Jeff Cassman

On October 7, President Biden signed an Executive Order which imposes new limitations on U.S. surveillance programs and creates a new redress mechanism for data subjects abroad.[1] This Executive Order is intended to replace the now-defunct Privacy Shield program but is unlikely to satisfy the European Union (EU) legal standards for privacy protections. In particular, the Executive Order has two major weaknesses which will likely form the basis of future challenges under EU law:

• The Executive Order still permits bulk collection of personal data under many circumstances and its purpose limitations are quite broad and subject to revision by the President, raising concerns that they may not effectively restrain misuse of personal data.
• The new redress mechanism, while an improvement over prior frameworks, may not be independent and effective enough for individuals to meaningfully exercise their privacy rights.

More fundamentally, because the new framework is based on an Executive Order and not legislation, it is at risk of dilution—or even dissolution—with each new administration, leading to serious doubts about its stability. A new adequacy determination and a possible Schrems III decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) are a long way off. However, with Section 702’s reauthorization deadline approaching at the end of 2023, the weaknesses of the Executive Order underscore the need for Congress to step in to properly protect privacy rights against government mass surveillance.

I. The United States must ensure adequate protection to enable trans-Atlantic data flows.

The new Executive Order and accompanying DOJ regulations are the latest effort to resolve a protracted conflict between EU and U.S. data protection standards and establish a legal framework for trans-Atlantic data flows. Under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, any law enabling the processing of EU citizens’ data rights must be necessary in a democratic society and proportionate to a legitimate objective.[2] EU law also stipulates that processing of personal data should not interfere with the “essence” of the fundamental right to privacy.[3] The EU Charter further provides that anyone whose data rights have been violated must have access to a “fair public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal.”[4] EU law only permits transfers of personal data to third countries if they provide an adequate level of data protection, meaning a level that is “essentially equivalent” to those rights guaranteed to EU citizens within the EU.[5]

Adequacy has been a sticking point for EU-U.S. data transfers due to U.S. intelligence agencies’ bulk data collection programs. As opposed to targeted data collection, bulk collection occurs where personal data is collected without being associated with a current target of surveillance or without the use of discriminants (specific limiting criteria such as identifiers or selection terms). Bulk collection programs have long been a concern for European authorities and the CJEU has repeatedly found that the use of bulk collection is almost never justified under the necessary and proportionate standard because it interferes with the “essence” of…

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Are you tucked away comfortably in your suburban or urban home reading this? Well, whether you know it or not the brush, thickets, woods, and even the streets around you are ALIVE.

In the daytime, there are squirrels traveling up and down trees and rushing across the powerlines. There are doves sitting on your windowsills and rabbits hiding in the thickets at the end of the road. 

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If it’s nighttime, there is even more action! Prey and predator alike are taking care of their business in their own nocturnal way. 

Most of these animals constitute edible game and can be a source of food in the worst case scenario. If an economic collapse or cataclysmic disaster leaves the supermarkets and farmer’s markets all closed up and you have no food to eat, edible game in the city could be the solution. 

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Why Would I Eat Edible Game in the City? 

With the supermarket shelves full and food prices only incrementally creeping up, you might wonder why you would consider eating things like squirrels and rabbits or even rats! 

Well, as a nation, we are not headed in the right direction. We are facing a fuel crisis, inflation crisis, morality crisis, world war, and debt crisis. When I say we, I mean the entire world! These are not just American problems. Access to fuel and food are going to become a serious issue. 

A full blown economic collapse could force serious changes in your way of life. How you gather food and cook it could be part of that radical change.

Now, if you are going to take advantage of this edible game, then you need to have a way to catch, lure, or kill that game. This could be through using hunting methods or trapping methods. These are all important and, when practiced, can be incredibly effective. 

Types of Edible Game in the City 

Squirrel

The squirrel thrives in deep woods but also in urban environments. It doesn’t take a large stand of trees to support squirrels. They are also good at getting food from whatever source they can. From stands of oak trees in urban parks or backyard gardens, the squirrels will find something to eat. 

