Is the EU leading the
way? Somehow I doubt it.
National
Programmes for Mass Surveillance of Personal Data in EU Member States
and their Compatibility with EU Law Study
by Sabrina
I. Pacifici on November 17, 2013
Follow up to Committee
Inquiry on Electronic Mass Surveillance of EU Citizens – Sixth
Hearing, see DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INTERNAL POLICIES POLICY
DEPARTMENT C: CITIZENS’ RIGHTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS CIVIL
LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS - NATIONAL
PROGRAMMES FOR MASS SURVEILLANCE OF PERSONAL DATA IN EU MEMBER STATES
AND THEIR COMPATIBILITY WITH EU LAW STUDY.
“In the wake of the
disclosures surrounding PRISM and other US surveillance programmes,
this study makes an assessment of the large-scale surveillance
practices by a selection of EU member states: the UK, Sweden, France,
Germany and the Netherlands. Given the large-scale nature of
surveillance practices at stake, which represent a reconfiguration of
traditional intelligence gathering, the study contends that an
analysis of European surveillance programmes cannot be reduced to a
question of balance between data protection versus national security,
but has to be framed in terms of collective freedoms and democracy.
It finds that four of the five EU member states selected for in-depth
examination are engaging in some form of large-scale interception and
surveillance of communication data, and identifies parallels and
discrepancies between these programmes and the NSA-run operations.
The study argues that these surveillance programmes do not stand
outside the realm of EU intervention but can be engaged from an EU
law perspective via (i) an understanding of national security in a
democratic rule of law framework where fundamental human rights
standards and judicial oversight constitute key standards; (ii) the
risks presented to the internal security of the Union as a whole as
well as the privacy of EU citizens as data owners, and (iii) the
potential spillover into the activities and responsibilities of EU
agencies. The study then presents a set of policy recommendations to
the European Parliament.”
No more Timothy McVeigh
types? We know all the bad guys because we collect all their
Internet activity? “Removing” terrorist leaders reduces
violence? Why does all of this sound like wishful thinking?
Hearing
– The Homeland Threat Landscape and U.S. Response
by Sabrina
I. Pacifici on November 17, 2013
Hearing before the
Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs – The
Homeland Threat Landscape and U.S. Response – November 14, 2013 -
The Honorable Matthew G. Olsen Director National Counterterrorism
Center.
“Homegrown Violent
Extremists (HVEs) remain the most likely global jihadist threat to
the Homeland. While the threat posed by HVEs probably will broaden
through at least 2015, the overall level of HVE activity is likely to
remain the same: a handful of uncoordinated and unsophisticated plots
emanating from a pool of up to a few hundred
individuals. Lone actors or insular groups who act
autonomously pose the most serious HVE threat.’ … HVEs
make use of a diverse online environment that is dynamic, evolving,
and self- sustaining. This online extremist environment
is likely to play a critical role in the foreseeable future in
radicalizing and mobilizing HVEs towards violence. Despite the
removal of important terrorist leaders during the last several years,
the online environment continues to reinforce an extremist identity,
supplies grievances, and provide HVEs the means to connect with
terrorist groups overseas.”
“We can, therefore we
must!”
Apple
to start following you around its stores, report says
Convergence: Using one
technology to replace many. (When was the mirror invented?)
– is a site that
merely shows a frame, and inside that frame is your webcam, or front
facing camera (if you are on a smartphone). This makes a mirror, in
which you can look to see if your hair looks OK, or if your makeup is
still in place. More of a novelty site than anything else, as you
can easily check your hair in the webcam without this site.
Making citation
easier...
is a citation generator
that allows its users to easily create bibliographies and citations
in the format required for their document. Being able to instantly
use the correct referencing style makes an educator’s job much
easier. Not only will they create textbooks more easily, but they
can also recommend this tool to their students and contribute towards
more effective and easier academic writing.
A place to build my
course handouts.
goal is to provide
students and educators with access to high-quality, free multimedia
content on various education subjects. This website has become very
popular among high school and college students, because it explains
the most complicated subjects in an understandable manner.
My Graphic Design
students should add their works to this site or perhaps build their
own?
– is a site that
enables you to discover and customize contemporary art. Pick a
limited edition piece from the global catalogue of artists, and
customize it so that your art fits your space, mood, style or gift
idea. Then it is sent to you to hang up on your wall and enjoy.
Weekly amusement
… MakerBot
announced its MakerBot
Academy. Its mission: “to put a MakerBot Desktop 3D
Printer in every school in America.” MakerBot is working
with DonorsChoose.org to help teachers fundraise for their
MakerBot bundle.
… Google
launched its Google
Play for Education program this week: Android tablets and an app
store for schools. My review is here.
… Carnegie
Mellon University has created
a Global Learning Council to “spearhead efforts to
develop standards and promote best practices in online education.”
Council members include edX's Anant Agarwal and Coursera's Daphne
Koller. “Global,” but with US representatives only, seeking to
identify “best practices,” because nobody out there already does
that. Sigh.
… First
Lady Michelle Obama kicked off her new initiative this week:
college
for everyone.
… Senators Dick
Durbin and Al Franken have proposed
the Affordable College Textbook Act that “would
encourage the creation of free online textbooks by offering
grants for pilot projects that produce high-quality
open-access textbooks, especially for courses with large
enrollments.” [I've been threatening to have my
students write their own textbooks, perhaps this will be the
incentive I need to make this happen. Stay tuned. Bob]
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