NEW JERSEY: Hearing on Real ID licenses Friday

c/o Asbury Park Press

TRENTON — A state Superior Court judge will hear arguments Friday on whether New Jersey can implement nationally standardized drivers’ licenses. The state Motor Vehicle Commission planned to roll out the new licenses in May but was stopped by an injunction issued by Mercer County Superior Court Judge Paul Innes after the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey sued.

:::MORE HERE:::

Coverage of mass electronic surveillance not censored in Seattle

BTC-- There is a conception that Washington State denizens are apathetic about their personal privacy.

Many of their municipalities are the first to send in for DHS and other federal agencies for grants to try mass surveillance technology programs. Perhaps there is an invisible unheard constituency who is then defeated by law enforcement interests around the State. Most assume locals here either don't know enough to make a difference or wake up too late, as the surviving guinea pig in a federal mass surveillance system: fusion centers, license plate recognition, Electronic Drivers licenses containing RFID chips, and now they contend with the advent of a newer pilot: Next Gen Identity (NGI).  NGI is an FBI led program used to biometrify images of bystanders from CCTV in pre-criminal image captures.

There is light at the end of the tunnel if the press "gets it".

I don't expect The Stranger to suddenly champion digital privacy because they are okay to greenlight stringer opinion support of Red Light cameras as a public service to rein in legitimate law breakers. They won't be doing any features on the longstanding and publicized dispute from ticket holders who continue contest by refusal to pay.  They also will ignore known Republican consort Tim Eyeman's State initiative to ban Red Light Cameras which stream live CCTV traffic data to munis. They are like other local mainstream publications in favor of any infrastucture revenue streams for Washington State, dispensing with any longterm value of common privacy or distinctions over the matter of mass surveillance.

Instead, you can rely on the more legitimate electronic privacy and civil liberty news to go out on local NPR affiliates, KUOW and the Seattle Times, home of 8 pulitzer prizes, and the Seattle Post Intelligencer.  I have seen routine news accounts consistently over 6 months of press monitoring from these outlets.

Here's an opinion piece I read in the Seattle Times today evidencing Washington State may finally be appropriately flipping out over their loss of privacy...

"Privacy considerations are left behind as invasive digital technology advances"

"With so much personally identifiable information exposed in digital form, I question whether the security we supposedly gain is worth the toll on our privacy. What's beyond question is that current laws protecting our constitutional rights have failed to keep pace with technology advances such as global-positioning systems (GPS), facial-recognition software, and portable RFID data readers."

There was also an repost from the NYTimes:

Homeland Security Dept. monitored social sites for public reaction
The "Social Networking/Media Capability" program has at times sought to capture political reactions to certain policy proposals.

All in all, a more optimistic outlook for Washington State may be on the horizon if they keep allowing out this type of rhetoric. As the national press outlook continues reporting developments on mass surveillance in America, you can expect local coverage to follow - but not always.  Going forward, the likelihood is high you will get important news about digital privacy and emminent threat of mass government surveillance if you aren't reading a publication reliant on DUI services, Medical Marijuana Rx's and sex workers adverts in Seattle.

I will still be watching local TV networks to increase coverage of mass surveillance and identity issues as  time rolls on.

Follow up details of FBI & FOIA requests with AntiWar.com's, Jason Ditz

Antiwar.com, a news organization featuring overseas war coverage and anti-war opinion news, discovered over the weekend they have been an FBI surveillance target after a blogger sent them a redacted PDF file in the course of a Freedom of Information Act or FOIA document request for research.

We interviewed Jason Ditz, news editor at Antiwar.com, for details on recent events.

SUPPORTING INFORMATION:

FOIA shows Bush admin. spied on Antiwar.com

Waking Up Orwell multimedia blog will emerge from BeatTheChip.org

Blog opts to continue as darker, more expansive dystopian news foray, Waking Up Orwell

BTC -  New media developments continue outside of BeatTheChip.org.   Plans to merge breaking news of national identity found on BeatTheChip.org will soon become part of another blog, Waking Up Orwell. Waking Up Orwell will continue to cover a wider variety of blog topics such as: corporate and government privacy violations, police brutality, surveillance abuses and national-to-international cybersecurity power grabs.  The transition is an attempt to keep the news direction relevant with or without a national identity angle.

"There's too much going on in the world.  BeatTheChip started as a narrow focused blog exclusively featuring news about Real ID and national identity developments.  Over three years, it's run over the scope; becoming more of a digital privacy and civil rights/civil liberties blog," said the site's main blogger, Sheila Dean.

Waking Up Orwell (WUO) was originally produced as a radio program covering a broader range of dystopian news originating from BeatTheChip.  WUO will continue as a multimedia focal point for a variety of coverage, including netcast productions and original writing.   WUO's radio production is rumored to resume in March of 2011 to the dismay of competition and Facebook.

"Yes, the one man show is getting the band back together,"said Dean who has endured censorship, online network hacks, treacherous hipster politics of community radio and the overarching news egos of broadcasting fat men to produce the program in the past.

Overall, the blog exhibits ambition to set about a more rounded news making standard for online users. Economic performance is grounding prospects for the new media launch.  WUO hopes to stay the course by monetizing the blog and program indefinitely.    However, safety nets are in place for  economic or programming woes.

"If things get bad, I'll just have to move back in with Blogger.com," said Dean.


For now twitter news feeds @BeatTheChip are now available at Waking Up Orwell Daily on paper.li.

REDUX: Tech policy roundup for 112th session

Get the story on this redacted T-Shirt exhibiting that
D.C. styled transparency from Headline. 

