Jeff Cassman

Don’t Take It at Face Value: Why TSA’s Implementation of Facial Recognition is More Dangerous Than You Think

Facial recognition is an invasive and dangerous surveillance technology. When the government moves forward with pilot programs that will, if fully implemented, subject millions of people on a daily basis to the technology that should give us all pause. Currently the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is running two different pilots that use of facial recognition technology to confirm travelers’ identity. As explained below, this is a mistake—not only because of the ongoing privacy and bias issues but because of the long term implications of using our face as our ID. That is why EPIC has previously urged Congress to suspend TSA’s use of facial recognition technology and supports the call by several Senators earlier this year for TSA to halt the technology’s use.

TSA Facial Recognition Pilot Programs

TSA’s 1:1 pilot uses a real-time photo taken at a security checkpoint and compares that image to the image on the traveler’s government-issued ID (e.g., a driver’s license or passport). Instead of handing over your ID to a TSA agent, travelers will place their ID into a machine that will then take a picture of them and compare it to the image on the ID to verify their identity. In theory, travelers can opt out of the pilot at the security checkpoint to avoid having their picture taken and their identity verified by facial recognition. In those instances where a traveler opts out, a TSA agent is supposed to check the ID manually to verify identity. This 1:1 pilot has currently expanded to at least 25 airports.

There is also a more limited 1:many pilot currently focused on “trusted travelers” (e.g., TSA PreCheck enrollees) that uses a real-time photo taken at the security checkpoint and compares that image to a database of images the government controls. Currently, these travelers may opt into the 1:many pilot and, if they do so, do not need to present a government issued ID at the security checkpoints where the pilot has been implemented. Instead, their identity is verified with a real-time photo taken at the security checkpoint that is sent to Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Traveler Verification Service (TVS) for identity verification. TVS is CBP’s cloud-based facial recognition identity verification service. TVS leverages photos from government databases containing passport photos and/or visa photos, among other sources, to perform the identity verification against the photo taken in real-time.

Both pilots raise the possibility of bias issues that could disproportionately impact certain groups of people (e.g., women and people with darker skin). According to TSA, they are testing the facial recognition algorithm for accuracy and to ensure it is free from bias. But it appears the TSA is not using an independent third party to perform the tests, and the agency apparently has no plans to release the results publicly, which calls into question how they are testing the algorithm and any results of that testing.

The Risks of Facial Recognition—Even for Identity Verification

Regardless of the test results, though, TSA should not be implementing the use of facial recognition. Unfortunately,despite the potential privacy and bias…

Growing Blueberries on Your Homestead

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Bugging Out: Realities. Storing preps in foot lockers and plastic totes.

I recently relocated from a rural suburb in a purple state to a much smaller community in a very red state. I had long-term plans to make this move, but an unexpected career change enabled me to move sooner than expected. While my new home is not a compound deep in the woods, it does provide me with more security, more privacy, the ability to expand my gardening efforts, the option of raising some chickens and/or rabbits in the future, abundant wildlife, and a smaller community where people go to church and value their freedom.

When making our relocation decision, my wife and I decided that we wanted a location that would be our final home. This was an extremely important decision, so we visited the general area on many occasions, getting to know the area, visiting many towns, and looking at a large number of properties and houses. This was a multi-year research effort. One of our considerations was the proximity to hospitals and doctors. The area we were considering was rural and mountainous. Some of the specific locations that we considered were ruled out as we believed them to be too far from appropriate medical treatment if one of us had a dire health emergency. We settled on a location that was rural and private but was an acceptable distance from a good hospital.

We purchased our red state home several months ago and only recently sold our purple state home and moved to our new location. During that interim period during which we owned both houses, we moved some of our materials and belongings so that we could sort of camp out in the new home during many trips there to make repairs and updates on the new house.

Bugging out by vehicle

It occurred to me prior to one of these trips, that I could use that trip to test what it would be like to bug out by vehicle. I needed to move my preps to the new location anyway, so I killed two birds with one stone. I have a mid-sized SUV and a hitch-mounted cargo carrier. Many years ago, I had developed my bug-out strategy. That included storing preps in foot lockers and plastic totes that could be easily stacked in my vehicle, after folding down both rows of back seats. In addition to that, I had also earmarked many of my non-electric tools for a potential bug-out. Some of these were tools that I still used fairly often. So I left them in my tool shed while placing yellow stickers on them, so that I could easily spot and gather them in a hurry. Other items that I would take included my inventory of freeze-dried food and clothing, shoes, etc. In order to maintain OPSEC, my firearms were placed in flexible covers, which were then placed in a very large golf bag cover with wheels. I also keep all of my important papers in a small file tote in a location where…

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EPIC Urges FTC to Address Competition and Data Security in Cloud Computing Industry

EPIC has submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission applauding the agency’s attention to cloud computing and urging the Commission to promote competition and strong data security practices among providers of web-based products and services.

