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Wireless Telecommunications
Election-year spying deal is flawed, overly broad
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 25, 2008 - 7:46amThe skids are greased. President Bush and the candidates who want his job, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, are all on board. As early as today, the Senate will begin voting on new rules governing how spy agencies intercept phone calls and e-mails between suspected terrorists overseas and people in the USA.
Surveillance law won't do enough to protect privacy
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 25, 2008 - 7:45amThe FISA update does not do nearly enough to protect innocent Americans from fishing expeditions in the name of homeland security.
More states say phones and driving don't mix
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 25, 2008 - 7:40amCalifornia will become the largest state to ban unlimited cellphone use by drivers. The law prohibits drivers under 18 from talking on the phone, and it requires older drivers to use a hands-free headset.
Those DEMs and the FISA Update
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 24, 2008 - 9:05pmLast updated: June 25, 2008 - 7:56am
On Friday, the House passed "the most significant revision of surveillance law in 30 years," and the Senate is expected to soon follow suit. House leaders insisted the bill was a "compromise" with conservatives, but as the New York Times noted, it was actually "a major victory for the White House after months of dispute." While progressives succeeded in forcing the White House to accept some important concessions, the deal fails to give the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court the authority to protect law-abiding Americans from being spied on by their government.
A compromise on surveillance
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 23, 2008 - 8:16amThe House compromise represents a major step forward from the Senate's last effort, which included fewer restrictions on surveillance. The House measure won't impede legitimate intelligence operations, and it brings oversight to a program that has operated for too long with too little of it.
The mobile revolution's hidden cost
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 22, 2008 - 3:09pmLate last year, the mobile phone industry passed a remarkable milestone, one that not so many years ago it didn't even expect to reach: 3 billion mobile phones. There is little doubt that mobile phones are proving incredibly empowering.
Update: House approves surveillance bill, protects telecoms
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 20, 2008 - 3:00pmLast updated: June 22, 2008 - 2:56pm
The House of Representatives has approved legislation that would continue a controversial surveillance program at the U.S. National Security Agency with limited court oversight, while likely ending lawsuits against telecommunications carriers that participated in the program.
Spy bill to shield phone companies from lawsuits
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 20, 2008 - 7:59amUS telephone companies that took part in President George Bush's warrantless domestic spying program could be shielded from billions of dollars in lawsuits under a electronic spy bill finalized on Thursday by congressional and White House negotiators.
FCC lifts Sprint deadline to swap some channels
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 20, 2008 - 7:56amThe Federal Communications Commission on Thursday agreed to give Sprint Nextel more time to swap some wireless spectrum frequencies with public safety agencies. Sprint was facing a June 26 deadline to vacate channels that its Nextel wireless network uses in the 800 MHz band.
FCC Allows Sprint To Remain Temporarily On Safety Airwaves
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 20, 2008 - 7:51amThe Federal Communications Commission on Thursday granted Sprint Nextel's request to continue operating temporarily on airwaves designated for firefighters and police officers. Sprint has been ordered to relocate to different channels in order to stop interference with communications among public safety agencies.
