The House of Representatives has passed the Restore Act, which facilitates broad surveillance of foreign terror groups while restoring the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court's oversight of communications between foreign and domestic surveillance targets.

"...The JUSTICE Act would also repeal the immunity for telecom giants that illegally asssisted in the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping porgram. This would restore the rule of law and allow EFF’s suit against AT&T to continue so that the courts can do their job and rule on the legality of the surveillance..."

Last week's draft Communications Bill outlines how civil servants are again intent on surveilling the internet communications of innocent British citizens. Fortunately, Free Software provides several ways with which you can protect your privacy online, regardless of the measures that the Coalition may impose upon you or your telecoms providers.

On Tuesday, December 2, at 10 a.m., the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) will challenge the constitutionality of a federal law aimed at granting immunity to telecommunications companies participating in illegal domestic surveillance.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill to overhaul the nation's patent system, overcoming objections by many Republicans, small inventors and some labor unions.

Even though the New York Times reported that the White House statement "all but kill[s] current versions of the legislation," the Senate is still poised to bring PIPA to the floor next week, and we can expect SOPA proponents in the House to try to revive the legislation—unless they get the message that these initiatives must stop, now.

...along comes Google. And instead of piling on to this patent suit scrum, they offer immunity instead. Which is astonishing.

"Some Democratic presidential candidates are starting to oppose the plan to give immunity to the phone companies that participated in illegal surveillance."

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