The Governor unveiled the state’s new Crush Covid contact-tracing app today. From the Boston Globe: The governor emphasized that Rhode Islanders will be able to enable or disable the GPS tracking feature any time they want. The data will remain on their phones and be automatically deleted in 20 days. If someone gets COVID-19, health …
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a state law that gives the DMV Administrator carte blanche authority to deny vanity license plates. The lawsuit argues that the statute is overly broad and vague, and unconstitutionally gives the DMV unbridled discretion to infringe on free speech rights. The suit was brought on …
(2.4) Complete disclosure: I consider Edward Snowden a hero . . . and director Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald too. And when I am king of the world, no one will be allowed to vote without first seeing Citizenfour. The Brown University Chapter of the ACLU and the ACLU of Rhode Island will be …
It always sounds like such a good idea. On election day in November, Rhode Island voters will be asked if they want to hold a Constitutional Convention in 2015. Dr. Pablo Rodriquez, former medical director for Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island and one of the bravest people anywhere, has a great op-ed piece in Monday’s …
(2.11) This Tuesday dozens of major websites and organizations, including Demand Progress, are joining together to demand an end to mass spying. They range from the left (sites like Daily Kos) to the right (the Koch Brothers’ group FreedomWorks) with plenty in between. Together they wield a tremendous amount of influence. On Tuesday we are …
The documentary “The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz” makes its premiere tonight at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. Appropriately enough, the IMDb entry was written by Anonymous. The story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz. From Swartz’s help in the development of the basic internet protocol RSS to his …
Aaron Swartz Remembered/The Fight Against Mass Surveillance Read More »
[youtube]aGmiw_rrNxk[/youtube] I’ll get this right our there: I consider Edward Snowden to be a hero. Turns out there are more like him, NSA whistleblowers now being charged with espionage and in need of protection from the government they once proudly served. A coalition of politicians, veterans, actors, and commentators, as well activist groups like Demand …
‘Stop Watching Us’ The Video — End NSA Surveillance Now Read More »
Kudos to the Providence Journal (and this is why we need newspapers) for today’s cover story “Drones on the Home Front.” Apparently anyone can go up to the Brookstone at Wrentham Outlets and buy a drone, right now, today — you, your drunk uncle, your idiot brother-in-law, your stalker — anyone. As frightening as that …
Providence Journal On Drone Technology — Must Read Read More »
Kudos to Rep. Cicilline for his vote in support of Justin Amash’s (R-MI) amendment to curtail the NSA’s regime of domestic surveillance. Meanwhile, Rep. Langevin took a disappointing vote, as activists came up just short of overwhelming the efforts of the NSA, White House, and others to continue collecting Americans phone records and other data. …
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Demand Progress’s Aaron Swartz. Friends and family have issued a statement and created a memorial page, here. Aaron was a dear friend, and an ideological brother in arms. buy viagra from india As others have spoken to at great length, he was indeed a passionate advocate for …
Demand Progress's Statement On The Passing Of Aaron Swartz Read More »
(10.3) Action Speaks kicks off its new season Wednesday. This year Action Speaks looks at moments when the rights of the individual have clashed with the needs or beliefs of the public and where the line between private and public has been defined or blurred. In its fall 2012 season, Action Speaks: Underappreciated Dates that …
(9.27) UPDATE: UPDATE: Huffpo covers our detain-a-friend Facebook app and previews the Reddit discussion here. ORIGINAL: We’re organizing an “Ask Me Anything” conversation on Reddit this Thursday at noon with journalist Chris Hedges, Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg, other plaintiffs, and the lawyers in the anti-“indefinite detention” lawsuit. You’ll be able to join the conversation here. Indefinite detention …
Join Chris Hedges, Daniel Ellsberg For Discussion Of NDAA Lawsuit Read More »
(9.17) Ignorant dopes on the right are always going on about threats to “our precious freedoms” but they never get it right about which freedoms, where, and by whom. (It’s usually “Obama is after our guns.”) Brown University’s Political Theory Project is hosting a discussion of recent Fourth Amendment decisions with speakers Michael Dreeben and …
We just won the lawsuit against Obama et al over the indefinite detention provisions of the fiscal 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. These provisions represented a blatant violation of due process and First Amendment rights, and plaintiffs argued that they were already having a chilling effect on journalists and activists. The NDAA included a clause which afforded …
At Demand Progress we’ve just launched a public effort to compel the major parties to adopt Internet freedom planks as part of their party platforms. You can click here to sign our petition to the people responsible for drafting platforms. It buttresses a behind-the-scenes effort we’ve been running for a few weeks, and we’re very hopeful about …
The Race Is On: Who Will Be The Party Of The Net? Read More »
There’s a push for cyber-security legislation in Congress this week and we have a chance to pressure our lawmakers to make sure that the legislation respects privacy rights and internet freedom. The House has already passed a bill, called CISPA, which had truly dreadful privacy implications: It would have trumped all existing online privacy protections, …
Cyber-Security Vote This Week: Big Brother Comes Knocking Read More »