The Reporters Committee urged a federal court on Friday to deny the Trump administrations request for an emergency order that would block the publication and disseminationof a highly anticipated memoir written by former National Security Adviser John Bolton. In afriend-of-the-court brief filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the Reporters Committee argued that the requested injunction amounts to an unconstitutional prior restraint.
Such an extraordinarily broad injunction would be a clear prior restraint that violates long-settled constitutional law,said Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. The court must reject this effort to censor the free flow of information to the public about government activities.
On Saturday, a federal judgedenied the governments request.
Heres what the staff of the Technology and Press Freedom Project at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is tracking this week.
After a journalist contacted The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto in 2017 about a suspicious phishing attempt, researchers recently uncovered a huge hack-for-hire operation, dubbedDark Basin,that targeted thousands of people in journalism, business, banking, law, and especially the nonprofit sector.
Researchers linked Dark Basin to BellTroX InfoTech Services, an Indian tech firm owned by Sumit Gupta. Gupta, who in 2015 wasindicted on federal hacking chargesin California,denied the allegationsin an interview with Reuters.
Dark Basin targeted a range of organizations and, in several cases, the journalists connected to them. For example, hackers attempted to infiltrate American environmental advocacy groups, including the Rockefeller Family Fund, Greenpeace, and350.org, as well as multiple major US media outlets who covered the groups work on the#ExxonKnew climate change campaign. The hackers also targeted Free Press and Fight for the Future, organizations that advocate for open internet policies.
Other targets included financial and business journalists covering irregularities at the German company Wirecard AG, along with hedge funds, investigators and short sellers connected to the investigation. According to some of the targets, the hackers obtained and altered emails, including correspondence between journalists and sources. These were then published on various platforms as part of a leaks campaign.
In addition to these campaigns, researchers found Dark Basin targeted lawyers, government officials, oligarchs, and energy executives, all with varying degrees of sophistication. The hackers made numerous phishing attempts by sending emails from custom URL shorteners. Some of the phishing emails imitated colleagues, while others were disguised as horoscopes or pornographic websites.
In our investigation, we determined that hiring hackers may be a relatively common practice for many private investigators, John Scott-Railton, the reports lead author,told the New York Times. The sheer scale of it is remarkable to us.
Despite the danger, a recentreport by the Tow Center for Digital Journalismfound that many journalists are not particularly careful with their digital security. In newsrooms short on time and money, digital security may seem like an unnecessary burden, and some journalists believe as long as they are not covering sensitive topics they will not be targeted. Often newsrooms that adopt security protocols do so informally, with some journalists becoming trainers for others.
This episode highlights the information security risks for journalists, and the continuing need for threat modeling and appropriate security protections in newsrooms.
Abe Kenmore
A San Francisco policememo obtained by the Reporters Committeethrough a public records request last week revealed that officers were instructed not to use body-worn cameras during last years illegal raid of journalist Bryan Carmodys home because the video footage could compromise the confidential investigation. All five search warrants, some of which targeted Carmodys phone records, were laterdeemed illegalunder Californiasshield law. In March, the city of San Franciscoagreed to pay Carmody $369,000to settle with him.
The New York City Councilenactedalawrequiring the New York Police Department to share with the public its surveillance tools and any privacy safeguards it employs to protect the rights of citizens. The Brennan Center for Justice has alreadycataloguedmany of the ways the NYPD surveils residents, including with the use of facial recognition technology and social media monitoring.
On Monday, Filipino journalists Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos Jr.were convicted of cyber libelfor a story they published in Rappler, a Philippines-based news outlet that Ressa founded. Look for further analysis next week on the implications of cyber libel claims for journalists globally.
Six former eBay employeesare facing federal chargesfor allegedly harassing a husband and wife who published an e-commerce newsletter. The Department of Justice alleges the ex-employees retaliated against the couple for negative coverage of eBay by threatening them through Twitter, then sending them a bloody pig mask, a box of cockroaches, pornography, and a funeral wreath, among other objects. eBay said all six employees were fired in September 2019.
Twitter recentlyaskeda Virginia judge for the second time to dismiss the defamation claims brought against it by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) involving two anonymous parody accounts and other tweets. Lawyers for the social media company saidSection 230 of the Communications Decency Actprovides immunity from Nunes claims.
