activistpost--2020-12-04--List of Coronavirus Apps That Are Tracking Us

Experts continue to warn about the privacy risks and violations associated with apps and other invasive technology being implemented for COVID-19 ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ) some of which has been reported as being dangerous and/or not effective .
In May , MIT Technology Review provided a list of virus tracking apps .
Of course there may be more by now .
A flood of coronavirus apps are tracking us .
Now it ’ s time to keep track of them .
There ’ s a deluge of apps that detect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transparency .
Our Covid Tracing Tracker project will document them .
As the covid-19 pandemic rages , technologists everywhere have been rushing to build apps , services , and systems for contact tracing : identifying and notifying all those who come in contact with a carrier .
Some are lightweight and temporary , while others are pervasive and invasive : China ’ s system , for example , sucks up data including citizens ’ identity , location , and even online payment history so that local police can watch for those who break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced locally by small groups of coders , while others are vast , global operations .
Apple and Google are mobilizing huge teams to build their upcoming systems that notify people of potential exposure , which could be used by hundreds of millions of people almost immediately .
Opinions differ on whether these apps are just a technocratic daydream or—if done correctly—a potentially useful supplement to manual tracing , in which human workers interview people who ’ ve been diagnosed with covid-19 and then track down their recent contacts .
But the reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , and many more are likely to come in the next few months .
Despite the avalanche of services , however , we know very little about them or how they could affect society .
How many people will download and use them , and how widely used do they have to be in order to succeed ?
What data will they collect , and who is it shared with ?
How will that information be used in the future ?
Are there policies in place to prevent abuse ?
We started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not always clear answers .
When we began comparing apps around the world , we realized there was no central repository of information ; just incomplete , constantly changing data spread across a wide range of sources .
Nor was there a single , standard approach being taken by developers and policymakers : citizens of different countries were seeing radically different levels of surveillance and transparency .
So to help monitor this fast-evolving situation , we ’ re gathering the information into a single place for the first time with our Covid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every significant automated contact tracing effort around the world .
We ’ ve been working with a range of experts to understand what we need to look at , pulling sources including government documents , announcements , and media reports , as well as talking directly to those who are making these apps to understand the technologies and policies involved .
Here ’ s the first version of that database .
So far we have documented 25 individual , significant automated contact tracing efforts globally , including details on what they are , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and processes have been put in place around them .
So far we have documented 25 individual , significant automated contact tracing efforts globally , including details on what they are , how they work , and what policies and processes have been put in place around them .
We ’ re asking for your help to monitor and improve this database so that the development , rollout , and evolution of these services can be tracked over time .
( See “ How to submit a change ” below . )
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caveats and details to run through .
Our tracking effort is a continuous work in progress .
Information is constantly changing , and will continue to shift as more apps become available , greater scrutiny is applied to these initiatives , tracing efforts spread , and the pandemic continues .
So here is more information on what we ’ re looking at .
What the Covid Tracing Tracker contains At the most basic level , we are compiling a list of automated contact tracing apps that are backed by national governments .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or public health officials whether somebody has potentially been exposed to covid-19 ; it ’ s what is generally known as “ exposure notification.
” For each one we find , there are basic questions to answer : Who is producing it ?
Is it released yet ?
Where will it be available , and on what platforms ?
What technologies does it use ?
And then , over time , we will also understand more about how each of these services works in practice , such as how many people have downloaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has achieved .
But then there are more complicated issues .
Is it mandatory ?
How private is the app ?
Are citizens ’ rights being safeguarded ?
How transparent are the makers about their work ?
To capture this information , guided by principles put forward by the American Civil Liberties Union and others , we asked five questions .
• Is it voluntary ?
In some cases , apps are opt-in—but in other places many or all citizens are compelled to download and use them .
• Are there limitations on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may sometimes be used for purposes other than public health , such as law enforcement—and that may last longer than covid-19 .
• Will data be destroyed after a period of time ?
The data the apps collect should not last forever .
If it is automatically deleted in a reasonable amount of time ( usually a maximum of around 30 days ) or the app allows users to manually delete their own data , we award a star .
• Is data collection minimized ?
Does the app collect only the information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
• Is the effort transparent ?
Transparency can take the form of clear , publicly available policies and design , an open-source code base , or all of these .
For each question , if we can answer yes , the app gets a star .
If we can not answer yes—either because the answer is negative or because it is unknown—the rating is left blank .
There ’ s also a field for notes that can help put things in context .
In addition , we say something about the basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an explanation of the key terms .
• Location : Some apps identify a person ’ s contacts by tracking the phone ’ s movements ( for instance , using GPS or triangulation from nearby cell towers ) and looking for other phones that have spent time in the same location .
• Bluetooth : Some systems use “ proximity tracking , ” in which phones swap encrypted tokens with any other nearby phones over Bluetooth .
It is easier to anonymize and generally considered better for privacy than location tracking .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the joint API that Apple and Google are developing .
It lets iOS and Android phones communicate with each other over Bluetooth , allowing developers to build a contact tracing app that will work for both .
Later the two companies plan to build this directly into their operating systems .
• DP-3T : This stands for decentralized privacy-preserving proximity tracing .
It ’ s an open-source protocol for Bluetooth-based tracking in which an individual phone ’ s contact logs are only stored locally , so no central authority can know who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these categories over time , at which point this article will be revised .
What the database doesn ’ t contain First , we are focused on automated contact tracing apps that the public is already using or will use in the near future .
That means we aren ’ t keeping track of the underlying protocols that will feed into apps ( this is why the Google/Apple API itself isn ’ t on the list ) , or early-stage initiatives to build new products , or experimental apps that have no government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Our initial search found more than 150 of these preliminary efforts , but many have no have clear pathway to being used by the public .
As projects evolve into real products , we will add them to our list .
Second , although the interaction between manual contact tracing efforts and automated systems will be critical , we aren ’ t monitoring manual efforts at this time .
Finally , the database isn ’ t a recommendation on whether to download an app or not .
It ’ s intended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an informed decision on whether to use a service , and on whether to seek changes in your government ’ s approach .
Keeping eyes on all this information is going to require constant effort—the facts continue to evolve , the numbers change , and policies may or may not be adhered to .
We may discover that what happens in theory is different from what happens in practice , or that what was promised does not end up being delivered .
So we ’ re asking for your help .
How to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the database exists on the page you are reading right now , and on Flourish , a data visualization service .
A public version of the underlying data is kept in this read-only spreadsheet , which we update once a day at 6 p.m .
US Eastern Time .
If you have an update , correction , or addition to the tracker , please email the relevant information to us at [ email protected ] Please reference original sources for your claim : government or developer announcements , verifiable news sources , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate page detailing this here .
If you ’ d like to know more about automated contact tracing and exposure notification , here are a few relevant papers and documents .
Outpacing the Virus : Digital Response to Containing the Spread of COVID-19 while Mitigating Privacy Risks ( Harvard Center for Ethics ) Some people may be comforted by the constant tracking .
But what about the constant radiation exposure ?
Last year , the World Health Organization warned that exposure to high levels of Electromagnetic Fields ( aka “ Electrosmog ” ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage of the population .
Sources include all wireless technology – activity trackers ( see 1 , 2 ) , cell phones , utility “ Smart ” Meters , etc .
Research has determined that wireless exposure can compromise respiratory health as well as reduce immunity to viruses as well as • cause rashes , other skin irritations , and premature skin aging This being the case – reducing your exposure ( and your loved ones ’ exposure ) to wireless radiation seems to be a step in the right direction of reducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Activist Post reports regularly about unsafe technology .
For more information , visit our archives and the following websites : Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE !
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Parler , Flote , Minds , MeWe and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By B.N. Frank
Experts continue to warn about the privacy risks and violations associated with apps and other invasive technology being implemented for COVID-19 (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) some of which has been reported as being dangerous and/or not effective.
In May, MIT Technology Review provided a list of virus tracking apps. Of course there may be more by now.
From MIT:
A flood of coronavirus apps are tracking us. Now it’s time to keep track of them.
