In an attempt to get more oversight, the Justice Department said Thursday it will seek more judicial and internal supervision as it uses technology to track cellphones.
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The FBI has been operating a fleet of small planes equipped with video and occasionally cell phone surveillance technology, concealing the information from the public by registering the aircraft under fictitious company names, the Associated Press has found. What’s more, the surveillance is often used without a judge’s approval. The AP…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Two Congressmen with computer science degrees said the FBI is making Americans vulnerable to hackers, and any suggestion otherwise is ignorant, CNN reports. U.S. Reps. Will Hurd of Texas and Ted Lieu of California are criticizing FBI Director James Comey’s insistence that cell phone companies allow a “backdoor” for the bureau…
By MassLive Editorial If the CIA and the Justice Department were to get married, what kind of kids might the odd couple have? One answer: Spies who’d believe that they possess the legal smarts to talk their way out of nearly anything. When The Wall Street Journal reported late last year that the Justice Department was…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com As FBI Director James Comey wants to force phone makers to create products that are easier to monitor, a Democratic senator is trying to pass a law that would protect the consumer’s privacy, Gizmodo reports. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon has proposed the Secure Data Act “to protect Americans’ privacy and…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com FBI Director James Comey said it’s important that the government have the authority to access any American’s phone, he said in a “60 Minutes” interview. The New York Daily News reports that Comey struck a balanced tone, saying he also thought it was important for Americans to be “deeply skeptical” of…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The FBI has prohibited local and state police from discussing the capabilities of surveillance technology that enables law enforcement to eavesdrop on cell phone calls, the Washington Post reports. A letter obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows that the FBI requires police departments to sign a “non-disclosure agreement” before…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Photos that were leaked from overcrowded Border Patrol processing centers has prompted the federal agency to ban agents from using personal technology in some areas, TownHall.com reports. The photos show children sleeping in cramped areas surrounded by chain-linked cages. “Due to the recent unauthorized use of a personally owned electronic device in…
