Consumers, privacy, bills, and rights

The fox is proposing to the chickens that it protect them from the raccoons. The draft Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2015 aims to “establish baseline protections for individual privacy in the commercial arena” and to foster those through “enforceable codes of conduct.” These are worthy goals, and achieving them sounds like something… Continue reading Consumers, privacy, bills, and rights

CenturyLink now offer 1 Gbps Internet access in Seattle: $80 for 33 minutes

Yesterday evening, I answered a buzz at my building’s gate to find that someone from CenturyLink, a telecommunications company formerly known as Qwest, as U.S. West before that, and probably as Bell or AT&T before that, was there to tell me about work they’d been doing in my neighborhood. She said they now offer Internet… Continue reading CenturyLink now offer 1 Gbps Internet access in Seattle: $80 for 33 minutes

Conspiracy to hide police use of mobile phone snooping devices from the public goes all the way to the FCC

Public records I received last week reveal that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are requiring police departments to engage in nondisclosure agreements with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in order to receive permission to use IMSI catchers, the mobile phone surveillance devices that allow operators to slurp up information about every mobile phone in… Continue reading Conspiracy to hide police use of mobile phone snooping devices from the public goes all the way to the FCC

FOI gone afoul: Seattle City Council defer to Police Department on what is good for the public to know

Last October, suspecting that multiple City of Seattle departments were flouting a law passed in 2013 that restricts their acquisition and use of surveillance equipment, I requested public records that would exist had those departments complied. Processing of my request was unsatisfactory (possibly unlawful), so I requested and received the administrative tracking file for that… Continue reading FOI gone afoul: Seattle City Council defer to Police Department on what is good for the public to know

Modest Proposal for Police Reform and Mayor Murray’s Rather Dull Response

Yesterday, fellow Seattleite Joe Szilagyi issued this thoughtful suggestion for police reform: I’m convinced we can’t reform the Seattle Police unless there is a voter-driven ballot measure that specifically bars the City from entering into any contract agreement with SPOG that does not includes provisions for reform, like total civilian oversight. Successive Mayors and City… Continue reading Modest Proposal for Police Reform and Mayor Murray’s Rather Dull Response

Mayor Murray’s Press Conference about Police Chief Overturning Misconduct Findings

I transcribed the press conference Seattle Mayor Ed Murray held to field questions about Interim Police Chief Harry Bailey’s recent decision to overturn several findings of officer misconduct (see “Police Chief Misled Mayor and Council on Misconduct Decision” by Dominic Holden for background information): Ed Murray: Good evening. I wanted to provide some context to the… Continue reading Mayor Murray’s Press Conference about Police Chief Overturning Misconduct Findings

While citizens are ignored, circular logic from police chief prompts swift action to reduce surveillance oversight

Ahead of fulfilment of the public records request I placed for all such letters received by Seattle City Council, I received yesterday a copy of the March 15, 2013, letter from Seattle Police Department Chief John Diaz to Mike O’Brien of Seattle City Council concerning C.B. 117730, the bill that passed Monday which regulates the… Continue reading While citizens are ignored, circular logic from police chief prompts swift action to reduce surveillance oversight

City Council stumbles upon warrantless surveillance by police unfit for public discussion and unqualified for private discussion

I believe I may have been a bit hasty in my assessment yesterday of the situation surrounding Seattle Police Department meddling in the crafting of legislation intended in part to restrict police acquisition and use of surveillance equipment (C.B. 117730).  I still feel that changes to the bill made between versions 10 and 12 weakened… Continue reading City Council stumbles upon warrantless surveillance by police unfit for public discussion and unqualified for private discussion

Seattle City Council pass ordinance restricting surveillance equipment after Councilmember Harrell slips in a gift for police

On Monday, March 18, 2013, Seattle City Council passed C.B. 117730, which restricts City all departments’ acquisition and use of surveillance equipment. This is generally a good thing, but there are games being played, and the public are losing. Seattle Police Department’s representative, Clark Kimerer, was all smiles when the bill was discussed publicly during… Continue reading Seattle City Council pass ordinance restricting surveillance equipment after Councilmember Harrell slips in a gift for police

Updates to Seattle Surveillance Equipment Bill

I previously wrote about Seattle City Council Bill 117730, which would require city departments to receive Council approval before acquiring most surveillance equipment. In the few days between the time when I received a copy of the bill and the introduction of the bill at the March 6, 2013, meeting of the Council’s Public Safety,… Continue reading Updates to Seattle Surveillance Equipment Bill

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