My Way News - Virtual currency Bitcoin blocked in Thailand
My Way News reports: "Bitcoins are created, distributed, and authenticated independently of any bank or government. The currency's cryptography makes it almost immune from counterfeiting, and its relative anonymity holds out the promise of being able to spend money across the Internet without scrutiny."

My Way News - Leaked docs give new insight into NSA's searches
My Way News reports: "Documents published by the Guardian newspaper are providing new insight into the National Security Agency's surveillance of world data, giving an over-the-shoulder look at the programs and techniques U.S. intelligence analysts use to exploit the hundreds of billions of records they gather each year."

dvice.com - New payment system could let you buy groceries with your face
DVICE reports: "Uniqul, a company based out of Finland, is getting ready to release a new payment system that uses facial recognition. Instead of using a credit card to make purchases, this new facial recognition software, which is linked to a customer's bank account, will allow you to pay for your groceries by gazing into a camera. Not only will this speed up the often unbearably long lines at the supermarket, but it could also be more secure than any other payment system currently available."

My Way News - UK: British spies broke no law by using PRISM data
My Way News reports: "British spies are right to draw on the data gathered by the U.S. National Security Agency's PRISM program, a parliamentary committee said Wednesday, one of the first outside assessments of the surveillance program exposed by leaker Edward Snowden. The U.K.'s Intelligence and Security Committee also said there is nothing to suggest that Britain's eavesdropping agency GCHQ - the Government Communications Headquarters - is using PRISM to get around restrictions on domestic espionage."

Jerusalem Post - Amidst controversy, biometric database is launched
The Jerusalem Post reports: "After years of debate and controversy, the Interior Ministry launched a pilot program of its biometric database, inviting residents to sign up for the new identification card at the ministry office in Rishon Lezion. [...] The biometric database program was first approved by the Knesset in 2009, and in June 2011 the Knesset Science and Technology Committee approved the ordinances needed to establish the database."

My Way News - Coalition sues to halt electronic surveillance
My Way News reports: "Environmental and human rights activists, church leaders and gun rights advocates found common ground on Tuesday, filing a lawsuit against the federal government to halt a vast National Security Agency electronic surveillance program. [...] A legal expert said one challenge that plaintiffs face is proving they have actually been wiretapped or been a victim of surveillance."

My Way News - Driving somewhere? There's a gov't record of that
My Way News reports: "Chances are, your local or state police departments have photographs of your car in their files, noting where you were driving on a particular day, even if you never did anything wrong."

Comment: So we are to assume then that the government is tracking our e-mail, our phone calls, our postal mail, and now our cars? Where's the outra....oh, hey, I have to run, America's Got Talent is on.

My Way News - Microsoft asks Holder to ease gag on NSA program
My Way News reports: "Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder calling on him to personally review a gag order that prevents the company and others from further discussing secret national security requests for customer emails, Skype calls and documents stored on its servers. The letter follows Microsoft's motion in a secret court last month asking for permission to break out which requests were from law enforcement officials and which were from the National Security Agency. It hasn't received a response."

The Cost of Surveillance

My Way News - What the gov't pays industry to snoop
My Way News reports: "How much are your private conversations worth to the government? Turns out, it can be a lot, depending on the technology. In the era of intense government surveillance and secret court orders, a murky multimillion-dollar market has emerged. Paid for by U.S. tax dollars, but with little public scrutiny, surveillance fees charged in secret by technology and phone companies can vary wildly."

Comment: I wonder if the telcos send a monthly statement to the government? Do they get a special 1-800 customer service number to call in case they have questions about their bill? 

Ayatollah Online: You've Got Mail

My Way News - Report: Iran opens national email service
My Way News reports: "Iran has discussed for years having its own domestic email service as the government occasionally has blocked access to foreign email providers like Gmail and Yahoo. The country also has blocked and made illegal virtual private networks that allow Iranians to freely use the Internet and access banned websites like those for opposition groups."

Surveillance News

My Way News - In worldwide surveillance age, US has big edge
My Way News reports: "The saga of Edward Snowden and the NSA makes one thing clear: The United States' central role in developing the Internet and hosting its most powerful players has made it the global leader in the surveillance game."