Matthew Feeney
@matthewfeeney.bsky.social
Big Brother Watch advocacy manager
"I'm a liberal and I'm against this sort of thing."
https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk
Signal: mfeeney.63
"I'm a liberal and I'm against this sort of thing."
https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk
Signal: mfeeney.63
Reposted by Matthew Feeney
We are alarmed by reports that Germany is on the verge of a catastrophic about-face, reversing its longstanding and principled opposition to the EU’s Chat Control proposal which, if passed, could spell the end of the right to privacy in Europe. signal.org/blog/pdfs/ge...
signal.org
October 3, 2025 at 4:14 PM
We are alarmed by reports that Germany is on the verge of a catastrophic about-face, reversing its longstanding and principled opposition to the EU’s Chat Control proposal which, if passed, could spell the end of the right to privacy in Europe. signal.org/blog/pdfs/ge...
Reposted by Matthew Feeney
Police shouldn’t get ‘open-book’ access to your phone. In a major boost for digital privacy, Michigan now demands tailored warrants. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Fourth Amendment Victory: Michigan Supreme Court Reins in Digital
When police have a warrant to search a phone, should they be able to see everything on the phone—from family photos to communications with your doctor to everywhere you’ve been since you first
www.eff.org
September 1, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Police shouldn’t get ‘open-book’ access to your phone. In a major boost for digital privacy, Michigan now demands tailored warrants. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
It is a sad indictment on much of the American media that someone asking one of the most powerful politicians in the world a basic question is considered groundbreaking or noteworthy.
WATCH: “You’re a U.S. senator and you don’t know anything about the country you want to topple.”
Tucker Carlson embarrasses @sentedcruz as he pushes for war with Iran
Tucker Carlson embarrasses @sentedcruz as he pushes for war with Iran
June 18, 2025 at 10:53 AM
It is a sad indictment on much of the American media that someone asking one of the most powerful politicians in the world a basic question is considered groundbreaking or noteworthy.
The government is pushing for amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill with the explicit intent of accessing information stored in foreign servers and two-factor authentication codes. hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...
June 18, 2025 at 10:37 AM
The government is pushing for amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill with the explicit intent of accessing information stored in foreign servers and two-factor authentication codes. hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...
Seven years ago, @davidjbier.bsky.social and I wrote a paper on CBP drones. We noted that CBP had stated "that it does not deploy [drones] to monitor protests and other activities protected by the First Amendment." www.cato.org/immigration-...
Drones on the Border: Efficacy and Privacy Implications
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s drone program undermines Americans’ privacy and has failed to live up to its expectations.
www.cato.org
June 13, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Seven years ago, @davidjbier.bsky.social and I wrote a paper on CBP drones. We noted that CBP had stated "that it does not deploy [drones] to monitor protests and other activities protected by the First Amendment." www.cato.org/immigration-...
Trying to not think about the Great Filter and concentrate on science being neat. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Scientists find promising hints of life on distant planet K2-18b
Scientists find new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life.
www.bbc.co.uk
April 17, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Trying to not think about the Great Filter and concentrate on science being neat. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The Investigatory Powers Tribunal has rejected the Home Office’s attempt to keep the proceedings of the Apple encryption-breaching case secret.
The tribunal did not buy the government's national security arguments.
t.co/6K5gtZ2osf
The tribunal did not buy the government's national security arguments.
t.co/6K5gtZ2osf
April 7, 2025 at 10:55 AM
The Investigatory Powers Tribunal has rejected the Home Office’s attempt to keep the proceedings of the Apple encryption-breaching case secret.
The tribunal did not buy the government's national security arguments.
t.co/6K5gtZ2osf
The tribunal did not buy the government's national security arguments.
t.co/6K5gtZ2osf
There's quite a lot of unhelpful reporting suggesting that high ranked natsec officials shouldn't use @signal.org
because it's compromised.
No. Use Signal.*
*But if you're a high ranked natsec official maybe don't use your personal phone for work and obey record retention laws.
because it's compromised.
No. Use Signal.*
*But if you're a high ranked natsec official maybe don't use your personal phone for work and obey record retention laws.
March 25, 2025 at 12:44 PM
There's quite a lot of unhelpful reporting suggesting that high ranked natsec officials shouldn't use @signal.org
because it's compromised.
No. Use Signal.*
*But if you're a high ranked natsec official maybe don't use your personal phone for work and obey record retention laws.
because it's compromised.
No. Use Signal.*
*But if you're a high ranked natsec official maybe don't use your personal phone for work and obey record retention laws.
You could write a whole Coase Theorem exam based on this one article. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Nacton giant warehouse leaves neighbours 'in tears'
Residents say the 'megashed' towers over their homes, dominating the skyline and blocking the sun.
www.bbc.co.uk
March 17, 2025 at 2:15 PM
You could write a whole Coase Theorem exam based on this one article. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
I knew before clicking on it that he was going to cite "fire in a crowded theatre". Just knew it.
