EFF - End Game for PATRIOT in Senate - Make E-Voting Safe: Become a Citizen Lobb

[Guest guest]

S

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 23:15:20 -0800 (PST)

Electronic Frontier Foundation - End Game for PATRIOT in

Senate - Make E-Voting Safe: Become a Citizen Lobbyist

 

 

 

EFFector Vol. 19, No. 8 February 24, 2006 editor

A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation

ISSN 1062-9424

 

 

In the 369th Issue of EFFector:

* Action Alert: End Game for PATRIOT in Senate, Public Loses

* Help Make E-Voting Safe: Become a Citizen Lobbyist

in Washington, DC, April 6-7

* Join EFF and Get Free Online Privacy Protection

* It's Not Too Late - Nominate a Pioneer for EFF's Pioneer

Awards!

* Copynight Reminder: Cocktails and Copyright, February 28

* Come See EFF at eTech, March 7-9

* miniLinks (8): 3G Phone Makers Called " Bunch of Big

Girls " for Caving to Hollywood

* Administrivia

 

For more information on EFF activities & alerts:

<http://www.eff.org/>

 

Make a donation and become an EFF member today!

<http://eff.org/support/>

 

Tell a friend about EFF:

http://action.eff.org/site/Ecard?ecard_id=1061

effector: n, Computer Sci. A device for producing a desired change.

 

 

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

 

 

* Action Alert: End Game for PATRIOT in Senate, Public Loses

 

Two months ago, a bi-partisan filibuster in the Senate prevented

renewal of the PATRIOT Act without significant new reforms.

We cheered, but not for long. Now, the PATRIOT supporters have

announced a sham " compromise " bill and stand poised to have it passed.

 

In the end, the Senate rebellion left the bill barely

changed - only a few token modifications agreed to by the

Administration are included in the new version of the bill.

It looks like these phony modifications will be sufficient

to break the deadlock and extend a dangerously unchecked

PATRIOT Act.

 

Your senators have one last chance to make a real stand for

your civil liberties. On the Senate floor next week, they

should vote against the " cloture " motion that would end the

debate and against the latest PATRIOT renewal deal. Your

senators should also support amendments proposed by Senators

Feingold, Bingaman, and Leahy that would add new civil liberties

protections and mitigate the worst excesses of that bill.

 

Visit our action center now and urge your Senator to vote

against cloture, against the PATRIOT renewal deal, and for

the reform amendments.

 

Write to your senator now:

<http://action.eff.org/site/Advocacy?id=214>

 

Senator Feingold on what's missing from the latest PATRIOT bill:

<http://www.feingold.senate.gov/releases/06/02/20060210.html>

 

More info at EFF's PATRIOT pages:

<http://www.eff.org/patriot/>

 

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

 

* Help Make E-Voting Safe: Become a Citizen Lobbyist in

Washington, DC, April 6-7

 

Join EFF in Washington, DC, on April 6 and 7 to help secure

the future of safe, reliable electronic voting.

 

A change in the leadership of a key Congressional committee

has provided a new opportunity to promote HR 550, the Voter

Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act. EFF is a strong

advocate of HR 550, which would ensure a voter verified

paper record of every vote, establish mandatory random hand-

counted audits, and prohibit the use of secret software and

wireless communication devices in voting machines.

 

HR 550 has made significant progress in the House largely

through the grassroots effort of voting activists. EFF

supporters like you took part in Washington Lobby Day events

in June and August of 2005, both of which were a huge success,

generating 24 new cosponsors on the bill from both parties.

 

EFF needs your help to keep the momentum going. The HR 550

" I Count " Coalition (Electronic Frontier Foundation, Common

Cause, Verified Voting, Voters Unite VoteTrustUSA, and Working

Assets) will be hosting Lobby Days this April 6 and 7 in the nation's

capitol at which you will get the opportunity to tell your member

of Congress to support this critical piece of legislation.

 

You can sign up to take part in these Lobby Days at the

" I Count Coalition " website. Even if you can't make it to

Washington, you may still be able to help out with follow-up

activities in your home state during the Congressional

recess. Either way, you'll be making a difference.

 

Sign up for the Lobby Days:

<http://www.icountcoalition.org>

 

See our report from last year's events:

<http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/cat_evoting_lobby_days.php>

 

Get involved in your home state:

<http://www.icountcoalition.org/indistlandingpage.html>

 

Send a letter to your representative, supporting HR 550,

right now:

<http://action.eff.org/site/Advocacy?id=109>

 

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

 

* Join EFF and Get Free Online Privacy Protection

EFF and Anonymizer have partnered to provide new EFF members

a free subscription to Anonymous Surfing. This service helps

keep others from tracking your activity online. It also

protects you from identity theft, helping you avoid phishing

and other website scams. When you connect to the Internet

wirelessly, Anonymous Surfing makes sure that hotspot

providers can't spy on what you do.

Join EFF now and protect your privacy online!

 

To join EFF:

<http://www.eff.org/support/>

To learn more about Anonymous Surfing:

<http://www.anonymizer.com/consumer/products/anonymous_surfing/>

 

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

 

 

* It's Not Too Late - Nominate a Pioneer for EFF's Pioneer

Awards!

 

EFF established the Pioneer Awards to recognize leaders on

the electronic frontier who are extending freedom and

innovation in the realm of information technology. This is

your opportunity to nominate a deserving individual or group

to receive a Pioneer Award for 2006.

