What to Do about Computer Crime Laws
In a long piece published in AlterNet on Tuesday, I noted that Aaron Swartz' treatment was not all that unusual.
In some ways, what was happening to Swartz was not all that unusual. George Washington University Law Professor Orin Kerr -- a…
The December 2010 Black Hole in the Network Interface Closet
As I've suggested, I'm very interested in pinpointing when and how the Federal government first got involved in the investigation of the JSTOR downloading and what role MIT had in the Feds getting involved. While Swartz' lawyers put together…
Albright Follows Warrick Into Full Neocon Mode, Presents Iran Sanction Manifesto
On January 7, I noted that the Washington Post's Joby Warrick had allowed the neocon think tank Foundation for the Defense of Democracies to frame his discussion of the newest round of sanctions set to take effect against Iran. It now is clear…
How the FBI Deals with a Suicidal Entrapment Target
Over the last few days, we learned that even after Aaron Swartz' prosecutors learned he was a suicide risk, they barreled ahead with their pursuit of a stiff sentence for downloading stuff he could get for free.
Meanwhile, in Portland, Mohamed…
Once Again Jamie Dimon Gets Special Treatment
Yesterday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued two orders to JP Morgan Chase, one related to its London Fail Whale, the other related to failures in its Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering compliance. With respect to latter…
OK, But Can We Also Fire Lanny Breuer?
I've lost count of how many White House petitions are seeking some kind of vengeance for the harsh treatment of Aaron Swartz. Fire Carmen Ortiz. Fire Stephen Heymann. Pardon Swartz. Commute John Kiriakou's sentence.
One of the most ethical…
Massive Demonstrations, Arrest Warrant for Prime Minister Threaten Upcoming Pakistan Elections
For the first time in its 65 year history, Pakistan is poised to see an elected government fully complete its term in March. With chaos erupting on several fronts, though, the path toward electing a new government appears to be full of obstacles.
Last…
DOJ Invoked Aaron Swartz' Manifesto To Justify Investigative Methods
In the original July 14, 2011 indictment of Aaron Swartz, DOJ described him this way.
Aaron Swartz lived in the District of Massachusetts and was a fellow at Harvard University's Center for Ethics. Although Harvard provided Swartz access to…
Senate Intelligence Committee Member Ron Wyden STILL Hasn't Seen Targeted Killing Memo
Every time I get into debates about the targeted killing program--especially the killing of Anwar al-Awlai--drone boosters insist that the oversight provided by the Intelligence Committees is adequate to the task.
That's a quaint thought.
Ron…
Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt: the Real Cyber Attack on the Truth [UPDATE]
[UPDATE - see end of article.]
One weaselly senator--with long-identified agendas and a pathetically thin understanding of technology--takes to the microphone. Suddenly, by virtue of wrapping his senatorial lips around a few scary words on…
What Kind of Fishing Trip Did the Government Conduct into Aaron Swartz' Amazon Data?
Yesterday, privacy researcher Chris Soghoian posted an interesting exchange he had with Aaron Swartz in March 2011.
But then I wondered about Amazon. Amazon not only has a lot of private data on its own, but they host a lot of other websites…
"Conditions on the Ground" in Afghanistan Demonstrate Why Immunity Will Never be Granted to US Troops
Despite the happy talk in Washington during Friday's joint press appearance by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and US President Barack Obama, Karzai's public statement today upon his return to Afghanistan illustrates that it is quite unlikely…
Two Days Before MIT and Cambridge Cops Arrested Aaron Swartz, Secret Service Took Over the Investigation
The public story of Aaron Swartz' now-tragic two year fight with the Federal government usually starts with his July 19, 2011 arrest.
But that's not when he was first arrested for accessing a closet at MIT in which he had a netbook downloading…
NFL Divisional Playoff Trash Talk - Platinum Style!
Yes, it used to be that all that glitters turns to gold. How archaic that is; it's platinum now baybee! Our football weekend is now down to eight teams and four games. All pro, because the student athletes have all returned to the classroom…
Did John Brennan Create the Loopholes CIA Used to Help Spy on New Yorkers?
There's one question I haven't seen anyone ask but which seems utterly critical to John Brennan's fitness to be CIA Director.
Back when the AP was first exposing how the CIA set up a spying program for the NYPD, they asked John Brennan about…
Another Year, and Another Detainee Killed, But Obama's Intent Is Still Found in Bagram
Today marks yet another anniversary for our prison in Gitmo. Over the last year, the most notable change has been that--after Obama's DOJ succeeded in gutting habeas corpus so they could keep Adnan Latif, against whom they had no credible evidence,…
After Having Let Off HSBC with an Inadequate Fine, Regulators Prepare to Let JPMC Off with No Fine
It has been less than 18 months since JP Morgan Chase was fined $88.3 million for--among other things--sending a ton of gold bullion to Iran.
Yet JPMC's regulators are about to scold JPMC--and demand it improve the compliance programs it…
The Constitutional Argument Against the Platinum Coin Stunt
They came for the 4th Amendment, but it was necessary for the war on drugs. They came for the 5th Amendment, but due process had to be sacrificed for the war on terror. They came for the 6th Amendment, but confrontation had to succumb to classification…
Shorter DOJ: It's No Big Deal if DEA Agents Destroy Evidence
DOJ's Inspector General wrote Senators Collins and Lieberman a letter summarizing its investigation into DEA Agents involved in the Secret Service sex scandal in Cartagena, Colombia.
What's getting attention is that the DEA agents arranged…
For Lack of the Most Appropriate Word: "Lie"
I really wanted to just ignore this Michael Cohen column, which purports to explain to "the Left" (which by and large approves of Obama's drone war) why they should welcome John Brennan to head the CIA because he will reform the drone war there.
But…
