thenexusofprivacy

Washington state Department of LIcensing is sharing drivers' private data with ICE

That's bad!

"KING 5 investigation has uncovered that a state agency, the Department of Licensing (DOL), is providing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other Homeland Security departments with access to private driver's license and vehicle information.

State law prohibits local agencies from sharing personal data with the federal government for deportation purposes. Despite past controversies, the KING 5 Investigators have found that DOL quietly reopened accounts with ICE [in 2018], Border Patrol, and other Homeland Security entities — leading to a dramatic surge in data searches since the election of President Donald Trump.

State Senator Rebecca Saldaña, a sponsor of the 2018 "Keep Washington Working Act" which cemented into law that state agencies are not to cooperate with federal programs targeting residents based on immigration or citizenship, says DOL's actions go against the intent of the law. "

https://www.king5.com/article/news/investigations/investigators/exclusive-washington-state-agency-department-licensing-shares-private-driver-data-with-ice/281-910b35d8-e1fd-4b30-9ceb-00e6708f3b24

#privacy #immigration #wa

Civil Society and the Crisis of Privacy Law
A very interesting paper by Ari Ezra Waldman about ADPPA -- a proposed US privacy law that didn't go forward back in 2022. As somebody who was part of the discussions, it seems extremely accurate to me -- and makes some great points about the inherent limitations of today's approach, as well as directions going forward.

Here's the abstract:

" Based on interviews with key players, public reports, and previously undisclosed primary sources, this Article tells the inside story of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) and the role of privacy nonprofit organizations in crafting it. It uses ADPPA’s drafting as a case study about larger questions of expertise, the lawmaking process, and the role of law in setting the context of advocacy. The Article’s descriptive argument is that background law and the dynamics of privacy policymaking in the United States Congress channeled and constrained the choices made by privacy civil society organizations while negotiating and drafting key parts of ADPPA. Those choices focused on the nature of civil society’s expertise within the legislative process and the kinds of policy proposals nonprofit advocates brought to the table. The Article’s normative argument is that those choices created a privacy law that is ill-suited to addressing the privacy challenges of artificial intelligence (AI). Following Thomas Kuhn’s model of normalization, anomaly, and paradigm shift, the ADPPA case study surfaces how the law places limits on civil society and the need for new approaches to privacy law and civil society expertise in the age of AI."

#privacy #ADPPA #uspol

Universities nationwide used pro-Palestine protests to expand surveillance

"In the aftermath of pro-Palestinian encampments last year, colleges across the country announced new policies that effectively ban many forms of protest. In addition to chilling dissent, the new university rules also allow for campus surveillance and overreach by law enforcement. "

https://prismreports.org/2025/02/26/universities-pro-palestine-protests-surveillance/

#surveillance #privacy #protest

65+ Civil Society Groups Urge Democratic States to Protect Individual Data, Privacy Under Trump

Yeah really, sounds like a great idea to me!

https://www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2025-02-12-65-civil-society-groups-urge-democratic-states-to-protect-individual-data-privacy-under-trump/

And here in Washington state, the People's Privacy Act -- which is exactly the kind of bill they're talking about -- is up for a committee vote tomorrow!

If you're in Washington, please contact your legislators! @[email protected]'s thread at https://pnw.zone/@waprivacy/113986442057278488 makes it easy to take action!

#privacy

Today's #DataPrivacyDay in the US, and #DataProtectionDay in the EU. Speaking of which, here's @[email protected]'s excellent series on "The Cyber-Cleanse: Take Back Your Digital Footprint"!

https://www.optoutproject.net/the-cyber-cleanse-take-back-your-digital-footprint/

#privacy

Here;s Digital Defense Fund’s Abortion Privacy Guide, created with the input of abortion workers, legal experts, digisec experts, and patients.

DDF's materials are always extremely high quality and this is no exception!

#abortion #privacy

If you'e been wondering how to monetize your fediverse posting ... https://sub.club has good news for you!

"If you post quality content and you've developed a loyal audience, you should be able to ask your most passionate followers to support you with a premium subscription.

That's a promise not available on the Fediverse ...until now."

