The FBI currently uses technology, which acts as a fake cell phone tower to track and locate phones being used by targets. Known as “Stingray,” the technology can locate, interfere and intercept communications. The use of this technology is being challenged in the case of Daniel Rigmaiden, a “hacker” who was indicted on charges of conspiracy, [...]

Nondisclosure or gag provisions of National Security Letters “significantly infringe upon speech regarding controversial government powers,” a district court in California ruled on March 15. The provisions were found to violate the First Amendment and “separation of powers principles.” National Security Letters (NSLs) are issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). They are issued to [...]

(update below) A United States federal appeals court has ruled suspicionless searches do not violate the Fourth Amendment but border patrol agents do need “reasonable suspicion” in order to conduct forensic examinations of a person’s devices. The ruling appears to be one that is a small win for privacy, however, the ruling that agents need [...]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has determined that border searches of American citizens without probable cause or suspicion, which sometimes result in the seizure of laptops, cell phones or other electronic devices, do not violate civil liberties. How DHS drew these self-serving conclusions is unknown because no evidence to support these conclusions was released [...]

A judge in New York has ruled the New York Police Department must cease to perform “trespass stops” outside certain buildings in the Bronx without reasonable suspicion of trespass. The judge has determined the practice of “stop and frisks” is inherently unlawful or unconstitutional and should not be employed without “reasonable suspicion of trespass.” Judge [...]

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that a lawsuit brought by a lawyer with the National Lawyers Guild against a military operative who infiltrated peace activist groups may proceed. NLG member attorney Larry Hildes, one of the lawyers involved in bringing Panagacos v. Towery, told Firedoglake this is the “first time any appellate [...]

Newly released documents from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) show warrantless surveillance of Americans’ electronic communications by federal law enforcement agencies through pen register and trap devices sharply increased. Notably, because of how easy it is for government to intercept communications, government now regularly exercises the authority to intercept “to” and “from” addresses of email messages, [...]

The Sixth Circuit US Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents who tracked a suspect’s phone without a warrant did not violate the suspect’s privacy because he had “no reasonable expectation of privacy in the data emanating from his cell phone that showed his location.” The court also found because the [...]

Twitter has moved to quash a court order requiring the company to hand over data on  one of its users. The user, Malcolm Harris, an Occupy Wall Street protester who is being prosecuted in New York for disorderly conduct, has been battling a government subpoena for his communications. On April 20, a judge ruled Harris [...]

(update below) The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Michigan report the Michigan Department of Corrections has decided to no longer routinely subject women to body cavity searches at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional facility. The facility had been forcing women to spread the lips of their vaginas for searches after shifts [...]