FBI

The 70,000 Blogetery users could get blogs back

The U.S. war on terror may have inadvertently stripped as many as 70,000 people of their blogs, but those bloggers may get their work returned to them.

Blogetery.com, a small blogging platform based in Toronto, was abruptly shut down on July 9 by Burst.net, its Web host, after FBI agents alleged Blogetery was home to links that led to bomb-making tips and the names of Americans targeted for assassination by al-Qaeda. Joe Marr, Burst.net's chief technology officer, said Wednesday that the company is considering its options and there's a chance executives there could … Read more

Web host criticized for closing blog service

Did a Web hosting company go too far when it terminated service to Blogetery, a free blogging platform that authorities allege was being used by al-Qaeda to recruit and pass information, including names of Americans targeted for assassination?

That's the opinion of some Internet watchdog groups and the service's proprietor. On Tuesday, The New York Times interviewed Alexander Yusupov, who told the paper he is Blogetery's owner and sole employee.

Over the weekend, news outlets had begun reporting that the blogging platform had closed. Blogetery had claimed to service more than 70,000 blogs, although that number … Read more

Bomb-making tips, hit list behind Blogetery closure

More details are surfacing about why Blogetery.com, a blogging platform that claimed to service more than 70,000 blogs, was mysteriously booted from the Internet by its Web-hosting company.

The site was shut down after FBI agents informed executives of Burst.net, Blogetery's Web host, late on July 9 that links to al-Qaeda materials were found on Blogetery's servers, Joe Marr, chief technology officer for Burst.net, told CNET. Sources close to the investigation say that included in those materials were the names of American citizens targeted for assassination by al-Qaeda. Messages from Osama bin Laden and … Read more

Alleged Russian agents used high-tech tricks

A clandestine network of Russian spies in the United States used private Wi-Fi networks, flash memory sticks, and text messages concealed in graphical images to exchange information, federal prosecutors said Monday.

The Justice Department has filed criminal charges against 11 people who allegedly were covert agents of the Russian government assigned to establish close ties with American policymakers, including White House officials and an unnamed political fundraiser.

The court papers made public on Monday (PDF and PDF) include details of 21st century spycraft more high-tech than anything Jason Bourne knew about: defendant Anna Chapman allegedly brought her laptop to a … Read more

ACLU: FBI used 'dragnet'-style warrantless cell tracking

To nab a pair of men accused of robbing banks in Connecticut, court documents show the FBI turned to a novel investigative technique last year: warrantless monitoring of the locations of about 180 different cell phones, court documents show.

The FBI obtained a secret order--it has not been made public--commanding nine different telephone companies to provide federal police "with all cell site tracking data and cell site locator information for all incoming and outgoing calls to and from the target numbers."

But because the U.S. Justice Department did not obtain a warrant by proving to a judge … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1247: Inside the Coke Zero and Mentos rocket car (podcast)

On today's show, size matters. You're going to hear that a lot. So, apologies in advance. Also, we have a great interview at the top of the show with Stephen Volz and Fritz Grobe, otherwise known as the Coke and Mentos guys. They've got a rocket car, a Coke Zero contract, and a dream. Also, Goatse wants to clear up some things, Mortal Kombat is back, and once again? Size matters.

Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (640x360) |  RSS (MP3) |  RSS (320x180) |  RSS (640x360)… Read more

House votes to expand national DNA arrest database

Millions of Americans arrested for but not convicted of crimes will likely have their DNA forcibly extracted and added to a national database, according to a bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.

By a 357 to 32 vote, the House approved legislation that will pay state governments to require DNA samples, which could mean drawing blood with a needle, from adults "arrested for" certain serious crimes. Not one Democrat voted against the database measure, which would hand out about $75 million to states that agree to make such testing mandatory.

"We should … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1220: There's no place like 127.0.0.1 (podcast)

On today's show, we discuss the coming of the IPv4 black market, throwing more nanodots at the solid-state storage market, and we've got two tech industry shockers: First, Sirius posted a profit, and second: AT&T did a nice thing for a listener. Plus, file-sharers are either the content industry's biggest customers or way worse than bank robbers. You decide.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 1220

Apple may change iPhone SDK to avoid antitrust case http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/05/03/apple.could.dodge.ftc.complaints.with.sdk.change/… Read more

Obama faces major online privacy test

When Barack Obama was campaigning for the presidency in 2008, he promised that as president, he would "strengthen privacy protections for the digital age."

That pledge will be put to the test as the Obama administration considers whether to support a new privacy proposal released by a coalition including Google, eBay, Microsoft, AT&T, the ACLU, and Americans for Tax Reform. CNET was the first to report on the proposal in an article published Monday.

The group, the Digital Due Process coalition, is calling for a federal law requiring police to obtain search warrants before tracking Americans' … Read more