The National Law Review: Federal Court Dismisses Litigation Challenging U.S. Postal Service’s Use of Facial Recognition and Related Technologies

A federal court the end of last week dismissed a litigation challenging the U.S. Postal Service’s (“USPS”) use of facial recognition and related technologies to collect personal data, finding that the group which filed the claims lacked standing.  Electronic Privacy Information Center v. United States Postal Service et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-02156 (D.D.C.).  As it is anticipated the use of facial recognition and AI will continue to be challenged by plaintiffs and other parties in privacy litigations going forward, the resolution in this particular dispute is relevant for other cases, particularly insofar as government activity in this space is concerned.  Read on to learn more.

In August of last year the Electronic Privacy Information Center (“EPIC”) filed on behalf of itself and its members alleging that the USPS failed to comply with the E-Government Act.  This law, which was enacted in 2002, was designed to improve the Government’s use of information technology “in a manner consistent with laws regarding protection of personal privacy, national security . . . and other relevant laws.”  116 Stat. 2899, 2901 (2002) (Act), codified at 44 U.S.C. § 3501.

Read more here.

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Crop Plot Rotation In Very Small Spaces (Infographic)

In previous articles, we covered the concept of growing in guilds, or growing crops together that share common requirements. We also looked at the maximum efficiency of grouping three guilds or beds together to grow in what I call triads.

But we also know about the proven importance of plot rotation to soil health and crop resilience. In this application, too, the guild concept has notable advantages, especially for backyard gardeners who grow in very small spaces.

In the text and infographic below, let’s look at how growers can execute crop plot rotation in very small spaces.

Read more: Index guilds can help you learn about your soil and crops. Establish one this year for permaculture success.

1. Crop Rotation Schedule (below)

The crop rotation schedule for very small-scale growers will be the same as for other growers. The difference is the limited plot size.

For very small growers, this means most of the rotation groups are held in reserve over the years. These crops are only planted when it is their turn to occupy the very small garden space.

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crop rotation plot infographiccourtesy of Zach Loeks

2. Very Small Plot Crop Rotation (above)

A very small-scale backyard gardener may only grow a guild of one triad as their entire plot. Or maybe they grow up to three triads as their entire plot.

This limits the number of rotation groups that can actually practically grow in any one year.

As such the guild crop rotation is managed over the years by growing only one to three rotation groups each year. In this way the grower can also focus on a limited number of varieties each year for best management practices.

For instance managing disease on very small property becomes problematic if all crops are grown in a small plot at the same time each year. Why? Because there is always an adjacency issue.

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EPIC Joins Brennan Center Urging DHS Not to Mandate Social Media Disclosure

[]EPIC and the Brennan Center submitted comments in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) request to require Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applicants to disclose their social media identifiers. The organizations emphasized that federal agencies have not found social media screening to be effective for vetting immigrants and that the policy substantially threatens rights to expression, association, and privacy. The policy of collecting social media identifiers, which originated under President Trump’s Muslim Ban, is also likely to have a disparate impact on minority groups. Finally, the organizations argued that this policy would “contravene[] the Biden administration’s stated commitments to global free expression and privacy.” In 2019, EPIC joined a coalition opposing a DHS proposal to collect social media identifiers from immigrants and travelers, and in 2016 EPIC submitted comments opposing a similar DHS proposal.  

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Plant These Garden Crops In Early Spring

It may be the very early days of spring right at this moment, but time flies. Before you know it, your garden will be ready for action. But one challenge of planing crops in early spring is the lingering chilly temperatures. Some days it might be brilliantly warm and awesome, but the next day might be cool and cloudy. Plus, early season frosts may threaten to loiter long after the snow has melted. 

There’s no doubt that you’ll need to hold off planting cold-sensitive crops until the danger of frost has passed (hello, indoor tomato trays!), but many vegetables can handle the weather of early spring. On the seed packets of some of these varieties, you might have seen a phrase such as “plant as soon as the ground can be worked” or something similar, to indicate that these crops can be sown very early in the year. 

Let’s take a closer look at that phrase, and explore some of the early-spring crops you can look forward to getting in the ground right away this year. This is gardening for the impatient! 

When Is Soon?

So what does “as soon as the ground can be worked” really mean? Partly, it’s a temperature indication. In very cold climates, garden soil may actually freeze solid during much of the winter (sometimes down a few inches), so obviously folks in those regions must wait until the ground thaws before considering spring planting. (Though I did once successfully plant some late-autumn garlic well into December by literally breaking through a 1/2-inch surface layer of semi-frozen soil to reach the fluffy soil below.) 

