PRISM
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Snowden leaves neutral confines of Moscow airport, enters Russia
Edward Snowden has finally escaped his month-long Moscow airport purgatory and arrived in Russian territory, according to the Associated Press. The NSA whistleblower had already been granted temporary asylum by the Putin-led government after Bolivia and Venezuela also offered to take the fugitive, and was awaiting paperwork in order to leave Sheremetyevo Airport. The NSA's arch-enemy will be granted a year's stay, according to his Russian lawyer, and will be able to re-apply to remain after that. Now that his Russian residency has been established, most press outlets expect a strong reaction from the US government after it assured Moscow that Snowden wouldn't face the death penalty if deported. For its part, Russia said it has no intention of handing over the man who blew the lid off the pervasive PRISM monitoring program.
The Daily Roundup for 07.31.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
US government will declassify Yahoo documents and court decision by September
Earlier this month, the US government was put in the hot seat with regards to the Justice Department's 2008 battle with Yahoo over its request for user data. Yahoo fought the PRISM demand and ultimately lost; five years later, we're finally going to be able to see the court decision that's been kept under lock and key since then. The clock is ticking for the federal government, as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has set a September deadline for unveiling those classified documents. While this might be a victory for transparency, it's important to remember that declassification doesn't necessarily mean full disclosure. The government will still have the option to redact certain portions of text that it feels must remain classified. Considering its reticence to share the information in the first place, we can probably expect to see a liberal distribution of those pesky black rectangles.
Washington Post: Russia may grant NSA leaker Edward Snowden formal entry
According to the Washington Post, Russia has decided to grant Edward Snowden permission to leave the Moscow airport. Though the NSA whistleblower has been offered asylum in Bolivia and Venezuela, he reportedly requested temporary asylum in the Eastern European country last week. While the Putin government didn't approve Snowden's application immediately, it's refused to hand him over to the U.S. since he arrived in Shremetyevo airport from Hong Kong on June 23rd. It's unclear if and when the country will approve the request, but Snowden's Russian lawyer said his client's unique legal situation would keep him in the transit zone for at least one more day. Stay tuned -- we'll be updating as more information becomes available.
Utah ISP breaks silence over government server installed on its network
When the government comes knocking on your door, you kind of have to cooperate with them or face the consequences. That's the situation Pete Ashdown, CEO of Utah ISP XMission, was faced with in 2010 after receiving a warrant under the Foreign Intelligence Service Act (FISA). The warrant, coming in at just three or four pages, was perfectly clear: install a rack-mount server on your network to track every last bit going in and out from one of your customers, and don't say anything to anyone about this. Ashdown's lawyer said the request was indeed legit, and the box stayed there for a little over half a year. So why talk about it now? Because Pete, like the rest of us, wants a bit of transparency, even if there's a risk the G-Men will come "come back and haunt" him.
Apple, Google and others ask US government for more transparency with data requests
Just a few days after Google and Twitter pushed for the government to reveal the number of security-related requests, the Obama administration and Congress have just received another salvo backed by even more tech heavyweights -- 63, to be exact. A letter signed by many of the giants covered by PRISM -- including Apple, Facebook and Google, among other major companies -- requests greater transparency in data requests, and demands permission to publish regular reports indicating what information is collected. In addition to pushing for greater transparency among companies, the memo urges Congress to enact similar requirements for the US government. The letter adds: This information about how and how often the government is using these legal authorities is important to the American people, who are entitled to have an informed public debate about the appropriateness of those authorities and their use, and to international users of US-based service providers who are concerned about the privacy and security of their communications. Those words were backed by several non-profit groups such as the Wikimedia Foundation in addition to a long roster of companies and investors, making this letter one of the loudest responses to the NSA's data-collecting program to date. Click through to read the full text.
Google Drive reportedly encrypting files, keeping prying eyes off of your cloud
CNET has learned that Google may be implementing measures to keep the government (or anyone else) out of your Google Drive-stored data. Should this be true, folks concerned about their privacy -- everyone, we would hope -- might rest easier in a post-PRISM world. According to one of CNET's anonymous sources, this isn't some flight of fancy, either: A small percentage of Drive files are already protected. Of course, even such digital protection is not guaranteed to keep your files private, but it would force those who would like a peek to obtain your login credentials first. Not that Uncle Sam would ever do such a thing without legal permission, right?
