activistpost--2020-09-24--In Unprecedented Monetary Overhaul, The Fed Is Preparing To Deposit “Digital Dollars” Directly To “E

In Unprecedented Monetary Overhaul, The Fed Is Preparing To Deposit “Digital Dollars” Directly To “Each American”

Activist Post Editor ’ s Note : This is , of course , a plan that has long been discussed and is now coming to fruition with the Great Reset .
Please don ’ t miss Spiro Skouras ’ report about the big picture “ Coronavirus End Game : The Economic Crisis & Roll Out of the New Digital Financial System.
” Over the past decade , the one common theme despite the political upheaval and growing social and geopolitical instability , was that the market would keep marching higher and the Fed would continue injecting liquidity into the system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite sparking unprecedented asset price inflation , prices as measured across the broader economy – using the flawed CPI metric and certainly stagnant worker wages – would remain subdued ( as a reminder , the Fed is desperate to ignite broad inflation as that is the only way the countless trillions of excess debt can be eliminated and has so far failed to do so ) .
The Fed ’ s failure to reach its inflation target – which prompted the US central bank to radically overhaul its monetary dogma last month and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FAIT ) whereby the Fed will allow inflation to run hot without hiking rates – has sparked broad criticism from the economic establishment , even though as we showed in June , deflation is now a direct function of the Fed ’ s unconventional monetary policies as the lower yields slide , the lower the propensity to spend .
In other words , the harder the Fed fights to stimulate inflation , the more deflation and more saving it spurs as a result ( incidentally this is not the first time this “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we wrote “ One Bank Makes A Stunning Discovery – The Fed ’ s Rate Cuts Are Now Deflationary “ ) .
In short , ever since the Fed launched QE and NIRP , it has been making the situation it has been trying to “ fix ” even worse while blowing the biggest asset price bubble in history .
And having recently accepted that its preferred stimulus pathway has failed to boost the broader economy , the blame has fallen on how monetary policy is intermediated , specifically the way the Fed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commercial banks instead of “ tricking down ” all the way to the consumer level .
To be sure , in the aftermath of the covid pandemic shutdowns the Fed has tried to short-circuit this process , and in conjunction with the Treasury it has launched “ helicopter money ” which has resulted in a direct transfer of funds to US corporations via PPP loans , as well as to end consumers via the emergency $ 600 weekly unemployment benefits which however are set to expire unless renewed by Congress as explained last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over which fiscal stimulus will be implemented next .
And yet , the lament is that even as the economy was desperately in need of a massive liquidity tsunami , the funds created by the Fed and Treasury ( now that the US operates under a quasi-MMT regime ) did not make their way to those who need them the most : end consumers .
Which is why we read with great interest a Bloomberg interview with two former Fed officials : Simon Potter , who led the Federal Reserve Bank of New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was the head of the Fed ’ s Plunge Protection Team for years , and Julia Coronado , who spent eight years as an economist for the Fed ’ s Board of Governors , who are among the innovators brainstorming solutions to what has emerged as the most crucial and difficult problem facing the Fed : get money swiftly to people who need it most in a crisis .
The response was striking : the two propose creating a monetary tool that they call recession insurance bonds , which draw on some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will be wired instantly to Americans .
As Coronado explained the details , Congress would grant the Federal Reserve an additional tool for providing support—say , a percent of GDP [ in a lump sum that would be divided equally and distributed ] to households in a recession .
Recession insurance bonds would be zero-coupon securities , a contingent asset of households that would basically lie in wait .
The trigger could be reaching the zero lower bound on interest rates or , as economist Claudia Sahm has proposed , a 0.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Fed would then activate the securities and deposit the funds digitally in households ’ apps .
As Potter added , “ it took Congress too long to get money to people , and it ’ s too clunky .
We need a separate infrastructure .
The Fed could buy the bonds quickly without going to the private market .
On March 15 they could have said interest rates are now at zero , we ’ re activating X amount of the bonds , and we ’ ll be tracking the unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ll buy more .
The bonds will be on the asset side of the Fed ’ s balance sheet ; the digital dollars in people ’ s accounts will be on the liability side.
” Essentially , the Fed is proposing creating a hybrid digital legal tender unlike reserves which are stuck within the financial system , and which it can deposit directly into US consumer accounts .
In short , as we summarized “ The Fed Is Planning To Send Money Directly To Americans In The Next Crisis “ , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : So this morning , as if to confirm our speculation of what comes next , Cleveland Fed president Loretta Mester delivered a speech to the Chicago Payment Symposium titled “ Payments and the Pandemic “ , in which after going through the big picture boilerplate , Mester goes straight to the matter at hand .
In the section titled “ Central Bank Digital Currencies ” , the Cleveland Fed president writes that “ the experience with pandemic emergency payments has brought forward an idea that was already gaining increased attention at central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , central bank digital currency ( CBDC ) .
” And in the shocking punchline , then goes on to reveal that “ legislation has proposed that each American have an account at the Fed in which digital dollars could be deposited , as liabilities of the Federal Reserve Banks , which could be used for emergency payments .
” But wait it gets better , because in launching digital cash , the Fed would then be able to scrap “ anonymous ” physical currency entirely , and track every single banknote from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ various transactions that take place during its lifetime .
And , eventually , the Fed could remotely “ destroy ” said digital currency when it so decides .
Oh , and in the process the Fed would effectively disintermediate commercial banks , as it would both provide loans to US consumers and directly deposit funds into their accounts , effectively making the entire traditional banking system obsolete .
Here are the details : Other proposals would create a new payments instrument , digital cash , which would be just like the physical currency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a digital form and , potentially , without the anonymity of physical currency .
Depending on how these currencies are designed , central banks could support them without the need for commercial bank involvement via direct issuance into the end-users ’ digital wallets combined with central-bank-facilitated transfer and redemption services .
The demand for and use of such instruments need further consideration in order to evaluate whether such a central bank digital currency would allow for quicker and more ubiquitous payments in times of emergency and more generally .
In addition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues surrounding central bank digital currency need to be better understood , and the costs and benefits evaluated .
The Federal Reserve has been researching issues raised by central bank digital currency for some time .
The Board of Governors has a technology lab that has been building and testing a range of distributed ledger platforms to understand their potential benefits and tradeoffs .
Staff members from several Reserve Banks , including Cleveland Fed software developers , are contributing to this effort .
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is also engaged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts Institute of Technology , to experiment with technologies that could be used for a central bank digital currency .
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has established an innovation center , in partnership with the Bank for International Settlements , to identify and develop in-depth insights into critical trends and financial technology of relevance to central banks .
Experimentation like this is an important ingredient in assessing the benefits and costs of a central bank digital currency , but does not signal any decision by the Federal Reserve to adopt such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank digital currency related to financial stability , market structure , security , privacy , and monetary policy all need to be better understood .
To summarize , the wheels are already turning on a plan that sees the Fed depositing “ digital dollars ” to “ each American ” , a stunning development that essentially sees the Fed bypass Congress , endowing the Central Bank with targeted “ fiscal stimulus ” capabilities , and which could lead to a dramatic reflationary spike as it is the lower income quartile segments of US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for economic goods and services .