But there’s a lot more to the phrase than just the absence of frost. Early spring often means overly wet soil—the type that can be worked into a ball with your hands. This doesn’t count as ground that can be worked. Instead, your best bet for success will come once the soil has dried sufficiently to be fluffy and crumbly.

Those two factors—warm and dry soil—are the basics that combine to form soil that is ready for planting. But if you enjoy bringing a scientific attitude to your gardening (maybe you routinely monitor your garden’s soil pH), a simple soil thermometer can help you determine if the soil temperature is within the range that your particular seed varieties prefer. 

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“As soon as the ground can be worked” plant choices include the following. 

Peas

Peas are wonderfully cold-hardy and can be planted from seeds as long as the soil temperature is above about 40 degrees F and below 70 degrees, basically any time after the ground has thawed. They thrive in cool temperatures and make an excellent early spring crop. Plant them as soon as you can!

If you’d like to experiment, try sowing pea seeds in the fall and allowing them overwinter in the soil. If you time this correctly, the seeds should lay dormant in the soil (it’s OK if they…

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Lexology: Federal Court Dismisses Litigation Challenging U.S. Postal Service’s Use of Facial Recognition and Related Technologies

A federal court the end of last week dismissed a litigation challenging the U.S. Postal Service’s (“USPS”) use of facial recognition and related technologies to collect personal data, finding that the group which filed the claims lacked standing. Electronic Privacy Information Center v. United States Postal Service et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-02156 (D.D.C.). As it is anticipated the use of facial recognition and AI will continue to be challenged by plaintiffs and other parties in privacy litigations going forward, the resolution in this particular dispute is relevant for other cases, particularly insofar as government activity in this space is concerned. Read on to learn more.

In August of last year the Electronic Privacy Information Center (“EPIC”) filed on behalf of itself and its members alleging that the USPS failed to comply with the E-Government Act. This law, which was enacted in 2002, was designed to improve the Government’s use of information technology “in a manner consistent with laws regarding protection of personal privacy, national security . . . and other relevant laws.” 116 Stat. 2899, 2901 (2002) (Act), codified at 44 U.S.C. § 3501.

Read more here.

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15 DIY Homestead Projects to Jumpstart Your Survival – reThinkSurvival.com

Homesteading is not an inexpensive venture. It can take some individuals years to save enough money for land. Because farming equipment and livestock are also costly, many homesteaders spread out their purchases and work toward their homesteading goals over several years.

However, part of homesteading is learning to live frugally. There are many projects you can DIY to save money and achieve your homesteading goals more quickly. By completing projects yourself, you’ll also build confidence and develop much-needed skills for running your homestead once it’s complete.

DIY homesteading projects range from building compost bins to chicken houses to DIY solar heaters. If you haven’t been able to invest in land yet, you can start developing skills and building equipment for your future lifestyle right where you are – even if you live in the middle of a major urban center.

One of the most valuable assets for a homesteader is experience. Although running a small worm farm in your city apartment may not feel like progress, it’s building your knowledge base so you can achieve a better and bigger result next time. Here are 15 DIY projects you can tackle for your homestead.

1.   Graph Your Property

Before you start working on your homestead, take the time to create a detailed plan for your property. If you already have land, use Google maps to copy a realistic outline and insert important features like trees, water, and buildings. Homesteaders still living in the city can use this exercise to draw out their dream property.

Now that you have a rough outline, think about the layout of your property. What do you want to build or cultivate, and where should it be? Remember to take shade, elevation, and soil quality into account. For example, you shouldn’t plan a garden for a shady hill.

Examples of homestead features to include are a garden, beehives, grazing fields, sheds, fruit groves, and off-grid electric features.

2.   Grow an Herb Garden

Growing herbs is an easy way to get into gardening, regardless of where you currently live. Many people grow herbs in pots on their kitchen windowsills. However, herbs also thrive outside and are a staple for any kitchen garden. They add fragrance, variety, and healthy phytonutrients to your food and have many uses for a homestead.

In addition to adding flavor to your food, herbs can also be dried or used fresh for homemade tea. If you don’t have enough space to grow herbs yet, consider foraging for wild herbs in your local area. Avoid places that may have been chemically treated, as plants soak pesticides up. Learning about the complexities of herbs now will equip you to grow and use them later.

