EPIC sues the FBI over missing citizen-surveillance reports

The US Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has issued a lawsuit against the FBI, as it continues its push for more information about surveillance practices. EPIC has released a statement in which it explains that it has filed official papers in which it demands access to the results of internal FBI "privacy impact assessments".

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Social media monitoring secrecy will cost feds

From Courthouse News Service: (CN) – After stonewalling demands about its plans to monitor social media, the Department of Homeland Security owes $30,000 in attorneys’ fees, a federal judge ruled.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said Homeland Security announced plans to monitor social media sites in February 2011.

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Homeland Security must disclose ‘Internet Kill Switch,’ court rules

From The Washington Times: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must disclose its plans for a so-called Internet “kill switch,” a federal court ruled on Tuesday.

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia rejected the agency’s arguments that its protocols surrounding an Internet kill switch were exempt from public disclosure and ordered the agency to release the records in 30 days. However, the court left the door open for the agency to appeal the ruling.

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Cybersecurity directive from Bush kept secret

From Courthouse News Service: (CN) – President George W. Bush’s presidential directive on cybersecurity is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, a federal judge ruled.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center had filed the FOIA request in June 2009, seeking information related to National Security Presidential Directive 54.

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EPIC FOIA fails to get secret presidential cybersecurity order

From McClatchyDC: A secret presidential directive on cybersecurity is going to stay secret, despite the best FOIA-filing efforts of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

In a decision issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell rejected the long-running Freedom of Information Act request for the unredacted text of National Security Presidential Directive 54.

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Declassified FBI files detail secret surveillance team

From RT: The Federal Bureau of Investigation has turned over new documents detailing how the FBI collects cell phone location information about criminal suspects, but most of the secretive program will remain under wraps for now.

The latest trove of documents was published this week by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a DC-based public interest research group that specializes in issues involving surveillance and security.

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FOIA fails to crack spy secrets

From McClatchyDC: A FOIA bid by the folks at the Electronic Privacy Information Center for documents held by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has fallen short.

In a 14-page decision, U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg upheld the ODNI’s withholding of 21 documents. EPIC had requested “guidelines describing how the National Counterterrorism Center retrieves and safeguards information from other federal agencies.”

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