And having already implemented Average Inflation Targeting , the resulting burst of inflation would be viewed by the Fed as insufficient on its own ( as it would have to persist for a long time over the “ average ” period whatever it may end up being ) , to tighten monetary policy .
In fact , even as inflation rages – which some alternative inflationary measures to CPI suggest it already is – the Fed will have a semantic loophole in explaining just why it needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the standard of living in America collapses to the benefit of a handful of asset holders .
Why ?
The CBO showed the answer yesterday : Absent a massive burst of inflation in the coming years which inflates away the hundreds of trillions in federal debt , the unprecedented debt tsunami that is coming would mean the end to the American way of life as we know it .
And to do that , the Fed is now finalizing the last steps of a process that revolutionizes the entire fiat monetary system , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banks as financial intermediaries , as they will allow the Fed itself to make direct deposits into Americans ’ “ digital wallets ” , in the process also making Congress and the entire Legislative branch redundant , as a handful of technocrats quietly take over the United States .
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 , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Tyler Durden
Activist Post Editor’s Note: This is, of course, a plan that has long been discussed and is now coming to fruition with the Great Reset. Please don’t miss Spiro Skouras’ report about the big picture “Coronavirus End Game: The Economic Crisis & Roll Out of the New Digital Financial System.”
Over the past decade, the one common theme despite the political upheaval and growing social and geopolitical instability, was that the market would keep marching higher and the Fed would continue injecting liquidity into the system. The second common theme is that despite sparking unprecedented asset price inflation, prices as measured across the broader economy – using the flawed CPI metric and certainly stagnant worker wages – would remain subdued (as a reminder, the Fed is desperate to ignite broad inflation as that is the only way the countless trillions of excess debt can be eliminated and has so far failed to do so).
The Fed’s failure to reach its inflation target – which prompted the US central bank to radically overhaul its monetary dogma last month and unveil Flexible Average Inflation Targeting (or FAIT) whereby the Fed will allow inflation to run hot without hiking rates – has sparked broad criticism from the economic establishment, even though as we showed in June, deflation is now a direct function of the Fed’s unconventional monetary policies as the lower yields slide, the lower the propensity to spend. In other words, the harder the Fed fights to stimulate inflation, the more deflation and more saving it spurs as a result (incidentally this is not the first time this “discovery” was made, in December we wrote “One Bank Makes A Stunning Discovery – The Fed’s Rate Cuts Are Now Deflationary“).
In short, ever since the Fed launched QE and NIRP, it has been making the situation it has been trying to “fix” even worse while blowing the biggest asset price bubble in history.
And having recently accepted that its preferred stimulus pathway has failed to boost the broader economy, the blame has fallen on how monetary policy is intermediated, specifically the way the Fed creates excess reserves which end up at commercial banks instead of “tricking down” all the way to the consumer level.
To be sure, in the aftermath of the covid pandemic shutdowns the Fed has tried to short-circuit this process, and in conjunction with the Treasury it has launched “helicopter money” which has resulted in a direct transfer of funds to US corporations via PPP loans, as well as to end consumers via the emergency $600 weekly unemployment benefits which however are set to expire unless renewed by Congress as explained last week, as Democrats and Republicans feud over which fiscal stimulus will be implemented next.
And yet, the lament is that even as the economy was desperately in need of a massive liquidity tsunami, the funds created by the Fed and Treasury (now that the US operates under a quasi-MMT regime) did not make their way to those who need them the most: end consumers.
Which is why we read with great interest a Bloomberg interview with two former Fed officials: Simon Potter, who led the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s markets group i.e., he was the head of the Fed’s Plunge Protection Team for years, and Julia Coronado, who spent eight years as an economist for the Fed’s Board of Governors, who are among the innovators brainstorming solutions to what has emerged as the most crucial and difficult problem facing the Fed: get money swiftly to people who need it most in a crisis.
The response was striking: the two propose creating a monetary tool that they call recession insurance bonds, which draw on some of the advances in digital payments, which will be wired instantly to Americans.
As Coronado explained the details, Congress would grant the Federal Reserve an additional tool for providing support—say, a percent of GDP [in a lump sum that would be divided equally and distributed] to households in a recession. Recession insurance bonds would be zero-coupon securities, a contingent asset of households that would basically lie in wait. The trigger could be reaching the zero lower bound on interest rates or, as economist Claudia Sahm has proposed, a 0.5 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate. The Fed would then activate the securities and deposit the funds digitally in households’ apps .
As Potter added, “it took Congress too long to get money to people, and it’s too clunky. We need a separate infrastructure. The Fed could buy the bonds quickly without going to the private market. On March 15 they could have said interest rates are now at zero, we’re activating X amount of the bonds, and we’ll be tracking the unemployment rate—if it increases above this level, we’ll buy more. The bonds will be on the asset side of the Fed’s balance sheet; the digital dollars in people’s accounts will be on the liability side.”
Essentially, the Fed is proposing creating a hybrid digital legal tender unlike reserves which are stuck within the financial system, and which it can deposit directly into US consumer accounts. In short, as we summarized “The Fed Is Planning To Send Money Directly To Americans In The Next Crisis“, something we reminded readers of on Monday:
So this morning, as if to confirm our speculation of what comes next, Cleveland Fed president Loretta Mester delivered a speech to the Chicago Payment Symposium titled “Payments and the Pandemic“, in which after going through the big picture boilerplate, Mester goes straight to the matter at hand.
In the section titled “Central Bank Digital Currencies”, the Cleveland Fed president writes that “the experience with pandemic emergency payments has brought forward an idea that was already gaining increased attention at central banks around the world, that is, central bank digital currency (CBDC).”
And in the shocking punchline, then goes on to reveal that “ legislation has proposed that each American have an account at the Fed in which digital dollars could be deposited, as liabilities of the Federal Reserve Banks, which could be used for emergency payments. ”
But wait it gets better, because in launching digital cash, the Fed would then be able to scrap “anonymous” physical currency entirely, and track every single banknote from its “creation” all though the various transactions that take place during its lifetime. And, eventually, the Fed could remotely “destroy” said digital currency when it so decides. Oh, and in the process the Fed would effectively disintermediate commercial banks, as it would both provide loans to US consumers and directly deposit funds into their accounts, effectively making the entire traditional banking system obsolete. Here are the details:
Other proposals would create a new payments instrument, digital cash, which would be just like the physical currency issued by central banks today, but in a digital form and, potentially, without the anonymity of physical currency. Depending on how these currencies are designed, central banks could support them without the need for commercial bank involvement via direct issuance into the end-users’ digital wallets combined with central-bank-facilitated transfer and redemption services. The demand for and use of such instruments need further consideration in order to evaluate whether such a central bank digital currency would allow for quicker and more ubiquitous payments in times of emergency and more generally. In addition, a range of potential risks and policy issues surrounding central bank digital currency need to be better understood, and the costs and benefits evaluated. The Federal Reserve has been researching issues raised by central bank digital currency for some time. The Board of Governors has a technology lab that has been building and testing a range of distributed ledger platforms to understand their potential benefits and tradeoffs. Staff members from several Reserve Banks, including Cleveland Fed software developers, are contributing to this effort. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is also engaged in a multiyear effort, working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to experiment with technologies that could be used for a central bank digital currency. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has established an innovation center, in partnership with the Bank for International Settlements, to identify and develop in-depth insights into critical trends and financial technology of relevance to central banks. Experimentation like this is an important ingredient in assessing the benefits and costs of a central bank digital currency, but does not signal any decision by the Federal Reserve to adopt such a currency. Issues raised by central bank digital currency related to financial stability, market structure, security, privacy, and monetary policy all need to be better understood.