There’s a deluge of apps that detect your covid-19 exposure, often with little transparency. Our Covid Tracing Tracker project will document them.
by , ,
As the covid-19 pandemic rages, technologists everywhere have been rushing to build apps, services, and systems for contact tracing: identifying and notifying all those who come in contact with a carrier. Some are lightweight and temporary, while others are pervasive and invasive: China’s system, for example, sucks up data including citizens’ identity, location, and even online payment history so that local police can watch for those who break quarantine rules.
Some services are being produced locally by small groups of coders, while others are vast, global operations. Apple and Google are mobilizing huge teams to build their upcoming systems that notify people of potential exposure, which could be used by hundreds of millions of people almost immediately.
Opinions differ on whether these apps are just a technocratic daydream or—if done correctly—a potentially useful supplement to manual tracing, in which human workers interview people who’ve been diagnosed with covid-19 and then track down their recent contacts. But the reality is that these services are already rolling out, and many more are likely to come in the next few months.
Despite the avalanche of services, however, we know very little about them or how they could affect society. How many people will download and use them, and how widely used do they have to be in order to succeed? What data will they collect, and who is it shared with? How will that information be used in the future? Are there policies in place to prevent abuse?
We started asking these questions and found that there were not always clear answers.
When we began comparing apps around the world, we realized there was no central repository of information; just incomplete, constantly changing data spread across a wide range of sources. Nor was there a single, standard approach being taken by developers and policymakers: citizens of different countries were seeing radically different levels of surveillance and transparency.
So to help monitor this fast-evolving situation, we’re gathering the information into a single place for the first time with our Covid Tracing Tracker—a database to capture details of every significant automated contact tracing effort around the world.
We’ve been working with a range of experts to understand what we need to look at, pulling sources including government documents, announcements, and media reports, as well as talking directly to those who are making these apps to understand the technologies and policies involved.
Here’s the first version of that database.
So far we have documented 25 individual, significant automated contact tracing efforts globally, including details on what they are, how they work, and what policies and processes have been put in place around them.
So far we have documented 25 individual, significant automated contact tracing efforts globally, including details on what they are, how they work, and what policies and processes have been put in place around them.
We’re asking for your help to monitor and improve this database so that the development, rollout, and evolution of these services can be tracked over time. (See “How to submit a change” below.)
But first, there are a lot of caveats and details to run through. Our tracking effort is a continuous work in progress. Information is constantly changing, and will continue to shift as more apps become available, greater scrutiny is applied to these initiatives, tracing efforts spread, and the pandemic continues. So here is more information on what we’re looking at.
What the Covid Tracing Tracker contains
At the most basic level, we are compiling a list of automated contact tracing apps that are backed by national governments. These are apps designed to automatically tell users or public health officials whether somebody has potentially been exposed to covid-19; it’s what is generally known as “exposure notification.”
For each one we find, there are basic questions to answer: Who is producing it? Is it released yet? Where will it be available, and on what platforms? What technologies does it use? And then, over time, we will also understand more about how each of these services works in practice, such as how many people have downloaded it and what level of penetration it has achieved.
But then there are more complicated issues. Is it mandatory? How private is the app? Are citizens’ rights being safeguarded? How transparent are the makers about their work? To capture this information, guided by principles put forward by the American Civil Liberties Union and others, we asked five questions.
Is it voluntary? In some cases, apps are opt-in—but in other places many or all citizens are compelled to download and use them.
In some cases, apps are opt-in—but in other places many or all citizens are compelled to download and use them. Are there limitations on how the data gets used? Data may sometimes be used for purposes other than public health, such as law enforcement—and that may last longer than covid-19.
Data may sometimes be used for purposes other than public health, such as law enforcement—and that may last longer than covid-19. Will data be destroyed after a period of time? The data the apps collect should not last forever. If it is automatically deleted in a reasonable amount of time (usually a maximum of around 30 days) or the app allows users to manually delete their own data, we award a star.
The data the apps collect should not last forever. If it is automatically deleted in a reasonable amount of time (usually a maximum of around 30 days) or the app allows users to manually delete their own data, we award a star. Is data collection minimized? Does the app collect only the information it needs to do what it says?
Does the app collect only the information it needs to do what it says? Is the effort transparent? Transparency can take the form of clear, publicly available policies and design, an open-source code base, or all of these.
For each question, if we can answer yes , the app gets a star. If we cannot answer yes—either because the answer is negative or because it is unknown—the rating is left blank. There’s also a field for notes that can help put things in context.
In addition, we say something about the basic technology underlying the app. Here’s an explanation of the key terms.
Location: Some apps identify a person’s contacts by tracking the phone’s movements (for instance, using GPS or triangulation from nearby cell towers) and looking for other phones that have spent time in the same location.
Some apps identify a person’s contacts by tracking the phone’s movements (for instance, using GPS or triangulation from nearby cell towers) and looking for other phones that have spent time in the same location. Bluetooth: Some systems use “proximity tracking,” in which phones swap encrypted tokens with any other nearby phones over Bluetooth. It is easier to anonymize and generally considered better for privacy than location tracking.
Some systems use “proximity tracking,” in which phones swap encrypted tokens with any other nearby phones over Bluetooth. It is easier to anonymize and generally considered better for privacy than location tracking. Google/Apple : Many apps will rely on the joint API that Apple and Google are developing. It lets iOS and Android phones communicate with each other over Bluetooth, allowing developers to build a contact tracing app that will work for both. Later the two companies plan to build this directly into their operating systems.
: Many apps will rely on the joint API that Apple and Google are developing. It lets iOS and Android phones communicate with each other over Bluetooth, allowing developers to build a contact tracing app that will work for both. Later the two companies plan to build this directly into their operating systems. DP-3T: This stands for decentralized privacy-preserving proximity tracing. It’s an open-source protocol for Bluetooth-based tracking in which an individual phone’s contact logs are only stored locally, so no central authority can know who has been exposed.
We may expand these categories over time, at which point this article will be revised.
What the database doesn’t contain
First, we are focused on automated contact tracing apps that the public is already using or will use in the near future. That means we aren’t keeping track of the underlying protocols that will feed into apps (this is why the Google/Apple API itself isn’t on the list), or early-stage initiatives to build new products, or experimental apps that have no government backing or connection to public health services. Our initial search found more than 150 of these preliminary efforts, but many have no have clear pathway to being used by the public. As projects evolve into real products, we will add them to our list.
Second, although the interaction between manual contact tracing efforts and automated systems will be critical, we aren’t monitoring manual efforts at this time.
Finally, the database isn’t a recommendation on whether to download an app or not. It’s intended to bring you data that helps you make an informed decision on whether to use a service, and on whether to seek changes in your government’s approach.
Keeping eyes on all this information is going to require constant effort—the facts continue to evolve, the numbers change, and policies may or may not be adhered to. We may discover that what happens in theory is different from what happens in practice, or that what was promised does not end up being delivered.
So we’re asking for your help.
How to access the database
The most accessible version of the database exists on the page you are reading right now, and on Flourish, a data visualization service. A public version of the underlying data is kept in this read-only spreadsheet, which we update once a day at 6 p.m. US Eastern Time.
How to submit a change
If you have an update, correction, or addition to the tracker, please email the relevant information to us at CTT@technologyreview.com. Please reference original sources for your claim: government or developer announcements, verifiable news sources, or published research. There is a separate page detailing this here.
Further reading
If you’d like to know more about automated contact tracing and exposure notification, here are a few relevant papers and documents.
Outpacing the Virus: Digital Response to Containing the Spread of COVID-19 while Mitigating Privacy Risks (Harvard Center for Ethics)
COVID-19 Rapid Evidence Review: Exit through the App Store? (Ada Lovelace Institute)
Contact Tracing Mobile Apps for COVID-19: Privacy Considerations and Related Trade-offs (Cho, Ippolito, Yu)
PACT: Private Automated Contact Tracing (MIT)
Some people may be comforted by the constant tracking. But what about the constant radiation exposure? Last year, the World Health Organization warned that exposure to high levels of Electromagnetic Fields (aka “Electrosmog”) could cause health issues in a significant percentage of the population. Sources include all wireless technology – activity trackers (see 1, 2), cell phones, utility “Smart” Meters, etc.
