Most in US unwilling to share information

Facebook loses legal fight

WASHINGTON, April 5, (Agencies): A majority of Americans are unwilling to share their personal emails, text messages, phone calls and records of online activity with US counter-terrorism investigators — even to help foil terror plots, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday.

The poll showed Americans were more reluctant to share personal information than when the poll last asked the question four years ago.

For instance, 75 percent of adults said they would not let investigators tap into their Internet activity to help the US combat domestic terrorism. That’s up from 67 percent who answered the same way in June 2013.

But Americans were more evenly divided when asked whether the government is conducting too much surveillance, showing that while they are deeply concerned about their own privacy there remains a pool of support for US spying programs that can sweep up personal information.

Congress is due to address questions about surveillance later this year when it opens debate over whether to limit the government’s ability to conduct warrantless searches of American data.

According to the March 1120 survey, 32 percent said intelligence agencies such as the FBI whose director is James Comey and National Security Agency are conducting “as much surveillance as is necessary” and 7 percent said they wanted more surveillance. Another 37 percent of adults said agencies are “conducting too much surveillance on American citizens.” The remaining 24 percent said they did not know.

Later this year Congress must decide whether to reauthorize a key section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that expires on Dec 31. The section allows US intelligence agencies to collect vast amounts of communications from foreigners, but often incidentally scoops up the communications of Americans.

Comey

ALBANY, New York:

Facebook has lost a legal fight against a New York City prosecutor who sought search warrants for hundreds of user accounts.

The New York state Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that while the case raised important questions about privacy it was “constrained” by the law relating to who can challenge search warrants.

Prosecutors in Manhattan sought search warrants in 2013 for the accounts of 381 people in connection with a disability benefits fraud case against New York City police and fire retirees.

Menlo Park, California-based Facebook challenged the warrants, which it said were overbroad. In a statement, a spokesperson said the company was disappointed by the ruling and is continuing to evaluate its legal options.

The case has been closely watched by social media companies, civil libertarians and prosecutors.

OTTAWA:

Also:

Canadian security agencies are probing a media report that someone is illicitly tracking and spying on cell phones in the area around Parliament Hill, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said on Tuesday.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp said unidentified persons had been using so-called International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) spy devices that record all types of telephone, internet or text-messaging conversations.

“Obviously we are very anxious to determine who lies at the source of this activity,” Goodale told reporters, saying the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canadian Security Intelligence Service spy agency were both investigating.