To summarize, the wheels are already turning on a plan that sees the Fed depositing “digital dollars” to “each American”, a stunning development that essentially sees the Fed bypass Congress, endowing the Central Bank with targeted “fiscal stimulus” capabilities, and which could lead to a dramatic reflationary spike as it is the lower income quartile segments of US society that are the marginal price setters for economic goods and services. And having already implemented Average Inflation Targeting, the resulting burst of inflation would be viewed by the Fed as insufficient on its own (as it would have to persist for a long time over the “average” period whatever it may end up being), to tighten monetary policy. In fact, even as inflation rages – which some alternative inflationary measures to CPI suggest it already is – the Fed will have a semantic loophole in explaining just why it needs to keep inflation scorching hot even as the standard of living in America collapses to the benefit of a handful of asset holders.
Why? The CBO showed the answer yesterday:
Absent a massive burst of inflation in the coming years which inflates away the hundreds of trillions in federal debt, the unprecedented debt tsunami that is coming would mean the end to the American way of life as we know it. And to do that, the Fed is now finalizing the last steps of a process that revolutionizes the entire fiat monetary system, launching digital dollars which effectively remove commercial banks as financial intermediaries, as they will allow the Fed itself to make direct deposits into Americans’ “digital wallets”, in the process also making Congress and the entire Legislative branch redundant, as a handful of technocrats quietly take over the United States.
Source: Zerohedge
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, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-09-24--Quarantine as Punishment: Thousands of Latin Americans are Held in “Police State” Detention Centers

U.S. immigration detention centers are often the prime focus of people ’ s outrage ; and , to be sure , there are plenty of reasons for that , including recent accusations of forced sterilizations ( See : “ Shocking Number of Women in ICE Facility Were Sterilized Against Their Will , Nurse Reveals.
” However , it ’ s important to remember that the government response to COVID is truly a global outrage and has resulted in countless other grave abuses of basic human rights beyond the U.S. As you ’ ll read below , people in various parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warehouses , sports stadiums and other makeshift facilities .
Often they are people who already have suffered from the economic fallout and have been caught up in various dragnets as they flee or return from oppressive conditions .
It could make a person wonder if it ’ s really all about # SavingLives .
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March , authorities in Venezuela , El Salvador and Paraguay have held tens of thousands of people in inadequate state-run quarantine centres without sufficient safeguards against human rights violations , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the detentions becoming arbitrary , Amnesty International said in a new report published today .
When protection becomes repression : Mandatory quarantines under COVID-19 in the Americas documents how the authorities in three countries have disproportionately held migrants , refugees , people returning to their countries of origin , and low-income communities in state-run quarantines , often in unsanitary and sometimes inhumane conditions without adequate food , water and medical care , which may amount to ill-treatment .
The appalling conditions stand to make them counterproductive spaces where people are at risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world , authorities have asked people to stay at home or voluntarily quarantine to mitigate the risk of contracting COVID-19 .
But when states lock up tens of thousands of people without ensuring each detention is necessary and proportionate , detain them in appalling conditions under military or police supervision , and discriminate against them or use the quarantine as punishment , they convert a public health intervention into a punitive and repressive tactic , ” said Erika Guevara-Rosas , Americas director at Amnesty International .
By the end of August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities had mandatorily quarantined some 90,000 Venezuelans who had returned home after being left jobless and homeless in neighboring countries such as Colombia and Peru , only to be sent to unsanitary and sometimes inhumane quarantine centers under military control .
While El Salvador and Paraguay had largely closed their state-run quarantines or reduced them in scale by the end of August , President Bukele ’ s government had quarantined more than 16,000 people , including those accused of breaking the mandatory national lockdown , people returning from overseas , or those suspected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had tested positive for COVID-19 .
As of late June , authorities in Paraguay had also mandatorily quarantined some 8,000 people , mainly Paraguayans who had returned to the country after losing their jobs in neighboring Brazil ’ s informal sector as COVID-19 lockdowns were enforced there .
Amnesty International reviewed and verified dozens of videos available on social media or sent to the organization directly , mostly filmed by people placed in mandatory quarantine centres including warehouses , sports stadiums and other facilities , describing the conditions in which they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 phone interviews , reviewed dozens of newly passed laws , policies , and protocols related to lockdowns and the implementation of the mandatory quarantines , as well as court documents , and reports by independent monitors and journalists .
The organization received information in all three countries that people have been quarantined often for well beyond the 14 days currently recommended by the WHO , and sometimes for more than a month .
The people held in quarantine did not have sufficient access to information about how long they would be detained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be used at any given time to determine their discharge from quarantine or isolation .
This constitutes a violation of their right to information and the requirement under international human rights law that any deprivation of liberty , even when in pursuit of the protection of public health , must be provided by law and be necessary , proportionate and time-bound .
Authorities should only hold people in state custody when alternative , less invasive measures , such as voluntary quarantine measures and education campaigns , have failed .
If they do mandatorily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate conditions , safeguard against human rights violations and ensure that quarantines are not used discriminatorily to target specific communities .
“ While governments have had to respond quickly to an unprecedented pandemic , Amnesty International found their implementation of state-run mandatory quarantines was defined by arbitrariness , coupled with police and military enforcement , ” said Erika Guevara-Rosas .
“ Instead of providing the appropriate conditions and safeguards against human rights violations , authorities in Venezuela and El Salvador , in particular , have converted a public health intervention into a punitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and refugees and migrants returning to their countries of origin.
” In El Salvador , for example , the Minister of Justice and Security warned in April that people who broke the national lockdown would be placed in a containment centre , “ far from their families and run the risk in those centres of quarantine of also contracting the virus.
” This indicated that quarantine was seen as a punishment and that the authorities were fully aware that centres lacked the appropriate standards to prevent contagion .
“ I ’ d like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t , ” Ana Cristina told Amnesty International after describing how she had spent 40 days sleeping on a dirty mattress on the floor in a quarantine facility in El Salvador .
She was taken there in mid-April by the police who accused her of breaking the national lockdown when she was out buying groceries and medicine , an activity that was considered essential and allowed at the time of her detention .
The most openly disturbing example of state-sponsored campaigns of stigma and discrimination has come from Venezuela .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returning Venezuelans be placed in mandatory quarantine facilities , high level officials of President Nicolás Maduro ’ s government have simultaneously described Venezuelan refugees returning from Colombia as “ biological weapons ” sent to infect people living in Venezuela .
Senior officials have also described those returning as “ traitors.
