- cypherpunks-legacy - lists.cpunks.org

/. [Exception Expands Domestic Surveillance]
by Eugen Leitl 28 Nov '05

28 Nov '05

Link: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/28/1731235 Posted by: ScuttleMonkey, on 2005-11-28 20:23:00 drDugan writes "The Washington Post is reporting the next phase of American progress authorizing intelligence agencies to spy on law-abiding citizens without oversight. Primarily, new legislation allows an '[1]intelligence exception' to the [2]privacy act 'allowing the FBI and others to share information gathered about U.S. citizens with the Pentagon, CIA and other intelligence agencies, as long as the data is deemed to be related to foreign intelligence. Backers say the measure is needed to strengthen investigations into terrorism or weapons of mass destruction.'" References 1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/26/AR200511260… 57.html 2. http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/privstat.htm ----- End forwarded message ----- -- Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> ______________________________________________________________ ICBM: 48.07100, 11.36820 http://www.leitl.org 8B29F6BE: 099D 78BA 2FD3 B014 B08A 7779 75B0 2443 8B29 F6BE [demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type application/pgp-signature which had a name of signature.asc]

1 0

[Clips] Bush Antiterror Plans Irk Big Business
by R. A. Hettinga 28 Nov '05

28 Nov '05

--- begin forwarded text Delivered-To: clips(a)philodox.com Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 14:54:40 -0500 To: Philodox Clips List <clips(a)philodox.com> From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah(a)shipwright.com> Subject: [Clips] Bush Antiterror Plans Irk Big Business Reply-To: rah(a)philodox.com Sender: clips-bounces(a)philodox.com <http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB113313690613407756.html> The Wall Street Journal November 28, 2005 Bush Antiterror Plans Irk Big Business Corporate Groups Join ACLU in Demanding Changes to Patriot Act's Data-Access Rules By ROBERT BLOCK Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL November 28, 2005; Page A4 WASHINGTON -- As President Bush and Republican leaders in Congress scramble to renew the USA Patriot Act before it expires on Dec. 31, they are meeting surprising resistance from a group they usually consider an ally: big business. Joining the American Civil Liberties Union, organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Association of Realtors and the Financial Services Roundtable are demanding changes in the antiterror law's rules on government access to confidential business records. Corporate objections played a major role in blocking final legislative action on a new Patriot Act before the Thanksgiving break. Now, with pressure mounting to get the law passed by year end, business lobbyists say they see signs that key lawmakers are open to altering some provisions, offering companies clearer legal protections and avenues for appeal. In particular, business groups want to inject new checks on law-enforcement requests for records on customers, suppliers and employees. Companies want government officials to shoulder a greater burden of proof in showing a connection between the documents demanded and a specific terror investigation, and they want greater power to challenge the record orders. Corporate lobbyists also want to prevent the renewed Patriot Act from toughening the law in ways they dislike. One proposed change would make it a felony for a company to disclose a secret subpoena. "The business community stands with all Americans in the war on terror, and we remain prepared to do our part to keep the nation safe," reads a recent letter from six business groups to lawmakers trying to craft a final bill. "That said, we are concerned that the rights of businesses to confidential files -- records about our customers or our employees, as well as our trade secrets and other proprietary information -- can too easily be obtained and disseminated under investigative powers expanded by the Patriot Act." The business backlash to the Patriot Act -- which was passed in a rush, just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks -- is part of the new opposition to post-9/11 security policies from normally loyal friends of the Bush administration. Senate Republicans are pushing for new limits on the administration's treatment of prisoners detained as suspected terrorists and are demanding more accountability on the war in Iraq. Taking on the role of accidental civil libertarian hasn't been easy for business, which had rarely challenged the Bush administration over the past four years. After Sept. 11, the U.S. government often asked companies to act as the eyes and ears of federal law enforcement. Business was initially receptive, in part because companies wanted to prevent the disruption and bad publicity that would come from terrorists using their systems. Cooperation between businesses and federal law-enforcement agencies wasn't generally advertised, and customers were seldom aware of it. But corporate executives have since grown wary of Bush administration law-enforcement efforts -- and not just those designed to fight terrorism. Laws aimed at white-collar crime have put other compliance burdens on business. Now lobbyists and business groups say that Patriot Act compliance is proving costly. They say that their members each year are getting tens of thousands of National Security Letters, or NSLs -- a form of subpoena used to demand basic information contained in credit reports, Internet-service-provider records and financial records. Justice Department officials deny that NSL demands have reached those levels but won't provide details because the number and identify of the recipients are classified. Financial institutions also complain about the existing Patriot Act requirement that they verify customer identities and notify regulators if their customers appear on terrorist watch lists. Micki Carruthers, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Regal Financial Bank in Seattle, says that her two-year-old, 31-employee bank spends between $100,000 and $150,000 -- or 10% to 15% of its annual operating expenses -- on Patriot Act compliance. "You can talk to any bank and they will say the same thing about how these demands ruffle our feathers and are a costly burden," she says. Beyond costs, businesses fear that the Patriot Act puts at risk trade secrets and confidential financial data, according to Susan Hackett, senior vice president and general counsel for the Association of Corporate Counsel, a trade group representing the legal departments of major U.S. corporations. Multinationals are afraid that, by complying with government demands for financial records of overseas operations, they will violate more stringent privacy laws in other countries -- particularly in Europe. For much of the past year, efforts on Capitol Hill to renew the Patriot Act had attracted the more predictable opposition of civil-rights groups, privacy advocates and libertarians. Brushing aside those protests, both the House and Senate passed separate versions of bills to renew expiring provisions. They then faced what seemed a fairly routine effort to reconcile the two bills into a consensus conference committee report for final approval by Congress. But in October, business groups jumped into the debate and began coordinating strategies and communicating with the ACLU, according to both Ms. Hackett of the corporate counsel group and Lisa Graves of the ACLU. "We were very, very surprised by the business community's position and some of their concerns so late in the process," said Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse. It was business intervention, Ms. Hackett said, that has changed the course of the debate. "People from the business community are saying to people they are normally allied with, 'get out of my file drawer.' That's what's making the difference." Justice officials have responded by trying to assure business groups that the administration wouldn't abuse the powers. But business lobbyists say the tone of conversations with the administration turned nasty earlier this month[nov.], when it became clear that congressional negotiators didn't yet have an acceptable consensus version of a new law. Angry, White House officials called members of the business groups to remind them of all that the administration has done -- from tax cuts to sympathetic regulatory policies -- for America's manufacturers, retailers, bankers and service industries. A senior Justice Department official denied that business groups have come under any pressure from the administration and dismissed the significance of their opposition to the counterterror law. But with time running out to renew the act, some lawmakers are reportedly telling business groups they will get more of what they want. That includes language that would explicitly give companies the right to consult an attorney when protesting government record requests; the current law is silent on the question. The new law also looks likely to include language giving companies the ability to challenge Patriot Act secret court orders on the grounds that the information requested is proprietary or privileged or the request overly burdensome, similar to rights they have when receiving a grand-jury subpoena. Also on the table, according to Ms. Hackett, is a concession that would make inadvertent disclosure about receiving Patriot Act orders no longer a crime. "I think everybody is pretty satisfied," says Bob Shepler of the National Association of Manufacturers. Still, Ms. Hackett says some issues remain outstanding, especially the lack of a hard requirement for investigators to show how a request for records is connected to a specific terrorism investigation. "We're keeping our powder dry for the return to the issue in December and following closely the continuing efforts of our coalition partners at the ACLU," she said. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' _______________________________________________ Clips mailing list Clips(a)philodox.com http://www.philodox.com/mailman/listinfo/clips --- end forwarded text -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