The Trump campaigndemandedthat CNN retract and apologize for a recent poll that showed him lagging behind presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, though the network refused to do so.
An internal CIAreport, published in 2017 after former CIA analyst Joshua Schulte wasaccusedof leaking material about the agencys hacking tools to WikiLeaks, found the cybersecurity of its elite hacking unit lacking. Schultes attorneys noted this in his trial earlier this year, pointing out that other employees could have accessed and downloaded the leaked data. Jurorsdeadlockedon whether Schulte provided the material to WikiLeaks.
The director and deputy director of Voice of Americaresignedlast week after congress confirmed Michael Pack, a conservative activist, as the new leader of the agency that oversees the federally funded news service. Their departures followWhite House criticism of VOAand news last Sunday that the Centers for Disease Control and Preventioninstructed communications staffto ignore media requests from the outlet.
Smart read
According torecently published reportsby Gallup and the Knight Foundation, 74% of Americans are very concerned about the spread of misinformation on the internet. The reports present other data, including numbers on how Americans view technology companies and content moderation.
Gif of the Week:To all the dads out there: Thanks for putting up with us always being on our phones and Happy Fathers Day!
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The Technology and Press Freedom Project at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press uses integrated advocacy combining the law, policy analysis, and public education to defend and promote press rights on issues at the intersection of technology and press freedom, such as reporter-source confidentiality protections, electronic surveillance law and policy, and content regulation online and in other media. TPFP is directed by Reporters Committee Attorney Gabe Rottman. He works with Stanton Foundation National Security/Free Press Fellow Linda Moon, Legal Fellows Jordan Murov-Goodman and Lyndsey Wajert, Policy Interns Abe Kenmore and Joey Oteng, and Legal Intern Sasha Peters.
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- if democracy and freedom got in the way of making money in the USA would they be eradicated? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 1984 by George Orwell? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Propaganda in 1984 by George Orwell? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- If America supports freedom and democracy, why have we done the following? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Another fine example of Bush supporting freedom and democracy? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Do you think that people have the right to the freedom of thought without influence anymore? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Forrest Gump - Need a thesis relating to freedom and democracy? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 1984 by George Orwell’s statement? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- How do you spread freedom and democracy without being in contradiction with the terms? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- What’s the difference between democracy and freedom? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 3. The American Solution - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 4. Relating to Images - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 5. Representing Images - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 6. Exploring Images - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 7. Understanding Images - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 8. Acting Upon Images - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 9. The Paradigm Shift to Generativity - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 1. Totalitarianism and Variability - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 2. Freedom and Changeability - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 3. The Freedom Culture - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- New Web Special: China and 60 Years of Communist Party Rule - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Cuban Regime Intensifies Opposition Crackdown with Sham Trial - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Postponing Dalai Lama Meeting Sends Wrong Message - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Freedom House Sends High-Level Delegation to Egypt - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Detained Syrian Opposition Figure Must Be Immediately Released - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Activist's Upheld Conviction a Troubling Sign for Justice in Kazakhstan - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Tunisia's Electoral Process Severely Damaged by Pre-Election Rights Violations - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Lifting of EU Arms Embargo on Uzbekistan Sends Wrong Message on Human Rights - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Pakistan Assembly Urged to Reject Restrictive Amendments to Press Law - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Freedom House Launches Web Feature on Fall of Berlin Wall - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Resolutions on Defamation of Religions Do Not Belong at United Nations, Organizations Say - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Bloggers' Jailing