to_USA_Liberty.pdf
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20171111/09282938590/with-congressional-leaders-blocking-serious-reform-tepid-section-702-reform-bill-moves-forward.shtml
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/11/house-judiciary-committee-forced-difficult-compromise-surveillance-reform
https://www.usnews.com/opinion/civil-wars/articles/2017-11-06/the-usa-liberty-act-is-a-bad-compromise-on-american-privacy

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 9/28/17

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Lots of noise coming out of Washington these days but one thing that hasn’t garnered much public attention is the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008. For those of us who communicate electronically, this renewal deserves a lot of attention. Here’s why.

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 3/16/17

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Amidst the huffing and puffing that passes for government these days, you may be forgiven if you haven’t heard that the very important Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will expire at the end of 2017 unless Congress renews it. This is a part of FISA that attempts to control, albeit to a less than optimum degree, what the NSA can and cannot do within the borders of the United States. It is a really important law that could stand improvement.

For background info:
https://theregister.co.uk/2017/02/15/section_702_mass_surveillance
https://aclu.org/search/section 702

RadioActive 9/25/08

Producers/Hosts: Meredith DeFrancesco & Amy Browne

Topics: Maine state Land Use Regulatory Commission (LURC) endorses Plum Creek development plan
*Maine Civil Liberties Union opposes motion to dismiss telecom cases

*Maine Civil Liberties Union opposes federal legislation that could limit healthcare services for birth control, abortion,end of life care and HIV treatment
Today we cover two stories that illicit reflection on how democracy works in our country and in our state.
We talk with the Maine Civil Liberties Union about challenging the National Security Agency’s right to use the Verizon phone company to gather information from Maine residents, regardless of the new national amendment to the FISA law.
But first, we go to the largest development plan this state has seen. It’s timber giant and now developer Plum Creek’s plan to rezone nearly 16,000 acres in the Moosehead Lake region for 975 house lots and two large resorts. Yesterday  Maine’s Land Use Regulatory Commission (LURC) endorsed that plan.
On Tuesday and Wednesday LURC heard closing comments from the many organizations, businesses and others who have been opposing or supporting the Plum Creek plan. But LURC already had it’s mind made up, or had been advised by it’s consultants what it should decide. Yesterday LURC endorsed Plum Creek’s development plan.

GUESTS:
1.Wendy Weiger, coordinator of Moosehead Region Futures Committee www.mooseheadfutures.org
2. Zachary Heiden, Legal Director, Maine Civil Liberties Union
www.mclu.org

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 7/10/08

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Today we follow-up on some topics we’ve looked at recently because in both the digital world and the physical world with which it interacts, things can change fast.   Let’s look at some updates on the FISA Amendments Act of 2008,  ISP tracking of user click streams, and Maine’s “no it isn’t, but yes it is” dance around the Real ID Act.