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If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Canadian police forces are investigating the use of advanced technology that taps into home and business security camera feeds. This controversial move, lauded by some for its potential to streamline law enforcement, is also raising alarms among privacy advocates and policing researchers, concerned over the potential for overreaching surveillance. Police services in Canadian cities are contemplating a tech-forward evolution akin to that seen in some US cities, where officers can monitor real-time feeds from a network of private security cameras. These cameras cover crime scenes, emergency incident areas, and everything in between. Related: Some Private CCTV Footage Is Being Automatically Streamed to Law Enforcement In early October, the Real-Time Crime Center Operations and Tech Integration conference took place in Mississauga, Ontario. Here, several police agencies, including Hamilton’s, learned about Fusus, a paid service facilitating easier and faster police access to private security camera footage. In the US, it’s an increasingly common crime-fighting tool, but in Canada, its application could be hampered by privacy regulations and public opinion. Natasha Tusikov, a criminology professor from York University and former analyst with Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, encouraged Canadians to contemplate what kind of policing practices they desire in light of this advancement. As reported by CBC, the technology, as good as it might seem, must not blind us to the important questions about privacy and individual rights, she said. However, Tusikov asserts that availability should not dictate…Canadian Police Want Tech To Access Private CCTV Cameras in Real-Time

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) recently made a social media censorship suggestion that seemingly made even the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director, an agency that has flagged many social media posts for censorship, uncomfortable. Romney made the proposal during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing where Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) had already extensively laid out the FBI’s recent history of social media censorship coercion which the Fifth Circuit found to have likely violated the First Amendment. But Romney seemed to think the FBI’s current social media censorship activities don’t go far enough and suggested that because some hate groups and terrorists target Jews, the FBI should be doing more to fight “hate” on social media. Wray appeared to realize that such a proposal rubs up against the First Amendment and told Romney, “Now you’re getting into a legal area that I’m not the expert on.” He then pivoted away from social media and proposed community outreach to law enforcement as a better solution to the problem. However, Romney steered the conversation back to social media and insisted that the FBI needs to “reduce the communication of hate across social media” because American citizens “offer various forms of hate.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/mitt-romney-fbi-director-social-media-hate.mp4 This isn’t the first time Romney has made social media censorship suggestions that raise First Amendment concerns. Earlier this year, he argued it should be legal for the government to curb “misinformation”…Watch: Even the FBI Director Doesn’t Seem Comfortable With Mitt Romney’s Proposed Social Media Crackdown

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Sign Up To Keep Reading This post is for Reclaim The Net supporters. Gain access to the entire archive of features and supporters-only content. Help protect free speech, freedom from surveillance, and digital civil liberties. Join Already a supporter? Login here The post A Closer Look into This Privacy-Focused De-Googled Mobile Operating System appeared first on Reclaim The Net.A Closer Look into This Privacy-Focused De-Googled Mobile Operating System

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. During a recent Senate Homeland Security Committee on “Threats to the Homeland,” the heads of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were blasted for their agencies’ roles in pressuring Big Tech companies to censor Americans. In his opening statement, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) pointed to the 1976 Church Committee final report that documented decades of “widespread abuse by federal intelligence agencies against US citizens” and expressed his fear that now, almost half a century after this report was published, “our federal government is still undertaking many of the same tactics that the Church Committee found to be unworthy of democracy, and occasionally reminiscent of totalitarian regimes.” He continued by highlighting the ways the FBI, DHS, and other federal agencies operated “in a manner that is outside the scope of their authorities, wasting taxpayer dollars and infringing on the rights of Americans.” The senator from Kentucky pointed to the Fifth Circuit’s finding that the FBI and other federal agencies likely violated the First Amendment when coercing Big Tech companies to censor speech and noted that much of the speech the FBI flagged for censorship was truthful. Paul also took aim at the FBI’s “misuse [of] its authority” under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a warrantless surveillance law that the FBI has used to spy on millions of Americans, including a senator, a state senator, and…Watch: FBI and DHS Heads Are Slammed for Pressuring Big Tech to Censor Americans

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. China’s internet is facing a sharp bout of censorship imposed by the nation’s internet regulatory body, as it clamps down heavily on content regarded as “vulgar.” Alibaba’s search engine, Quark, and the livestreaming platform, NetEase, are the latest victims of this restrictive campaign, being penalized and reprimanded for content deemed inappropriate by the Chinese authorities. This tightening grip on free speech and individual expression by the Cyberspace Administration of China could be seen as an encroachment on the fundamental liberties enshrined in free, democratic societies. Fined the equivalent of $68,000 for “vulgar” search results, Quark and NetEase, forced to halt updates on a dance-content channel for a week, signify the establishment’s low tolerance for what it deems to be explicit content. The Register is reporting that the CAC, while censuring Quark for this alleged obscene content, further criticized the platform for allegedly recommending vulgar keywords to its users. NetEase, on the other hand, was accused of airing accounts linked to explicit content and vulgar language. This kind of crackdown is the latest in the government’s intent to control digital narratives and stifle online freedom. In addition to content censorship, the CAC is seemingly reinforcing its preference for all online influencers to be identifiable by their real names, adding another layer of state control over digital content. This has led major social media platforms such as WeChat, Doyin, Baidu, and Sina Weibo to mandate real…China Fines Alibaba For Allowing “Vulgar” Keywords

