public photography » Digital Age Defense

Public photography is an issue that frequently appears on this site because it’s a real example of technology-enabled speech that all too often authorities try to prevent. These attempts are often egregious and never balanced out by whatever policy reasons are ostensibly behind them. But they are particularly odorous when these prohibitions are enforced on people using photography to record the power of the police.

What’s especially insidious is the logic so often used for it, that recording people acting in public — or, more specifically, agents of the state acting in public under the color of the authority granted by the state — might somehow violate a privacy interest. Continue reading »

Quicklinks 12/31/11

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Dec 312011

From this past week:

All sorts of Facebook fun from this week. First, Facebook postings calling for assassination of First Family bring investigation. Huffington Post, Dec. 20, 2011. See also Associated Press, Dec. 26, 2011 (“An 18-year-old Pittsburgh man is accused of burglarizing a market with three teens, then post[ing] pictures on his Facebook page showing the suspects mugging with some of the loot.”) and “Utah woman, son rescued after Facebook post,” Associated Press, Dec. 26, 2011.
“Office of the New York City Public Advocate Hacked,” Dissent, Pogo Was Right, Dec. 24, 2011. This week also saw private intelligence firm Stratfor also hit by hackers. See “Antisec Hits Private Intel Firm; Millions of Docs Allegedly Lifted,” Quinn Norton, Wired, Dec. 26, 2011. Dissent at Pogo Was Right also wonders “What was Stratfor’s obligation to secure data and what might this breach cost them?” Dec. 26, 2011.
“Detroit police say 3 deaths tied to dating services site,” James B. Kelleher and Ian Simpson, Reuters, Dec. 26, 2011.
“Under Obama, an emerging global apparatus for drone killing,” Greg Miller, Washington Post, Dec. 27, 2011. And for more drone news on the domestic front, Local Police Employing Aerial Drones to Spy From Sky, Kenric Ward, Sunshine State News, Dec. 26, 2011.
“China’s Parallel Online Universe,” Christopher Walker & Sarah Cook, The Diplomat, Dec. 27, 2011.
“Mexico’s cartels build own national radio system,” Michael Weissenstein, Associated Press, Dec. 27, 2011.
“Apple Fined $1.2 Million in Italy Over AppleCare Warranties,” John Paczkowski, All Things D, Dec. 27, 2011. (h/t Liquid News Room)
“A privacy law must not muzzle our memories,” Jonathan Heawood, Guarding Comment is Free, Dec. 28, 2011. Worth a link because it considers balance between privacy and free speech issues.
“Red Light Camera Company Posts Car Crash Montages On YouTube,” Chris Moran, The Consumerist, Dec. 28, 2011.
“Man charged with hacking wife’s email vows to fight after case sent to trial,” L. L. Brasier, Detroit Free Press, Dec. 28, 2011.
“Republicans Shake More Hands Using Social Media,” Jennifer Preston, New York Times, Dec. 28, 2011. See also news from South Korea, “Constitutional Court OKs Twitter for election campaigns,” Kim Eun-jung, Yonhap News Agency, Dec. 29, 2011.
“Sussex Police ban mobile phone charging to save money,” BBC News, Dec. 29, 2011.
“Why we shouldn’t let Google (or anyone else) claim their private services are public spaces,” Rob Beschizza, BoingBoing, Dec. 29, 2011.
“Kid privacy rules tricky to update but necessary,” James Temple, SFGate, Dec. 30, 2011.

Quicklinks 12/17/11

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Dec 172011

Other items of interest this past week:

A ban on DSLR cameras in a London tube station. Olivier Laurent, British Journal of Photography, Dec. 6, 2011. (h/t Bruce Schneier)
“Federal Laws Relating to Cybersecurity: Discussion of Proposed Revisions,” Eric A. Fischer, Congressional Research Service, Dec. 7, 2011. A helpful synopsis of all pending legislation in this area, mapping how each one would amend current code and explaining the underlying policy framework. (h/t Michael Froomkin)
“Police employ Predator drone spy planes on home front,” Brian Bennett, Los Angeles Times, Dec. 10, 2011.
“EU to give secret anti-censorship software to human rights activists,” Jennifer Baker, ComputerWorld, Dec. 12, 2011.
“What Makes an Expectation of Privacy ‘Reasonable’? A Response to Chief Justice Roberts,” Orin Kerr, Volokh Conspiracy, Dec. 13, 2011.
“Guidance on the rules on use of cookies and similar technologies,” Information Commissioner’s Office, Dec. 13, 2011. An update on the EC Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. (via Naked Law)
Comparing Arcq v. Fields from Largent v. Reed. “Court Denies Motion to Provide Access to Social Networking Sites in Civil Discovery,” Orin Kerr, Volokh Conspiracy, Dec. 14, 2011.
Charges were dropped against a TV news photographer whom police arrested while he was taking video at the scene of a fire. The city attorney’s office is also reviewing the Nov. 2 arrest of a Journal Sentinel photographer while covering a protest. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 14, 2011.
“Recording Everything: Digital Storage as an Enabler of Authoritarian Governments,” John Villasenor, Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings, Dec. 14, 2011.
“Web giants tagged for privacy audits,” Tony Romm, Politico, Dec. 14, 2011.
“Thailand: $13 Million for Lese Majesty Web-taps,” Alex Johnston, Epoch Times Staff, Dec. 14, 2011. See also “Web censor system hits protest firewall,” Pradit Ruangdit, Manop Thip-Osod & King-Oua Laohong, Bangkok Times, Dec. 15, 2011.
“Police: Thieves pocket-dial 911, leading to arrest,” Associated Press, Dec. 15, 2011.
“If You Are a Judge, Do Your Facebook Friends Matter?,” Christopher Danzig, Above the Law, Dec. 16, 2011.
“Hundreds of computers linked to press hackers,” Cahal Milmo and James Cusick, The Independent, Dec. 17, 2011.

Media allowed to tweet in English courtrooms

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Dec 142011

The Guardian reports that journalists “no longer have to make an application to tweet, text or email from courts in England and Wales following guidance issued by the lord chief justice, Lord Judge.”

“Twitter as much as you wish,” he said as he delivered the guidance which takes immediate effect and covers the use of electronic devices including phones and small handheld laptops for live text-based communications.

The guidance itself, however, is a bit more limiting. For one thing, the guidance “emphasises that anyone using electronic text is strictly bound by the existing restrictions on reporting court proceedings under the Contempt of Court Act 1925.” Judges also retain the power to withdraw permission “at any time.” Continue reading »