ICE Acting Director Tom Homan comments on arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, saying "free speech has limitations"
March 12, 2025 at 4:51 PM
I knew before clicking on it that he was going to cite "fire in a crowded theatre". Just knew it.
Reposted by Matthew Feeney
"The British government’s undisclosed order, issued last month, requires blanket capability to view fully encrypted material, not merely assistance in cracking a specific account, and has no known precedent in major democracies."
Then it exceeds the scope of TCNs. Unless it is for bulk intercept?
Then it exceeds the scope of TCNs. Unless it is for bulk intercept?
Wow. There have been fears of the UK government using a technical capability notice to demand encryption backdoors for years.
Now it’s happened. UK is demanding Apple provide access to encrypted cloud backups
Great @joemenn.bsky.social scoop
Now it’s happened. UK is demanding Apple provide access to encrypted cloud backups
Great @joemenn.bsky.social scoop
U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts
Secret order requires blanket access to protected cloud backups around the world, which if implemented would undermine Apple’s privacy pledge to its users.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 7, 2025 at 12:07 PM
"The British government’s undisclosed order, issued last month, requires blanket capability to view fully encrypted material, not merely assistance in cracking a specific account, and has no known precedent in major democracies."
Then it exceeds the scope of TCNs. Unless it is for bulk intercept?
Then it exceeds the scope of TCNs. Unless it is for bulk intercept?
Reposted by Matthew Feeney
TCNs create a capability that can only be used by the operator to provide data in connection with a relevant authorisation, which is either a targeted interception warrant, communications data warrant, equipment interference warrant, or bulk interception warrant
February 7, 2025 at 12:11 PM
TCNs create a capability that can only be used by the operator to provide data in connection with a relevant authorisation, which is either a targeted interception warrant, communications data warrant, equipment interference warrant, or bulk interception warrant
Reposted by Matthew Feeney
Extraordinarly bad for everyone’s privacy and security. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts
Secret order requires blanket access to protected cloud backups around the world, which if implemented would undermine Apple’s privacy pledge to its users.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 7, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Extraordinarly bad for everyone’s privacy and security. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
This order from the UK govt to access all encrypted cloud content related to any Apple customer is unprecedented. No other liberal democracy has ever asked for an encryption breach on this scale, and it's likely other companies have been sent similar orders. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts
Secret order requires blanket access to protected cloud backups around the world, which if implemented would undermine Apple’s privacy pledge to its users.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 7, 2025 at 12:01 PM
This order from the UK govt to access all encrypted cloud content related to any Apple customer is unprecedented. No other liberal democracy has ever asked for an encryption breach on this scale, and it's likely other companies have been sent similar orders. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
You can have a mass deportation policy agenda or you can have civil liberties. You cannot have both.
We’re on day 4 of the second Trump admin and have already reached “ICE arrests citizens in warrantless raid”
www.newarknj.gov/news/mayor-r...
www.newarknj.gov/news/mayor-r...
News: MAYOR RAS J. BARAKA’S STATEMENT ON ICE RAID ON NEWARK BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT
Official Page of Newark, NJ News: MAYOR RAS J. BARAKA’S STATEMENT ON ICE RAID ON NEWARK BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT
www.newarknj.gov
January 24, 2025 at 9:12 AM
You can have a mass deportation policy agenda or you can have civil liberties. You cannot have both.
The population would object if police access to the house also allowed foreign adversaries and criminals the opportunity to steal house keys, pin codes, etc.
www.belganewsagency.eu/europol-chie...
www.belganewsagency.eu/europol-chie...
January 21, 2025 at 12:13 PM
The population would object if police access to the house also allowed foreign adversaries and criminals the opportunity to steal house keys, pin codes, etc.
www.belganewsagency.eu/europol-chie...
www.belganewsagency.eu/europol-chie...
This is my first week as Big Brother Watch's advocacy manager.
I'm looking forward to working with my new colleagues to defend free speech and privacy at a time when civil liberties in the UK are unfortunately in a sorry state.
bigbrotherwatch.org.uk
I'm looking forward to working with my new colleagues to defend free speech and privacy at a time when civil liberties in the UK are unfortunately in a sorry state.
bigbrotherwatch.org.uk
Big Brother Watch: Defending Civil Liberties, Protecting Privacy
Big Brother Watch exposes and challenges threats to our privacy, our freedoms and our civil liberties at a time of enormous technological change in the UK.
bigbrotherwatch.org.uk
January 8, 2025 at 11:56 AM
This is my first week as Big Brother Watch's advocacy manager.
I'm looking forward to working with my new colleagues to defend free speech and privacy at a time when civil liberties in the UK are unfortunately in a sorry state.
bigbrotherwatch.org.uk
I'm looking forward to working with my new colleagues to defend free speech and privacy at a time when civil liberties in the UK are unfortunately in a sorry state.
bigbrotherwatch.org.uk
Farewell, CPS. Thank you for the last few years. I’m looking forward to the next gig, which starts next week.