” This narrative , based on the returning Venezuelans ’ perceived political views and deliberate association with COVID-19 , coupled with their automatic placement in state-run mandatory quarantines , raises concerns that their deprivation of liberty was discriminatory and arbitrary .
Amnesty International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in state-run quarantines for public health purposes to immediately grant humanitarian organizations and independent human rights monitors access to these centres so they can monitor the conditions , safeguard against ill-treatment and provide urgently needed water , food and other supplies to comply with international human rights obligations and WHO guidelines on quarantine settings .
Authorities must also prevent indefinite detentions .
They must ensure time limits for mandatory quarantine and isolation are limited to the minimum period necessary , as informed by evolving scientific evidence and best practice and given clear information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detention .
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues , and countries across the Americas face the possibility of repeated lockdowns , this initial research into state-run quarantines highlights the need for authorities to avoid resorting to coercive , punitive and discriminatory approaches as they implement public health measures .
“ We know from other pandemics that punitive approaches do no protect communities and associating specific communities with a virus only drives stigma and discrimination .
Instead , human rights-based approaches that empower people with the knowledge they need to protect their own health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they need to comply with voluntary measures , have historically proven more effective , ” said Erika Guevara-Rosas .
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 , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

Activist Post Editor’s Note: U.S. immigration detention centers are often the prime focus of people’s outrage; and, to be sure, there are plenty of reasons for that, including recent accusations of forced sterilizations (See: “Shocking Number of Women in ICE Facility Were Sterilized Against Their Will, Nurse Reveals.”
However, it’s important to remember that the government response to COVID is truly a global outrage and has resulted in countless other grave abuses of basic human rights beyond the U.S. As you’ll read below, people in various parts of Latin America have been detained in warehouses, sports stadiums and other makeshift facilities. Often they are people who already have suffered from the economic fallout and have been caught up in various dragnets as they flee or return from oppressive conditions. It could make a person wonder if it’s really all about #SavingLives.
Op-Ed by Duncan Tucker – CuencaHighLife, Ecuador
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, authorities in Venezuela, El Salvador and Paraguay have held tens of thousands of people in inadequate state-run quarantine centres without sufficient safeguards against human rights violations, in what could amount to ill-treatment and risk the detentions becoming arbitrary, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.
When protection becomes repression: Mandatory quarantines under COVID-19 in the Americas documents how the authorities in three countries have disproportionately held migrants, refugees, people returning to their countries of origin, and low-income communities in state-run quarantines, often in unsanitary and sometimes inhumane conditions without adequate food, water and medical care, which may amount to ill-treatment. The appalling conditions stand to make them counterproductive spaces where people are at risk of contracting COVID-19.
“In many parts of the world, authorities have asked people to stay at home or voluntarily quarantine to mitigate the risk of contracting COVID-19. But when states lock up tens of thousands of people without ensuring each detention is necessary and proportionate, detain them in appalling conditions under military or police supervision, and discriminate against them or use the quarantine as punishment, they convert a public health intervention into a punitive and repressive tactic,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.
By the end of August, according to government figures, Venezuelan authorities had mandatorily quarantined some 90,000 Venezuelans who had returned home after being left jobless and homeless in neighboring countries such as Colombia and Peru, only to be sent to unsanitary and sometimes inhumane quarantine centers under military control.
While El Salvador and Paraguay had largely closed their state-run quarantines or reduced them in scale by the end of August, President Bukele’s government had quarantined more than 16,000 people, including those accused of breaking the mandatory national lockdown, people returning from overseas, or those suspected of having been in contact with anyone who had tested positive for COVID-19.
As of late June, authorities in Paraguay had also mandatorily quarantined some 8,000 people, mainly Paraguayans who had returned to the country after losing their jobs in neighboring Brazil’s informal sector as COVID-19 lockdowns were enforced there.
Amnesty International reviewed and verified dozens of videos available on social media or sent to the organization directly, mostly filmed by people placed in mandatory quarantine centres including warehouses, sports stadiums and other facilities, describing the conditions in which they were being held. It also carried out 14 phone interviews, reviewed dozens of newly passed laws, policies, and protocols related to lockdowns and the implementation of the mandatory quarantines, as well as court documents, and reports by independent monitors and journalists.
The organization received information in all three countries that people have been quarantined often for well beyond the 14 days currently recommended by the WHO, and sometimes for more than a month. The people held in quarantine did not have sufficient access to information about how long they would be detained for or the scientific criteria that would be used at any given time to determine their discharge from quarantine or isolation. This constitutes a violation of their right to information and the requirement under international human rights law that any deprivation of liberty, even when in pursuit of the protection of public health, must be provided by law and be necessary, proportionate and time-bound.
Authorities should only hold people in state custody when alternative, less invasive measures, such as voluntary quarantine measures and education campaigns, have failed. If they do mandatorily quarantine people, they must provide the appropriate conditions, safeguard against human rights violations and ensure that quarantines are not used discriminatorily to target specific communities.
“While governments have had to respond quickly to an unprecedented pandemic, Amnesty International found their implementation of state-run mandatory quarantines was defined by arbitrariness, coupled with police and military enforcement,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas.
“Instead of providing the appropriate conditions and safeguards against human rights violations, authorities in Venezuela and El Salvador, in particular, have converted a public health intervention into a punitive response, disproportionately impacting low-income communities, and refugees and migrants returning to their countries of origin.”
In El Salvador, for example, the Minister of Justice and Security warned in April that people who broke the national lockdown would be placed in a containment centre, “far from their families and run the risk in those centres of quarantine of also contracting the virus.” This indicated that quarantine was seen as a punishment and that the authorities were fully aware that centres lacked the appropriate standards to prevent contagion.
“I’d like to forget all this, but I can’t,” Ana Cristina told Amnesty International after describing how she had spent 40 days sleeping on a dirty mattress on the floor in a quarantine facility in El Salvador. She was taken there in mid-April by the police who accused her of breaking the national lockdown when she was out buying groceries and medicine, an activity that was considered essential and allowed at the time of her detention.
The most openly disturbing example of state-sponsored campaigns of stigma and discrimination has come from Venezuela. In recent months, while requiring that all returning Venezuelans be placed in mandatory quarantine facilities, high level officials of President Nicolás Maduro’s government have simultaneously described Venezuelan refugees returning from Colombia as “biological weapons” sent to infect people living in Venezuela. Senior officials have also described those returning as “traitors.”
This narrative, based on the returning Venezuelans’ perceived political views and deliberate association with COVID-19, coupled with their automatic placement in state-run mandatory quarantines, raises concerns that their deprivation of liberty was discriminatory and arbitrary.
Amnesty International is calling on governments who detain people in state-run quarantines for public health purposes to immediately grant humanitarian organizations and independent human rights monitors access to these centres so they can monitor the conditions, safeguard against ill-treatment and provide urgently needed water, food and other supplies to comply with international human rights obligations and WHO guidelines on quarantine settings.
Authorities must also prevent indefinite detentions. They must ensure time limits for mandatory quarantine and isolation are limited to the minimum period necessary, as informed by evolving scientific evidence and best practice and given clear information about the length and process of their detention.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, and countries across the Americas face the possibility of repeated lockdowns, this initial research into state-run quarantines highlights the need for authorities to avoid resorting to coercive, punitive and discriminatory approaches as they implement public health measures.