Research has determined that wireless exposure can compromise respiratory health as well as reduce immunity to viruses as well as
This being the case – reducing your exposure (and your loved ones’ exposure) to wireless radiation seems to be a step in the right direction of reducing your vulnerability to viruses like COVID-19.
Activist Post reports regularly about unsafe technology. For more information, visit our archives and the following websites:
Become a Patron!
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE! Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Parler, Flote, Minds, MeWe and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-12-04--Smart Doorbells Other than Amazon Ring Cameras Have Serious Privacy and Security Risks

Apparently it ’ s not just Amazon Ring cameras that are vulnerable to hackers ( see 1 , 2 ) .
Matt Lewis , with NCC Group , talks to Threatpost about a slew of security and privacy issues found in smart doorbells that are being sold on Amazon and eBay .
Researchers have found serious security and privacy issues in 11 different smart doorbells , distributed via online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay , which could be exploited by attackers to physically switch off the devices .
Smart doorbells , which connect to a smartphone and alert users when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video footage , have been increasingly popular over the years .
Matt Lewis , research director at NCC Group , told Threatpost during this week ’ s Threatpost podcast episode that these smart doorbells were discovered to have a slew of issues , including weak password policies , lack of data encryption and excessive collection of customer information .
Hardwired devices are safer and more secure than wireless and “ smart ” devices .
In fact , experts have even warned that hackers can start fires on computers , phones , and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Things ( IoT ) technology is extremely vulnerable as well ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ) .
Wireless and “ smart ” devices also emit harmful Electromagnetic Radiation ( EMR ) ( aka “ Electrosmog ” ) which affects people , pets , and plants .
Wired technologysounds more glorious all the time , doesn ’ t it ?
Activist Post reports regularly about unsafe technology .
For more information , visit our archives and the following links : Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front lines of peace and freedom HERE !
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Parler , Flote , Minds , MeWe and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By B.N. Frank
Apparently it’s not just Amazon Ring cameras that are vulnerable to hackers (see 1, 2).
From Threatpost:
Matt Lewis, with NCC Group, talks to Threatpost about a slew of security and privacy issues found in smart doorbells that are being sold on Amazon and eBay.
Researchers have found serious security and privacy issues in 11 different smart doorbells, distributed via online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, which could be exploited by attackers to physically switch off the devices.
Smart doorbells, which connect to a smartphone and alert users when someone approaches their home, along with video footage, have been increasingly popular over the years. Matt Lewis, research director at NCC Group, told Threatpost during this week’s Threatpost podcast episode that these smart doorbells were discovered to have a slew of issues, including weak password policies, lack of data encryption and excessive collection of customer information.
Read full article


activistpost--2020-12-03--A New Technology Will Dangerously Expand Government Spying on Citizens

If you ’ re worried about the capability of government to conduct surveillance of citizens engaged in political assembly and protest , or even just personal activity , then you should be aware the technological capability of government surveillance is about to expand exponentially .
The US Air Force ’ s Research Lab ( yes , it has its own lab ) has recently signed a contract to test new software of a company called SignalFrame , a Washington DC wireless tech company .
The company ’ s new software is able to access smartphones , and from your phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Bluetooth device in the near vicinity .
To quote from the article today in the Wall St. Journal , the smartphone is used “ as a window onto usage of hundreds of millions of computers , s routers , fitness trackers , modern automobiles and other networked devices , known collectively as the ‘ Internet of Things ’ .
” Your smartphone in effect becomes a government listening device that detects and accesses all nearby wireless or Bluetooth devices , or anything that has a MAC address for that matter .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealed by the company , or the Air Force , both of which refused to comment on the Wall St. Journal story .
But with the expansion of 5G wireless , it should be assumed it ’ s more than just a couple steps from your smartphone .
One can imagine some scary scenarios with this capability in the hands of government snoops : Not only would the government know your geographical location via the GPS signal to your cellphone .
They ’ d know what you are doing .
And with whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see all the owners of other cellphones in the vicinity of a protest or demonstration .
How many are gathering at a particular street or location .
The direction they might be heading .
Or whether there ’ s an organization meeting in a hall or room and who ( with a cellphone as well ) might be attending .
If you ’ re driving on a winding coastal or mountain road , it would know , and could possibly access , your car ’ s various electronic systems to turn them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s circuit board that governs your power steering when you ’ re driving in an area of winding roads .
Or it might be able to just shut down your car ’ s electrical system and remotely lock all your doors .
The police no longer have to engage in highway chases until capture .
The new tech would allow the government to access the data on your fitbit device while you ’ re jogging .
Or worse , maybe even interfere with the signal on your heart pacemaker device .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smartphone , and from there to turn on your home Alexa device to listen in and record conversations without you ever knowing .
Or to listen in on your zoom conferencing on your laptop .
Or maybe even worse , to shut down or bypass the safety features on your home furnace equipment .
Or turn off your home security system .
And with 5G wireless broadband , the tracking might be extended well beyond the range of a Bluetooth device .
Add 5G broadband wireless to SignalFrame ’ s technology , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine learning and artificial intelligence , and you get instant processing of a massive amount of data on any targeted person or gathering !
This problem of government surveillance on free citizen activity is not new .
It took a giant leap after 9-11 with the Patriot Act and acquisition of phone data by Homeland Security and other government agencies .
It was supposed to have stopped .
But it hasn ’ t .
The snoops have continued to ignore Congressional resolutions and court decisions on privacy invasion of citizens .
The latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent ‘ tip of the iceberg ’ revelation .
And if the Air Force is doing it , be assured so are the Army , Navy , the NSA , CIA , FBI and all the other government snoops .
Certainly this kind of technology would be used not only by the US government .
If the USA has it , you can bet other governments do too–especially China , Russia , Israel , and probably some of the Europeans as well .
Unlike in 2001 , in 2020 SignalFrame ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level–given the ubiquity of smartphones , Internet of Things ( IOT ) devices , digital circuit board dependent autos , and all the many household devices now with MAC wireless access addresses .
And now , unlike circa 2001 and the passage of the Patriot Act ( and its continuation in annual NDAA legislation ) , we have AI , machine learning , neural nets everywhere , and massive government data processing power .
In short , technology is becoming a growing tool and power in the hands of governments , to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as to detect , apprehend , and ‘ deal with ’ those who protest and oppose those governments .
The coming decade in the USA will be not only increasingly difficult economically , increasingly unstable politically , but will prove to be a period in which technology is increasingly threatening basic civil rights as well as the very foundations of Democracy itself .
Also Read from Activist Post : U.S. Air Force Uses IoT to Monitor Hundreds of Millions of Fitness Trackers , Cars , Computers , Routers , and More Jack Rasmus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neoliberalism : US Economic Policy from Reagan to Trump , Clarity Press , January 2020 .
He blogs at jackrasmus.com and hosts the weekly radio show , Alternative Visions on the Progressive Radio Network on Fridays at 2pm est .
His twitter handle is @ drjackrasmus .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE !
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Parler , Flote , Minds , MeWe and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Jack Rasmus
If you’re worried about the capability of government to conduct surveillance of citizens engaged in political assembly and protest, or even just personal activity, then you should be aware the technological capability of government surveillance is about to expand exponentially.
The US Air Force’s Research Lab (yes, it has its own lab) has recently signed a contract to test new software of a company called SignalFrame, a Washington DC wireless tech company. The company’s new software is able to access smartphones, and from your phone jump off to access any other wireless or Bluetooth device in the near vicinity. To quote from the article today in the Wall St. Journal, the smartphone is used “as a window onto usage of hundreds of millions of computers,s routers, fitness trackers, modern automobiles and other networked devices, known collectively as the ‘Internet of Things’.”
Your smartphone in effect becomes a government listening device that detects and accesses all nearby wireless or Bluetooth devices, or anything that has a MAC address for that matter. How ‘near’ is nearby is not revealed by the company, or the Air Force, both of which refused to comment on the Wall St. Journal story. But with the expansion of 5G wireless, it should be assumed it’s more than just a couple steps from your smartphone.
One can imagine some scary scenarios with this capability in the hands of government snoops:
Not only would the government know your geographical location via the GPS signal to your cellphone. They’d know what you are doing. And with whom.
