Privacy Law

Surveillance leaker checks out of Hong Kong hotel as US readies charges

Where is Edward Snowden? The man who disclosed the wide sweep of the United States surveillance program has checked out of his Hong Kong hotel as the U.S. Justice Department readies charges against him. Snowden’s location is unknown, report the New York Times and the Associated Press. The Justice Department…

Jun 11, 2013 11:58 AM CDT

Actress who starred in law firm commercial spoofing faked injuries sues ad agency

An actress who starred in a local law firm commercial spoofing plaintiffs who exaggerate their injuries has sued the producer, claiming it licensed the spot to other law firms without her knowledge. Elena Aroaz says she was initially paid $600 by the ad agency, the Levinson Trachtenberg Group, to appear…

Jun 10, 2013 6:42 PM CDT

In ‘high-stakes gamble’ against extradition, surveillance whistleblower is in Hong Kong

Former CIA employee Edward Snowden revealed in a Guardian video interview from Hong Kong over the weekend that he is the leaker who exposed the data collection program by the National Security Agency. Can he avoid extradition? According to the Guardian, it’s a “high-stakes gamble” for the 29-year-old man. Snowden…

Jun 10, 2013 12:27 PM CDT

Two men wrongly identified as possible suspects in Boston Marathon bombing sue newspaper

Two man who say they were wrongly identified as possible suspects in an article on the Boston Marathon bombing have sued the newspaper that published it for libel. The suit, filed Wednesday in Suffolk County, Mass., Superior Court, names the New York Post, five individual reporters and an unidentified headline…

Jun 7, 2013 5:45 PM CDT

Blogger reads between lines of NSA lawyer’s ‘false myths’ speech, knowing what we know now

Forbes blogger Kashmir Hill remembers a speech that National Security Agency general counsel Rajesh De made at Georgetown in February. “In light of recent reports that the NSA has been routinely sweeping up metadata from phone companies about all calls made in the United States, it’s worth revisiting the remarks…

Jun 7, 2013 1:30 PM CDT

Lawyer-turned-blogger broke the story on collection of cellphone data; will he be prosecuted?

The journalist who broke the story on secret U.S. collection of cellphone data is Glenn Greenwald, a former lawyer at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Greenwald wrote his story for the Guardian and allowed the publication to edit it, though he usually publishes without an editor, the New York Times…

Jun 7, 2013 12:49 PM CDT

US also collects Internet data; does NSA directly tap servers of Google and other top companies?

The Obama administration has acknowledged a classified program to tap Internet data after the Washington Post and then the Guardian published a secret Power Point presentation about the effort that was apparently created for training purposes. The program, known as PRISM, targets overseas communications and is permitted by U.S. intelligence…

Jun 7, 2013 12:03 PM CDT

Lawmakers: US has gotten cellphone info for 7 years, ‘lawful’ program prevented terrorist attack

Responding to news reports about a secret federal court order under which the U.S. government apparently collected cellphone records for tens of millions of Verizon customers, federal lawmakers said Thursday that the National Security Agency program has been ongoing for seven years and thwarted at least one terrorist attack. Sen.…

Jun 6, 2013 6:30 PM CDT

Is US perusing millions of phone records? Secret court order reveals ‘massive scale’ data collection

A secret court order reportedly orders a Verizon business subsidiary to turn over all its customer records to the National Security Agency on an “ongoing daily basis.” The Guardian published the order granted by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on April 25. The New York Times spoke with a person…

Jun 6, 2013 12:14 PM CDT

Chemerinsky: Court unanimously wrong on Virginia’s public records law

Several different constitutional provisions and principles prevent states from discriminating against out-of-state residents. In light of this, it was surprising and troubling that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in McBurney v. Young (PDF) that it is constitutional for a state to allow only its own citizens to use its…

Jun 5, 2013 2:31 PM CDT

Leaked emails that led to exposure of Petraeus affair violated socialite’s privacy, suit claims

Tampa socialite Jill Kelley and her husband, Scott, have filed a lawsuit claiming the government violated their privacy by improperly disclosing emails that led to an FBI investigation and exposure of former Gen. David Petraeus’ affair with his biographer. Kelley had complained to the FBI about harassing emails from an…

Jun 4, 2013 2:13 PM CDT

Family living in glass home sues photographer who took pictures with zoom lens for art exhibit

After news that a Manhattan photographer used a telephoto lens to take pictures for an art exhibit of his across-the-street neighbors in an upscale high-rise with floor-to-ceiling windows, at least one family has sued. Others at the Zinc Building are purchasing window coverings, according to Courthouse News and the New…

May 28, 2013 8:15 PM CDT

Journalists threatened after finding massive data security lapse

A team of investigative reporters landed in hot water after finding a massive data security lapse that put hundreds of people at serious risk of identity theft. Journalists for the Scripps News Service notified Lifeline, the federal program for low-income Americans that offers a discounted phone service, within hours of…

May 24, 2013 7:45 PM CDT

Parties in slip-and-fall case ordered to hire neutral expert to probe plaintiff’s Facebook page

A Lancaster County, Pa. judge has ordered the parties in a personal injury lawsuit to hire a “neutral forensic computer expert” to probe a plaintiff’s Facebook account. The defendants are Lancaster Regional Medical Center and Hospital Housekeeping Systems. Grace Perrone asserts she she slipped and fell in a puddle of…

May 22, 2013 10:58 PM CDT

Is your photo online? Are you on Facebook? If so, retailers can ID you and your shopping profile

Decades ago, George Orwell wrote a famous novel, 1984, that envisioned a then-future world in which “Big Brother”—a totalitarian government—was watching its citizens through a variety of electronic gadgetry and might at any time bark orders at individuals through a loudspeaker or television screen. That world doesn’t yet exist, as…

May 20, 2013 1:40 PM CDT