Apple joins other tech firms in asking for more NSA transparency
AllThingsD has obtained a copy of a letter being sent by Apple and a collection of 62 other technology companies, investors and civil liberties groups to the US government demanding more transparency in US surveillance efforts. According to ATD, the letter will: ...call upon President Obama and congressional leaders to allow Internet, telephone, and Web-based service providers to report national security-related requests for information with greater specificity. Specifically, they ask that they are allowed to regularly report: • The number of government requests for information about their users • The number of individuals, accounts, or devices for which information was requested • The number of requests that sought communications content, basic subscriber information, and/or other information. The letter is of course a response to the NSA's PRISM scandal that broke last month. In addition to Apple, here is a listing of some of the other technology companies who have signed the letter: AOL, Digg, Dropbox, Evoca, Facebook, Google, Heyzap, LinkedIn, Meetup, Microsoft, Mozilla, Reddit, salesforce.com, Tumblr, Twitter, Yahoo, YouNow, Union Square Ventures, Y Combinator, Public Knowledge, Reporters Without Borders and The Wikimedia Foundation. While the full contents of the letter will not be made public until tomorrow, AllThingsD has provided a selection from it, which you can read below: "Basic information about how the government uses its various law enforcement–related investigative authorities has been published for years without any apparent disruption to criminal investigations.We seek permission for the same information to be made available regarding the government's national security–related authorities. Just as the United States has long been an innovator when it comes to the Internet and products and services that rely upon the Internet, so too should it be an innovator when it comes to creating mechanisms to ensure that government is transparent, accountable, and respectful of civil liberties and human rights."
The Daily Roundup for 07.17.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
UK surveillance agency off the hook, legally, for PRISM
It may be the US government generating the most PRISM-related headlines, but the UK authorities have found themselves in plenty of hot water as well. If you were one of her privacy-concerned citizens hoping to see someone at the Government Communications Headquarter (GCHQ) get their comeuppance, then you're going to be sorely disappointed. The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) of Parliament has found that the GCHQ was within its legal powers to collect data on citizens. In particular, the committee cited the Intelligence Services Act of 1994 as giving the authority to do so to the GCHQ. This is far from the end of this saga, but for Brits hoping there would be quick legal retribution for those who unceremoniously listened in on your personal communications, it's a sad day indeed.
Microsoft asks US Attorney General to intervene on security disclosures, denies assisting with NSA interceptions
Microsoft sits between a rock and a hard place when it comes to privacy -- it can't reveal more about FISA requests, but it's also accused of assisting with NSA eavesdropping. The company is trying to settle both matters today, starting with a call on the US Attorney General for help. Microsoft hasn't had a response to its June 19th request to publish aggregate security request data, and it wants the Attorney General to directly intervene by legalizing these disclosures. The government official hasn't publicly acknowledged the request so far, although we weren't expecting an immediate answer. At the same time, Microsoft is expanding its denials of The Guardian's recent reporting that it facilitates large-scale NSA snooping. Along with insisting once more that it only offers specific information in response to legal requests, the firm claims that its supposedly eavesdrop-friendly actions were innocuous. Microsoft was only moving Skype nodes in-house rather than simplifying the NSA's access to audio and video chats, for example. It's doubtful that the public position will completely reassure doubters given the veils of secrecy surrounding the NSA and its collaborators, but the crew in Redmond at least has a full statement on record.
US government to declassify Yahoo legal docs on FISA, secret court opinion
Yahoo had claimed that it fought against PRISM since 2008, and now it's about to land previously-secret court documents to prove it. A Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has ruled that the US Department of Justice must declassify the firm's legal briefs and the court's decision on the search giant's attempts to resist the government's request for user data. Uncle Sam has until July 29th to provide an estimate of how long the declassification will take, and the docs can still have classified portions redacted. As The Daily Dot notes, this is only the second known civilian victory in a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) courtroom, and it follows a win by the EFF just a few days ago. Mayer and Co. still won't be able to outline exactly how many FISA data requests they've gotten, but we'll take any transparency from the federales we can get.