Regarding competition, EPIC urged the FTC to investigate anticompetitive behavior amongst the dominant players supplying cloud computing services for AI offerings and to avoid unintentionally increasing market concentration through government policies and acquisitions. On data security, EPIC urged the Commission to emphasize the widespread agreement among providers about what constitutes best practice for data security in cloud computing, to facilitate clarification of how responsibility for implementing data security practices should be allocated between cloud-based service providers and their business customers, and to incentivize providers to align their conduct with the pillars of the White House’s National Cybersecurity Strategy, which includes expanding minimum cybersecurity requirements, promoting privacy and security of personal data, and shifting liability to promote secure development practices.

EPIC continues to call on lawmakers across the country to take up the cause of establishing comprehensive privacy protections and to limit harmful data practices and impose data minimization standards. This includes urging regulators to incentivize stronger industry data security practices and to mandate transparency for consumers when breaches do occur.

The World’s Most BADASS Fixed Blade Knife | Homesteading Simple Self Sufficient Off-The-Grid

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New Jersey Supreme Court

In an opinion released today, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that law enforcement cannot do an end run around the Wiretap Act when they want to force social media companies to provide users’ communications for a period of time. The opinion agreed with EPIC’s amicus brief—co-written with EFF, CDT, and Davis Wright Tremaine—supporting Meta in the case. EPIC’s briefurged the New Jersey Supreme Court to rule that police need a wiretap order if they want Facebook to provide them with users’ future communications in 15-minute increments. This is an important protection because wiretap orders have extra protections that regular search warrants do not. The New Jersey police tried to get by without a wiretap order based on a technicality: Facebook’s servers store the communications, so they weren’t asking to intercept the communications like a traditional wiretap or secret recording device does. EPIC, EFF, and CDT’s amicus brief explained that this technicality is legally meaningless: electronic communications are sensitive and deserve the wiretap statutes’ protections. The New Jersey Supreme Court agreed, writing, “The nearly contemporaneous acquisition of electronic communications here is the functional equivalent of wiretap surveillance and is therefore entitled to greater constitutional protection.” The Court recognized that the internet and new technologies require a careful look at older laws to ensure their spirit is maintained: “A strict contemporaneity rule adopted before the advent of the Internet would not be a good fit to address the situations technology presents today. Nor would it be consistent with the underlying purpose of the wiretap statutes — to protect individual privacy.”

EPIC regularly submits amicus briefs in cases involving communications privacy.

Living Off the Land – How Do You Do It?

If you think of yourself as a rugged individual with a pioneering spirit that requires few modern-day luxuries, then living off the land might be for you. For those who live off the land, a good majority of their basic needs are met by Mother Nature: food, water, shelter, and heat, for example. And, of course, land.

Obviously, though, you need a little more than a plot and a dream to make living off the land work. So before you make the leap, let’s take a look at what living off the land means and what you need to make a success of it.

You Need Land

First things first, you need land in order to live off of the land. Your land should provide as many resources as possible, not the least of which is water.

Read: How much land do you need to be self-sufficient

Your plot of land should be able to produce food, although that can be accomplished in many different ways:

Hunting
Fishing
Foraging
Fruit trees
Nut trees
Cacti
Gardens
Poultry
Livestock

Consider your needs when choosing a plot. One with a freshwater source will go a long way.

Your land should also provide resources that can support your infrastructure, particularly your dwelling. The most obvious example is wood, which can contribute to cooking, heating, and building materials.

You Need Food

Living off the land means no more grocery stores. You must develop adequate skills to put food on the table. The more avenues you have for food production, the better, but don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Producing your own food is a lot harder than it looks, especially if you’ve never done it before. The learning curve is steep, so don’t spread yourself too thin. It’s better to learn one skill set well rather than many skill sets poorly.

There are many ways to produce your own food, but how you do it will depend on your geographical area.

Meat and Poultry

Hunting and fishing are great ways to produce adequate sources of meat. Alternatively, you can raise your own livestock.

Don’t overlook small game that you normally wouldn’t think about. People have been living off small game like squirrels, rabbits, and quail for centuries.

There are also exotic meats, like frogs, snakes, eels, alligators, and the like, that are plausible if they happen to be in your area.

You’ll also need to know how to process and preserve your own meat or pay someone else to do it for you. Skinning and butchering are not for the faint of heart. This is especially burdensome when you have young children involved who often view animals as pets.

