Bahrain orders murder retrial, observer turned back
Bahrain’s court of cassation overturns the death sentences for two Bahrainis accused of killing two policemen as well as a life jail sentence for one other A Bahraini appeal court has ordered the retrial of two men sentenced to death for running over and killing two policemen during pro-democracy protests last year, state media reported. […]
Surveillant Landscapes
There is a fascinating little piece on Bldg Blog about ‘security geotextiles’ and other actual and speculative surveillance systems that are built in to, underlie or encompass whole landscapes. The argument seems to support what I have been writing and speaking about recently on ‘vanishing surveillance’ (I’ll be speaking about it again in Copenhagen a […]
US Department of Defense: Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) Reference Book
PURPOSE: The purpose of the NLW Reference Book is to provide a single source document that contains key information about NLW descriptions, effects, characteristics, concepts of employment, and associated operational parameters and considerations to enhance NLW education and training. EXPLANATION OF TERMS: The NLW described in this book are at various acquisition stages and of […]
Avoiding Facial Recognition of the Future
Jon Martindale A New York-based designer has created a camouflage technique that makes it much harder for computer based facial recognition. Along with the growth of closed circuit television (CCTV) , this has become quite a concern for many around the world, especially in the UK where being on camera is simply a part of […]
Drone Wars Briefing
Chris Cole Ten years ago, the United States Air Force successfully launched a missile from a Predator drone for the first time at a test range in the Nevada desert.1 While unmanned aerial vehicles (or drones as they are commonly known) had previously been used in military operations for reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting purposes, this […]
Extent of unmanned drone use within UK civil airspace revealed
„the market potential on the civil side is considerably larger than the military sector in the long term“ The Civil Aviation Authority granted permission to 100 applications for the domestic use of unmanned drones between January 2010 and September 2011, according to recent freedom of information requests. [1] Drones have been used for a variety […]
Netherlands defends border control project
By Andrew Rettman BRUSSELS – The Dutch interior ministry has said new cameras for screening people who enter the country by car will not violate EU laws on free movement or privacy. In what looks like a fresh attack on the Schengen passport-free travel agreement, the pilot scheme – entitled „@migo-Boras“ – is to see […]
Border Police train Israeli teens to detain illegal Palestinian workers
Several dozen teens between ages of 16-18 take part in project meant to boost security in Modi’in area; Ministry of Education does not recognize program. By Talila Nesher The initiative is financed by the Public Security Minister of Israel and the Modi’in Regional Council, without any knowledge on the part of Ministry of Education. Approximately […]
APPEAL TO UN TO SAVE JAILED EGYPTIAN BLOGGER MAIKEL NABIL
Whereas Egypt is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees everyone the right to a fair trial by an independent and impartial tribunal and the right to be presumed innocent, under Article 14; the right to freedom of thought, under Article 18; and the right to freedom of expression, […]
Israel Didn’t Know High-Tech Gear Was Sent to Iran Via Denmark
By Ben Elgin The clandestine arrangement worked smoothly for years. The Israeli company shipped its Internet- monitoring equipment to a distributor in Denmark. Once there, workers stripped away the packaging and removed the labels. Then they sent it to a man named “Hossein” in Iran, an amiable technology distributor known to them only by his […]
DHS program to monitor social media users draws lawsuit
By Aliya Sternstein Privacy advocates are suing the Homeland Security Department to obtain information on a program that monitors the social media interactions of citizens following a federal vendor’s private sector plans to sabotage certain groups‘ online activities with similar technology. Homeland Security officials have expanded an ongoing initiative that tracks public online communications in […]
Belarus Talking to China Firm About Surveillance Gear
By PAUL SONNE A Chinese telecom-equipment giant has held talks to install a video-surveillance system for Belarus, according to the government of the former Soviet republic, an authoritarian regime with a track record of suppressing public dissent. The company, Huawei Technologies Co., recently said it is scaling back its business in Iran. The announcement came […]
INTERPOL and Europol establish new communications link for secure information exchange
A new network connection has been established between INTERPOL and Europol, enabling the secure exchange of information between the two law enforcement organizations. The interconnection of the two organizations’ computer networks via a secure link, one of the elements of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble and Europol Director […]
Rioting arsonists could be shot if they endanger lives
Arsonists who put lives in danger during riots could be shot by the police, a review of public order tactics concluded yesterday. By Tom Whitehead The use of firearms would be justified if the risk to public safety was sufficient, the police watchdog said. Plastic bullets and water cannon could also be used by officers […]
EIGHT WOMEN DECEIVED INTO LONG TERM INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH FIVE SEPARATE UNDERCOVER OFFICERS COMMENCE UNPRECEDENTED CLAIM AGAINST POLICE
BIRNBERG PEIRCE AND PARTNERS PRESS RELEASE 16.12.2011 Birnberg Peirce and partners have commenced legal action against the Metropolitan Police on behalf of eight women who were deceived into having long term intimate relationships with undercover police officers. The five undercover officers* were all engaged in infiltrating environmental and social justice campaign groups between the mid […]
Italy and Libya Sign a New Anti-immigration Pact
Civil Society Warns Against a Breach of the Geneva Convention. EveryOne Group: „Italy must respect the Geneva Convention and the European Charter of Fundamental Rights“. Rome, December 15th, 2011. The Italian Government today renewed – on the quiet, and without any media coverage – the infamous friendship treaty between Italy and Libya, with the same […]
Coming soon: Ubiquitous surveillance from Big Brother’s wayback machine
By Tim Greene As the price of digital storage drops and the technology to tap electronic communication improves, authoritarian governments will soon be able to perform retroactive surveillance on anyone within their borders, according to a Brookings Institute report. These regimes will store every phone call, instant message, email, social media interaction, text message, movements […]
UK: Women start legal action against police chiefs over emotional trauma – their statement
Eight women have started to sue police chiefs saying they were duped by undercover officers into forming long-term relationships. Below is the statement they have issued. One line has been removed for legal reasons. Birnberg Peirce and partners have commenced legal action against the Metropolitan Police on behalf of eight women who were deceived into […]
Military to help out with Olympic 2012 security
The largest ship in the Royal Navy, HMS Ocean, is to be stationed in the Thames to provide back up for the Olympics, along with 13,500 members of the Armed Forces. The carrier HMS Ocean will be used for the Olympics By Duncan Gardham The Ministry of Defence said there would be 7,500 military personnel […]
Amazon Big Brother patent knows where you’ll go
Erik Sherman A patent, made public last week, covers a system to not only track, through mobile devices (Kindle, anyone?), where individuals or aggregated users have been, but determine where they’re likely to go next to better target ads, coupons, or other messages that could appear on a mobile phone or on displays that individuals […]