A political gathering would allow them to see all the owners of other cellphones in the vicinity of a protest or demonstration. How many are gathering at a particular street or location. The direction they might be heading. Or whether there’s an organization meeting in a hall or room and who (with a cellphone as well) might be attending.
If you’re driving on a winding coastal or mountain road, it would know, and could possibly access, your car’s various electronic systems to turn them off. It might access your car’s circuit board that governs your power steering when you’re driving in an area of winding roads. Or it might be able to just shut down your car’s electrical system and remotely lock all your doors. The police no longer have to engage in highway chases until capture.
The new tech would allow the government to access the data on your fitbit device while you’re jogging. Or worse, maybe even interfere with the signal on your heart pacemaker device.
The technology might be used to access your smartphone, and from there to turn on your home Alexa device to listen in and record conversations without you ever knowing. Or to listen in on your zoom conferencing on your laptop. Or maybe even worse, to shut down or bypass the safety features on your home furnace equipment. Or turn off your home security system.
And with 5G wireless broadband, the tracking might be extended well beyond the range of a Bluetooth device. Add 5G broadband wireless to SignalFrame’s technology, and then wed that to the capability of machine learning and artificial intelligence, and you get instant processing of a massive amount of data on any targeted person or gathering!
Protect Your Privacy with a Phone Shield Faraday Bag
This problem of government surveillance on free citizen activity is not new. It took a giant leap after 9-11 with the Patriot Act and acquisition of phone data by Homeland Security and other government agencies. It was supposed to have stopped. But it hasn’t. The snoops have continued to ignore Congressional resolutions and court decisions on privacy invasion of citizens. The latest Air Force lab testing is likely just a recent ‘tip of the iceberg’ revelation. And if the Air Force is doing it, be assured so are the Army, Navy, the NSA, CIA, FBI and all the other government snoops.
Certainly this kind of technology would be used not only by the US government. If the USA has it, you can bet other governments do too–especially China, Russia, Israel, and probably some of the Europeans as well.
Unlike in 2001, in 2020 SignalFrame’s technology takes government surveillance to a new level–given the ubiquity of smartphones, Internet of Things (IOT) devices, digital circuit board dependent autos, and all the many household devices now with MAC wireless access addresses. And now, unlike circa 2001 and the passage of the Patriot Act (and its continuation in annual NDAA legislation), we have AI, machine learning, neural nets everywhere, and massive government data processing power.
In short, technology is becoming a growing tool and power in the hands of governments, to use to thwart democratic and constitutional rights–as well as to detect, apprehend, and ‘deal with’ those who protest and oppose those governments.
The coming decade in the USA will be not only increasingly difficult economically, increasingly unstable politically, but will prove to be a period in which technology is increasingly threatening basic civil rights as well as the very foundations of Democracy itself.
Source: CounterPunch.org
Jack Rasmus is author of ’The Scourge of Neoliberalism: US Economic Policy from Reagan to Trump, Clarity Press, January 2020. He blogs at jackrasmus.com and hosts the weekly radio show, Alternative Visions on the Progressive Radio Network on Fridays at 2pm est. His twitter handle is @drjackrasmus.
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activistpost--2020-12-03--ACLU Sues to Find Out How and Why Federal Agencies Are Accessing Americans’ Cell Phone Location Data

After a series of news reports that have alarmed civil liberties advocates and progressive lawmakers , the ACLU sued on Wednesday to find out how and why federal agencies are buying access to bulk databases of Americans ’ cell phone location information and effectively bypassing the Fourth Amendment ’ s warrant requirement .
“ We ’ re suing to bring some much-needed transparency to these disturbing practices , ” Nathan Freed Wessler , a staff attorney with the ACLU ’ s Speech , Privacy , and Technology Project , explains in a blog post about the new lawsuit .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” As the complaint details , the legal group filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to force the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) and two agencies it oversees , Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) and Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) , “ to release records about their purchases of cell phone location data for immigration enforcement and other purposes.
” Freed Wessler notes that “ more than nine months after we submitted a request for information under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBP , and ICE have yet to provide us with a single responsive record .
DHS has even refused to provide its legal memorandum about these practices to U.S. senators who have requested it.
” Earlier this year , Sens .
Sherrod Brown ( D-Ohio ) , Ed Markey ( D-Mass . )
, Brian Schatz ( D-Hawaii ) , Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
, and Ron Wyden ( D-Ore. ) requested an inspector general investigation into CBP ’ s warrantless use of commercial databases containing Americans ’ cell phone location @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars to the government contractor Venntel .
In a statement Wednesday , those same senators announced that DHS will launch the requested probe , with Wyden declaring that “ the public deserves answers and accountability , ” and vowing that he “ won ’ t accept anything less than a thorough and swift inspector general investigation.
” “ Americans are increasingly concerned that they can not travel , move , or go about their daily lives without being tracked .
Information about where we are and where we have been is highly sensitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answers about exactly how the Department of Homeland Security is accessing this type of data , ” noted Markey .
“ The right to privacy must not become a thing of the past.
” Warren emphasized that “ CBP is not above the law , ” that the agency refused to answer their questions about its activities , and that lawmakers “ must protect the public ’ s Fourth Amendment rights to be free from warrantless searches.
” Both the lawmakers and Freed Wessler cited Carpenter v. United States , a 2018 U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As the attorney points out in the blog post : [ The ] Supreme Court ruled that law enforcement agencies can not request personal location information from a cellphone company without first obtaining a search warrant from a judge .
As Chief Justice Roberts wrote , these records deserve protection because mapping a cellphone ’ s location “ provides an intimate window into a person ’ s life , revealing not only his particular movements , but through them his ‘ familial , political , professional , religious , and sexual associations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can buy their way around the Fourth Amendment ’ s warrant requirement , the landmark protection announced by the Supreme Court in Carpenter will be in peril .
Despite federal agencies spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on access to cell phone location databases , those agencies have not publicly explained their legal justifications or internal limitations on access to this invasive information .
The ACLU ’ s initial public records request to DHS came in Februrary , after the Wall Street Journal reported that according to documents the newspaper obtained and unnamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a commercial database that maps the movements of millions of cellphones in America and is using it for immigration and border enforcement.
” “ The location data is drawn from ordinary cellphone apps , including those for games , weather , and e-commerce , for which the user has granted permission to log the phone ’ s location , ” the Journal detailed .
“ The Department of Homeland Security has used the information to detect undocumented immigrants and others who may be entering the U.S. unlawfully.
” An ICE spokesperson told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss specific law-enforcement tactics or techniques , or discuss the existence or absence of specific law-enforcement-sensitive capabilities , ” but added that the agency “ generally ” doesn ’ t use location data for deportation operations .
A CBP spokesperson said at the time that while the agency “ is being provided access to location information , it is important to note that such information doesn ’ t include cellular phone tower data , is not ingested in bulk , and doesn ’ t include the individual user ’ s identity.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a growing body of reporting that has shed light on the smartphone tracking industry .
Just last month , Motherboard revealed that “ the U.S. military is buying the granular movement data of people around the world , harvested from innocuous-seeming apps , ” including a Muslim prayer and Quran app that has been downloaded over 98 million times worldwide .
In response to Motherboard ‘ s revelation , Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D-Minn. ) —one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress—tweeted that “ the military industrial complex and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship with tech .
Buying bulk data in order to profile Muslims is par for the course for them—and is absolutely sickening .
It should be illegal !
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By Jessica Corbett
After a series of news reports that have alarmed civil liberties advocates and progressive lawmakers, the ACLU sued on Wednesday to find out how and why federal agencies are buying access to bulk databases of Americans’ cell phone location information and effectively bypassing the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement.
“We’re suing to bring some much-needed transparency to these disturbing practices,” Nathan Freed Wessler, a staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, explains in a blog post about the new lawsuit. “Transparency is the first step to accountability.”
As the complaint details, the legal group filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to force the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and two agencies it oversees, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), “to release records about their purchases of cell phone location data for immigration enforcement and other purposes.”
