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Glen Beck’s suit claiming unfair use of a trademarked name garners stiff response

donal brown October 1, 2009

Conservative commentator Glen Beck ferreted out the identity of an anonymous person behind a site that satirized Beck’s rhetorical style for the purpose of filing a suit against the man. The man, Isaac Eiland-Hall, claims that site poses no real threat to Beck’s livelihood but that Beck is filing the suit to shut down protected expression that accurately satirizes Beck’s rhetorical style. In an e-mail to FAC Director Peter Scheer posted at the end of this

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Federal judge rules CIA cannot be forced to release documents related to destruction of 9/11 interrogation videotapes

donal brown October 1, 2009

The Associated Press September 30, 2009 By Larry Neumeister Agreeing with CIA Diretor Leon Panetta, a federal judge said that national security concerns override other issues in upholding the CIA’s right to keep secret their methods of getting information from uncooperative detainees. The American Civil liberties Union is seeking the documents related to interrogations of 9/11 detainees that used harsh methods. They said that President Obama had already declassified the interrogation program and that the

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National security classification may find reasonable term limits

donal brown September 30, 2009

For the first time, a presidential administration has said that no information may remain classified indefinitely, raising hopes that after no more than 50 years government records would be automatically declassified and intelligence records no more than 75 years from date or origin. -DB Secrecy News Federation of American Scientists CommentarySeptember 29, 2009 By Steven Aftergood “No information may remain classified indefinitely,” according to a draft of an Obama Administration executive order on national security

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New Defense Department policy may allow troops to tweet and blog

donal brown September 30, 2009

In the face of a raft of military prohibitions against social networks. a new draft policy recognizes the power of the networks and seeks to balance the risks with the gains. -DB Wired Commentary September 29, 2009 By Noah Shachtman The Defense Department may allow troops and military employees to freely access social networks — if a draft policy circulating around the Pentagon gets approved, that is. For years, the armed services have put in place

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New York Times editorial asks for strong reform of state secrets policy

donal brown September 30, 2009

The Electronic Frontier Foundation embraces a New York Times editorial that criticizes the new guidelines for invoking the state secrets privilege, arguing that independent court review is essential to prevent abuses of the privilege. -DB Electronic Frontier Foundation Legislative Analysis September 30, 2009 By Kevin Bankston Today’s New York Times included an excellent editorial on the Obama Adminstration’s new policy toward the state secrets privilege. Echoing EFF’s disappointment in the new procedures, the editorial explains:

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