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden offered asylum in Venezuela (update: Bolivia too)
Now that PRISM leaker Edward Snowden has spent a few days in Russia with a US extradition request looming over him, WikiLeaks legal advisor Sarah Harrison has submitted asylum applications and requests for asylum assistance to a raft of countries on his behalf. The first to step up to the plate is apparently Venezuela, as its president Nicolas Maduro stated during a parade that it has rejected US requests for extradition and will offer him political and humanitarian asylum. Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega previously said his country would offer Snowden asylum "if circumstances permit." Update: Reports are out that Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, has joined in offering Snowden asylum. As USA Today notes, this comes hot on the heels of when his plane was barred from flying over European airspace for hours, over concerns Snowden hitched a ride from Russia under the radar.
The Daily Roundup for 07.04.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
France reportedly has its own PRISM-like data surveillance system
The US isn't the only western country with an all-seeing digital eye... at least, according to Le Monde. The news outlet claims that France's General Directorate for External Security has a PRISM-like system that captures and processes the metadata for "billions and billions" of communications, including internet messaging, phone calls, SMS and even faxes. The goal is ostensibly to track the behavior of terrorist cells, but the Directorate allegedly shares the anonymized information with other intelligence services, including the police. Whether or not residents can do much about the snooping, if real, is another matter. One source believes that it exists in a gray area, as French law reportedly doesn't account for the possibility of storing personal data this way. We're skeptical of claims that the Directorate can spy on "anyone, anytime," especially without official commentary, but we'd suggest that locals be careful with their secrets all the same. Dan Cooper contributed to this report.
The Weekly Roundup for 06.24.2013
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Microsoft follows Google's lead, files request to reveal more data about FISA orders
The Wall Street Journal reports that in a move similar to Google's request last week, Microsoft has submitted a motion to the secret FISA court to authorize the release of "aggregate data" about the requests it has received. Microsoft published the information it has so far been authorized to reveal a couple of weeks ago, lumping in national security related requests with stats for other criminal warrants and subpoenas. Google and Twitter have been among the loudest requesting the ability to separate national security-related requests like those at the center of the PRISM controversy, however it's been reported that several companies are negotiating for the ability to be more specific.
Australia takes the hint, postpones plans for PRISM-style snooping
Here's some good news for anyone who considers Australia a haven from pernicious surveillance laws. The antipodean government has decided to postpone plans to force phone and internet companies to retain two years' worth of personal data after a scrutiny committee demanded changes. While it's not a total win for privacy fans, the legislation will now be re-examined after elections scheduled for September 14th -- with the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus saying that the government will now "await further advice," before amending the prospective law.
Edward Snowden stops off in Moscow with US extradition request snapping at his heels
Even if he anticipated the risks involved in turning whisteblower, Edward Snowden can't have imagined the rushed, convoluted journey he'd have to take to avoid the full wrath of the US government. First to Hong Kong; most recently to Moscow, and perhaps soon to Ecuador (via Cuba and Venezuela) where he has apparently made a request for asylum. Strongly worded demands for his capture have followed every step of the way, with the White House National Security Council expressing "disappointment" that Hong Kong allowed Snowden to flee and now urging Russia (which has no formal extradition treaty with America) to "expel Mr. Snowden back to the US to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged." In an effort to help the fugitive navigate the maze of diplomatic fault lines, WikiLeaks has stepped up to say that its own legal advisors are "escorting" Snowden towards his final destination, likely making use of the knowledge they gained while protecting Julian Assange, and that it sees US efforts to arrest him as an "assault against the people."
US government files criminal charges against Edward Snowden over PRISM leaks
The Washington Post reports tonight that, as expected, the US Government has filed criminal charges against Edward Snowden for leaking information about NSA surveillance programs to the Post and Guardian. The charges listed include Theft of Government Property, Unauthorized Communications on National Defense Information and "Willful Communication of Classified Information to an Unauthorized Person." The charges are filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, where the headquarters of Snowden's employer, Booz Allen Hamilton, are located. So what's next? According to the paper, the government has asked Hong Kong to detain Snowden on a provisional warrant, however if a fight over extradition or request for asylum could delay the process.