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is launching a project based on what’s known as “digital public infrastructure,” aka, DPI. And the overarching justification/explanation of these activities is reaching the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). What UNDP is supposed to be doing is pretty clear from its name, but what DPI itself is, is a buzzword used in somewhat interesting/alarming concord by organizations such as the UN, but also the European Union (EU), the Gates Foundation, and of course, the World Economic Forum (WEF) is never quite out of any such picture. What DPIs are supposed to do, in the best case scenario, is aid development in a number of ways. Those looking deeper into platitudes and “corporatespeak” coming from these organizations, however, are dismissing the term and the policy as a ruse to speed up introduction of digital IDs and payments, with a deadline of 2030. November 8 is the date when the UNDP is implementing its “50in5” program, described as advancing “the conversation around the development of safe, inclusive and interoperable digital public infrastructure (DPI).” Guess who’s there for the launch: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. And why not – the group’s “Digital Public Goods Alliance and Co-Develop” has taken the center-stage of a lot of this effort. If you’re a citizen of a UN member-state, and your government (i.e., taxpayers) are contributing to various UN efforts and, you feel either…UN Program Pushes Digital Public Infrastructure as EU and Gates Foundation Push For Digital ID By 2030

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. In a move that demonstrates its commitment to fostering a vibrant creator community, video platform Rumble has announced that it will open up live-streaming to all of its users, eliminating the previous requirement for channels to have a minimum of five subscribers. Previously, in order to live-stream, Rumble users had to reach a threshold of five subscribers. While this might have seemed like a modest benchmark for some, for many new and emerging creators, this posed an initial barrier. The decision to remove this threshold is being viewed as an encouraging gesture for those who are just starting out on the platform. By offering unrestricted live-streaming capabilities, Rumble is emphasizing its position as a platform that believes in the potential of all creators, irrespective of their current audience size. Here are a few ways this change is beneficial for content creators: Level Playing Field: By removing the subscriber minimum, Rumble is leveling the playing field for all creators. This allows newcomers to immediately tap into the interactive possibilities of live-streaming without having to first focus on subscriber growth. Increased Visibility: Live streams have the potential to draw larger, real-time audiences. For creators trying to grow their presence, this is an invaluable tool. Live broadcasts can significantly increase engagement, and with no initial requirements, creators can harness this benefit from day one. Community Building: Interacting with viewers in real-time fosters a strong sense of community….Rumble Opens Free Live-Streaming To All, Removes Five Follower Minimum

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. As a strategic maneuver to tighten its control over internet access, Russia has intensified its campaign against VPNs – not merely the use but also the promotion or discussion of these privacy and anti-censorship tools. These recent developments expose deeper concerns about internet censorship and its implications for the fundamental principle of free speech. In the spring of 2023, as part of an elaborate communications campaign, Russia issued public service announcements denouncing VPNs. Fast forward to the summer, these seemingly harmless ads took a stark transition into concrete policy changes. President Vladimir Putin endorsed regulations demanding select internet platforms, including social media, to verify the identity of new users, potentially via their passports. Providing guidance on using VPNs to access banned internet resources was deemed a criminal act under these new edicts. The Kremlin is becoming even more brazen in its attempts to clamp down on VPN services. It seems intent on putting an end to any VPN companies unwilling to comply. However, the ramifications are not just limited to these companies but may extend to anyone bold enough to make use of these services or discuss them. Recent revelations at a Sochi forum “Spectrum-2023,” and reported by TorrentFreak, unveiled further dimensions of Russia’s VPN offensive. Sergei Khutortsev, an integral figure in Russia’s sovereign internet project, confirmed that 167 VPN services, non-compliant with government stipulations, and over 200 email services were now under active…Russia Widens Its VPN Block

Dateline: New York, 2nd November 2023.Well, this is ironic (and not just merely annoying, like rain on your wedding day). Marianna Spring, the BBC’s first disinformation correspondent, has been called out for embellishing the truth on her resume while applying for a job few years ago.  Is that really disinformation though? I mean, come on, we’ve all jazzed up our capabilities on a resume haven’t we? It’s the normal course of human affairs, candidates lying to their prospective employer just like hiring managers lying to the candidates that they are interviewing. Maybe that’s about to end though, as continuous real-time online reputation management becomes the norm and the provenance of people (as well as things) becomes public, unforgeable and immutable.SharePeople And ProvenanceGiven that candidate fraud has pretty much doubled since the pandemic (and that a fifth of job hunters cheat on tests), recruitment clearly has some challenges. Since it’s been years since I actually interviewed a candidate, I can’t say what the modern approach to this sort of thing is. If I were hiring someone tomorrow, I’d probably look at their LinkedIn profile rather than their resume, since I would have thought it much more difficult and risky to adjust your LinkedIn profile to show your years as Elon Musk’s right-hand man than to add a bit of embellishment to your Google Docs resume. Although it seems there’s a lot of tweaking there too. While LinkedIn estimates that only 15-20% of candidates are dishonest in the way they present themselves, which I am sure must be…People, Parts, Provenance

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Sign Up To Keep Reading This post is for Reclaim The Net supporters. Gain access to the entire archive of features and supporters-only content. Help protect free speech, freedom from surveillance, and digital civil liberties. Join Already a supporter? Login here The post How Online Ads Assist the Government With Mass Surveillance appeared first on Reclaim The Net.How Online Ads Assist the Government With Mass Surveillance