It’s critical we uncover how federal agencies are accessing bulk databases of location data and why. There can’t be accountability without transparency. If the government can buy its way around the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement, our privacy rights will be in danger. — ACLU (@ACLU) December 2, 2020
Freed Wessler notes that “more than nine months after we submitted a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act, DHS, CBP, and ICE have yet to provide us with a single responsive record. DHS has even refused to provide its legal memorandum about these practices to U.S. senators who have requested it.”
Earlier this year, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) requested an inspector general investigation into CBP’s warrantless use of commercial databases containing Americans’ cell phone location information—including by paying nearly half a million dollars to the government contractor Venntel.
In a statement Wednesday, those same senators announced that DHS will launch the requested probe, with Wyden declaring that “the public deserves answers and accountability,” and vowing that he “won’t accept anything less than a thorough and swift inspector general investigation.”
Lot happening in the location data/Venntel world today https://t.co/STE9A6Wchj — Joseph Cox (@josephfcox) December 2, 2020
“Americans are increasingly concerned that they cannot travel, move, or go about their daily lives without being tracked. Information about where we are and where we have been is highly sensitive, and it’s time for answers about exactly how the Department of Homeland Security is accessing this type of data,” noted Markey. “The right to privacy must not become a thing of the past.”
Warren emphasized that “CBP is not above the law,” that the agency refused to answer their questions about its activities, and that lawmakers “must protect the public’s Fourth Amendment rights to be free from warrantless searches.”
Both the lawmakers and Freed Wessler cited Carpenter v. United States, a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court case argued by the ACLU. As the attorney points out in the blog post:
[The] Supreme Court ruled that law enforcement agencies cannot request personal location information from a cellphone company without first obtaining a search warrant from a judge. As Chief Justice Roberts wrote, these records deserve protection because mapping a cellphone’s location “provides an intimate window into a person’s life, revealing not only his particular movements, but through them his ‘familial, political, professional, religious, and sexual associations.'” If law enforcement agencies can buy their way around the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement, the landmark protection announced by the Supreme Court in Carpenter will be in peril. Despite federal agencies spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on access to cell phone location databases, those agencies have not publicly explained their legal justifications or internal limitations on access to this invasive information.
The ACLU’s initial public records request to DHS came in Februrary, after the Wall Street Journal reported that according to documents the newspaper obtained and unnamed sources, DHS “has bought access to a commercial database that maps the movements of millions of cellphones in America and is using it for immigration and border enforcement.”
“The location data is drawn from ordinary cellphone apps, including those for games, weather, and e-commerce, for which the user has granted permission to log the phone’s location,” the Journal detailed. “The Department of Homeland Security has used the information to detect undocumented immigrants and others who may be entering the U.S. unlawfully.”
An ICE spokesperson told the Journal that “we do not discuss specific law-enforcement tactics or techniques, or discuss the existence or absence of specific law-enforcement-sensitive capabilities,” but added that the agency “generally” doesn’t use location data for deportation operations.
A CBP spokesperson said at the time that while the agency “is being provided access to location information, it is important to note that such information doesn’t include cellular phone tower data, is not ingested in bulk, and doesn’t include the individual user’s identity.”
The Trump administration purchased the location data of millions of individuals and employed it as part of its invasive and draconian immigration enforcement. I’m demanding answers about this shocking violation of privacy and civil liberties.https://t.co/EveWX4MMOd — Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) February 12, 2020
The Journal article is just one piece of a growing body of reporting that has shed light on the smartphone tracking industry. Just last month, Motherboard revealed that “the U.S. military is buying the granular movement data of people around the world, harvested from innocuous-seeming apps,” including a Muslim prayer and Quran app that has been downloaded over 98 million times worldwide.
In response to Motherboard‘s revelation, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)—one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress—tweeted that “the military industrial complex and the surveillance state have always had a cozy relationship with tech. Buying bulk data in order to profile Muslims is par for the course for them—and is absolutely sickening. It should be illegal!”
Source: Common Dreams
Image: Collective-Evolution
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activistpost--2020-12-03--Cops Knock on Innocent Family’s Door, Murder Dad When He Answers — Taxpayers Hit for $3M

Phoenix , AZ — Ryan Whitaker , 40 , and father of two , had committed no crime , had harmed no one and was merely answering his door when Phoenix police officer Jeff Cooke dumped three rounds into him — killing him in cold blood .
The shooting took place in May , and the officers involved have faced no accountability whatsoever .
As a result , the taxpayers of Phoenix will be shelling out a record amount of money in the form of a lawsuit .
On Wednesday afternoon , the Phoenix City Council voted unanimously to approve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family of Ryan Whitaker .
“ There ’ s no amount of money that will bring my brother back or ease that pain .
It ’ s just really hard , ” said Katie Baeza , Whitaker ’ s older sister .
The incident started over a noise complaint from Whitaker ’ s upstairs neighbor and ended with the murder of an innocent father .
A family for the attorney described the call to police about the noise as “ exaggerated ” which put Whitaker and his girlfriend Brandee Nees ’ lives in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew this .
“ The Phoenix Police Department knew from the night of the shooting that this was a false and exaggerated 911 call , ” Matthew Cunnigham , the family ’ s lawyer said .
The nosy neighbor from upstairs — without any evidence — called police claiming they heard a loud argument that may be getting physical .
The caller even said on the 911 recording that they claimed it was “ physical ” just to get the cops out there faster .
“ It could be physical , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I could say yeah if that makes anybody hurry on up .
Get anybody here faster.
” But there was no domestic dispute at all .
Whitaker was playing video games with his girlfriend and the two were just excited about it .
That was all the caller said , nothing else .
In fact , it was so vague that officer Cooke and his partner officer John Ferragamo joked about how ridiculous it was as they walked to Whitaker ’ s front door .
“ Did you like all that helpful info @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ferragamo is heard telling Cooke as they walk to Whitaker ’ s apartment , according to the footage .
“ ‘ I ’ m just gon na say yes to all the questions to get the officers here faster , ’ ” Ferragamo says , mocking the caller .
As the video shows , the officers knock at the door , say ‘ police ’ , and then step out of view of the peephole , not letting the people inside see who is actually there .
Literally any criminal in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strangers had harassed Whitaker at his apartment a few days earlier , he grabbed his legally owned firearm and answered the door .
Three seconds later , he ’ d be shot in the back , dying on his front porch .
“ Hands , ” the officer says before opening fire .
Whitaker , according to the video appeared to be entirely compliant , yet Cooke opened fire immediately anyway .
“ Holy sh-t !
” Ferragamo is heard saying after his partner killed the innocent father .
Nees , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died too , then exists from the apartment , visibly distraught .
Cooke responds , “ He just pulled a gun on us , ma ’ am.
” But the video shows he “ pulled ” no gun , was kneeling down , and trying to put the gun on the ground when he was executed .
“ Because it ’ s dark and someone just knocked on the door , ” she yelled at Cooke , explaining to her boyfriend ’ s killer why it was logical for Whitaker to have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s okay.
” It ’ s unclear if he says this to Cooke or Nees .
At this point , Whitaker is still dying on the ground in front of his home and neither officer is attempting to save his life .
Nees asks the officers why they are there in the first place and the officers told them they received a call about the yelling .
Nees then proceeds to tell the officers Whitaker answered with the gun because a few days earlier , someone suspiciously knocked on his door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the peephole .
Sadly , it appears that this was the same thing that happened this time , only it was the cops hiding out of the peephole ’ s view .
As the conversation continues , the officers realize no crime had taken place and the “ yelling ” reported by the nosy upstairs neighbor was excitement over a video game the couple was playing .
“ Literally we were making salsa and playing Crash Bandicoot , so there may have been some screaming , ” she told the officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t domestic violence or anything.
” As Nees watches the love of her life die on the ground in front of her , she pleads with the officers to handcuff her so she can be next to him as he dies .
That request was denied .
The officers still haven ’ t done so much as provided pressure to Whitaker ’ s wounds .
When Nees asks them if they can check to see if he is okay , Ferragamo callously responds , “ I ’ m leaning toward the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He was at home playing video games and he did nothing wrong .
On the contrary , he assumed the position that anybody would , and he still lost his life , ” said Councilmember Carlos Garcia during the settlement approval .
