…radio active musings and adventures of kf5dtn

Government backs bill targeting masked protesters
6 May, 2012 – The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — The Harper government is throwing its weight behind a private members’ bill that would give police the power to arrest anyone hiding their identity during a riot or unlawful assembly.

Conservative backbencher Blake Richards is proposing penalties of up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000 for protesters who wear a mask or disguise.

The bill, Richards said in an interview, is designed to give police more power to prevent the kinds of riots that have caused so much damage, including the current student riots in Quebec, the Stanley Cup riot of last spring in Vancouver and the G20 protests in Toronto two years ago.

“Certainly I’ve heard of instances where it is legitimate that there might be reasons that someone needs to protest anonymously and this bill certainly still allows for that,” said the second-term MP from Airdre, Alta., representing the riding of Wild Rose.

“I think it strengthens the right for peaceful protest. It’s only when individuals engage in criminal activity or become violent where this law would apply.”

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson announced Sunday that the Conservative majority formally supports the legislation, meaning it is all but assured of becoming law.

“Destructive and reckless behaviour damages communities and should not be tolerated,” Nicholson said in a release.

Richards says the bill will allow police to step in and stop violence and property damage if a protest turns ugly.

“Primarily I see this as a tool that will be a preventative one, one that will deter these situations from developing or from escalating in the first place,” he said.

But some civil libertarians are concerned that the legislation will give police the power to break up peaceful protests, which are frequently filled with people in costumes, masks or even face paint that could be construed as concealing identity under the new law.

The provisions of the legislation specify that it only applies during riots or “unlawful assembly,” a legal term in which police deem there to be reasonable grounds to expect a disturbance of the peace.

Francoise Boivin, the NDP justice critic, said the official Opposition does not have a problem with the “concept” of the bill, but she says police already have the power to arrest and charge people intent on inciting a riot, and of using a mask to commit a crime.

Boivin argued that the additional law may simply muddy the water and give defence lawyers an opportunity to point out inconsistencies between the various statutes.

“We’re still not really convinced of that factor, that for police it will be easier (to prevent property damage),” she said.

“What will be a legitimate excuse to cover your faces?”

The bill would create two classes of offence.

Those who incite a riot wearing a mask “without lawful excuse” face an indictable offence with prison terms of up to five years.

For those “who participate in an unlawful assembly while wearing a mask or disguise to conceal identity,” the charge could be an indictable offence or a summary offence. Under the summary offence, penalties range up to six months in jail and fines up to $5,000.

The bill would create two classes of offence. …more (http://edmonton NULL.ctv NULL.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120506/ottawa-bill-targeting-masked-protesters-120506/20120506/?hub=EdmontonHome)

Surveillance State democracy
8 May, 2012 – IBNtv

As the FBI seeks full access to all forms of Internet communication, it is not voters who need to be convinced.

CNET’s excellent technology reporter, Declan McCullagh, reports on ongoing efforts by the Obama administration to force the Internet industry to provide the U.S. Government with “backdoor” access to all forms of Internet communication:

The FBI is asking Internet companies not to oppose a controversial proposal that would require firms, including Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, and Google, to build in backdoors for government surveillance … That included a scheduled trip this month to the West Coast – which was subsequently postponed – to meet with Internet companies’ CEOs and top lawyers …

The FBI general counsel’s office has drafted a proposed law that the bureau claims is the best solution: requiring that social-networking Web sites and providers of VoIP, instant messaging, and Web e-mail alter their code to ensure their products are wiretap-friendly.

“If you create a service, product, or app that allows a user to communicate, you get the privilege of adding that extra coding,” an industry representative who has reviewed the FBI’s draft legislation told CNET.

As for the substance of this policy, I wrote about this back in September, 2010, when it first revealed that the Obama administration was preparing legislation to mandate that “all services that enable communications – including encrypted e-mail transmitters like BlackBerry, social networking Web sites like Facebook and software that allows direct ‘peer to peer’ messaging like Skype” – be designed to ensure government surveillance access.