 

The International Pioneer Awards nominations are open both

to individuals and organizations from any country.

Nominations are reviewed by a panel of judges chosen for

their knowledge of the technical, legal, and social issues

associated with information technology.

 

This year's award ceremony will be held in Washington, DC,

in conjunction with the Computers, Freedom and Privacy

conference (CFP), which takes place in early May.

 

How to Nominate Someone for a 2006 Pioneer Award:

 

You may send as many nominations as you wish, but please use

one email per nomination. Please submit your entries via

email to pioneer. It's not too late -- we have

extended the deadline and will now accept nominations until

March 1, 2006!

 

Simply tell us:

1. The name of the nominee;

2. The phone number or email address or website by which the

nominee can be reached; and, most importantly,

3. Why you feel the nominee deserves the award.

 

Nominee Criteria:

 

There are no specific categories for the EFF Pioneer Awards,

but the following guidelines apply:

1. The nominees must have contributed substantially to the

health, growth, accessibility, or freedom of computer-based

communications.

2. To be valid, all nominations must contain your reason,

however brief, for nominating the individual or organization

and a means of contacting the nominee. In addition, while

anonymous nominations will be accepted, ideally we'd like to

contact the nominating parties in case we need further

information.

3. The contribution may be technical, social, economic, or

cultural.

4. Nominations may be of individuals, systems, or

organizations in the private or public sectors.

5. Nominations are open to all (other than current members

of EFF's staff and executive board or this year's award

judges), and you may nominate more than one recipient. You

may also nominate yourself or your organization.

6. Persons or representatives of organizations receiving an

EFF Pioneer Award will be invited to attend the ceremony at

EFF's expense.

More on the EFF Pioneer Awards:

<http://www.eff.org/awards/pioneer/>

 

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

 

* CopyNight Reminder: Cocktails and Copyright, February 28

 

Join your fellow copyfighters this upcoming Tuesday,

February 28th, for drinks and discussion at CopyNight meet-

ups all across North America. Details about topics and which

cities are having meet-ups are available at the CopyNight

website:

<http://copynight.org/>

 

 

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

 

 

* Come See EFF at eTech, March 7-9

EFF will be at the O'Reilly Emerging Technologies Conference

in San Diego, CA. Please visit our booth and grab some EFF

swag during exhibit hours -- we look forward to seeing you!

 

Tuesday, March 7, 2006

6:00PM - 7:30PM (Sponsor Reception)

Wednesday, March 8, 2006

10:00AM - 11:00AM

12:00PM - 2:00PM

3:00PM - 4:30PM

Located in the Exhibit Hall

 

Staff Attorney Jason Schultz and Activism Coordinator Danny

O'Brien will also discuss the policy and legal challenges

facing innovators, presenting a session entitled " America's

Next Top Tech Lawsuits. "

 

Thursday, March 09

2:35pm - 3:20pm

Located in Madeleine AB

 

For more information about the conference:

<http://conferences.oreillynet.com/etech/>

 

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

 

* miniLinks

miniLinks features noteworthy news items from around the

Internet.

 

 

~ 3G Phone Makers Called " Bunch of Big Girls " for Caving to

Hollywood Audience member points out to mobile phone manufacturers

that their markets dwarf the industry telling them how to

cripple their devices.

<http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=180203263>

 

~ The Ballad of Jack Valenti

A detailed, if not entirely flattering, portrayal by RetroCrush.

<http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2006/valenti/index.html>

 

~ Trademark not so Sweet for " Sweet Peas "

Companies and websites using the term " sweet pea " are being

threatened with trademark violation suits by a Florida

clothing firm.

<http://www.sourpeas.org/>

 

~ California Tying Education Tech Grants to Copyright Education

Surely the bill includes requirements to teach the

flexibility of fair use, and the differences with tangible property,

and the state monopoly that makes up " intellectual property. " No?

<http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060215-6184.html>

 

~ Your Friendly Local Censor

Local Homeland Security officers shakedown librarian Net

users for what they're browsing.

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/16/AR2006021602066\

..html?sub=AR>

 

~ Lawsuit Filed Against Verizon for NSA Wiretaps

The wiretap lawsuits widen, and this one looks very

familiar.

<http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/13899738.htm>

 

~ Text Messages, the Net, and Chinese Freedoms

The Washington Post runs a series on the Great Firewall of

China.

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/18/AR2006021801389\

..html>

 

~ Tollbooths on the Internet Highway

The New York Times states its position on network

neutrality.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/20/opinion/20mon1.html?_r=1 & hp & oref=slogin>

 

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

 

* Administrivia

EFFector is published by:

The Electronic Frontier Foundation

454 Shotwell Street

San Francisco CA 94110-1914 USA

+1 415 436 9333 (voice)

+1 415 436 9993 (fax)

<http://www.eff.org/>

 

Editor:

Derek Slater, Activist

derek

 

Membership & donation queries:

membership

 

General EFF, legal, policy, or online resources queries:

information

 

Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is

encouraged. Signed articles do not necessarily represent the

views of EFF. To reproduce signed articles individually,

please contact the authors for their express permission.

Press releases and EFF announcements & articles may be

reproduced individually at will.

 

Current and back issues of EFFector are available via the Web at:

<http://www.eff.org/effector/>