Slow-motion video edited by the attorney shows that Whitaker had put the gun down .
What ’ s more , we can see from the video that he was putting his hand up and trying to put the gun down — clearly not threatening anyone with a gun .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal to answer your door with a gun .
After the shooting , police did not release the body camera footage and only did so after a FOIA request from the Arizona Republic .
When they did finally release the video , they did so by selectively choosing information to help justify the shooting .
“ They put a narrative out there designed to protect and defend an officer that overreacted , ” he said .
After watching the video , it appears that this is exactly what has happened .
What ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of advice for any other innocent 2nd Amendment advocates who protect their home from uninvited intruders who show up in the middle of the night .
“ This is something that could happen to any of us , ” he said .
Indeed it can and does .
Unfortunately , Baeza , and other relatives , have been calling for accountability and action for months but to no avail .
“ Now I ’ m on to the county attorney ‘ s office to find out when someone is going to be held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief on when are these officers going to be fired , ” said Baeza .
Both cops are still gainfully employed with the Phoenix police department and , according to ABC 15 , the City of Phoenix is currently staring down 12 open lawsuits , seeking $ 71,150,000 , related to Phoenix PD shootings in the city ’ s fiscal 2018-19 year .
“ I just wish we had a process to not just throw money at this , but actually change policy .
Actually hold the police officers accountable , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA .
This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state .
Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world .
Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project .
Follow @ MattAgorist on Twitter , Steemit , and now on Minds .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of peace and freedom HERE !
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Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Matt Agorist
Phoenix, AZ — Ryan Whitaker, 40, and father of two, had committed no crime, had harmed no one and was merely answering his door when Phoenix police officer Jeff Cooke dumped three rounds into him — killing him in cold blood. The shooting took place in May, and the officers involved have faced no accountability whatsoever. As a result, the taxpayers of Phoenix will be shelling out a record amount of money in the form of a lawsuit.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Phoenix City Council voted unanimously to approve a $3 million settlement with the family of Ryan Whitaker.
“There’s no amount of money that will bring my brother back or ease that pain. It’s just really hard,” said Katie Baeza, Whitaker’s older sister.
The incident started over a noise complaint from Whitaker’s upstairs neighbor and ended with the murder of an innocent father. A family for the attorney described the call to police about the noise as “exaggerated” which put Whitaker and his girlfriend Brandee Nees’ lives in danger. He also said the police knew this.
“The Phoenix Police Department knew from the night of the shooting that this was a false and exaggerated 911 call,” Matthew Cunnigham, the family’s lawyer said.
The nosy neighbor from upstairs — without any evidence — called police claiming they heard a loud argument that may be getting physical.
The caller even said on the 911 recording that they claimed it was “physical” just to get the cops out there faster.
“It could be physical,” the caller told a 911 dispatcher. “I could say yeah if that makes anybody hurry on up. Get anybody here faster.”
But there was no domestic dispute at all. Whitaker was playing video games with his girlfriend and the two were just excited about it.
That was all the caller said, nothing else. In fact, it was so vague that officer Cooke and his partner officer John Ferragamo joked about how ridiculous it was as they walked to Whitaker’s front door.
“Did you like all that helpful info we got from our complainant?” Ferragamo is heard telling Cooke as they walk to Whitaker’s apartment, according to the footage.
“‘I’m just gonna say yes to all the questions to get the officers here faster,’” Ferragamo says, mocking the caller.
As the video shows, the officers knock at the door, say ‘police’, and then step out of view of the peephole, not letting the people inside see who is actually there. Literally any criminal in the world could do the same thing.
Because strangers had harassed Whitaker at his apartment a few days earlier, he grabbed his legally owned firearm and answered the door. Three seconds later, he’d be shot in the back, dying on his front porch.
“Hands,” the officer says before opening fire. Whitaker, according to the video appeared to be entirely compliant, yet Cooke opened fire immediately anyway.
“Holy sh-t!” Ferragamo is heard saying after his partner killed the innocent father.
Nees, who was right behind Whitaker and could’ve died too, then exists from the apartment, visibly distraught.
“Why did you guys shoot him?” Nees yelled.
Cooke responds, “He just pulled a gun on us, ma’am.”
But the video shows he “pulled” no gun, was kneeling down, and trying to put the gun on the ground when he was executed.
“Because it’s dark and someone just knocked on the door,” she yelled at Cooke, explaining to her boyfriend’s killer why it was logical for Whitaker to have a gun.
Ferragamo then says, “It’s okay.” It’s unclear if he says this to Cooke or Nees.
But, Nees yells, “It’s not okay.”
At this point, Whitaker is still dying on the ground in front of his home and neither officer is attempting to save his life.
Nees asks the officers why they are there in the first place and the officers told them they received a call about the yelling. Nees then proceeds to tell the officers Whitaker answered with the gun because a few days earlier, someone suspiciously knocked on his door and fled before he could see them through the peephole.
Sadly, it appears that this was the same thing that happened this time, only it was the cops hiding out of the peephole’s view.
As the conversation continues, the officers realize no crime had taken place and the “yelling” reported by the nosy upstairs neighbor was excitement over a video game the couple was playing.
“Literally we were making salsa and playing Crash Bandicoot, so there may have been some screaming,” she told the officer, according to the video. “It wasn’t domestic violence or anything.”
As Nees watches the love of her life die on the ground in front of her, she pleads with the officers to handcuff her so she can be next to him as he dies. That request was denied.
The officers still haven’t done so much as provided pressure to Whitaker’s wounds. When Nees asks them if they can check to see if he is okay, Ferragamo callously responds, “I’m leaning toward the fact that he’s not.”
“He was at home playing video games and he did nothing wrong. On the contrary, he assumed the position that anybody would, and he still lost his life,” said Councilmember Carlos Garcia during the settlement approval.
Slow-motion video edited by the attorney shows that Whitaker had put the gun down. What’s more, we can see from the video that he was putting his hand up and trying to put the gun down — clearly not threatening anyone with a gun. What’s more, it is entirely legal to answer your door with a gun.
After the shooting, police did not release the body camera footage and only did so after a FOIA request from the Arizona Republic. When they did finally release the video, they did so by selectively choosing information to help justify the shooting.
“They put a narrative out there designed to protect and defend an officer that overreacted,” he said.
After watching the video, it appears that this is exactly what has happened. What’s more, Cunningham leaves a word of advice for any other innocent 2nd Amendment advocates who protect their home from uninvited intruders who show up in the middle of the night.
“This is something that could happen to any of us,” he said. Indeed it can and does.
Unfortunately, Baeza, and other relatives, have been calling for accountability and action for months but to no avail.
“Now I’m on to the county attorney‘s office to find out when someone is going to be held accountable. Back to the Phoenix Police Chief on when are these officers going to be fired,” said Baeza.
Both cops are still gainfully employed with the Phoenix police department and, according to ABC 15, the City of Phoenix is currently staring down 12 open lawsuits, seeking $71,150,000, related to Phoenix PD shootings in the city’s fiscal 2018-19 year.
That is a massive problem.
“I just wish we had a process to not just throw money at this, but actually change policy. Actually hold the police officers accountable,” said Garcia.
We agree.
Source: The Free Thought Project
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Minds.
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activistpost--2020-12-03--Tequila Bar In England Registers To Become A Church So It Can Re-Open

It was just a couple days ago we wrote about one Staten Island bar finding a “ creative ” solution to the government shutdown by declaring itself an autonomous zone .
Now , another bar in England is following suit with another “ creative ” solution : registering itself as a church .
400 Rabbits Tequila and Mezcal Cocktail Bar in Nottingham , England has rebranded itself as “ The Church Of the Four Hundred Rabbits ” and has officially filed a formal application for the bar to be used as a place of worship , according to the NY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , now needs people to sign up as his congregation in order for the application to go through .
Aspell wrote on Twitter : “ With places of worship allowed to open in all tiers we thought f–k it let ’ s start a religion !
Can ’ t be that hard can it !
Congregation daily till late.
” He said that despite the cynical tone of what he ’ s doing , his business is truly struggling and that the hypocrisy of shutting down small businesses is disproportionately hurting bars .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s usually all guns blazing but instead I ’ m sat at home putting my Christmas decorations up , ” he said .