Squirrels don’t have a lot of meat on their small bones, but they are easy to kill or catch, and they are just as easy to skin and prepare. 

Best Methods: Small conibear traps are great for trapping. You can affix them to trees to catch them coming down from nests. An air rifle is another effective way to kill squirrels….

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Mulch is an essential part of any garden. It helps keep weeds down, retains moisture, and can provide a decorative touch to your flower beds.

But did you know that there are many different types of mulch, each with its own unique advantages?

In this post, we’ll explore some tips for how to maximize your mulch usage from the mulch supplier in the garden.

1. Choose the Right Type of Mulch

Not all mulches are created equal. You should choose a type of mulch that meets your specific needs.

For example, if you want to use it as a decorative element in your flower bed, then shredded bark or wood chips may be the right choice for you.

If you’re looking to keep weeds down and retain water in vegetable gardens or lawns, straw or hay might be better options.

2. Use Organic Mulch Whenever Possible

Organic mulches such as straw and hay can help improve the soil quality over time by adding nutrients as they decompose.

They also help prevent weed growth since they block out sunlight from reaching weed seeds below the surface of the soil.

Plus, organic mulches break down more slowly than non-organic mulches like rubber or plastic, so they will last longer in your garden before needing to be replaced.

3. Prepare Your Soil Before Adding Mulch

Before adding any type of mulch to your garden beds, make sure that the soil is free from debris and weeds.

This will ensure that the mulch has maximum effectiveness and that it won’t get contaminated with weed seeds or other unwanted plants while sitting on top of the soil.

4. Apply Mulch Evenly

When applying mulches to flower beds or around trees, make sure to spread them evenly across the area to get maximum coverage and benefit from their weed-blocking abilities.

If you don’t spread them evenly enough, some areas may not receive enough coverage leading to weed growth in those spots later on down the line.

5. Don’t Overapply

While it’s important to spread what you have received from your mulch supplier evenly across an area, be careful not to apply too much of it at once since this could lead to excessive moisture retention.

This could harm plants and flowers by drowning their roots in soggy soils for extended periods of time, especially during rainy months.

The general recommendation is two to three inches thick for most applications but be sure to research specific types of plants prior to application if necessary.

6. Use Colorful Mulches

Adding colorful elements to the garden can enhance its overall aesthetic appeal while also helping retain moisture and control weeds at the same time.

Gravels or redwood chips are great options here because they provide vibrant pops of color without sacrificing functionality.

7. Refresh Your Mulching Every Year

To keep up with changing weather conditions throughout different seasons, such as hot summers leading into cold winters, it’s a good idea to refresh your mulching every year so that it remains effective against heat loss and weed germination alike.

This can also help maintain optimal nutrition levels for plants by replenishing essential minerals lost through wear…

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Bang For Your Cluck – Raising Backyard Chickens | Homesteading Simple Self Sufficient Off-The-Grid | Homesteading.com <![CDATA[ window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72×72/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https://homesteading.com/wp-includes/js/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=6.0.3"}}; /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(e,a,t){var n,r,o,i=a.createElement("canvas"),p=i.getContext&&i.getContext("2d");function s(e,t){var a=String.fromCharCode,e=(p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,e),0,0),i.toDataURL());return p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,t),0,0),e===i.toDataURL()}function c(e){var t=a.createElement("script");t.src=e,t.defer=t.type="text/javascript",a.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(t)}for(o=Array("flag","emoji"),t.supports={everything:!0,everythingExceptFlag:!0},r=0;r tallest) { tallest = thisHeight; } }); group.height(tallest); } equalHeight($(“.dg-grid-shortcode .dg_grid-shortcode-col”)); $(window).resize(function() { equalHeight($(“.dg-grid-shortcode .dg_grid-shortcode-col”)); }); }); ]]>