This isn’t about expanding the scope of the government’s legal surveillance powers – numerous legislative changes since 2001 have already accomplished that quite nicely – but is about ensuring the government’s physical ability to intrude into all forms of Internet communication.

What was most amazing to me back when I first wrote about these Obama administration efforts was that a mere six weeks earlier, a major controversy had erupted when Saudi Arabia and the UAE both announced a ban on BlackBerries on the ground that they were physically unable to monitor the communications conducted on those devices. Since Blackberry communication data are sent directly to servers in Canada and the company which operates Blackberry – Research in Motion – refused to turn the data over to those governments, “authorities [in those two tyrannies] decided to ban Blackberry services rather than continue to allow an uncontrolled and unmonitored flow of electronic information within their borders.” As I wrote at the time: “that’s the core mindset of the Omnipotent Surveillance State: above all else, what is strictly prohibited is the ability of citizens to communicate in private; we can’t have any ‘uncontrolled and unmonitored flow of electronic information’.” …more (http://www NULL.ibn-tv NULL.com/2012/05/surveillance-state-democracy/)

Pickup beginning of murder at 14:50 on video

Watch what you type! Surveillance cameras so strong they can zoom in to read text messages
By Daily Mail Reporter – 6 May 2012

Surveillance cameras are now so powerful they are able to zoom in and read your text messages – leading to fears of further privacy intrusion by a ‘Big Brother’ style state.

As well as being advanced enough to close in on an individual’s phone screen, security cameras will soon be able to pick up on raised voices and sniff out drugs too.

The revelations were made at a privacy conference in Wellington, New Zealand, where it was also disclosed that the average person is digitally recorded about a dozen times a day.
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Worrying: Surveillance cameras are now so powerful they can zoom in to see what people are texting

During last year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand CCTV cameras focused in on the crowd of thousands to read the text message someone was sending.

As part of extensive police monitoring during the tournament, camera operators scanned the spectators looking for suspicious looking packages and aggressive behaviour.

They then chose to zoom in on one man who was texting – although it turned out he was simply writing about the poor quality of the rugby match.

Experts warned the fact that the cameras were able to do this raises concerns about breeches of individual’s privacy.
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Watch out: Technological advances mean cameras will soon be able to pick up on raised voices and detect smells too

Civil liberties lawyer Michael Bott described the pervasiveness of surveillance as ‘worrying’ and warned of the extent people’s private lives were being intruded upon.

‘It’s quite worrying when we, by default, move to some sort of Orwellian 1984 where the state or Big Brother watches your every move,’ he said.

‘The road to hell is paved with good intentions and we don’t realise what we are giving up when we give the state the power to monitor our private lives.’

However, others argued the camera’s ability to zoom in on texts would be helpful in preventing crimes, including rioting.

The conference also discussed how technological developments meant that soon cameras will be able to pick up on raised voices and sniffing devices will be able to detect drug residue.

Of course, the number of surveillance cameras drastically varies from place to place with exact figures hard to pin down. …more (http://www NULL.dailymail NULL.co NULL.uk/news/article-2140360/Watch-type-Surveillance-cameras-strong-read-text-messages NULL.htm)

Operation Bahrain ‏ @Op_Bahrain

TANGO is DOWN http://interior.gov.bh #Bahrain Ministry of Interior. Your proposed police “reforms” won’t stop them killing babies #OpBahrain

2h Operation Bahrain Operation Bahrain ‏ @Op_Bahrain

TANGO is DOWN http://policemc.gov.bh for again lying about police in #Bahrain. Evan after “reforms” your police will use tear gas #OpBahrain

2h Operation Bahrain Operation Bahrain ‏ @Op_Bahrain

TANGO DOWN – http://www.policemc.gov.bh/ #OpBahrain

7h Operation Bahrain Operation Bahrain ‏ @Op_Bahrain

TANGO DOWN – http://traffic.gov.bh #OpBahrain

5 May Operation Bahrain Operation Bahrain ‏ @Op_Bahrain

If #OpBahrain announces “TANGO DOWN” and you check three hours later the site will likely be back up again. Please don’t tweet us saying so.