Threatens New Media's Emergence in Azerbaijan - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Support Chinese Human Rights Activists, Freedom House Tells Obama on Eve of Visit - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- UN Should Pass Resolution Condemning Iran Human Rights Abuses - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Congress Urged to Lift Ban on U.S. Travel to Cuba - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Filipino Massacre Reflects Climate of Impunity - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Switzerland Vote Disappointing Blow to Religious Freedom - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Freedom House Launches Campaign to Defend Freedom of Expression - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Poll Shows Zimbabweans Want Elections and Democratic Constitution - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Clinton Speech Signals Greater Emphasis on Human Rights in U.S. Policy - December 16th, 2009 [December 16th, 2009]
- The Prosperity Problem - January 5th, 2010 [January 5th, 2010]
- Freedom in the World 2010: Global Erosion of Freedom - January 12th, 2010 [January 12th, 2010]
- Freedom House Congratulates Memorial on Human Rights Award - January 13th, 2010 [January 13th, 2010]
- Recent Blogger Arrests a Troubling Trend in the Middle East/North Africa Region - January 13th, 2010 [January 13th, 2010]
- Freedom House Calls Upon the Government of Uzbekistan to Release its Jailed Activists - January 13th, 2010 [January 13th, 2010]
- Citing Iran Crackdown, Freedom House Launches Net Freedom Initiative - January 13th, 2010 [January 13th, 2010]
- Google Response to Chinese Cyber-Attacks Appropriate - January 14th, 2010 [January 14th, 2010]
- Ombudsman Statements Reflect Culture of Intimidation in Chechnya - January 15th, 2010 [January 15th, 2010]
- Bloggers Stifled Again in Egypt - January 15th, 2010 [January 15th, 2010]
- Google Applauded for Stance on China Internet Censorship - January 16th, 2010 [January 16th, 2010]
- Latest Convictions Reflect Crackdown on Freedom of Expression and Association in Vietnam - January 21st, 2010 [January 21st, 2010]
- Integrity of Elections in Sri Lanka Endangered, Says Freedom House - January 22nd, 2010 [January 22nd, 2010]
- Freedom House Welcomes Clinton Speech on Internet Freedom - January 23rd, 2010 [January 23rd, 2010]
- Group wants same military benefits for gay spouses - Washington Times - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Va. health bill could foil Obama proposal - Boston Globe - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
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- Freedom Driver System Receives Medical Device CE Mark - Today's Medical Developments - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- NxStage Announces New FREEDOM Data Showing the Positive Impact of its Daily ... - CNNMoney.com (press release) - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Phil Lewis: Coach fumbles lesson on freedom of the press - Naples Daily News - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Report: Prescription drug prices vary drastically in NY - Poughkeepsie Journal - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Bill Bell: Surgeon models success on international scale - Whittier Daily News - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Justin Trottier: Time to call time on homeopathy - National Post (blog) - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Voice of the Day Initiative would aid rights of patients - News-Leader.com - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Free Speech under Attack in Morocco - March 11th, 2010 [March 11th, 2010]
- Freedom House, Russian Rights Groups Announce New Partnership - March 11th, 2010 [March 11th, 2010]
- Egyptian Government Must Live Up To Its Human Rights Commitments in Geneva - March 11th, 2010 [March 11th, 2010]
- Global Human Rights Advocates Meet With President Obama on U.S. Human Rights Agenda - March 11th, 2010 [March 11th, 2010]
- Death of Political Prisoner in Cuba Exposes Systemic Prison Maltreatment and Torture - March 11th, 2010 [March 11th, 2010]
- New Study Finds Gains for Women's Rights in the Middle East - March 11th, 2010 [March 11th, 2010]
- Egyptian Government Continues to Use Emergency Law to Crack Down on Freedom of Speech - March 11th, 2010 [March 11th, 2010]
- Human Rights Advocates Issue Plan of Action as Human Rights Council Meets in Geneva - March 11th, 2010 [March 11th, 2010]
- Sri Lankan Government Heightens Intimidation Campaign Against Voices of Dissent - March 11th, 2010 [March 11th, 2010]
- Nigerian and Indonesian Activists Challenge Repressive Measures in "Defamation of Religions" Debate - March 11th, 2010 [March 11th, 2010]
- Healing Healthcare: Restore Medical Freedom - Gather.com - March 15th, 2010 [March 15th, 2010]
- Putting the "I" back in medicine - McGill Daily - March 15th, 2010 [March 15th, 2010]
- Freedom House Calls on Kyrgyz Government to Loosen Controls on Media - March 16th, 2010 [March 16th, 2010]
- Talking Points - FOXNews - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- The Battle Over Health Care At America's Medical Schools - FOXNews - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- News Article Ceremony Honors Fallen Medical Servicemembers - Department of Defense - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- Vietnam Temporarily Frees Prominent Catholic Priest - Christian Post - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]