HAX

German BND ordered to delete illegally collected data, including use of XKeyscore

By HAX on September 5, 2016 in Big Brother, BND, Germany, NSA, surveillance

The German Intelligence Service BND illegally collected and stored mass surveillance data and has to delete those data immediately, including XKeyscore. This is one of the results of a classified report of the German Federal Data Protection Commissioner that we are hereby publishing. In her report, she criticizes serious legal violations and a massive restriction of her supervision authority.

Netzpolitik: Secret Report: German Federal Intelligence Service BND Violates Laws And Constitution By The Dozen »

Ars Technica: German spies repeatedly broke law, must delete XKeyscore database—watchdog »

Google tax: From bad to worse

By HAX on September 2, 2016 in Big Media, Copyright, EU, Intellectual Property

Worst of all, the draft directive contains a broad neighbouring/ancillary right for publishers of news (Art. 11). It shall be granted for the online use of “news publications” and have a duration of 20(!) years. What exactly is protected, who the rightsholders shall be or – most importantly – the addressed users is not defined. All the safeguards that were tried in Germany and Spain to keep the danger of such a right for the Internet at bay are neglected: The right is not restricted to the making available right but includes also the reproduction right. It is not restricted to certain users like aggregators or search engines, there is no snippet exception like in Germany and it is a full exclusive right not only a levy like in Spain.

IGEL: It could not be worse: Draft proposal for the copyright directive leaked »

Tor 2

By HAX on September 1, 2016 in Hacktivism, Privacy, TOR

Ars Technica: Building a new Tor that can resist next-generation state surveillance »

With leaked NSA tools, now everybody can hack like a spy

By HAX on September 1, 2016 in affairs, Big Brother, IT security, NSA

The findings highlight one of the potential risks that come with hoarding undisclosed vulnerabilities for intelligence-gathering and surveillance. By holding on to bugs instead of disclosing them so they can be patched, spy agencies like the NSA create a potentially dangerous free-for-all if their exploits are exposed.

Wired: Of Course Everyone’s Already Using the Leaked NSA Exploits »

The underlying problem with EU Copyright Reform

By HAX on September 1, 2016 in Big Business, Big Entertainment, Big Government, Copyright, EU, Free Markets, Internet

The EU apparatus is back from summer leave, and one of the big issues this coming year will be Copyright Reform.

As I have written before, indications are that the EU Commissions proposal will be lame as well as misguided. This should come as no surprise. The thing is, the system is rigged.

Having worked in the European Parliament, I have learned about the close ties between politicians and the copyright industry.

Big Entertainment and other copyright holders are not interested in real copyright reform. They loathe the Internet and fear the new digital market.

What they want is special legislation. And it doesn’t really have to benefit them directly. They are comfortable with new rules aimed at blocking new competition, like Internet start-ups with new and disrupting business models.

This is crony capitalism, corporatism and the rule of special interests.

The Internet is a unique possibility to develop a really free economy, a free market and competition on a somewhat level playing field. Big Business doesn’t like that. Nor do the politicians and bureaucrats. They are anti-progress.

You should keep that in mind as the battle for EU Copyright Reform begins.

/ HAX

EU avoiding real Copyright Reform

By HAX on September 1, 2016 in Big Entertainment, Copyright, EU, Intellectual Property

However, after reading the draft IA, our conclusion is that EU policy-makers do not seem to think it is worth the effort to bring copyright to the XXI century. Ignoring the results of the copyright consultation of 2014, and despite not having published the analysis on the results on the public consultation on ancillary copyright and freedom of panorama, the Commission has a plan: Let’s ignore all facts (even those previously identified) and avoid a real reform at all costs.

EDRi: Towards a corporate copyright reform in the EU? »