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Topics · government ethics
Notes and reading tagged government ethics
The GrapheneOS Duress Password Case Is Becoming a Test of Whether Privacy Can Be Treated as Obstruction
The New York Times and Slashdot on Samuel Tunick—GrapheneOS duress at CBP Atlanta, a § 2232(a) felony, and whether using a privacy tool during a disputed search can itself become the crime.
Inspired by m.slashdot.org · Slashdot
Aaron Swartz Was Prosecuted. Meta Torrented Shadow Libraries at Industrial Scale
Curious Quail’s comparison of Aaron Swartz’s JSTOR prosecution with Meta torrenting LibGen and Anna’s Archive for Llama—the cases are not legally identical; the proportionality is hard to ignore.
Inspired by blog.curiousquail.com · Curious Quail
Littleton Says Flock Reactivated Cameras the Town Had Shut Down
Littleton, Massachusetts says Flock Safety reactivated license plate cameras the town had deactivated for privacy review—without notice—raising whether municipalities actually control the surveillance systems they pay for.
Inspired by lowellsun.com · The Lowell Sun
Six More Employees Fired for Abusing Flock Camera Data
Savannah fired four officers and two civilians for personal Flock Safety searches—127 inappropriate queries among ~39,000 this year—showing audit logs catch abuse after the fact, not as access control for nationwide plate data.
Inspired by wtoc.com · WTOC
Flock Has Already Become a Police Stalking Tool
Houston-area agencies are investigating officers accused of using Flock’s license plate database for personal stalking, while the Institute for Justice has documented at least 28 ALPR misuse cases—showing audit logs do not prevent abuse when nobody reviews them.
Inspired by chron.com · Chron
GrapheneOS Says Strong Mobile Security Is Legal and Should Remain That Way
GrapheneOS responds to prosecution involving its duress-password feature by stating that creating and using the OS is legal and constitutionally protected—arguing privacy tools need funding, legal durability, and a nonprofit structure that can protect contributors when the software becomes inconvenient.
Inspired by x.com · GrapheneOS
Even When Cities Want Flock Gone, Getting Rid of It Isn’t Always Easy
404 Media documents show Verona, Wisconsin asked Flock to remove ALPR cameras after the contract ended, then bagged them while waiting—arguing surveillance gear should stop collecting data and leave promptly when a city votes it out.
Inspired by 404media.co · 404 Media
A Masked Vigilante Is Taking On Flock’s Growing Surveillance Network
The Guardian covers NoMark and others targeting Flock Safety cameras—arguing the real story is searchable mass vehicle tracking of innocent drivers, and that invasive ALPR networks need warrants, short retention, audits, and public approval before becoming everyday infrastructure.
Inspired by theguardian.com · Jonah Valdez
A Duress Password Is Now Being Treated as Destruction of Evidence
Zack Whittaker reports federal prosecutors charged an American who allegedly entered a GrapheneOS duress password during a CBP phone search—treating a coercion-protection feature as destruction of property to prevent seizure.
Inspired by techcrunch.com · Zack Whittaker
Public Information Shouldn’t Have a Premium Tier
Truth Social plans to sell banks and trading firms the fastest access to the president’s market-moving posts. Public presidential announcements should not become a premium product that enriches a business tied to the office.
Inspired by nbcnews.com · Deborah Mary Sophia and Saqib Iqbal Ahmed