1 0

[goodell@eecs.harvard.edu: use of routing information in anti-fraud mechanisms]
by Eugen Leitl 28 Nov '05

28 Nov '05

----- Forwarded message from Geoffrey Goodell <goodell(a)eecs.harvard.edu> -----

1 0

It`s time to Refill agree
by Normand Neff 28 Nov '05

28 Nov '05

Hello, As a valued customer, we provide you with occassional information and updates. Our records indicate that you may be in need of a refill. We hope that you will once again, give us the opportunity to offer you a great selection of meds, low prices, and superior customer care. If you would like to place an order or browse our current products and specials, please visit the link below: http://greatoppps.com/?e7394978a49e0Sa3046f0bd0S98ba40a Yours Truly, Normand Neff Customer Care Specialist happy you eocene me, centric . mecca you portia me, preposterous abrasive bouffant godparent . clench you phase me, demystify chlorate . drape you engle me, position dutch . innuendo you beplaster me, olaf . chalkline you rightmost me, trip test buoyant . deductible you booby me, denebola . http://www.weathergz.com/fgh.php

1 0

HBOs series freeboot
by Arturo Mcbride 28 Nov '05

28 Nov '05

As seen on HBO's "Sex and The City" http://usethecomputer.com/ This classic vibrator is a womans best friend... The Jack Rabbit Vibrator is a dual control multi-speed vibrating and rotating 7 1/2" x 1 1/2" Vibrator. Made of a bright pink, pliant jelly, the tip is realistically sculpted. The rotating pearls in the center of the shaft provide both internal and external stimulation to all her sensitive spots. While the pearled shaft rotates and vibrates, massaging her inside, the Jack Rabbit's ears are busy tickling her clitoris outside. The shaft and stimulator are controlled separately, so she can customize her experience every time. Jack Rabbit Vibrator Features: Dual Control Multi-Speed Vibrator Rotating Pearls Rabbit Ears for External Clitoral Stimulation The Jack Rabbit is 7 1/2 inches long x 1 1/2 inches in diameter More info here: http://usethecomputer.com/ spore you adrienne me, benefactor rockefeller awash . begging you goa me, compellable crusade casework . inoculate you deodorant me, indelible pearlite celebrant curt . loeb you onlooking me, integrate coconut . northeast you quadrant me, curtis . http://usethecomputer.com/b4/

