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say NO to DHS Social Media Password Requirement
From: "David Farber" <farber () gmail com>
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2017 15:05:54 -0500
NO to DHS Social Media Password Requirement 21 February 2017 Co alition Condemns DHS Proposal to Demand Passwords to Enter the U.S. The undersigned coalition of human rights and civil liberties organizations, trade associations, and experts in security, technology, and the law expresses deep concern about the comments made by Secretary John Kelly at the House Homeland Security Committee hearing on February 7th, 2017, suggesting the Department of Homeland Security could require non-citizens to provide the passwords to their social media accounts as a condition of entering the country. We recognize the important role that DHS plays in protecting the United States’ borders and the challenges it faces in keeping the U.S. safe, but demanding passwords or other account credentials without cause will fail to increase the security of U.S. citizens and is a direct assault on fundamental rights. This proposal would enable border officials to invade people’s privacy by examining years of private emails, texts, and messages. It would expose travelers and everyone in their social networks, including potentially millions of U.S. citizens, to excessive, unjustified scrutiny. And it would discourage people from using online services or taking their devices with them while traveling, and would discourage travel for business, tourism, and journalism. Demands from U.S. border officials for passwords to social media accounts will also set a precedent that may ultimately affect all travelers around the world. This demand is likely to be mirrored by foreign governments, which will demand passwords from U.S. citizens when they seek entry to foreign countries. This would compromise U.S. economic security, cybersecurity, and national security, as well as damage the U.S.’s relationships with foreign governments and their citizenry. Policies to demand passwords as a condition of travel, as well as more general efforts to force individuals to disclose their online activity, including potentially years’ worth of private and public communications, create an intense chilling effect on individuals. Freedom of expression and press rights, access to information, rights of association, and religious liberty are all put at risk by these policies. The first rule of online security is simple: Do not share your passwords. No government agency should undermine security, privacy, and other rights with a blanket policy of demanding passwords from individuals. Organizations and Trade Associations 11/9 Coalition Access Now ACOS Alliance Advocacy for Principled Action in Government American Civil Liberties Union American Library Association American Society of Journalists & Authors American Society of News Editors Americans for Immigrant Justice Association of Alternative Newsmedia Association of Research Libraries Bill of Rights Defense Committee/Defending Dissent Foundation Bolo Bhi Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of LosAngeles Center for Democracy & Technology Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Committee to Protect Journalists Computer & Communications IndustryAssociation The Constitution Project Consumer Action Consumer Technology Association Council on American-Islamic Relations Electronic Frontier Foundation Engine Free Speech Coalition Future of Privacy Forum Global Network Initiative Human Rights Watch Individual Experts Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Immigrant Legal Resource Center Index on Censorship International Association of Exhibitions and Events Internet Association Internet Society Internews Legal Aid Justice Center Media Freedom Foundation National Coalition Against Censorship National Consumers League National Hispanic Media Coalition New America's Open Technology Institute Online Trust Alliance Paradigm Initiative Pen America Project Censored Public Citizen Reporters Without Borders Resilient Communities Program, New America Restore the Fourth United Church of Christ, OC Inc. Woodhull Freedom Foundation World Privacy Forum ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/18849915-ae8fa580 Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=18849915&id_secret=18849915-aa268125 Unsubscribe Now: https://www.listbox.com/unsubscribe/?member_id=18849915&id_secret=18849915-32545cb4&post_id=20170221150606:2ABD6FA6-F871-11E6-B375-C364B2494B9E Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
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- say NO to DHS Social Media Password Requirement David Farber (Feb 21)