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Hen Pecked: An In Depth Interview On Raising Chickens | Homesteading Simple Self Sufficient Off-The-Grid | Homesteading.com <![CDATA[ window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72×72/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https://homesteading.com/wp-includes/js/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=6.0.3"}}; /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(e,a,t){var n,r,o,i=a.createElement("canvas"),p=i.getContext&&i.getContext("2d");function s(e,t){var a=String.fromCharCode,e=(p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,e),0,0),i.toDataURL());return p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,t),0,0),e===i.toDataURL()}function c(e){var t=a.createElement("script");t.src=e,t.defer=t.type="text/javascript",a.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(t)}for(o=Array("flag","emoji"),t.supports={everything:!0,everythingExceptFlag:!0},r=0;r tallest) { tallest = thisHeight; } }); group.height(tallest); } equalHeight($(“.dg-grid-shortcode .dg_grid-shortcode-col”)); $(window).resize(function() { equalHeight($(“.dg-grid-shortcode .dg_grid-shortcode-col”)); }); }); ]]>

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Last week, EPIC published a report titled Disrupting Data Abuse: Protecting Consumers from Commercial Surveillance in the Online Ecosystem. The report responds to a call for comments from the Federal Trade Commission, which is considering a rule on commercial surveillance and data security. Over 230 pages, we detail the harms inflicted by exploitative commercial data practices, establish the Commission’s authority to regulate those practices, and call on the FTC to impose specific privacy, security, transparency, algorithmic fairness, and anti-discrimination obligations on businesses.

EPIC and coalition partners have repeatedly urged the Commission to undertake a trade regulation rulemaking that would define unfair and deceptive commercial data practices and unlock the FTC’s dormant enforcement power. The Commission, which is the de facto data privacy regulator in the United States, typically lacks the ability to impose fines for first-time privacy and security violations. But a trade rule would establish across-the-board obligations backed by the threat of civil penalties—a major step forward for U.S. data protection. EPIC is heartened to see the Commission considering such a rule now.

Our report begins by laying out the stakes of today’s data privacy crisis:

The lack of comprehensive privacy laws and regulations has allowed abusive data practices to flourish, creating a persistent power imbalance that threatens both individual rights and competition. Due to the failure of policymakers in the U.S. to establish adequate data protection standards, online firms have been allowed to deploy commercial surveillance systems that collect and commodify every bit of our personal data. … The notice and choice approach that has dominated the United States’ response to this uncontrolled data collection over the last several decades simply does not work.

Next, we lay out the Commission’s legal authority to break from the failed approaches of the past and establish robust rules for the commercial processing of personal data. Briefly put, the FTC can use its trade rulemaking authority to prohibit particular commercial data practices as deceptive (i.e., materially misleading) or unfair (i.e., causing substantial and unavoidable injury to consumers that is not outweighed by benefits to consumers or competition). As we explain, “substantial injury” includes harms that may not always be economically quantifiable, such as invasions of privacy, reputational damage, and discrimination. The practices must also be “prevalent”—a standard that is easily met for the types of data uses which would be targeted by a trade rule. Having declared certain data practices unlawful, the Commission can then impose prophylactic obligations on businesses to prevent those practices from occurring.

We then turn to our substantive recommendations for the Commission’s rule.

Data minimization

EPIC argues that business’s collection, use, retention, or transfer of a consumer’s personal information beyond what is reasonably necessary and proportionate to achieve the primary purpose for which it was collected (consistent with consumer expectations and the context in which the data was collected) is an unfair trade practice. These out-of-context secondary uses of data and the overcollection that feeds them are inconsistent with…