5 May Operation Bahrain Operation Bahrain ‏ @Op_Bahrain

It’s sad seeing “big name” #Anonymous Twitter accounts trying to claim credit for the work #OpBahrain did when they didn’t help.

5 May Operation Bahrain Operation Bahrain ‏ @Op_Bahrain

TANGO is DOWN http://gulfair.com Taken down to hurt the pockets of #Bahrain’s inbred king Hamad Al Khalifa #OpBahrain

5 May Operation Bahrain Operation Bahrain ‏ @Op_Bahrain

TANGO is DOWN: http://bna.bh #Bahrain State News Agency taken offline for claiming reformist demonstrators are terrorists #OpBahrain

5 May Operation Bahrain Operation Bahrain ‏ @Op_Bahrain

TANGO is DOWN http://rap.gov.bh Royal Police Academy #Bahrain taken offline for training police to attack civilians #FreeRajab #OpBahrain

5 May Pastor Quinn Pastor Quinn ‏ @YDT10

Looks like #Bahrain’s police are having trouble keeping it up. TANGOS DOWN http://interior.gov.bh + http://policemc.gov.bh #Anonymous #OpBahrain
Retweeted by Operation Bahrain

5 May Operation Bahrain Operation Bahrain ‏ @Op_Bahrain

TANGO is DOWN http://interior.gov.bh #Bahrain Ministry of Interior taken offline for arrest of Nabeel Rajab and Zainab AlKhawaja #OpBahrain

5 May PLF PLF ‏ @PLF2012

Op Bahrain | TARGET: http://interior.gov.bh | FIRE ! | For the arrest of human rights activist Nabeel Rajab | http://irc.voxanon.net #OpBahrain
Retweeted by Operation Bahrain

New hacktivist sect emerges from Anonymous
20 April, 2012 – Samantha Murphy – New Scientist

MalSec has announced its intentions to fight internet censorship, but promises to keep innocent people safe this time

THE dust has barely settled on the recent revelation that the FBI had infiltrated deep into hacktivist collective Anonymous and turned Sabu, one of its most notorious figures, into an informer. Now the group is reorganising and has come out fighting with a different look and a more ethical attitude. Already, a new sub-sect has emerged called Malicious Security, and this time, MalSec says, it is going “for the win” without causing collateral damage.

Anonymous has always described itself as a “leaderless, decentralised organisation”, but it appeared to be precisely the opposite in 2011 when a few outspoken and highly skilled hackers with a flair for the dramatic captured the public’s attention. They became de facto mouthpieces for the group, creating and collapsing hacking operations with a single tweet. Since those hackers have been arrested, Anonymous has undergone a total makeover. Now it’s going back to its roots.

“I don’t think Anonymous will go down that cult of personality route again,” says one veteran Anon. The collective is returning to its original concept of loosely associated individuals that temporarily unite for a common cause and disband the moment the mission is complete, making them difficult to pin down and even tougher to identify. “We’ve learned an important lesson,” he says. …more (http://www NULL.newscientist NULL.com/article/mg21428615 NULL.200-new-hacktivist-sect-emerges-from-anonymous NULL.html)

Time for Technology Companies to Stand Up for Human Rights
18 April, 2012 – EFF

EFF White Paper Outlines How Businesses Can Avoid Assisting Repressive Regimes

San Francisco – It’s time for technology companies that sell surveillance and filtering equipment to step up and ensure they aren’t helping governments in committing human rights violations. In a white paper released today entitled “Human Rights and Technology Sales,” EFF outlines how corporations can avoid assisting repressive regimes.

The paper calls on companies to increase transparency of their dealings with potentially repressive regimes and to implement “Know Your Customer” standards for auditing technology sales, including review of the purchasing government’s technical questions and customization requests. If the review indicates that the technologies or transactions may be used to facilitate human rights violations, the company should refrain from participating.