Don’t forget eggs, which are also a great source of protein. One of the great things about living off the land is learning how to think outside the box. Eggs don’t have to come from just chickens. Many people get their eggs from quail, ducks, geese,…

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Go Green with These Big and Small Ideas

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How To Can Amish Pot Pie

Many people hear Chicken Pot Pie and assume anywhere in the US, you’ll be receiving the same dish. But here in Amish Country, Traditional Chicken Pot Pie and Amish Chicken Pot Pie are in fact, quite different.

In this article, you will learn what those differences are and how to make and can a pot pie filling to use in either recipe.

The Amish community puts the Stead in homesteading. We can learn a lot from this group of incredibly united and self-sufficient people.

Taking great pride in their expansive farms, gardens, fields, and orchards – the Amish use their harvest in real-time turning the leftovers from one meal into elements for the next, while also storing away a large stock of canned goods for the months to come.

Here in Lancaster County PA, if you were having Amish Chicken Pot Pie aka “Slippery Pot Pie” it would be served in a bowl, piping hot with thick doughy noodle squares, and chunks of chicken with veggies in a stew or soup-like dish. It’s marvelously hearty.

In most other places, if you were having Chicken Pot Pie, that would look much more like an actual pie with a flaky buttery crust and a creamy chicken and veggie mixture.

Canning the filling of Amish Chicken Pot Pie will not only ensure a longer shelf life but also provide a valuable resource for you and your family during times of need, such as when disaster strikes or in SHTF scenarios.

This preservation method guarantees that you’ll have access to a delicious dish loaded with vegetables and proteins, even when fresh ingredients may not be readily available.

Making Chicken Pot Pie Filling

3 c. chicken
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
0.5 c. peas
0.5 c. celery, chopped
1 c. mushrooms, chopped
1 c. carrots, diced
1 c. onion, diced
1.5 c. potatoes, diced
6 cups stock
3 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt & pepper
½ tsp. celery seed
½ of a lemon, squeezed
sprinkle of herbs: thyme, parsley, or 1 bay leaf

Directions

1. In a large pot or pan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté garlic and onions until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and celery, cooking until softened, about 3 minutes.

2. Add carrots and potatoes, sautéing until golden and soft, about 6 minutes.

3. Stir in the stock and add salt, pepper, celery seed, and any additional herbs like your bay leaf and/or thyme.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, stirring often.

5. Stir in the chicken, peas, and lemon juice. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the bay leaf and take the pan off the heat.

Pressure Canning The Chicken Pot Pie Filling

We…

When Dissent Ends, Transhumanism Reigns, and Digitization Rules, Humanity Will Cease to Be Human

By: Gary D. Barnett

“The only thing worth globalizing is dissent.”

~ Arundhati Roy

Self-defense comes in many forms, but all defense of self begins and ends with dissent, non-compliance, disobedience, saying no to any and all rule, and never allowing aggression against mind and body; mental or physical. Without dissent, defense is not possible, because when voluntary compliance is the prevailing behavior, whether sought, desired, or not, all defense mechanisms are effectively disarmed. In other words, silence in the face of injustice, immorality, terror, or tyranny, creates a condition of weakness, submission, and irresponsibility, which are all the fodder of indifference. When you say nothing, when you do not say no, when you take no action against evil, you commit evil. By not speaking out, and by not responding, you have spoken loudly, and openly committed an act of cowardice. The ultimate blame lies not just with the aggressor in this circumstance, but also equally with he who hides and remains silent.

In “Beyond Good and Evil,” Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.” This is an accurate description of the phenomenon of becoming what one lives, so if you live in a state of indifference, ignoring the evil around you, accepting it in order to avoid conflict and responsibility, you become the evil you have chosen to ignore. The dark abyss in this circumstance, is created by your own inaction against it.

What we face as a society, is the most tremendous threat ever perceived or active in the history of mankind. Do you scoff at this seemingly ‘bold’ pronouncement? If so, you are already fooled, and a major contributor to the vast problems rampant in our world today. Instead of the State just singularly seeking war, the continuance of the bogus Federal Reserve System, isolated government corruption, communism, fascism, or any broad-based totalitarian assault on certain segments of society, we are all being bombarded from a thousand different directions at once with all these atrocities and many more, including attacks on our freedom and sovereignty, on our minds and bodies, and on every aspect of our being. Due to the colossal advances in technology, which in many more ways than not are being used against us in order to build a literal transhuman world run by technocratic means, we are facing what could be considered a technological Armageddon, where all control over humanity will be isolated in the hands of the most powerful few. To accept this, to treat it as normal or eminent, is a most fatal error, and one that could determine our fate in perpetuity.

When humanity ceases to exist in any natural form, when male and female become one, when transhumanism and mind control are inescapable realities, when perversion is commonly accepted, the presence of life that we have all known to be magical and a wonder, will have…