Rights and Liberties

Silicon Valley sheriffs push cellphone surveillance

It’s not just the immense amount of information collected by such tech giants as Apple, Google and Facebook that is riling privacy advocates. Now the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department is seeking new cellphone surveillance technology — paid for by federal funds from

Judge: Donor identities can be kept secret — for now

John Seiler February 19, 2015

First Amendment advocates are cheering a ruling by U.S. District Judge Manuel Real that foundation donor lists can be kept secret — at least until the matter winds its way through the court system. The matter concerns the billionaire Koch bothers’ Americans for

LAPD hustles to post records

Steve Miller February 18, 2015

A CalWatchDog.com review of the website of the Los Angeles Police Department found it has updated its reports on discipline and use of force after criticism for posting aged data in the aftermath of federal oversight. It also now takes just one click to go

Obama, tech industry speak at Stanford

John Seiler February 13, 2015

Speaking today at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University, President Obama and tech industry leaders outlined different visions of the digital future. While the president called for cooperation between government and industry to increase the security of

Wired: Anti-vaccine parents common in Silicon Valley

Chris Reed February 13, 2015

The coverage of the measles outbreak in the U.S. often makes the point that opponents of compulsory vaccination for schoolchildren are split politically between affluent leftists with New Age-y views about modern medicine and conservatives who don’t like government telling

Obama heads Stanford Summit on cybersecurity

John Seiler February 11, 2015

On Friday, President Obama travels to Stanford University to give the keynote address on a topic much in the news: cybersecurity. Last week, Anthem Blue Cross was hacked and data stolen. Previous data breaches have hit Target and Home Depot.

Despite strong profits, Farmer Bros. gives up on CA

Chris Reed February 8, 2015

A highly profitable coffee distribution and production company with deep roots in Los Angeles County and a national clientele is closing its primary Los Angeles facility and preparing to move to Texas or one of several states promising lower taxes,

The unexpected check on an Indian casino free-for-all

Chris Reed February 7, 2015

When state voters approved Proposition 1A in 2000 — the measure paving the way for the broad expansion of Indian casinos in California — opponents warned that once casinos were a big money generator, there would be a free-for-all driven

CalPERS reacts to Anthem security breach

John Seiler February 5, 2015

The hacker attack on health insurance provider Anthem Blue Cross announced last night in particular affects hundreds of thousands of members of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. But a security expert told CalWatchdog.com the breach is not critical —

CA DNA database does not compute

James Poulos February 5, 2015

A new bill seeks to eliminate the California “biobank” created last year over strenuous objections from privacy advocates and some judges. Assembly Bill 170, introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Glendale, aims to curb the broad and longstanding practice of acquiring