He said that despite the cynical tone of what he ’ s doing , his business is truly struggling and that the hypocrisy of shutting down small businesses is disproportionately hurting bars .
“ This time of year it ’ s usually all guns blazing but instead I ’ m sat at home putting my Christmas decorations up , ” he said .
Future customers – err – congregation members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The only reason I ’ d take up a religion .
I ’ m in , ” one wrote on Facebook .
“ The only religion I would get on board with , ” another said .
Of course , to truly curb all this nonsense , governments could just allow small businesses to open up with precautions .
But given government ’ s expertise in misuse of time , money and resources , we ’ re sure that won ’ t happen .
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By Tyler Durden
It was just a couple days ago we wrote about one Staten Island bar finding a “creative” solution to the government shutdown by declaring itself an autonomous zone. Now, another bar in England is following suit with another “creative” solution: registering itself as a church.
400 Rabbits Tequila and Mezcal Cocktail Bar in Nottingham, England has rebranded itself as “The Church Of the Four Hundred Rabbits” and has officially filed a formal application for the bar to be used as a place of worship, according to the NY Post.
The owner, James Aspell, now needs people to sign up as his congregation in order for the application to go through.
Aspell wrote on Twitter: “With places of worship allowed to open in all tiers we thought f–k it let’s start a religion! Can’t be that hard can it! Congregation daily till late.”
He said that despite the cynical tone of what he’s doing, his business is truly struggling and that the hypocrisy of shutting down small businesses is disproportionately hurting bars. “This time of year it’s usually all guns blazing but instead I’m sat at home putting my Christmas decorations up,” he said.
He said that despite the cynical tone of what he’s doing, his business is truly struggling and that the hypocrisy of shutting down small businesses is disproportionately hurting bars. “This time of year it’s usually all guns blazing but instead I’m sat at home putting my Christmas decorations up,” he said.
Future customers – err – congregation members seem to love the idea. “The only reason I’d take up a religion. I’m in,” one wrote on Facebook. “The only religion I would get on board with,” another said.
Of course, to truly curb all this nonsense, governments could just allow small businesses to open up with precautions. But given government’s expertise in misuse of time, money and resources, we’re sure that won’t happen.
Source: Zero Hedge
Top image: New York Post
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activistpost--2020-12-03--Beverly Hills and Louisville Revolt Against Dining Bans as Lockdown Defiance Spreads Across America

When Kentucky Gov .
Andy Beshear announced a week before Thanksgiving he was closing all indoor service for restaurants and bars because of rising COVID-19 case numbers , Richard Hayhoe had a simple message for his customers .
“ Come hungry , come inside , ” said Hayhoe , the owner of Beans Cafe and Bakery in Dry Ridge , a rural community about 50 miles north of Lexington .
Instead of complying with Beshear ’ s order , Hayhoe opted to keep his restaurant open , saying the governor ’ s order was not about public health .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is about control , ” Hayhoe wrote in a social media post .
Hayhoe ’ s act of civil disobedience appears to have started something .
USA Today reports that dozens of Louisville restaurants recently announced they will reopen their dining rooms ( at 50 percent capacity ) on December 14—regardless of what Beshear does .
( Kentucky ’ s shutdown order is slated to expire at 5:00 PM on December 13 . )
The group , called the Kentucky Restaurant Rescue Coalition , started an online petition that has garnered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning .
“ If Governor Beshear does not rescind restaurant closures , restaurants will reopen on December 14 at 50 % , ” reads the petition .
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The news from Kentucky comes amid a surge of backlash against economic lockdowns , which have wreaked damage on America ’ s small businesses , the broader economy , and the mental health of Americans .
The opposition has taken many forms—from criticism from Waffle House to enforcement defiance from Weld County Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to spread .
In Beverly Hills , California , city leaders are demanding Los Angeles County repeal its ban on outdoor dining .
“ The resolution demands a motion be placed on the December 8 , 2020 agenda of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to repeal the current Health Order , ” Beverly Hills City Council said in a press release .
Reports say Beverly Hills is also exploring creating its own city public health department , similar to Pasadena , which currently allows outdoor dining .
( If nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rediscover the virtue of federalism and decentralization . )
The fact that politicians in California—and Beverly Hills of all places !
—are growing disenchanted with the punishing and ineffective lockdowns is a sign that Americans are tired of being ordered around by politicians who blithely choose which parts of the economy stay open and what gets shut down , while ignoring their own rules .
Churches ?
Closed .
Strip clubs ?
Sure .
Restaurants ?
Sorry .
Liquor stores ?
Okay .
Private gatherings ?
Nope .
Lottery ticket sales ?
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders has given lie to the notion that public health is driving the lockdowns .
“ Who knew public health would so perfectly align with secular convenience ?
” Justice Neil Gorsuch recently quipped in a Supreme Court case overturning Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s coronavirus restrictions on houses of worship in New York .
The case for forced lockdowns was always dubious , especially in the absence of clear data on the mortality risk of COVID-19 .
But the fact that lockdowns are continuing today in light of the evidence we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and terribly ineffective at slowing the spread of a virus , which appears to have been in the US since 2019 , according to new CDC research—is maddening .
As Jason Riley recently pointed out in the Wall Street Journal , many Americans are simply done with all of it .
“ What ’ s going on is not simply hypocrisy but an infantilization of the American public , ” Riley wrote .
“ There ’ s a widespread assumption among liberal elites that the rest of us are incapable of calculating risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , and it ’ s insulting.
” Across the United States—from Beverly Hills to Louisville to New York City and beyond—Americans are finally resisting .
In doing so , Americans are channeling the tradition of civil disobedience that is part of our DNA and was used by figures ranging from Sam Adams to Henry David Thoreau to Susan B. Anthony and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “ This is a form of mass civil disobedience like nothing the country has seen since the 1960s , ” Riley notes .
“ Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to be sure .
But the endless parade of politicians flouting their own rules surely has also played a role .
It began shortly after the spring lockdowns and if anything has become more commonplace , even farcical.
” The paradox of civil disobedience , which Thoreau called the “ true foundation of liberty , ” is that it empowers those who lack power through peaceful non-compliance .
Throughout history , it has proven an effective tool against injustice and the use of capricious and arbitrary power .
And it was arbitrary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owner of Beans Cafe and Bakery to take a stand against state lockdown orders .
“ Small businesses , ” Hayhoe told Neal Cavuto , “ are being made to submit to these orders that just seem arbitrary.
” Indeed .
Nevertheless , Hayhoe ’ s non-compliance may come with consequences , which is why he has started a legal defense fund .
Americans like Hayhoe may soon have to determine how far they ’ re willing to go to peacefully oppose the injustice of lockdowns in the face of politicians who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wishing to relent .
“ You ’ re not going back to normal , ” New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo recently told reporters .
As governments heap threats and penalties on those who defy orders by peacefully conducting business to stay afloat , Americans seeking to steel themselves can find inspiration and courage in these words from Thoreau .
“ [ The state ] is not armed with superior wit or honesty , but with superior physical strength , ” Thoreau wrote in Civil Disobedience .
“ I was not born to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my own fashion .
Let us see who is the strongest.
” Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org .
His writing/reporting has been the subject of articles in TIME magazine , The Wall Street Journal , CNN , Forbes , Fox News , and the Star Tribune .
Bylines : Newsweek , The Washington Times , MSN.com , The Washington Examiner , The Daily Caller , The Federalist , the Epoch Times .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send resources to the front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Parler , Flote , Minds , MeWe and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
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By Jon Miltimore
When Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced a week before Thanksgiving he was closing all indoor service for restaurants and bars because of rising COVID-19 case numbers, Richard Hayhoe had a simple message for his customers.
“Come hungry, come inside,” said Hayhoe, the owner of Beans Cafe and Bakery in Dry Ridge, a rural community about 50 miles north of Lexington.
Instead of complying with Beshear’s order, Hayhoe opted to keep his restaurant open, saying the governor’s order was not about public health.
“This is no longer just about health, it is about control,” Hayhoe wrote in a social media post.