“We know from other pandemics that punitive approaches do no protect communities and associating specific communities with a virus only drives stigma and discrimination. Instead, human rights-based approaches that empower people with the knowledge they need to protect their own health and providing them with the resources and support they need to comply with voluntary measures, have historically proven more effective,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas.
Credit: Relief Web
Top image: Pixabay
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, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-09-25--Secret Court Rules It Lacks Jurisdiction to Reveal Its Own Secret Opinions

By Project for Privacy and Surveillance Accountability In April , the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review ( FISCR ) published an opinion that set the civil liberties community on edge .
It addressed whether it had jurisdiction to resolve several First Amendment claims seeking access to opinions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ( FISC ) .
FISCR acknowledged that civil liberties groups that brought suit had satisfied two of the three jurisdictional requirements .
First , a lack of access to these opinions was unquestionably an injury that could be redressed by a court , making the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FISC withheld those opinions based on federal law .
But FISCR found that the third needed category—that the issue must be authorized by a “ jurisdictional statute ” —was not satisfied .
Last week , FISC acted on this standard , rejecting requests for opinions regarding bulk data collection .
In three cases brought by civil liberties organizations seeking access to unreleased opinions , FISC dismissed each motion for a lack of jurisdiction , notwithstanding the strength of the First Amendment claims of access .
“ Orwellian ” is a word that gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but when a court needs special permission to decide questions about its own internal procedures , that adjective certainly comes to mind .
What ’ s next , a requirement for a specific grant of permission to decide what to order for lunch ?
While some other court perhaps could rule on the issue , or not , the public should not have to scurry from court to court begging for basic information on what its government is up to .
What can be done ?
Congress should step in to correct the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FISC has held it lacks .
Congress can provide the American people with the means to hold the courts accountable by slightly but explicitly expanding FISC ’ s—and FISCR ’ s—jurisdiction to allow it to hear First Amendment right-of-access claims .
Of course , granting FISC jurisdiction to consider these questions would not resolve their merits .
But FISC , like every federal court , would be free to determine—in each case—if maintaining the secrecy of its opinions would be the necessary , least-restrictive way of furthering the government ’ s national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statutes , FISC and FISCR will be free to continue to dismiss even the most meritorious claims .
So Congress should fix this defect—after all , a right without remedy is no right at all .
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 , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of @ @ @ @

By Project for Privacy and Surveillance Accountability
In April, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review (FISCR) published an opinion that set the civil liberties community on edge. It addressed whether it had jurisdiction to resolve several First Amendment claims seeking access to opinions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC).
FISCR acknowledged that civil liberties groups that brought suit had satisfied two of the three jurisdictional requirements. First, a lack of access to these opinions was unquestionably an injury that could be redressed by a court, making the case actionable and live. Second, the FISC withheld those opinions based on federal law. But FISCR found that the third needed category—that the issue must be authorized by a “jurisdictional statute”—was not satisfied.
Last week, FISC acted on this standard, rejecting requests for opinions regarding bulk data collection. In three cases brought by civil liberties organizations seeking access to unreleased opinions, FISC dismissed each motion for a lack of jurisdiction, notwithstanding the strength of the First Amendment claims of access.
“Orwellian” is a word that gets a lot of use these days, but when a court needs special permission to decide questions about its own internal procedures, that adjective certainly comes to mind. What’s next, a requirement for a specific grant of permission to decide what to order for lunch?
While some other court perhaps could rule on the issue, or not, the public should not have to scurry from court to court begging for basic information on what its government is up to. What can be done? Congress should step in to correct the situation and provide the express authority regarding FISC has held it lacks.
Congress can provide the American people with the means to hold the courts accountable by slightly but explicitly expanding FISC’s—and FISCR’s—jurisdiction to allow it to hear First Amendment right-of-access claims.
Of course, granting FISC jurisdiction to consider these questions would not resolve their merits. But FISC, like every federal court, would be free to determine—in each case—if maintaining the secrecy of its opinions would be the necessary, least-restrictive way of furthering the government’s national security interests.
Unless Congress amends the jurisdictional statutes, FISC and FISCR will be free to continue to dismiss even the most meritorious claims.
So Congress should fix this defect—after all, a right without remedy is no right at all.
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, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-09-25--Oklahoma Doctors Claim Masks are Harmful to Healthy People and File Lawsuit Against Mandates

These aren ’ t the only American doctors who have said that wearing masks is causing healthy people to become sick .
They may be the only ones who have filed a lawsuit against mask mandates though .
JENKS , Okla. — A group is suing Tulsa Mayor G.T .
Bynum and Tulsa Health Department Executive Director Bruce Dart , saying the city ’ s mask mandate is harmful to healthy people .
Optometrist Robert Zoellner , Clay Clark , Dr. James Meehan , MD , and other Tulsa-based business owners are asking the city to immediately repeal the mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month .
The group alleges wearing masks is causing healthy people to become sick while trying to prevent the spread of a disease that is not a deadly threat to children and much of the public .
“ On the OSHA website it states that employers shouldn ’ t make employees work in an environment where they have less than a 19.5 percent oxygen level , ” said Clayton Clark , one of the plaintiffs .
“ And the mandated masks cause employees to dip below a 19.5 percent oxygen level within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so I don ’ t want to make my healthy employees sick.
” An Ohio citizens group has also filed a lawsuit against COVID-19 mandates in their state as well .
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 , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By B.N. Frank
These aren’t the only American doctors who have said that wearing masks is causing healthy people to become sick. They may be the only ones who have filed a lawsuit against mask mandates though.
By: FOX23 News
Updated: August 18, 2020 – 6:38 AM
JENKS, Okla. — A group is suing Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and Tulsa Health Department Executive Director Bruce Dart, saying the city’s mask mandate is harmful to healthy people.
Optometrist Robert Zoellner, Clay Clark, Dr. James Meehan, MD, and other Tulsa-based business owners are asking the city to immediately repeal the mask mandate which was passed by city council last month.
The group alleges wearing masks is causing healthy people to become sick while trying to prevent the spread of a disease that is not a deadly threat to children and much of the public.
“On the OSHA website it states that employers shouldn’t make employees work in an environment where they have less than a 19.5 percent oxygen level,” said Clayton Clark, one of the plaintiffs. “And the mandated masks cause employees to dip below a 19.5 percent oxygen level within 10 seconds of wearing a mask, so I don’t want to make my healthy employees sick.”
( Longer Video Clip of Press Conference Here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?extid=hvm2IyiFtSPolBHZ&v=856047831588499&ref=watch_permalink )
An Ohio citizens group has also filed a lawsuit against COVID-19 mandates in their state as well.
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, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-09-26--Students Are Pushing Back Against Proctoring Surveillance Apps

Privacy groups aren ’ t the only ones raising the alarm about the dangers of invasive proctoring apps .
Through dozens of petitions across the country , and the globe , students too are pushing school administrators and teachers to consider the risks these apps create .
