Golden Rules; As California Goes, So Goes the Country?

California Bill on Police Militarization Reaches Governor’s Desk

EFF is especially troubled by the transfer of powerful spying technologies, built for combat on foreign battlefields, from our armed forces to our state and local police. This phenomenon has proceeded aggressively across California, where law enforcement agencies have gained access to thermal imaging equipment, drones, and sonic crowd control devices worth over $130 million. Currently, police acquisition and use of this equipment is not subject to civilian oversight by any legislative body.

In the face of these concerns, A.B. 3131 would at last ensure transparency in law enforcement acquisition of military equipment. And it would apply to law enforcement agencies generally, including sheriff’s departments that sometimes escape civilian oversight by county boards.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/09/bill-police-militarization-reaches-governor-browns-desk

Stop Google’s kiddie data predators

The racket includes Facebook’s Digital Promise partnership with the U.S. Department of Education and the social/emotional behavior tracking system of TS Gold (Teaching Strategies Gold) targeting preschoolers. Yes, preschoolers. The Big Business-driven Project Unicorn promotes “data interoperability” between and among a cornucopia of edutech products vying for your kid’s clicks and data. And despite getting caught data-mining students’ emails without consent, Google continues to infiltrate classrooms and family rooms.

Parents, did you get notice before your child signed on to a Google account? In many districts, school information officers usurp your family authority and are logging on your sons and daughters en masse without your consent or knowledge. You don’t get to see the terms of service, the privacy policy or the G Suite agreement between Google and your school. Even if parents do receive notice before their kids are dragooned into G World, opt-out mechanisms are nonexistent or nearly impossible to navigate.

http://michellemalkin.com/2018/09/26/stop-googles-kiddie-data-predators/