@dimillian has a short threa announcing availabiilty in @IceCubesApp and sub.club advisor @quillmatiq has more info here.

sub.club's a project of The BLVD, Inc, the makers of @mammoth. I know there was a lot of skepticism when Marc Benioff, Mozilla, Long Ventures et al, funded Mammoth ... with so many good apps out there, how are they expecting to get VC-level returns on their investment? But if sub.club can tap into the creator economy, there's clearly money to be made!

#fediverse @fediverse

Microsoft endorses anti-LGBTQ online "child safety" bill KOSA night before Big Tech hearing (US Politics)

Worth noting: Microsoft owns LinkedIn, which wouldn't be particularly affected by KOSA.

There's a hearing on Wednesday, and potentially a Senate vote soon, so if you're in the US now's a good time to contact your Senators. https://stopkosa.com/ and EFF's page make it easy!

https://gazette.com/news/wex/microsoft-president-endorses-online-child-safety-bill-night-before-big-tech-hearing/article/_cd2e8eb5-ba98-5e95-9333-5646dd6a249f.html

#kosa #microsoft

@bad_internet_bills

What fediverse apps and software, support quote posts today?

Here's a great thread by @polotek about quoted posts.

https://social.polotek.net/@polotek/111699960916060256

What fediverse software platforms or apps supports quoted posts today (sometimes implemented as a link, a screenshot, or a reply)?

@[email protected] #fediverse #mastodon #quoteboost

Strategies for the free fediverses

https://privacy.thenexus.today/strategies-for-the-free-fediverses/

The fediverse is evolving into different regions

- "Meta's fediverses", federating with Meta to allow communications, potentially using services from Meta such as automated moderation or ad targeting, and potentially harvesting data on Meta's behalf.

- "free fediverses" that reject Meta – and surveillance capitalism more generally

The free fediverses have a lot of advantages over Meta and Meta's fediverses, some of which will be very hard to counter, and clearly have enough critical mass that they'll be just fine.

Here's a set of strategies for the free fediverses to provide a viable alternative to surveillance capitalism. They build on the strengths of today's fediverse at its best – including natural advantages the free fediverses have that Threads and Meta's fediverses will having a very hard time countering – but also are hopefully candid about weaknesses that need to be addressed. It's a long list, so I'll be spreading out over multiple posts; this post currently goes into detail on the first two.

- Opposition to Meta and surveillance capitalism is an appealing position. Highlight it!

- Focus on consent (including consent-based federation), privacy, and safety

- Emphasize "networked communities"

- Support concentric federations of instances and communities

- Consider "transitively defederating" Meta's fediverses (as well as defederating Threads)

- Consider working with people and instances in Meta's fediverses (and Bluesky, Dreamwidth, and other social networks) whose goals and values align with the free fediverses'

- Build a sustainable ecosystem

- Prepare for Meta's (and their allies') attempts to paint the free fediverses in a bad light

- Reduce the dependency on Mastodon

- Prioritize accessibility, which is a huge opportunity

- Commit to anti-fascist, anti-racist, anti-colonial, and pro-LGBTQIA2S+ principles, policies, practices, and norms for the free fediverses

- Organize!

#fediverse #freefediverse #threads @fediverse @fediversenews

FISA Section 702 Reauthorization: House GOP leadership pulls dueling FISA bills amid backlash!

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/11/politics/house-gop-leadership-pulls-dueling-fisa-bills/index.html

Instead, a four-month extension is attached to the NDAA -- unless it gets removed. Dozens of civil rights and racial justice groups oppose extending FISA in the NDAA.

If you agree, call your Senators TODAY and with a simple ask: "DO NOT put 702 in the NDAA."

#FISA #Section702 @privacy

House Judiciary Committee advances FISA Section 702 bill with warrant requirements, 35-2

Sen. Ron Wyden says "This is great news for anyone who cares about protecting their privacy from government overreach."

So far the only coverage is @tonya_riley's paywalled Bloomberg News article

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/house-panel-oks-bill-to-renew-rein-in-electronic-surveillance

The bill is H.R. 6570, the Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act, sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ). It has a lot of similarities to the bipartisan Government Surveillance Reform Act (where Wyden and Sen. Mike Lee are the Senate sponsors). But there are other bills potentially moving forward as well.... (1/3)

#fisa #surveillance @privacy