Expect Resistance & Library Autonomous Zone

LibraryLaw Blog: Library computer authentication

Library Law Blog points to and comments on an article,
To Use That Library Computer, Please Identify Yourself,
By Scott Carlson. Chronicle of Higher Education
June 25, 2004 Volume 50, Issue 42, Page A39
[subscription required for online access].
Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center is quoted in the article:

Authentication cannot be compared to library checkout policies, he argues. Library patrons may have to reveal their names when they borrow books, but they can read their choice of books from the shelves without ever having to identify themselves

MSNBC - U.S. loses court case against Greenpeace

The U.S. government’s unusual criminal suit against Greenpeace USA was rather unceremoniously booted from federal court yesterday by U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan. In a rare “directed verdict,” the judge found the group not guilty midway through the trial, after the prosecution had presented its case but before the group’s lawyers presented any defense.

The story was originally written about in the New York Times Oct 11, 2003 p. A9 (gotta go to your library to get access!)

[Thanks Grist]
Read the rest of this entry »

Human Rights Record of the US in 2003

This is the reply of China’s State Council In March, 2004 to the U.S. State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, an annual report on human rights abuses. US problems of murder, police brutality, prison overcrowding, poverty, and inadequate health care are detailed and combined with examples of Patriot Act abuses and undemocratic elections. The report was reproduced in full in the Communist party’s official organ, the People’s Daily.

[Thanks Librarians' Index to the Internet]

The TAPAC was created to advise the Secretary of Defense concerning the use of advanced information technologies to help identify terrorists before they act, while at the same time, protecting civil liberties. The committee has a
“library” of of documents
on their web site. On May 18, the committee released its
final report (PDF, 2.8 megs). They report that
the Terrorism Information Awarness program was “a flawed effort to achieve worthwile ends,” but that TIA was only one of many government data mining programs.
See also, Panel Urges New Protection on Federal ‘Data Mining’,
By ROBERT PEAR, New York Times
May 17, 2004; and Panel Calls for Data-Mining Privacy Laws” (NPR, Morning Edition audio
May 18, 2004).

There are several good articles in this week’s Nation. First there’s Greg Palast’s Vanishing Votes reminding us of the FL voting fiasco that disenfranchised so many people. Voting — and e-voting in particular — will hopefully be watched more closely this time around.

Then there’s The Archives and Allen Weinstein by Jon Wiener (a history prof at UC Irvine) which describes the blatent attempt by the Bush administration to restrict access to the archives of both Bush Sr. and Jr. by nominating a clearly partisan Archivist of the US.

F*cked by the F*CC by Jeff Jarvis. The Nation, May 17, 2004. p.11-15.

Jarvis outlines the First Amendment issues behind the recent regulation fury of the Federal Communications Commission and
Congress.

Consider, too, that any citizen could be subject to fines under this legislation. “Imagine if a television crew had filmed an Abbie Hoffman speech,” says Yale’s Miller. “Would Hoffman be liable for intentionally using the term ‘fuck’ and knowing his speech would be broadcast?” Feeling chilly?

Iraq now has something the United States does not. The Equal Rights
Amendment. Paul Bremer says,
Iraqi Interim Constitution Guarantees Women’s Rights.

People “lobbied, marched, rallied, petitioned, picketed, went on hunger strikes, and committed acts of civil disobedience” in this country for the
ERA for, well, centuries.

In 1776, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John, “In the new code of laws, remember the ladies and do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands.” John Adams replied, “I cannot but laugh. Depend upon it, we know better than to repeal our masculine systems.”

In 1923, in Seneca Falls for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the 1848 WomanÕs Rights Convention, she introduced the “Lucretia Mott Amendment,” which read: “Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction.” The amendment was introduced in every session of Congress until it passed in 1972.

There was a seven year deadline for the states to ratify the amendment.
Congress granted an extension until June 30, 1982, but
“the political tide continued to turn more conservative. In 1980 the Republican Party removed ERA support from its platform, and Ronald Reagan was elected president.” When the new deadline came, it was still three states short of ratification.

Now the Law Of Administration For The State Of Iraq For The Transitional Period is in place and Article 12 gives the people of Iraq something that the people of the United States do not have.

IRAQ Article 12.

All Iraqis are equal in their rights without regard to gender…

U.S. THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT.
Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

RFID, JetBlue… personal information and it’s protection has been on my mind since my parter sat in on several panels at ALA midwinter 2 weeks ago. Here’s an article from ZDNet that discusses radio frequency ID (RFID) and its implications for privacy: Does your data belong to you?.

Privacy has always been part and parcel of our civil liberties but in the name of security, the basics are always forgotten. If this type of “data mining” continues, privacy will be a privilege… no longer a right.

[thanks LISNews!]

FBI: Potential Terrorist Use of Almanacs
A few days ago, the news was full of stories about the FBI memo that warned of “potential terrorist use of almanacs.” Now,
Cryptome has the memo itself.
This might be just silly and worthy of ridcule, parody, and even a light moment on NPR:

BLOCK: Maybe it’s there on Page 79 of The World Almanac, those statistics on the percentage of high school-aged students who never wear bicycle helmets. Could that be used to bring America to its knees?

— “FBI bulletin labeling almanacs as possible terrorist tools” All Things Considered - NPR
December 30, 2003
Anchors: Michele Norris; Melissa Block.

But when the FBI can seriously
worry because “Almanacs, available both in print and online, provide comprehensive information on a variety of topics, including government, geography, vital statistics, the economy, health matters, science and technology, weather trends, and tourism…” what will they want to scrub off the web and censor out of publication next?