Privacy Group Sues DHS Over Social Media Monitoring Program

Fox News

A privacy advocacy group is suing the Department of Homeland Security for information about an emerging program designed to monitor social media activity.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center, claiming the "legal authority for the DHS program remains unclear," went to federal court in Washington, D.C., this past week to try and compel the department to turn over documents on the initiative.

Though still in development, DHS is looking to establish a system for monitoring "forums, blogs, public websites and message boards." The idea is to gather and analyze publicly available information, and then use that information to help officials respond to disasters and other situations.

But the program has raised flags among privacy groups like EPIC, which this past April filed a Freedom of Information Act request for records -- a request the group's lawsuit claims DHS has not honored.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday expressed concern that information DHS gathers could be stored for up to five years and shared, noting that Internet users "routinely" post personal information in online communications and "have no reason to believe that the Department of Homeland Security is tracking their every post."...[Full Article]

The Stripping of Freedom: EPIC vs. DHS on TSA Body Scanners

The Department Of Homeland Security finally filed an its answer brief in EPIC's suit to suspend TSA's controversial airport body scanner program. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) argued that body scanners are "unlawful, invasive, and ineffective," but DHS responded that EPIC's claims are "unfounded" and "meritless."

The EPIC opening brief [PDF] outlined several violations and asked the Court to halt all use of DHS naked body scanners. EPIC brought claims under the Fourth Amendment, the Privacy Act, the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act.

I've made it clear before that I am no attorney, but let me save you from yawnsville and reading DHS's answering brief [PDF]. The 86-page PDF goes on and on about how TSA properly processed EPIC's petitions for rulemaking, then goes further to insist there is no such "rule" and why it doesn't apply to TSA, BUT just in case the Court decides TSA did issue a rule, that rule is exempt. Furthermore, DHS explains why the Court should not stop TSA from using the naked body scanners until the legality of it all is decided...

[Full Article]

EPIC: Google May Have Broken Wiretap Law

If Google wanted to create a quick buzz around its new social networking service, it's certainly accomplished that. Last week, when the Web giant automatically signed up millions of Gmail users for its new Buzz social network, much of the Internet was sent into a privacy tizzy...