:::Know any Electronic Privacy rockstars?  Preference Central wants to get your nominees on their 400 to follow list.

WIRED: White House Issues New Directive on Unclassified Information 
                See also their Threat Level Blog:: Sunshine & Secrecy

                Civil Liberties Watchdog Russ Feingold Loses Senate Seat
  
                Group Demands Immediate Halt of Full-Body Airport
                Scanners


WSJ:      EU Seeks Tougher Online Code in bid to safeguard data        
            
              Rutgers suicide case poses test for NJ privacy law 
               (use of webcams)

              What the Newly ElectedCongress Means for Business: 
              Telecomm - Technology             

House Republicans will likely put the brakes on efforts by the Federal Communications Commission to re-regulate Internet lines. Phone and cable companies are fighting the plan, and Republicans have already warned the FCC to drop the plan.

Telecom and tech policy issues are likely to take a back seat next year. But Republicans and Democrats could find common ground in efforts to write stronger rules on Internet privacy.On Wednesday, two leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Joe Barton (R., Texas) and Rep. Ed Markey (D., Mass.), jointly warned that they plan to put "Internet privacy policies in the crosshairs" with hearings and legislation. 

-  Amy Schatz 

        See also: FCC's November agenda has no mention of 
                       net neutrality 

WaPo:  Twitter hires ex-Senate aide Sharp to its first D.C. post
          
            Internet Privacy could be a priority for 112th Congress 

REDUX: cybersecurity and privacy laws, distinction "breaking down "

BTC - Lot's of emphasis on free speech and political opinion, analysis and essentially taking a stand on the irritable climate for digital privacy.

"The distinction between content and transactional

records is breaking down."

- ACLU Christopher Calabrese feat. in 

Washington Times "Big Brother continues his intrusion..."

"It is now technologically possible to track everyone all the time, essentially," Mr. Calabrese said. "Congress needs to recognize that new reality and treat this information as private."

Thanks much to @normative for refreshing tweets. You can add us on TWITTER and get the gist ahead of time.

Here is second life for news that matters:

Barksdale, from Google... yeah he did watch some kids.

U.S. Cybersecurity Plans Lagging

Internet users being tracked and information sold

DHS doesn't just make the news, it reports on the reporters!

`Deeply embarrassed' Pa. governor shuts down intelligence reports on peaceful protesters

PUBLIC INPUT c/o PRIVACY LIVES: DHS Proposes Rulemaking on Information Sharing Environment System of Records

Waking Up Orwell: An explanation and an apology to Muslim America

WAKING UP ORWELL "GOES THERE"


We are featuring two rapidly spliced interviews addressing the increase in violence against Muslim Americans in the continental U.S.


We wish we could have gotten this to you sooner.




Dan Merchant, Film Director, asks God to save us from his followers.@ 7:47

The Park 51 Cordoba Center Special Analysis with Shahid Buttar of the BORDC. @55:05

Music from Kelis: Flesh Tone Album [Think Donna Summer does Electro.]@ 51:40

A vacation for this blogger

Dear Readers,

About once a year I take a vacation from this blog, usually unsuccessfully, because news crops up and compells me like a possessed person to link action alerts etc. to this netspace.

I don't want to quit.   I just need to come down for a week...

Here's to hitting the reset button on BTC for one week starting today.  

Reliable sources for news can be trolled on my blogroll.... Check the newswire.

Thanks,

Beat The Chip.org

REDUX: Second life for news that matters 7/14

BTC -  Looks like BLIZZARD and the TSA made populist end arounds.

After second and thirds looks at the NSTIC proposal you should find that mobile phones and banking authentications are going to be networked using one "PKI certificate".  That comes with a high concept flow chart to try to sell it to businesses and YOU the consumer.

You still have until Monday to tell The Chief  how that makes you feel.  Coalitions are forming now to give you 90 more days to get in there and make your 2 cents count.

Here's second life for news that matters.

Guantánamo: holding the 'healers who harm' accountable

TSA reverses online censorship policy for employees

Blizzard's real problem with Real ID and how to solve it

Finally, Big Brother IS Watching You

 COMMENTARY  BY NCard

Nice of them to brag about it.  This will not help cyber security.  How is it that those departments cannot keep their own systems hacker free and now they want to keep privately owned systems free from intruders?  I remember reading something about removing the beam from thine own eye before telling your brother he has a mote in his.

By the way, we are still working to get a class action lawsuit going in NC against the biometric data collection and the basic adoption of the Real ID policies.  If you know of people who want to join, please send them to www.ncard.info to sign up.

55% of GPS mobile users surveyed concerned about loss of privacy

Lawsuit seeks suspension of TSA virtual strip-searches

Federal bureaucrats at OMB pitch cyber security in the lap of DHS

But one former federal chief information officer who is familiar with the government's cybersecurity issues and asked to not be named, believes the memo is a response to Congress' call for the restructuring of cybersecurity oversight in a number of bills.

NSA denies that it will spy on citizens utilities for smart grid control

OP ED Calling all Governors: STOP THE SPYING ON STATE CITIZENS

White House vested in getting businesses to pay for cyber protection

The Economist reports on Cyberwar 

REDUX: Second life for news that matters 7/1

BTC  -  Julian Sanchez saves the day by tweeting @normative.

Here is second life for news that matters:

What it looks like when the government regulates the net

The Rambles and The Panopticon

DHS has a privacy office.  They released their guide to implementing privacy.

Global proliferation of biometric identity systems 

New Zealand to share asylum seeker prints with UK, US and Canada and Australia

Iowa's terror watch fusion center catches petty thief