Students at the University of Texas at Dallas are petitioning the school to stop using the proctoring app Honorlock .
The petition has over 6,300 signatures , notes that Honorlock can collect “ your face , driver ’ s license , and network information , ” and calls use of Honorlock a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Students at Florida International University are petitioning their school to stop using Honorlock as well , gathering over 7,200 signatures .
They highlight the amount of data that Honorlock collects and that Honorlock is allowed to keep the information for up to a year and , in some cases , 2 years .
Students at California State University Fullerton are petitioning the school to stop using Proctorio , calling it “ creepy and unacceptable ” that students would be filmed in their own house in order to take exams .
The petition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not just privacy that ’ s at stake .
While almost all the petitions we ’ ve seen raise very real privacy concerns—from biometric data collection , to the often overbroad permissions these apps require over the students ’ devices , to the surveillance of students ’ personal environments—these petitions make clear that proctoring apps also raise concerns about security , equity and accessibility , cost , increased stress , and bias in the technology .
A petition by the students at Washington State University , which has over 1,700 signatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secure , pointing to a July 2020 data breach in which the information of 440,000 users was leaked .
Students at University of Massachusetts Lowell are petitioning the school to stop using Respondus , in particular calling out the access that its Ring-0 software has on students ’ devices , and noting that the software “ creates massive security vulnerabilities and attack vectors , and thus can not be tolerated on personal devices under any circumstances.
” The petition has over 1,000 signatures .
Students at the University of Colorado Boulder raise concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying that “ the added stress of such an intrusive program may make it harder for students with testing anxiety and other factors to complete the tests.
” The petition has over 1,100 signatures .
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations wrote a letter speaking out about proctoring technologies , noting that the need for access to high-speed internet and newer computer technologies “ increase [ students ’ ] stress and anxiety levels , and leave many students behind.
” In addition to privacy concerns , the petition from students at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires a webcam and microphone , “ students with limited access to technology or a quiet testing location ” are placed at a disadvantage , and that the required use of such technology “ does not account for students with difficult living situations.
” A petition against Miami University ’ s use of Proctorio notes that its required use “ discriminates against neurodivergent students , as it tracks a student ’ s gaze , and flags students who look away from the screen as ‘ suspicious.
’ This , too , “ negatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The petition also noted that proctoring software often had difficulty recognizing students with black or brown skin and tracking their movements .
Their petition has over 400 signatures .
Students have seen success through these petitions .
A petition at The City University of New York , supported by the University Student Senate and other student body groups , resulted in the decision that faculty and staff may not compel students to participate in online proctoring .
After students at the University of London petitioned against the use of Proctortrack , the university @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proctoring provider .
Below , we ’ ve listed some of the larger petitions and noted their major concerns .
There are hundreds more , and regardless of the number of signatures , it ’ s important to note that even a few concerned students , teachers , or parents can make a difference at their schools .
As remote learning continues , these petitions and other pushback from student activists , parents , and teachers will undoubtedly grow .
Schools must take note of this level of organized activism .
Working together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns about privacy , equity , and bias in technology important components of school policy , instead of afterthoughts .
If you want to learn more about defending student privacy , EFF has several guides and blog posts that are a good place to start .
• A detailed explanation of EFF ’ s concerns with unnecessary surveillance of proctoring apps is available here • Our Surveillance Self-Defense Guide to student privacy covers the basics of techniques that are often used to invade privacy and track students , as well as what happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and how to protect yourself .
• Proctoring apps aren ’ t the only privacy-invasive tools schools have implemented .
Cloud-based education services and devices can also jeopardize students ’ privacy as they navigate the Internet—including children under the age of 13 .
From Chromebooks and iPads to Google Apps for Education , this FAQ provides an entry-point to learn about school-issued technology and the ramifications it can have for student privacy .
• Parents and guardians should also understand the risks created when schools require privacy-invasive apps , devices , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great place to start , with ways to take action , and includes a printable FAQ that can be quickly shared with other parents and brought to PTA meetings .
• All student privacy-related writing EFF does is collected on our student privacy page , which also includes basic information about the risks students are facing .
• In the spring of 2017 , we released the results of a survey that we conducted in order to plumb the depths of the confusion surrounding ed tech .
And as it turns out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even administrators have lots of concerns—and very little clarity—over how ed tech providers protect student privacy .
• COVID has forced many services online besides schools .
Our guide to online tools during COVID explains the wide array of risks this creates , from online chat and virtual conferencing tools to healthcare apps .
• Some schools are mandating that students install COVID-related technology on their personal devices , but this is the wrong call .
In this blog post , we explain why schools must remove any such mandates from student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pledge not to mandate installation of any technology , and instead should present the app to students and demonstrate that it is effective and respects their privacy .
Below is a list of just some of the larger petitions against the required use of proctoring apps as of September 24 , 2020 .
We encourage users to read the privacy policies of any website visited via these links .
• NJIT petitioners write that while students agreed to take classes online , they “ DID NOT agree to have [ their ] privacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27,000 signatures to end the “ despicable overreach ” of proctoring app Proctorio .
• Students at the University of Texas at Dallas , Dallas College , and Texas A & M called the use of Honorlock “ both a blatant violation of our privacy as students and infeasible for many.
” • University of Tennessee Chattanooga say that “ Proctorio claims to keep all information safe and doesn ’ t store or share anything but that is simply not true .
Proctorio actually keeps recordings and data on a cloud for up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collected.
” • Washington State University students note that in July , “ ProctorU had a data breach of 440,000 students/people ’ s information leaked on the internet.
” • In a letter to the Minister of Colleges and Universities , the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associates argue that “ Proctortrack and similar proctoring software present significant privacy , security , and equity concerns , including the collection of sensitive personal information and the need for access to high-speed internet and newer computer technologies , These requirements put students at risk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and leave many students behind.
” • In a popular post , a self-identified student from Florida State University wrote on Reddit that “ we shouldn ’ t be forced to have a third-party company invade our privacy , and give up our personal information by installing what is in reality glorified spyware on our computers.
” An accompanying petition by students at FSU says that using Honorlock “ blatantly violates privacy rights.
” • CSU Fullerton students call it “ creepy and unacceptable ” that students would be filmed in their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and declare they “ will not accept being spied on !
” • Miami University petitioners argue that “ Proctorio discriminates against neurodivergent students , as it tracks a student ’ s gaze , and flags students who look away from the screen as ‘ suspicious ’ too , which negatively impacts people who have ADHD-like symptoms.
” The petition goes on to note that “ students with black or brown skin have been asked to shine more light on their faces , as the software had difficulty recognizing them or tracking their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , with Proctorio , the “ added stress of such an intrusive program may make it harder for students with testing anxiety and other factors to complete the tests.
” • UW Madison students are concerned about Honorlock ’ s “ tracking of secure data whilst in software/taking an exam ( cookies , browser history ) ; Identity tracking and tracing ( driver ’ s license , date of birth , address , private personal information ) ; Voice Tracking as well as recognition ( Specifically invading on privacy of other members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and storage of such data.
” • Florida International University students note that “ Honorlock is allowed to keep [ recordings of students ] for up to a year , and in some cases up to 2 years.
