The bill isn't all it's cracked up to be. It creates new legal basis for some surveillance activities that are arguably illegal, immunizes companies who participate in mass surveillance, and (most problematically), reauthorizes the Patriot Act. See: http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2014/09/15/sunlight-ellsb...
The USA Freedom Act: What's to Come and What You Need to Know
21–30 of 48 posts
Re: The USA Freedom Act: What's to Come and What You Need to Know
#22Wait, why is a bill even needed? Aren't current laws and the constitution itself already enough? If they are breaking the law now, why should we believe they won't disregard the Freedom Act?
Re: The USA Freedom Act: What's to Come and What You Need to Know
#23The bill isn't all it's cracked up to be. It creates new legal basis for some surveillance activities that are arguably illegal, immunizes companies who participate in mass surveillance, and (most problematically), reauthorizes the Patriot Act. See: http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2014/09/15/sunlight-ellsb...
I've noticed this quite a bit recently.. Maybe I'm just older and it has being going on forever. Bills on the surface that look like they are accomplishing what you want, but when you read between the lines they actually give the nod to stuff you don't want to be happening at all.
Secret courts? Advocate. Now secret courts are more OK because apparently we reviewed them and decided they are fine with an advocate. This just cements the status quo into our system.
Re: The USA Freedom Act: What's to Come and What You Need to Know
#24This page, content-wise, doesn't appear to have a clear message. EFF -- if you're listening -- it would be great to stake a very clear position on this bill at the very top of your statement. Something like "We urge you to support the USA Freedom Act." Since neither the name of the bill itself, nor anything on the page, makes it clear that the "Freedom Act" is an act against the digital surveillance of US citizens, s…
The first sentences are: "The USA Freedom Act, the leading contender for NSA reform, is set for a vote this week. The bill has some problems, but is a major step forward for surveillance reform. That's why we're asking you to call your Senator and urge them to support the USA Freedom Act." How much more clear do you want it?
A great deal.
Re: The USA Freedom Act: What's to Come and What You Need to Know
#25This page, content-wise, doesn't appear to have a clear message. EFF -- if you're listening -- it would be great to stake a very clear position on this bill at the very top of your statement. Something like "We urge you to support the USA Freedom Act." Since neither the name of the bill itself, nor anything on the page, makes it clear that the "Freedom Act" is an act against the digital surveillance of US citizens, s…
The first sentences are: "The USA Freedom Act, the leading contender for NSA reform, is set for a vote this week. The bill has some problems, but is a major step forward for surveillance reform. That's why we're asking you to call your Senator and urge them to support the USA Freedom Act." How much more clear do you want it?
I actually agree w/ OP, the message seemed totally unclear to me, and I never saw that initial sentence.
I revisited the page and realized my eye was immediately drawn to the huge propaganda eagle, after which I jumped to the middle of the article and started skimming. Once again I missed the initial sentence. Had to intentionally look for it.
Re: The USA Freedom Act: What's to Come and What You Need to Know
#26It's interesting how people supposedly vote to control the government, but then they're often rallied to beg and plead the government they're controlling through voting to please not oppress them so much.
They believe that a new law with a "special advocate" sent to do stuff within the confines of the secret kangaroo-court system will somehow prevent the NSA from spying on (precious exceptionalist) Ah-mmuuhricans, even though the most sacred and supposedly inviolable law in the nation, strangely enough, fails to prevent police officers from confiscating their property.
Interesting indeed..
Re: The USA Freedom Act: What's to Come and What You Need to Know
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
If I'm not mistaken, this is EFF's latest analysis of the bill, as well as their justification for supporting: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/08/understanding-new-usa-... The bill isn't perfect, but it'll mean that the government collects less information on innocent people, there'll be greater transparency, and an advocate for citizen privacy in the FISA court. Beyond that, it's the most likely vehicle for NSA r…
As per the article I linked, it also likely nullifies the Klayman case, a case which could very likely turn out to have an even bigger effect than this bill.
I don't have a lot of faith in the chances of success of a Larry Klayman suit. If he actually does manage to pull it off, it'll be the world's best evidence of the old adage about the stopped clock being right twice a day.
(In the last month, Klayman has filed suit accusing Obama of intentionally allowing Ebola-infected ISIS suicide troops into the US to kill Christians, Jews, and whites; the complaint ended with a demand that Obama be deported since he isn't a citizen. He is not the kind of standard-bearer any cause wants.)
Re: The USA Freedom Act: What's to Come and What You Need to Know
#28This page, content-wise, doesn't appear to have a clear message. EFF -- if you're listening -- it would be great to stake a very clear position on this bill at the very top of your statement. Something like "We urge you to support the USA Freedom Act." Since neither the name of the bill itself, nor anything on the page, makes it clear that the "Freedom Act" is an act against the digital surveillance of US citizens, s…
The first sentences are: "The USA Freedom Act, the leading contender for NSA reform, is set for a vote this week. The bill has some problems, but is a major step forward for surveillance reform. That's why we're asking you to call your Senator and urge them to support the USA Freedom Act." How much more clear do you want it?
The point is to catch the eye of people who are just scanning the page. The first thing they'll see is the "TAKE ACTION NOW, Oppose NSA spying!" picture, which sort of leads you to believe this is another PATRIOT act or something. I can imagine someone seeing that, thinking "Not again, this stuff is endless, my senator never responds to my calls anyway", and closing the page.
Obviously ideally people will read past the biggest font on the page, but that doesn't always happen.
Re: The USA Freedom Act: What's to Come and What You Need to Know
#29This page, content-wise, doesn't appear to have a clear message. EFF -- if you're listening -- it would be great to stake a very clear position on this bill at the very top of your statement. Something like "We urge you to support the USA Freedom Act." Since neither the name of the bill itself, nor anything on the page, makes it clear that the "Freedom Act" is an act against the digital surveillance of US citizens, s…
> the "Freedom Act" is an act against the digital surveillance of US citizens This was a revelation to me, so I would have to agree. I'm ignorant of the subject and my initial reaction to a thing called the USA Freedom Act was "great, how are my rights about to be curtailed now?"
"Freedom act takes on Patriot act"
--News at 11
Clear as mud.
Re: The USA Freedom Act: What's to Come and What You Need to Know
#30The bill isn't all it's cracked up to be. It creates new legal basis for some surveillance activities that are arguably illegal, immunizes companies who participate in mass surveillance, and (most problematically), reauthorizes the Patriot Act. See: http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2014/09/15/sunlight-ellsb...
This is common strategy in propoganda.