3.   Build a Compost Bin

Another essential for a homestead, composting bins allow you to recycle food scraps and outdoor waste into rich fertilizer for your garden. You can construct an easy compost bin with inexpensive wooden pallets and some hardware. The bin doesn’t need to have…

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The Quint: Start-Up Offering Free Crypto in Exchange for Eye Scans Raises $100 Mn: Report

John Davisson, an attorney at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), told the publication that this company and this currency should simply not exist since there isn’t much assurance that Worldcoin will be able to protect the sensitive data.

There also isn’t any confirmation that Worldcoin’s eye-scanning technology is watertight and can’t be bypassed.

Projects like this, which could pose serious threats to user privacy, is why Vitalik Buterin, the co-creator of Ethereum, told Time that cypto has “a lot of dystopian potential if implemented wrong.”

Read more here.

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Court Won’t Hear Merits of EPIC Suit Challenging Secret Postal Service Surveillance Program

A federal district court on Friday dismissed EPIC’s lawsuit challenging a secret surveillance program run out of the law enforcement wing of the Postal Service, reasoning that EPIC did not suffer a “cognizable injury in fact” from the Service’s unlawful refusal to disclose information about the program.  

In EPIC v. USPS, EPIC is seeking to enforce privacy protections in the E-Government Act of 2002 against the Postal Inspection Service. In recent years, agents from the Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP) have used facial recognition, social media monitoring tools, and other advanced surveillance technologies to infiltrate online communities and monitor protests. The Postal Inspection Service used these tools without undertaking and publishing a privacy impact assessment, as required by the E-Government Act of 2002. As a result, the agency unlawfully failed to produce records requested by EPIC and its members, whose images and social media data were swept up by Clearview AI and other surveillance tools used by the agency.  

Rather than decide the merits of EPIC’s lawsuit, the court concluded that it lacked the power under Article III of the U.S. Constitution to consider the case—a decision at odds with decades of precedent establishing that an agency’s failure to disclose records sought under the Freedom of Information Act is enough for standing. Recent court decisions on Article III standing have made it increasingly difficult to enforce privacy laws and rights.  

EPIC is considering next steps in the case. EPIC has previously used the E-Government Act to block the deployment of a media surveillance platform by the Department of Homeland Security and to halt the collection of voter data by the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. 

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6 Just Add Boiling Water Meals

If you need lightweight meals for camping, hiking, traveling or just to have on hand for emergencies these 6 just add boiling water meals are for you. Many people these days are enjoying the great outdoors, whether it be hiking, backpacking or camping, they just like to get away.

6 Just Add Boiling Water Meals

One thing that makes it more enjoyable is when they are able to pack easy to fix and great tasting meals to go. This article was designed to introduce the reader to six delicious recipes for meals to go.

These recipes for just add boiling water ,meals are from Yummy Life. The author came up with all six meal ideas while doing some extensive testing of food combinations. They came up with some very delicious dishes that only require you to boil water and add it to all of the ingredients in the package.

Benefits of reading the Homemade Recipes: 6 Just Add Boiling Water Meals

Discover some great, easy to prepare meals on the go that can easily be carried in a backpack or camping gear.
The recipes for each of the six meals include a complete list of all of the ingredients needed to prepare the meal.
There is also a complete, easy to follow preparation guide that covers how to make each of them.
You will also find numerous full-color pictures that help to provide a good visual reference of the recipe.

Source: http://www.theyummylife.com/Instant_Meals_On_The_Go

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EU and U.S. Agree “In Principle” on New Data Transfer Framework

The European Commission and the United States government have both issued statements on March 25, 2022, that they have come to an agreement “in principle” on a new framework for transatlantic data flows. While the actual status of the framework is unclear, the announcement demonstrates a meeting of minds regarding the key principles to be included in the new framework and serves as a necessary step in creating a lasting and adequate data transfer agreement. The White House fact sheet on the matter identifies several focus areas, including updating safeguards ensuring proportionality of surveillance, ensuring that a robust recourse mechanism is in place for EU data subjects, and adopting effective oversight procedures within U.S. intelligence agencies. U.S. commitments on the new framework will be established in an Executive Order.

Details of exact changes to be made and how these new systems will function remain to be seen, along with whether these changes will be sufficient to support the new Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework against inevitable legal challenges. No timeline has been given for when drafts of the framework will be released. EPIC has supported calls for enhanced privacy protections prior to establishing a new data transfer framework. EPIC also participated as an amicus curiae in the Schrems II case, arguing that U.S. surveillance law does not provide adequate privacy protections or remedies for non-U.S. persons abroad.

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