“Authoritarian governments around the world often rely on technologies built in North America and Europe to spy on their citizens – including listening in to cell phone calls, scanning crowd photographs with facial recognition tools, and monitoring mobile networks with voice recognition technology. These can have deadly ramifications for activists and others in repressive regimes,” said EFF Director for International Freedom of Expression Jillian York. “We’re asking companies to take responsibility for the uses that governments make of their products, instead of acting like ‘repression’s little helper.’” …more (https://www NULL.eff NULL.org/press/releases/time-technology-companies-stand-human-rights)

FAA Coughs Up Info On Where Drones Are Being Flown And Who’s Flying Them
20 April, 2012 – Forbes

If you don’t like drones, it’s time to move to Hawaii. It’s one of the few places in the U.S. where no licenses have been issued for unmanned air flights. If you prefer the mainland, North Carolina, South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa are a few of your options. Consult this interactive map via EFF for relocation planning purposes.

After suing the Federal Aviation Administration for its failure to respond to a FOIA, civil liberties group EFF finally got a response to its inquiry about who in the U.S. has authorization to fly drones. We already knew a bit about how public sector players (such as sheriff’s departments) were starting to use drones, but the documents shed new light on who in the private industry is currently living the drone dream in the U.S.

The FAA released a list of the private manufacturers who have “Special Airworthiness Certificates,” which is what a non-government entity needs to fly a particular drone model. Last year, the FAA told me that there were just 18 active certificates. The lucky few holding those are primarily big defense companies: Raytheon, General Atomics, Telford Aviation, AAI Corp, Honeywell, Unmanned Systems Inc, L-3, and Aurora Flight Companies. The smaller players in the unmanned aircraft industry (such as those making drones to save whales abroad) have been muscled out thus far.

Government entities just need a Certificate of Authorization (COA) to fly a drone. That list includes just over 60 drone enthusiasts including DARPA; the FBI; branches of the military; the Departments of Energy, Agriculture, & Homeland Security; a bunch of public universities; and a few lucky police departments. This won’t be surprising to regular drone watchers. As we know, Customs and Border Protection is already flying drones along the borders (and sometimes loaning them to local law enforcement agencies). And public universities often partner with private industry for research projects, and a few are launching new “drone studies” programs. …more (http://www NULL.forbes NULL.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/04/20/faa-coughs-up-info-on-where-drones-are-being-flown-and-whos-flying-them/)

Hackers target F1 websites over Bahrain GP
20 April, 2012 – The Daily Star – AP

LONDON: Hacking collective Anonymous has claimed responsibility for a denial-of-service attack on the official Formula One website in protest over the running of the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.

The group also attacked F1-racers.net where it posted a message saying the “Formula 1 racing authority was well-aware of the Human Rights situation in Bahrain and still chose to contribute to the regime’s oppression of civilians and will be punished.”

The Bahrain Grand Prix is going ahead despite violent clashes between riot police and demonstrators who believe the race should not be held until the government ends its rights abuses and enacts concrete reforms that benefit the Shiite majority.

Formula1.com was unavailable to many users for some of the day Friday. Denial-of-service attacks work by overwhelming a website with bogus traffic.
…more (http://www NULL.dailystar NULL.com NULL.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Apr-20/170864-hackers-target-f1-websites-over-bahrain-gp NULL.ashx)

TANGO DOWN Ladies & Gents.. Regime’s Official Police Media Center website is knocked Down. http://www.policemc.gov.bh/en/ We are #Anonymous EXPECT US

Anonymous Sweden ‏ @AnonOpsSweden
via @AnonUK: And here we go again: http://www.traffic.gov.bh http://www.moipr.gov.bh also down. #OpBahrain #FreeAlkhawaja #F1 #Formula1 #Bahrain

Anonymous Operations ‏ @Anon_Central

#OpBahrain: More tango downs: http://www.f1officialpartners.com, http://www.f1sponsor.net | Stop #Formula1 #F1 | #Bahrain #Anonymous

Anonymous UK ‏ @AnonUK

And even more: http://www.f1officialpartners.com http://www.f1sponsor.net now down. #Anonymous #OpBahrain #Formula1 #F1 #Bahrain via @AnonOpsSweden

Anonymous Bahrain ‏ @Anonymous_vii

Via @AnarchistBH: #Bahrain Public Relation Directorate site .. DOWN http://www.moipr.gov.bh #Anonymous #OpBahrain #F1

Free Bahraini Hunger Striker Near Death
Take Action On This Issue

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja is one of 14 Bahraini opposition activists arrested in spring 2011 for their involvement in peaceful anti-government protests. Abdulhadi was tortured in prison and hospitalized with a cracked jaw. He has been on hunger strike since February 8, 2012, and is now dangerously ill. He and six co-defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment. The other 7 opposition leaders also received prison sentences after unfair trials by military courts.

