Skype supernode switch for stable scaling not Project Chess NSA spying

Skype‘s own hunt for stability, not clandestine aims for call tapping, forced the significant infrastructure changes that led to speculation Microsoft and the NSA were spying on VoIP, the company’s principle architect has insisted. Matthew Kaufman, now a Microsoft employee following the VoIP company’s acquisition, took to the IP mailing list to address concerns of

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Australia temporarily halts PRISM-like data collection plans

There had always been a underbelly of belief that the government spies on Internet activity, Facebook statuses, and other such digital forms of communication. It all exploded out into the public eye, however, when Edward Snowden leaked information on a program called PRISM that collects vast quantities of information with little oversight and many provisions

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Australia takes the hint, postpones plans for PRISM-style snooping

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Here’s some good news for anyone who considers Australia a haven from pernicious surveillance laws. The antipodean government has decided to postpone plans to force phone and internet companies to retain two years’ worth of personal data after a scrutiny committee demanded changes. While it’s not a total win for privacy fans, the legislation will now be re-examined after elections scheduled for September 14th — with the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus saying that the government will now “await further advice,” before amending the prospective law.

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Source: Reuters

Edward Snowden stops off in Moscow with US extradition request snapping at his heels

Edward Snowden stops off in Moscow, US extradition demand snaps at his heels

Even if he anticipated the risks involved in turning whisteblower, Edward Snowden can’t have imagined the rushed, convoluted journey he’d have to take to avoid the full wrath of the US government. First to Hong Kong; most recently to Moscow, and perhaps soon to Ecuador (via Cuba and Venezuela) where he has apparently made a request for asylum. Strongly worded demands for his capture have followed every step of the way, with the White House National Security Council expressing “disappointment” that Hong Kong allowed Snowden to flee and now urging Russia (which has no formal extradition treaty with America) to “expel Mr. Snowden back to the US to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged.” In an effort to help the fugitive navigate the maze of diplomatic fault lines, WikiLeaks has stepped up to say that its own legal advisors are “escorting” Snowden towards his final destination, likely making use of the knowledge they gained while protecting Julian Assange, and that it sees US efforts to arrest him as an “assault against the people.”

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Source: WikiLeaks, CBS News, @RicardoPatinoEC (Twitter)

PRISM Leak Source Edward Snowden Charged With Espionage

Edward Snowden, the PRISM leak source, has been charged with espionage by the U.S. government. Earlier today he reported flew out of Hong Kong and headed to Moscow.

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UK’s GCHQ Reportedly Intercepting Data By Tapping Fiber Optic Cables

Edward Snowden has now leaked documents which reveal that UK’s GCHQ, is allegedly intercepting large quantities of web and telephone call data by tapping fiber optic cables directly which carry internet traffic

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Exactly How the NSA Is Getting Away With Spying on US Citizens

Exactly How the NSA Is Getting Away With Spying on US Citizens

The Guardian published a new batch of secret leaked FISA court and NSA documents yesterday, which detail the particulars of how government has been accessing Americans’ emails without a warrant, in violation of the Constitution. The documents lay bare fundamental problems with the ineffectual attempts to place meaningful limitations on the NSA’s massive surveillance program.

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EFF lays out NSA data collection issues with demand for investigation

Two new top-secret documents related to PRISM and NSA data collection were published yesterday by The Guardian. Detailed within the documents are various stipulations and requirements related to the data collection as it relates to US persons. On the surface, such information is mildly reassuring, but a thoughtful examination illuminates several red-flag issues, which the

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US government files criminal charges against Edward Snowden over PRISM leaks

US government files criminal charges agains Edward Snowden over PRISM leaks

The Washington Post reports tonight that, as expected, the US Government has filed criminal charges against Edward Snowden for leaking information about NSA surveillance programs to the Post and Guardian. The charges listed include Theft of Government Property, Unauthorized Communications on National Defense Information and “Willful Communication of Classified Information to an Unauthorized Person.” The charges are filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, where the headquarters of Snowden’s employer, Booz Allen Hamilton, are located. So what’s next? According to the paper, the government has asked Hong Kong to detain Snowden on a provisional warrant, however if a fight over extradition or request for asylum could delay the process.

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Source: Washington Post, Official Complaint

British Spy Agency Is Saving Everyone’s Email and Calls Too

British Spy Agency Is Saving Everyone's Email and Calls Too

Thanks to more classified documents leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, The Guardian is now reporting that a British spy agency has tapped into trans-Atlantic fiber optic cables, allowing them access to everything from email and Facebook messages to internet search histories and phone calls. Which they gather indiscriminately. Oh, and they’re sharing it with the NSA.

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