Surveillance Law Gives Sweden Broad Powers

Public fine with surveillance cameras, not fine with email snooping

(NEWSER) - Americans are willing to give up some privacy and freedoms for security—but not others. A new AP poll has charted just which freedoms Americans are partial to. For example:

• 71% are OK with surveillance cameras in public places
• 58% are fine with full-body scans and pat-downs at the airport
• 47% favor a national ID card
• 35% approve of ethnic or racial profiling at the airport
• 30% support monitoring emails without a warrant
• 25% back eavesdropping on domestic phone calls without a warrant

FTC investigates breach of Safari browser settings

(NEWSER) - Last month, it emerged that Google was skirting privacy settings on Apple's Safari browser; now federal, state, and European Union officials are investigating the since-halted practice, which centers on the installation of tracking files. Google faces a $16,000 fine per violation per day—which could add up to quite a lot, given that millions were hit with the cookies—in a case that could go on for years, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Bill seeks to expand government's wiretapping power

(NEWSER) - The feds want to overhaul wiretapping regulations to expand their ability to eavesdrop online, reports the New York Times . The Obama administration plans to submit a bill to Congress next year that would require all service providers to be technically capable of wiretapping the communications they enable, from encrypted BlackBerry emails to Skype messaging. Law enforcement types say their surveillance capabilities are "going dark" as everybody—from mob bosses to drug cartels—turns away from telephones. More»

'Biometrics' a big part of immigration reform proposal

(NEWSER) - Now it's the Democrats' turn to be accused of trying to violate civil liberties in the name of immigration reform. A crucial part of their plan calls for what amounts to a high-tech national ID card. It would have a "biometrics" component—namely fingerprints—and every worker would need one within 6 years, reports the Hill . Hello, Orwell, say critics. More»

People are unfairly targeted, complain Muslim groups

(NEWSER) - The FBI has been given far too much leeway to gather information on individuals and groups, charge Muslim and civil liberties organizations. Guidelines in a newly disclosed FBI manual allow the bureau to probe people or organizations without any factual evidence against them. Agents are given broad powers to proactively seek information and to use race and religion as factors in choosing whom to monitor, reports the New York Times . More»