(Guardian story that broke this).
The Reader’s Digest version (emphasis ours):
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that, the Custodian of Records shall produce to the National Security Agency (NSA) upon service of this Order, and continue production on an ongoing daily basis thereafter for the duration of this Order, unless otherwise ordered by the Court, an electronic copy of the following tangible things: all call detail records or “telephony metadata” created by Verizon for communications (i) between the United States and abroad; or (ii) wholly within the United States, including local telephone calls. . . .
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that no person shall disclose to any other person that the FBI or NSA has sought or obtained tangible things under this Order, other than to: (a) those persons to whom disclosure is necessary to comply with such Order; (b) an attorney to obtain legal advice or assistance with respect to the production of things in response to the Order; or (c) other persons as permitted by the Director of the FBI or the Director’s designee.
(WSJ) “The U.S. government told a federal appeals court Thursday that it still has the right to place Global Positioning System tracking devices on cars without obtaining a search warrant—despite a January Supreme Court ruling that the warrantless installation of such a device violated the Constitution.
“The government’s awkward position—saying search warrants are not needed but advising agents to seek warrants anyway—highlights the unanswered questions about digital tracking techniques that remain in the wake of the court’s privacy decision in U.S. v. Jones in January.
2012 National Security Symposium video archive
These video and audio clips from the National Security Symposium held earlier this month in DC might be a little heavy on the lawyerly side of things, but could still be of worth a watch. Sessions on detention, interrogation and trial of terror suspects; former DHS head Michael Chertoff discussing the impact of the recent SCOTUS ruling on GPS surveillance; and issues around cybersecurity and critical infrastructure.
New Leak Case Relies on 1982 Law on Intelligence Identities
If you’re keeping score, the running total for Obama administration prosecutions over leaks to journalists is now at six, with this week’s addition of former CIA officer John Kiriakou.
Steven Aftergood at SecrecyNews has a rundown of the legal intricacies, along with a potentially ominous sign for “Journalist A” who is referenced in the complaint. Full story.
“The court’s decision today represents a significant victory against anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry and sends the message that the religious liberty of Muslims, like Americans of all faiths, may not be put up for a vote.”
— Heather Weaver of the ACLU reacting to this week’s federal court ruling that an Oklahoma anti-Islam constitutional amendment violates the First Amendment.
No Warrant Needed for GPS Monitoring, Judge Rules
(WIRED) The ruling, upholding federal theft and other charges, is one in a string of decisions nationwide supporting warrantless GPS surveillance. Last week’s decision comes as the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the issue within months in an unrelated case.
The ruling from Magistrate David Noce mirrored the Obama administration position before the Supreme Court during oral arguments on the topic in November. In short, defendant Fred Robinson, who was suspected of fudging his time sheets for his treasurer’s office job for the city of St. Louis, had no reasonable expectation of privacy in his public movements, Magistrate Noce said