” The petition also notes that “ Honorlock requires a webcam and microphone .
This places students with limited access to technology or a quiet testing location at a disadvantage…You are required to be in the room alone for the duration of the exam .
This does not account for students with difficult living situations.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that data collected by Honorlock “ could be abused , for example for facial recognition in surveillance software or to circumvent biometric safety system.
” • University of Central Florida students argue that “ Honorlock is not a trustworthy program and students should not be forced to sign away their privacy and rights in order to take a test.
” • UMass Lowell students call out the “ countless security vulnerabilities that are almost certainly hiding in the Respondus code , waiting to be exploited by malware and/or other forms of malicious software.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ facial recognition software and biometric scanners have been shown to uphold racial bias and can not be trusted to accurately evaluate people of color .
Eye movement and body movement is natural and unconscious , and for many neurodivergent people is completely unavoidable.
” 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 , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Tracy Zhang and Jason Kelley
Privacy groups aren’t the only ones raising the alarm about the dangers of invasive proctoring apps. Through dozens of petitions across the country, and the globe, students too are pushing school administrators and teachers to consider the risks these apps create.
Students at the University of Texas at Dallas are petitioning the school to stop using the proctoring app Honorlock. The petition has over 6,300 signatures, notes that Honorlock can collect “your face, driver’s license, and network information,” and calls use of Honorlock a “blatant violation of our privacy as students.” Students at Florida International University are petitioning their school to stop using Honorlock as well, gathering over 7,200 signatures. They highlight the amount of data that Honorlock collects and that Honorlock is allowed to keep the information for up to a year and, in some cases, 2 years. Students at California State University Fullerton are petitioning the school to stop using Proctorio, calling it “creepy and unacceptable” that students would be filmed in their own house in order to take exams. The petition has over 4,500 signatures.
But it’s not just privacy that’s at stake. While almost all the petitions we’ve seen raise very real privacy concerns—from biometric data collection, to the often overbroad permissions these apps require over the students’ devices, to the surveillance of students’ personal environments—these petitions make clear that proctoring apps also raise concerns about security, equity and accessibility, cost, increased stress, and bias in the technology.
A petition by the students at Washington State University, which has over 1,700 signatures, raises concerns that ProctorU is not secure, pointing to a July 2020 data breach in which the information of 440,000 users was leaked. Students at University of Massachusetts Lowell are petitioning the school to stop using Respondus, in particular calling out the access that its Ring-0 software has on students’ devices, and noting that the software “creates massive security vulnerabilities and attack vectors, and thus cannot be tolerated on personal devices under any circumstances.” The petition has over 1,000 signatures.
Students at the University of Colorado Boulder raise concerns about the accessibility of proctoring app Proctorio, saying that “the added stress of such an intrusive program may make it harder for students with testing anxiety and other factors to complete the tests.” The petition has over 1,100 signatures. The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations wrote a letter speaking out about proctoring technologies, noting that the need for access to high-speed internet and newer computer technologies “increase [students’] stress and anxiety levels, and leave many students behind.”
In addition to privacy concerns, the petition from students at Florida International University notes that because Honorlock requires a webcam and microphone, “students with limited access to technology or a quiet testing location” are placed at a disadvantage, and that the required use of such technology “does not account for students with difficult living situations.” A petition against Miami University’s use of Proctorio notes that its required use “discriminates against neurodivergent students, as it tracks a student’s gaze, and flags students who look away from the screen as ‘suspicious.’ This, too, “negatively impacts people who have ADHD-like symptoms.” The petition also noted that proctoring software often had difficulty recognizing students with black or brown skin and tracking their movements. Their petition has over 400 signatures.
Students have seen success through these petitions. A petition at The City University of New York, supported by the University Student Senate and other student body groups, resulted in the decision that faculty and staff may not compel students to participate in online proctoring. After students at the University of London petitioned against the use of Proctortrack, the university decided to move away from the third-party proctoring provider.
Below, we’ve listed some of the larger petitions and noted their major concerns. There are hundreds more, and regardless of the number of signatures, it’s important to note that even a few concerned students, teachers, or parents can make a difference at their schools.
As remote learning continues, these petitions and other pushback from student activists, parents, and teachers will undoubtedly grow. Schools must take note of this level of organized activism. Working together, we can make the very real concerns about privacy, equity, and bias in technology important components of school policy, instead of afterthoughts.
*****
If you want to learn more about defending student privacy, EFF has several guides and blog posts that are a good place to start.
*****
Below is a list of just some of the larger petitions against the required use of proctoring apps as of September 24, 2020. We encourage users to read the privacy policies of any website visited via these links.
Source: EFF.org
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, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-09-25--Study: Average American Filmed By Estimated 238 Security Cameras A Week, As Amazon Ring Announces Dr

Study: Average American Filmed By Estimated 238 Security Cameras A Week, As Amazon Ring Announces Drone

According to a new study , the average American is filmed by an estimated 238 security cameras each week .
The study was authored by the Safety.com security team which found that the average American is filmed by security cameras more than 230 times a week , a number that has increased rapidly and is only expected to continue as facial recognition is pushed throughout society .
CNBC reports that there will be an estimated one billion security cameras filming around the world by 2021 , with somewhere between 10-18 % of those being in the United States alone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ring operates in the U.S. which is used for monitoring neighborhoods .
However , we don ’ t know for sure about that assumption .
But Safety expands on that belief writing , When calculated on a per-person basis , this is the second-highest ratio of security cameras to the population in the world .
CBS News reported in 2019 that second to China , the U.S. has at least one security camera filming for every 4.6 people , compared to one camera for every 4.1 people in China .
The research is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread out over the course of an average week .
What was revealed is staggering — an estimated 238 times a week each person is recorded according to the study .
The research included many aspects of a person ’ s daily life including driving , and walking around your own neighborhood while working and while shopping at retail stores .
The authors of the study concluded that the average person would be filmed 14 times while walking around their own neighborhood , 160 times while driving , 40 times while working , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a single week .
However , these are rough estimates and shouldn ’ t be taken verbatim .
The authors note while they found an average , “ we are comfortable reporting on , the swings both directions can be drastic .
There are people , as an example those who frequently travel by air , or work in high-security environments , who might be on camera easily over 1,000 times a week , while there are plenty of jobs and careers that might make it so someone entirely avoids being recorded during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon has announced its Ring service will now sell in-home drones pitched as the “ Always Home Cam.
” If that wasn ’ t enough , it ’ s an autonomous drone flying camera that zooms around inside your home to give you a perspective of any room you want when you ’ re not home .
The drone can also be commanded to fly on-demand or programmed to fly when a disturbance is detected by its linked Ring Alarm system .
Once it ’ s done flying , the Always Home Cam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battery like a good robot .
Being on video is being more and more normalized as time goes on and it has been shifting for a while now to include facial recognition technology .
While the estimated number of times per person being on camera weekly is 238 , that number could surely increase drastically as facial recognition technology becomes more widespread .
Especially with controversial facial recognition company Clearview AI — which has built a database of more than 3 billion images taken from Facebook , Instagram and other sites , being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our privacy is a thing of the past .
