1. Monthly archive
  2. August 2019

August 2019

The Metadata Trap: The Trump Administration Is Using the Full Power of the US Surveillance State Against Whistleblowers

Government whistleblowers increasingly being charged under laws such as the Espionage Act, but they aren’t spies. While we all live under extensive surveillance, for government employees and contractors — especially those with a security clearance — privacy is virtually nonexistent. When a government worker becomes a whistleblower, the FBI gets access to reams of data describing exactly what happened on government computers and who searched for what in government databases, which helps narrow down the list of suspects.  Government insiders charged under the Espionage Act are not allowed to

How the Trump Campaign Used Facebook Ads to Amplify His ‘Invasion’ Claim

President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign has harnessed Facebook advertising to push the idea of an “invasion” at the southern border, amplifying the fear-inducing language about immigrants that he has also voiced at campaign rallies and on Twitter. Since Jan, President Trump’s re-election campaign has posted more than 2,000 ads on Facebook that include the word “invasion” — part of a barrage of advertising focused on immigration, a dominant theme of his re-election messaging.

At a time when local information is needed, FCC vote endangers public-access stations

The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 along party lines Aug 1 to change long-standing guidelines related to cable franchising fees. The modifications detrimentally affect one of educational media’s great unsung heroes, Public, Educational and Government access television and radio stations nationwide. The effects of the FCC’s decision will go beyond PEG stations. The new rules, which will take effect in Sept, will allow cable companies to assign market values to benefits and charge the amount back to local communities in most cases.

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