1 0

Re: [fc-discuss] Financial Cryptography Update: On Digital Cash-like Payment Systems
by cyphrpunk 28 Nov '05

28 Nov '05

One other point with regard to Daniel Nagy's paper at http://www.epointsystem.org/~nagydani/ICETE2005.pdf A good way to organize papers like this is to first present the desired properties of systems like yours (and optionally show that other systems fail to meet one or more of these properties); then to present your system; and finally to go back through and show how your system meets each of the properties, perhaps better than any others. This paper is lacking that last step. It would be helpful to see the epoint system evaluated with regard to each of the listed properties. In particular I have concerns about the finality and irreversibility of payments, given that the issuer keeps track of each token as it progresses through the system. Whenever one token is exchanged for a new one, the issuer records and publishes the linkage between the new token and the old one. This public record is what lets people know that the issuer is not forging tokens at will, but it does let the issuer, and possibly others, track payments as they flow through the system. This could be grounds for reversibility in some cases, although the details depend on how the system is implemented. It would be good to see a critical analysis of how epoints would maintain irreversibility, as part of the paper. CP

4 9

[Clips] A new use for anonymous digital cash -prior art
by R. A. Hettinga 27 Nov '05

27 Nov '05

--- begin forwarded text Delivered-To: clips(a)philodox.com Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 21:29:01 -0500 To: "Philodox Clips List" <clips(a)philodox.com> From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah(a)shipwright.com> Subject: [Clips] A new use for anonymous digital cash -prior art Reply-To: rah(a)philodox.com Sender: clips-bounces(a)philodox.com --- begin forwarded text Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 15:04:49 +1300 From: igdm lgd <igdmlgd(a)gmail.com> To: rah(a)philodox.com, rah(a)shipwright.com Subject: A new use for anonymous digital cash -prior art Recently I mailed a request for reexamination of the Amazon "One-Click" patent, which you can download from <http://igdmlgd.blogspot.com>igdmlgd.blogspot.com -using DigiCash as prior art. Thought you might be interested Any comments or criticism would be good Cheers Peter --- end forwarded text -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' _______________________________________________ Clips mailing list Clips(a)philodox.com http://www.philodox.com/mailman/listinfo/clips --- end forwarded text -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

2 1

[dave@farber.net: [IP] more on New US intelligence center to exploit publicly available information]
by Eugen Leitl 27 Nov '05

27 Nov '05

----- Forwarded message from David Farber <dave(a)farber.net> -----

1 0

Re: "Copying"...what does that mean?
by Major Variola (ret) 26 Nov '05

26 Nov '05

At 11:30 PM 11/21/05 -0600, Shawn K. Quinn wrote: >This reminds me of something else: to a computer, playing is simply a >form of copying, the output is simply a video card and/or sound card. >Isn't this is, in fact, what makes computers so powerful, that they >simply obey instructions without asking questions? Isn't this why every >attempt to block "unauthorized" copying has failed in the end, because >the reality is that if it can be played, it can be copied, because >playing *is* copying from the point of view of the computer programs? The most hilarious thing is when a web site "prohibits" copying, even though to view it, you've copied it to your disk. More hilarious is when javascript is used to prevent saving images. Even if you get the OS to obey, there are always cheap cameras. An older videocam can be used to copy a movie off your screen (like a first gen cassette) even if all the video D/As are 0wned by the MPAA and forced to have DRM. (Don't think it can happen? Look at CALEA & Skype, etc.)

3 2

Re: "Copying"...what does that mean? Sony's techno-sharia
by Major Variola (ret) 26 Nov '05

26 Nov '05

At 12:41 AM 11/26/05 +0000, Dave Howe wrote: >Major Variola (ret) wrote: An older videocam can be used to copy >> a movie off your screen (like a first gen cassette) even if >> all the video D/As are 0wned by the MPAA and forced >> to have DRM. (Don't think it can happen? Look at >> CALEA & Skype, etc.) >Aren't the majority of 0-day "copies" of just released movies camcorder >recordings from inside a cinema? Yes --the analog hole is alive and well. But in an Orwellian future, the movies have signals that disable the camcorders. Think macrovision for theatres. Think "copy flag" for video acquisition devices. Think CALEA for PGPfone :-) There are already patented plans to display the images such that the eye doesn't notice, but camcorders will record flicker. There are means to go around this, of course. See watermarking/steganography. (Not you, DH, just random readers seeking more) Of course, future *Sony* camcorders will *burst into flames* if you try to record such... techno-sharia, steal a copy, lose your fingers. Oh, but Sony would never do something *irresponsible and dangerous* like that...

1 0