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 , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Aaron Kesel
According to a new study, the average American is filmed by an estimated 238 security cameras each week.
The study was authored by the Safety.com security team which found that the average American is filmed by security cameras more than 230 times a week, a number that has increased rapidly and is only expected to continue as facial recognition is pushed throughout society.
CNBC reports that there will be an estimated one billion security cameras filming around the world by 2021, with somewhere between 10-18% of those being in the United States alone. This may be attributed to the fact Ring operates in the U.S. which is used for monitoring neighborhoods. However, we don’t know for sure about that assumption. But Safety expands on that belief writing,
The advent of doorbell cameras becoming the norm for many people thinking about home security means an exponential increase in the number of times they might end up on camera, both on their own home security system but also while walking through the neighborhood where other homeowners might have their own system set up.
When calculated on a per-person basis, this is the second-highest ratio of security cameras to the population in the world. CBS News reported in 2019 that second to China, the U.S. has at least one security camera filming for every 4.6 people, compared to one camera for every 4.1 people in China.
The research is based on IPUMS Time Use data and spread out over the course of an average week. What was revealed is staggering — an estimated 238 times a week each person is recorded according to the study. The research included many aspects of a person’s daily life including driving, and walking around your own neighborhood while working and while shopping at retail stores.
The authors of the study concluded that the average person would be filmed 14 times while walking around their own neighborhood, 160 times while driving, 40 times while working, and 24 times while shopping in just a single week. However, these are rough estimates and shouldn’t be taken verbatim. The authors note while they found an average, “we are comfortable reporting on, the swings both directions can be drastic. There are people, as an example those who frequently travel by air, or work in high-security environments, who might be on camera easily over 1,000 times a week, while there are plenty of jobs and careers that might make it so someone entirely avoids being recorded during their average week.”
This comes as Amazon has announced its Ring service will now sell in-home drones pitched as the “Always Home Cam.” If that wasn’t enough, it’s an autonomous drone flying camera that zooms around inside your home to give you a perspective of any room you want when you’re not home. The drone can also be commanded to fly on-demand or programmed to fly when a disturbance is detected by its linked Ring Alarm system. Once it’s done flying, the Always Home Cam returns to its dock to charge its battery like a good robot.
Being on video is being more and more normalized as time goes on and it has been shifting for a while now to include facial recognition technology. While the estimated number of times per person being on camera weekly is 238, that number could surely increase drastically as facial recognition technology becomes more widespread. Especially with controversial facial recognition company Clearview AI — which has built a database of more than 3 billion images taken from Facebook, Instagram and other sites, being funded for $8.6 million dollars.
Our privacy is a thing of the past.
H/T: MassPrivateI Blog
**By [@An0nkn0wledge](https://hive.blog/@an0nkn0wledge)**
Aaron Kesel writes for Activist Post.
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, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-09-25--BlackSky Monitoring Satellites Will Soon Have 50cm Resolution

Satellite imagery is a key component of Geospatial Intelligence , or GEOINT , used by the military , the government and commercial interests to micro-track everything on the face of the planet .
Aided by AI , artificial knowledge about humanity and its environment can be endlessly created .
⁃ Technocracy News & Trends Editor Patrick Wood BlackSky is preparing for the next generation of its geospatial intelligence constellation .
The company announced Thursday that Gen-3 satellites will be designed to provide 50 centimeter resolution and host multiple sensors including short-wave infrared ( SWIR ) .
BlackSky currently has six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are operational .
The most recent two satellites were launched by SpaceX in August .
CEO Brian O ’ Toole said BlackSky plans to have 16 satellites on orbit by the second or third quarter of next year , and then start launching Gen-3 satellites in 2022 .
The Gen-3 design is an evolution of the Gen-2 system that is currently in production with LeoStella .
The 50 centimeter resolution on the Gen-3 satellites is an improvement over 1 meter on Gen-2 .
O ’ Toole said SWIR is a different wavelength of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with different spectral bands that can enhance customers ’ understanding of objects on the ground like ships and cars .
O ’ Toole said the Gen-3 system will be a landmark point in time for the company as its constellation for global monitoring matures .
“ [ This is the ] convergence of the satellite capability , the ability to operate it on global scale , the manufacturing , the algorithms , and then the ability to put it in the hands of the user and have that work at scale , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re just executing against that .
We ’ ll build more satellites , we ’ ll improve the satellites , the algorithms on the ground , [ and ] the end user experience in terms of the ease of use , how fast they can get information , and the quality of that information.
” In addition , BlackSky has completed a preliminary design review of the Gen-3 satellite design for the U.S. Army Tactical GEOINT ( TACGEO ) prototype program , as part of a contract with the Defense Innovation Unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will use BlackSky ’ s constellation for intelligence , surveillance and reconnaissance ( ISR ) for the tactical missions .
BlackSky received the TACGEO contract in January and is on track to launch and demonstrate operational capabilities in 2022 .
Also Read From Activist Post : Low-Cost Micro Satellites are Spawning a Global Surveillance Arms Race 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

Satellite imagery is a key component of Geospatial Intelligence, or GEOINT, used by the military, the government and commercial interests to micro-track everything on the face of the planet. Aided by AI, artificial knowledge about humanity and its environment can be endlessly created. ⁃ Technocracy News & Trends Editor Patrick Wood
BlackSky is preparing for the next generation of its geospatial intelligence constellation. The company announced Thursday that Gen-3 satellites will be designed to provide 50 centimeter resolution and host multiple sensors including short-wave infrared (SWIR).
BlackSky currently has six satellites on orbit, five of which are operational. The most recent two satellites were launched by SpaceX in August. CEO Brian O’Toole said BlackSky plans to have 16 satellites on orbit by the second or third quarter of next year, and then start launching Gen-3 satellites in 2022.
The Gen-3 design is an evolution of the Gen-2 system that is currently in production with LeoStella. The 50 centimeter resolution on the Gen-3 satellites is an improvement over 1 meter on Gen-2. O’Toole said SWIR is a different wavelength of optical imagery that provides low light capability, with different spectral bands that can enhance customers’ understanding of objects on the ground like ships and cars.
O’Toole said the Gen-3 system will be a landmark point in time for the company as its constellation for global monitoring matures.
“[This is the] convergence of the satellite capability, the ability to operate it on global scale, the manufacturing, the algorithms, and then the ability to put it in the hands of the user and have that work at scale,” he said. “Now we’re just executing against that. We’ll build more satellites, we’ll improve the satellites, the algorithms on the ground, [and] the end user experience in terms of the ease of use, how fast they can get information, and the quality of that information.”
In addition, BlackSky has completed a preliminary design review of the Gen-3 satellite design for the U.S. Army Tactical GEOINT (TACGEO) prototype program, as part of a contract with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The TACGEO project will use BlackSky’s constellation for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) for the tactical missions. BlackSky received the TACGEO contract in January and is on track to launch and demonstrate operational capabilities in 2022.
Read full story here…
Also Read From Activist Post: Low-Cost Micro Satellites are Spawning a Global Surveillance Arms Race
Sourced from Technocracy News & Trends
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, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.