Amnesty believes that all 14 are prisoners of conscience imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and assembly. They should be released immediately and unconditionally READ MORE (http://takeaction NULL.amnestyusa NULL.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem NULL.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=517590) 4/20/2012

Anonymous Press Release – Operation Bahrain Thursday – April 19, 2012 7:00 PM ET USA Anonymous has watched with growing alarm the incredible human rights abuses of the Bahrain regime.

We have watched this tyrannical government tear gas it’s own people literally to death, with over 30 fatalities so far. We have watched as thousands of innocent protesters and activists have been jailed.

We have suffered with our dear friend @AngryArabiya on Twitter as she watches her father slowly die of a hunger strike in prison to protest the atrocities committed by the regime of this “king” of Bahrain.

We have witnessed doctors and nurses imprisoned for simply treating the wounded protesters that your security forces have brutalized. And finally we have suffered in outrage the ignorance and out right lies of mainstream media regarding what is REALLY happening in Bahrain.

1) This is NOT a Shia uprising against a Sunni government. It is a popular and peaceful revolt against the medieval concept of absolute monarchy. It is a movement that spans all strata and sectors of society, and all religions in Bahrain. It is a movement that demands only freedom, justice – and democracy.

2) This government is not quelling violent protests, it is brutally and violently crushing peaceful dissent. 3) This government is NOT legitimate. It is a tyrannical, barbaric – and human rights violating dictatorship. And ANYONE doing business with this regime have the blood of Bahrain’s Freedom Martyrs on their hands.

For over a year now, we have as a global movement concentrated our efforts in Libya and Syria, leaving Anonymous Bahrain to to defend their fellow citizens in cyber space. This will no longer be the case. As of tomorrow, Friday – April 20, 2012 the entire global Anonymous will begin to take up the cause of the Bahrain Revolution.

The King of Bahrain be warned, we are about to unleash the worst shitstorm you have ever seen – and your time as dictator is over. We will help your people remove you from power, and we will see you tried in the Hague for your many crimes against humanity.

The occasion of Anonymous re-launching Operation Bahrain will be this despicable Grand Prix Formula One race to be held in Bahrain tomorrow through the 22nd of April. Mr. Eccelstone, you are either one evil mother fucker to hold your race in support of this regime (The Kings family are actually investors and make direct profit) – or else you have been lied to and are ignorant of the atrocities committed by these tyrants.

In either case, beginning tomorrow – and lasting for the duration of your race we are going to fucking educate you on the truth in a way you can not ignore. Beginning tomorrow, and lasting for the duration of this race – Anonymous will turn your web site (www.formula1.com) into a smoking crater in cyber space. We will also jam your phone lines, bomb your E-Mail inboxes – and wreck anything else of yours we can find on the internet.

You can god damn well expect us. And to anyone in the world who watches this race, either in person or on television – you also have the blood of the Bahrain Freedom Martyrs on your hands. Turn your face away from this abominable entertainment, and join us online to defend the brave protesters fighting for their freedom in Bahrain.

Finally, we join with Anonymous Bahrain in asking that all the drivers in this race protest this evil regime by refusing to cross the start line at the beginning of the race. Internet Freedom Fighters around the globe, join us this weekend and fight for freedom and justice in Bahrain: irc.voxanon.net #OpBahrain We Are Anonymous – We Are Everywhere – We Are Legion – We Never Forget – We Never Forgive – EXPECT US SIGNED — Anonymous

…source (http://www NULL.peoplesliberationfront NULL.net/anonpaste/index NULL.php?6f8553de6f798535#hINXJZuw5+ANqtMz0lO+n+Dxip0y1pWUj4YMQgob180=)