January 3, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Farewell, CPS. Thank you for the last few years. I’m looking forward to the next gig, which starts next week.
Reposted by Matthew Feeney
I cannot stress this enough: download Signal. Move a lot of your stuff there so there aren’t obvious holes in your seizable records.
Many of the people in power are using end-to-end encryption (and coincidentally avoiding PRA/FOIA). You should be at least as careful as they are.
Many of the people in power are using end-to-end encryption (and coincidentally avoiding PRA/FOIA). You should be at least as careful as they are.
The leak dragnet in the first Trump administration included nondisclosure orders, which meant most targeted members of Congress and staff "were never told their phone records had been seized." Journalists' phone records were seized as well.
“The Justice Department secretly obtained phone records from two members of Congress and 43 staffers – including Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI – during sweeping leak investigations during Trump’s first term” www.cnn.com/2024/12/10/p...
December 18, 2024 at 11:16 PM
I cannot stress this enough: download Signal. Move a lot of your stuff there so there aren’t obvious holes in your seizable records.
Many of the people in power are using end-to-end encryption (and coincidentally avoiding PRA/FOIA). You should be at least as careful as they are.
Many of the people in power are using end-to-end encryption (and coincidentally avoiding PRA/FOIA). You should be at least as careful as they are.
"the truth is that Brits are consistently more authoritarian on questions of civil liberties than most politicians realise.”
www.thetimes.com/article/8c29...
www.thetimes.com/article/8c29...
December 18, 2024 at 9:39 AM
"the truth is that Brits are consistently more authoritarian on questions of civil liberties than most politicians realise.”
www.thetimes.com/article/8c29...
www.thetimes.com/article/8c29...
Reposted by Matthew Feeney
Friends, FBI has responded to my FOIA request for Kevin Mitnick's files, and have made them available to everyone via the FBI public portal here: vault.fbi.gov/kevin-mitnic...
Kevin Mitnick Part 01 (Final)
vault.fbi.gov
December 15, 2024 at 7:14 PM
Friends, FBI has responded to my FOIA request for Kevin Mitnick's files, and have made them available to everyone via the FBI public portal here: vault.fbi.gov/kevin-mitnic...
Reposted by Matthew Feeney
Hi, hi! 👋👋👋
Calling all wonks in my little Bluesky ecosystem. I'm trying to get a starter pack for UK tech policy going.
Please send me recommendations, tell me if you want to be added, and/or holler if I've missed anyone.
Looking for all the help I can get! Thanks in advance
go.bsky.app/SSXjTf
Calling all wonks in my little Bluesky ecosystem. I'm trying to get a starter pack for UK tech policy going.
Please send me recommendations, tell me if you want to be added, and/or holler if I've missed anyone.
Looking for all the help I can get! Thanks in advance
go.bsky.app/SSXjTf
November 27, 2024 at 7:27 PM
Hi, hi! 👋👋👋
Calling all wonks in my little Bluesky ecosystem. I'm trying to get a starter pack for UK tech policy going.
Please send me recommendations, tell me if you want to be added, and/or holler if I've missed anyone.
Looking for all the help I can get! Thanks in advance
go.bsky.app/SSXjTf
Calling all wonks in my little Bluesky ecosystem. I'm trying to get a starter pack for UK tech policy going.
Please send me recommendations, tell me if you want to be added, and/or holler if I've missed anyone.
Looking for all the help I can get! Thanks in advance
go.bsky.app/SSXjTf
November 13, 2024 at 4:21 PM
A rather strange article by Anthony Seldon in today’s Times.
1) Generative AI was not released in 2022.
2) You can argue that teachers should police AI in school, but that will be as effective as banning calculators in the classroom while knowing kids will use calculators for home work.
1) Generative AI was not released in 2022.
2) You can argue that teachers should police AI in school, but that will be as effective as banning calculators in the classroom while knowing kids will use calculators for home work.
October 26, 2024 at 11:38 AM
A rather strange article by Anthony Seldon in today’s Times.
1) Generative AI was not released in 2022.
2) You can argue that teachers should police AI in school, but that will be as effective as banning calculators in the classroom while knowing kids will use calculators for home work.
1) Generative AI was not released in 2022.
2) You can argue that teachers should police AI in school, but that will be as effective as banning calculators in the classroom while knowing kids will use calculators for home work.
I'm looking forward to the day when headlines like this are widely-considered to be evidence of misguided luddite nonsense. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Prince Charles Cinema drops AI-written film following backlash
The Prince Charles Cinema drops the private screening due to
www.bbc.co.uk
June 19, 2024 at 11:58 AM
I'm looking forward to the day when headlines like this are widely-considered to be evidence of misguided luddite nonsense. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...