Our Dining Room will remain open this Holiday Season! pic.twitter.com/XJBtkGO2Zs — Richard Hayhoe (@HayhoeRichard) November 20, 2020
Hayhoe’s act of civil disobedience appears to have started something.
USA Today reports that dozens of Louisville restaurants recently announced they will reopen their dining rooms (at 50 percent capacity) on December 14—regardless of what Beshear does. (Kentucky’s shutdown order is slated to expire at 5:00 PM on December 13.)
The group, called the Kentucky Restaurant Rescue Coalition, started an online petition that has garnered more than 5,000 signatures as of Wednesday morning.
“If Governor Beshear does not rescind restaurant closures, restaurants will reopen on December 14 at 50%,” reads the petition.
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The news from Kentucky comes amid a surge of backlash against economic lockdowns, which have wreaked damage on America’s small businesses, the broader economy, and the mental health of Americans.
The opposition has taken many forms—from criticism from Waffle House to enforcement defiance from Weld County Colorado to civil disobedience in Brooklyn and Buffalo—and continues to spread.
In Beverly Hills, California, city leaders are demanding Los Angeles County repeal its ban on outdoor dining.
“The resolution demands a motion be placed on the December 8, 2020 agenda of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to repeal the current Health Order,” Beverly Hills City Council said in a press release.
Reports say Beverly Hills is also exploring creating its own city public health department, similar to Pasadena, which currently allows outdoor dining. (If nothing else, the coronavirus is helping Americans rediscover the virtue of federalism and decentralization.)
Beverly Hills City Council votes to oppose LA County dining ban https://t.co/TjnolVEPEt — ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) December 2, 2020
#BREAKING – Beverly Hills City Council unanimously approved a resolution opposing the LA County order that restricts outdoor dining – they say they're now considering legal action & exploring "the potential for the creation of a local City Health Department in BH. @FOXLA — Alexandria Hernandez (@AlexandriaFOXLA) December 2, 2020
The fact that politicians in California—and Beverly Hills of all places!—are growing disenchanted with the punishing and ineffective lockdowns is a sign that Americans are tired of being ordered around by politicians who blithely choose which parts of the economy stay open and what gets shut down, while ignoring their own rules.
Churches? Closed. Strip clubs? Sure. Restaurants? Sorry. Liquor stores? Okay. Private gatherings? Nope. Lottery ticket sales? You bet! The sheer banality of these orders has given lie to the notion that public health is driving the lockdowns.
“Who knew public health would so perfectly align with secular convenience?” Justice Neil Gorsuch recently quipped in a Supreme Court case overturning Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus restrictions on houses of worship in New York.
The case for forced lockdowns was always dubious, especially in the absence of clear data on the mortality risk of COVID-19. But the fact that lockdowns are continuing today in light of the evidence we now have—which shows lockdowns are incredibly harmful and terribly ineffective at slowing the spread of a virus, which appears to have been in the US since 2019, according to new CDC research—is maddening.
As Jason Riley recently pointed out in the Wall Street Journal, many Americans are simply done with all of it.
“What’s going on is not simply hypocrisy but an infantilization of the American public,” Riley wrote. “There’s a widespread assumption among liberal elites that the rest of us are incapable of calculating risks and taking necessary precautions to ride out the pandemic, and it’s insulting.”
Across the United States—from Beverly Hills to Louisville to New York City and beyond—Americans are finally resisting. In doing so, Americans are channeling the tradition of civil disobedience that is part of our DNA and was used by figures ranging from Sam Adams to Henry David Thoreau to Susan B. Anthony and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“This is a form of mass civil disobedience like nothing the country has seen since the 1960s,” Riley notes. “Some of it is born of Covid fatigue, to be sure. But the endless parade of politicians flouting their own rules surely has also played a role. It began shortly after the spring lockdowns and if anything has become more commonplace, even farcical.”
The paradox of civil disobedience, which Thoreau called the “true foundation of liberty,” is that it empowers those who lack power through peaceful non-compliance. Throughout history, it has proven an effective tool against injustice and the use of capricious and arbitrary power.
And it was arbitrary power that compelled Richard Hayhoe, the owner of Beans Cafe and Bakery to take a stand against state lockdown orders.
“Small businesses,” Hayhoe told Neal Cavuto, “are being made to submit to these orders that just seem arbitrary.”
Indeed. Nevertheless, Hayhoe’s non-compliance may come with consequences, which is why he has started a legal defense fund.
Americans like Hayhoe may soon have to determine how far they’re willing to go to peacefully oppose the injustice of lockdowns in the face of politicians who have the power and show no signs of wishing to relent.
“You’re not going back to normal,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently told reporters.
This NYC bar owner is a hero. #freethebeer https://t.co/dJVvOCApyN — Matt Kibbe (@mkibbe) December 2, 2020
"You're not going back to normal," @NYGovCuomo says, of coming months/post-vaccine world. — Jesse McKinley (@jessemckinley) December 2, 2020
As governments heap threats and penalties on those who defy orders by peacefully conducting business to stay afloat, Americans seeking to steel themselves can find inspiration and courage in these words from Thoreau.
“[The state] is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength,” Thoreau wrote in Civil Disobedience. “I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest.”
Beans Cafe & Bakery owner Richard Hayhoe and his attorney Chris Wiest talk to David Asman about why Beans Cafe & Bakery's indoor dining will remain open against the Governor's COVID-19 restrictions in Kentucky pic.twitter.com/4hS8OWSLsZ — Neil Cavuto (@TeamCavuto) November 28, 2020
Source: FEE.org
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org. His writing/reporting has been the subject of articles in TIME magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, and the Star Tribune.
Bylines: Newsweek, The Washington Times, MSN.com, The Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, the Epoch Times.
Image Credit: Torsten Bolten, CC BY-SA 3.0
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activistpost--2020-12-03--LA County Mayor Says Not Wearing A Mask Is “Act Of Domestic Terrorism”

A Los Angeles County public official was quoted by the Los Angeles Daily News as saying those who defy the public health order to wear a mask in public in response to the virus pandemic are guilty of an “ act of domestic terrorism.
” “ If it were up to me , anybody not wearing a mask when they are out in public would be arrested … That ’ s an and should be treated like one , ” Lancaster , California , Mayor Rex Parris , recently said .
Parris ’ comment comes as his small town of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , is in a county where cases on Monday recorded the worst day thus far of the COVID-19 pandemic .
It ’ s perfectly understood for Parris to be frustrated considering the virus pandemic is ravaging the county , though equating non-compliant folks as domestic terrorism is absurd .
Parris ’ attitude should come as no surprise to readers as the county – nevertheless , the state – has enforced strict restrictions in recent weeks .
… so , by definition , California Governor Gavin Newsom is a domestic terrorist ?
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revolutionary ” study was published last week that demonstrates mask-wearing does very little to mitigate the spread of the virus .
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By Tyler Durden
A Los Angeles County public official was quoted by the Los Angeles Daily News as saying those who defy the public health order to wear a mask in public in response to the virus pandemic are guilty of an “act of domestic terrorism.”
“If it were up to me, anybody not wearing a mask when they are out in public would be arrested … That’s an act of domestic terrorism and should be treated like one,” Lancaster, California, Mayor Rex Parris, recently said.
Parris’ comment comes as his small town of 156,000, located in northern Los Angeles County, is in a county where cases on Monday recorded the worst day thus far of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s perfectly understood for Parris to be frustrated considering the virus pandemic is ravaging the county, though equating non-compliant folks as domestic terrorism is absurd.
Parris’ attitude should come as no surprise to readers as the county – nevertheless, the state – has enforced strict restrictions in recent weeks.
Public Health to Add Additional Safety Modifications to Health Officer Order – Targeted Safer at Home Order Comes After 5-Day Average of New Cases is 4,751. View https://t.co/CfWbZdkIZH pic.twitter.com/RAZRpJUcxK — LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) November 27, 2020
… so, by definition, California Governor Gavin Newsom is a domestic terrorist?
As a reminder to readers, a “revolutionary” study was published last week that demonstrates mask-wearing does very little to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Source: Zero Hedge
Image: Truth Theory
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Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE! Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Parler, Flote, Minds, MeWe and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.