On the domestic spying front, USA Today has an editorial disapproving of the FBI's Scarfo wiretap, and an editorial response by Edward Allen, former FBI deputy assistant director (the FBI can't reply directly because of the judge's gag order.) The FBI front says predictable things about how the FBI needs to use advanced technology to keep up with the high-tech dangerous criminals, and how asking for technical information on sources and methods is going too far. USA Today's editorial is on the right side of the issue, in some parts aggressively so (yay!) though they soft-pedal the legal problems in the FBI's warrants. They do have a moderate level of understanding of the technical issues, and make some nice points on the value of open review of government activities, pointing out that the outside reviews of Carnivore found flaws in it that were hindering the FBI. "The FBI's record on computer-related privacy issues leaves little reason to believe that the agency can make reasonable choices without scrutiny." They also say, after acknowledging that Scarfo is "unsympathetic", "But a decision in favor of the FBI's secrecy stance would have far-reaching consequences - not only putting regular users' Internet privacy at risk, but also setting a precedent that could allow the FBI to act with impunity in future disputes over newly devised surveillance methods."