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July 13, 2016

DHS Set to “Fully” Establish Post-Wikileaks Employee Surveillance Program, “Insider Threat,” By Year’s End

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An internal surveillance program established in the wake of Wikileaks’ Cablegate publications is set to be “fully operational” throughout the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by the start of 2017. Department classified computer networks that share information with 23 other federal agencies will soon be equipped with “monitoring technology,” according to Congressional testimony given Wednesday by DHS officials and a US Coast Guard (USCG) Rear Admiral. The “Insider Threat” program had been mandated across all federal agencies “that operate or access classified computer networks” by President…

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Admin. Stretches Definition of Congressional Approval for War in Lawsuit Over ISIL Campaign

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The Obama administration is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit brought against it, which alleges that the military campaign against the Islamic State (ISIL) is being illegally waged. In court filings this week, Department of Justice lawyers argued that the current war effort against ISIL—known as Operation Inherent Resolve—does not violate the War Powers Act. The 1973 law restricts the President’s powers to commit the US military to a sustained armed conflict for more than 60 days without Congressional approval. The legislature has yet to formally…

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Al Franken, Like Many of Us, Has Questions About Pokemon Go’s Privacy Policy

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A United States Senator is unimpressed with Pokemon Go’s “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” approach to data-mining. Al Franken (D-Minn.) wrote a letter on Tuesday to John Hanke the CEO of Niantic, which last week released the widely-popular mobile app-based game. Franken asked the executive a number of questions, mostly concerning “the extent to which Niantic may be unnecessarily collecting, using, and sharing a wide range of users’ personal information without their appropriate consent.” “From a user’s general profile information to their precise location data and…

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Federal Judge Grounds “Stingray” Evidence Gathered Without a Warrant

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A federal court has for the first time dismissed evidence obtained using a cell site simulator, ruling that the government must obtain a warrant before employing the surveillance technology. Also known as a “stingrays,” the gadgets are in wide use by federal and local police to track down suspects based on their cell phone information. They are often mounted on an airplane and flown over a community, pinging cell phones below until pinpointing the location of a target. In the case before US District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan…

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