03/23/18 Links

Motherboard: Congress enacts garbage surveillance legislation by attaching it to must-pass spending bill

Reason: The omnibus spending bill is a fiscal embarrassment

Every city needs this: East Bay Times: Berkeley law requires council approval of surveillance tech

Activist Post: Federal ruling could set dangerous precedent allowing law enforcement access to WhatsApp

The American Conservative: Was destructive ‘Slingshot’ malware deployed by Pentagon?

Too much to hope for, probably: ZDnet: Stingray spying: 5G will protect you against surveillance attacks, say standard-setters

Smithsonian: A brief history of surveillance in America

Common Dreams: Outrageous’: With $700 billion for Pentagon, nearly half of $1.3 trillion budget headed for more war-making

Techdirt: Spain’s hate/anti-terrorism speech laws doing little but locking up comedians, artists, and dissidents

JUSTIN RAIMONDO: Lost near the Beltway: Whatever happened to the libertarian movement?

High Times: NYPD must publish marijuana arrest demographics under new bill

Old but relevant: Salon: School is a prison–and damaging our kids

Author: S. Smith