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Make a Pallet Workbench in Under 2 hours | Homesteading Simple Self Sufficient Off-The-Grid | Homesteading.com <![CDATA[ window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72×72/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https://homesteading.com/wp-includes/js/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=6.0.3"}}; /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(e,a,t){var n,r,o,i=a.createElement("canvas"),p=i.getContext&&i.getContext("2d");function s(e,t){var a=String.fromCharCode,e=(p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,e),0,0),i.toDataURL());return p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,t),0,0),e===i.toDataURL()}function c(e){var t=a.createElement("script");t.src=e,t.defer=t.type="text/javascript",a.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(t)}for(o=Array("flag","emoji"),t.supports={everything:!0,everythingExceptFlag:!0},r=0;r tallest) { tallest = thisHeight; } }); group.height(tallest); } equalHeight($(“.dg-grid-shortcode .dg_grid-shortcode-col”)); $(window).resize(function() { equalHeight($(“.dg-grid-shortcode .dg_grid-shortcode-col”)); }); }); ]]>

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According to journalist Marcy Wheeler, the FBI relied heavily on controversial geofence warrants as part of its investigations into January 6 suspects, identifying over 5,000 unique devices based on Google Location History. Geofence search warrants are meant to locate devices within a given area based on digital services like GPS, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi signals. According to a follow-up report by Wired, the filings suggest that these geofence warrants also captured phones that were in airplane mode or otherwise out of cell service. Further, it appears that individuals who attempted to delete their location data in the days after January 6 were of particular interest to the FBI.

EPIC advocates to increase public privacy and roll back the use of advanced surveillance technologies on the public. EPIC attorneys regularly comment on proposed expansions of surveillance technologies, submit amicus briefs highlighting the impact of these technologies, and urge lawmakers to protect public privacy.

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Save Space By Going Vertical With Your Vegetables | Homesteading Simple Self Sufficient Off-The-Grid | Homesteading.com <![CDATA[ window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72×72/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https://homesteading.com/wp-includes/js/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=6.0.3"}}; /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(e,a,t){var n,r,o,i=a.createElement("canvas"),p=i.getContext&&i.getContext("2d");function s(e,t){var a=String.fromCharCode,e=(p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,e),0,0),i.toDataURL());return p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,t),0,0),e===i.toDataURL()}function c(e){var t=a.createElement("script");t.src=e,t.defer=t.type="text/javascript",a.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(t)}for(o=Array("flag","emoji"),t.supports={everything:!0,everythingExceptFlag:!0},r=0;r tallest) { tallest = thisHeight; } }); group.height(tallest); } equalHeight($(“.dg-grid-shortcode .dg_grid-shortcode-col”)); $(window).resize(function() { equalHeight($(“.dg-grid-shortcode .dg_grid-shortcode-col”)); }); }); ]]>

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Census Bureau Director Robert Santos responded to criticism of the 2020 Census disclosure avoidance system in a letter to researchers last week, defending the Bureau’s use of differential privacy and calling it “the best solution available.” Differential privacy entails the injection of controlled amounts of noise into publicly reported statistics, which enables the Census Bureau to provide useful data while also securing a mathematical guarantee of privacy. The Bureau adopted differential privacy for the 2020 Census to address the privacy risks inherent in the nationwide collection of personal data and the growing threat of reidentification and reconstruction attacks.

In August, researchers sent a letter to Santos arguing that differential privacy had caused reporting delays and adversely affected publicly available census data. But Santos explained that the Bureau has worked to minimize impact of differential privacy on data quality and that delays have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted both the collection and release of census data.

EPIC has long worked to secure the confidentiality of the personal data collected by the Census Bureau. In 2021, EPIC filed an amicus brief defending the Census Bureau’s use of differential privacy, calling it “the only credible technique to protect against [reidentification] attacks, including those that may be developed in the future.” EPIC noted that differential privacy “is not the enemy of statistical accuracy,” but rather “vital to securing robust public participation in Census Bureau surveys[.]”

In September, EPIC bestowed a Champion of Freedom Award on John Abowd, chief scientist of the U.S. Census Bureau, for “making remarkable strides for privacy and civil rights by transforming the disclosure avoidance system at the U.S. Census Bureau through the introduction of differential privacy.”

EPIC has also encouraged the use of differential privacy in other contexts. In recent comments to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, EPIC urged federal agencies to prioritize the adoption of differential privacy and to increase funding across the board for privacy-enhancing technologies.

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