Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
@abbydactyl.bsky.social
Curiouser and curiouser. She/her.
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
If you are a journalist — or know one — who has been attacked, seriously threatened, denied access by a public official or targeted with a legal order in the course of reporting, let us know. You can now submit tips in English or Spanish.
Email: tips@pressfreedomtracker.us
Email: tips@pressfreedomtracker.us
October 13, 2025 at 5:25 PM
If you are a journalist — or know one — who has been attacked, seriously threatened, denied access by a public official or targeted with a legal order in the course of reporting, let us know. You can now submit tips in English or Spanish.
Email: tips@pressfreedomtracker.us
Email: tips@pressfreedomtracker.us
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
It may be distasteful but it is not illegal to mock someone's death and it should not warrant arrest, ever. The 1st Amendment exists specifically to protect disfavored speech and what is happening now is one of the greatest threats to free speech in the United States.
September 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM
It may be distasteful but it is not illegal to mock someone's death and it should not warrant arrest, ever. The 1st Amendment exists specifically to protect disfavored speech and what is happening now is one of the greatest threats to free speech in the United States.
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
FTC Chair Ferguson claims that moderating US content because of foreign laws “to appease a foreign power” might be unfair or deceptive. This claim is legally baseless. He's trying to reshape online speech in ways he prefers, which the First Amendment bars
techfreedom.org/wp-content/u...
techfreedom.org/wp-content/u...
techfreedom.org
September 3, 2025 at 1:44 PM
FTC Chair Ferguson claims that moderating US content because of foreign laws “to appease a foreign power” might be unfair or deceptive. This claim is legally baseless. He's trying to reshape online speech in ways he prefers, which the First Amendment bars
techfreedom.org/wp-content/u...
techfreedom.org/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
New from 404 Media: Delta, United, American etc don't want you to know they sold your flight data to DHS. The country's airlines sell bulk names and flight itineraries to DHS to be searched without a warrant. Contract tells DHS to not reveal where this data came from www.404media.co/airlines-don...
Airlines Don't Want You to Know They Sold Your Flight Data to DHS
A contract obtained by 404 Media shows that an airline-owned data broker forbids the feds from revealing it sold them detailed passenger data.
www.404media.co
June 10, 2025 at 1:09 PM
New from 404 Media: Delta, United, American etc don't want you to know they sold your flight data to DHS. The country's airlines sell bulk names and flight itineraries to DHS to be searched without a warrant. Contract tells DHS to not reveal where this data came from www.404media.co/airlines-don...
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
In memoriam: Cryptome co-founder John L. Young, who died March 28 at age 89 in New York City, was one of the early, under-recognized heroes of the digital age.
In Memoriam: John L. Young, Cryptome Co-Founder
John L. Young, who died March 28 at age 89 in New York City, was among the first people to see the need for an online library of official secrets, a place where the public could find out things that g...
www.eff.org
May 15, 2025 at 9:32 PM
In memoriam: Cryptome co-founder John L. Young, who died March 28 at age 89 in New York City, was one of the early, under-recognized heroes of the digital age.
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
Without a hearing, written opinion, or official signatures, this shadowy ruling ignores the state constitution and has cleared the way for newly-elected State Auditor Dave Boliek to flip the NC State Board of Elections and all 100 county boards from Democratic to Republican control #ncpol
May 5, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Without a hearing, written opinion, or official signatures, this shadowy ruling ignores the state constitution and has cleared the way for newly-elected State Auditor Dave Boliek to flip the NC State Board of Elections and all 100 county boards from Democratic to Republican control #ncpol
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
US sees surge in bills seeking criminal punishments for protected speech
US sees surge in bills seeking criminal punishments for protected speech
Forty-one anti-protest bills in 22 states have been introduced since start of 2025, according to law tracker
Anti-protest bills that seek to expand criminal punishments for constitutionally protected peaceful protests – especially targeting those speaking out on the US-backed war in Gaza and the climate crisis – have spiked since Trump’s inauguration.
Forty-one new anti-protest bills across 22 states have been introduced since the start of the year – compared with a full-year total of 52 in 2024 and 26 in 2023, according to the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) tracker. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
April 9, 2025 at 4:35 PM
US sees surge in bills seeking criminal punishments for protected speech
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
As predicted, women in New Hampshire had a hard time voting yesterday because of the new proof of citizenship law:
“It doesn’t have my married name on it,” she said. Town voting officials then sent her away a second time, to get her marriage certificate.
www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025...
“It doesn’t have my married name on it,” she said. Town voting officials then sent her away a second time, to get her marriage certificate.
www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025...
NH’s new ID requirements send some would-be voters home to grab passports, birth certificates
The law requires all new voters to show proof of their U.S. citizenship. For some, that meant making multiple trips to and from the polls before finally casting a ballot on Tuesday.
www.nhpr.org
March 13, 2025 at 9:50 AM
As predicted, women in New Hampshire had a hard time voting yesterday because of the new proof of citizenship law:
“It doesn’t have my married name on it,” she said. Town voting officials then sent her away a second time, to get her marriage certificate.
www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025...
“It doesn’t have my married name on it,” she said. Town voting officials then sent her away a second time, to get her marriage certificate.
www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025...
If you still have the option, make sure Advanced Data Protection is enabled on your account support.apple.com/en-us/108756
February 21, 2025 at 6:33 PM
If you still have the option, make sure Advanced Data Protection is enabled on your account support.apple.com/en-us/108756
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
In the world of privacy coverage, there has always been a central question of who is a greater threat to it: the government or corporate America.
Now with DOGE, the two are merged into one: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/u...
Now with DOGE, the two are merged into one: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/u...
Struggle Over Americans’ Personal Data Plays Out Across the Government (Gift Article)
Employees from Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency are gaining access to vast amounts of information held by federal agencies, even as lawsuits try to stop them.
www.nytimes.com
February 19, 2025 at 12:55 PM
In the world of privacy coverage, there has always been a central question of who is a greater threat to it: the government or corporate America.
Now with DOGE, the two are merged into one: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/u...
Now with DOGE, the two are merged into one: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/u...
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
Government’s wins are often invisible: Systems that avoid plane crashes; alliances that avert war; surveillance that prevent pandemics.
Government wins are often *the avoidance of loss.*
So how do we tell the story of the destruction of government? The story of future losses *not* averted?
Government wins are often *the avoidance of loss.*
So how do we tell the story of the destruction of government? The story of future losses *not* averted?
February 16, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Government’s wins are often invisible: Systems that avoid plane crashes; alliances that avert war; surveillance that prevent pandemics.
Government wins are often *the avoidance of loss.*
So how do we tell the story of the destruction of government? The story of future losses *not* averted?
Government wins are often *the avoidance of loss.*
So how do we tell the story of the destruction of government? The story of future losses *not* averted?
And the kicker - the USG recommended using E2EE to the extent possible after the Salt Typhoon “hacking spree”…
“Officials in Canada, New Zealand and Australia endorsed the recommendations. Those in the United Kingdom did not.”
“Officials in Canada, New Zealand and Australia endorsed the recommendations. Those in the United Kingdom did not.”
I have the lead story at the Post for now, breaking the news that the UK has secretly ordered Apple to provide a back door to the strongest encrypted storage it offers--while making it a criminal offense to tell users the truth. Free version here, no sign-up needed. archive.is/EzboV
archive.is
February 8, 2025 at 2:36 AM
And the kicker - the USG recommended using E2EE to the extent possible after the Salt Typhoon “hacking spree”…
“Officials in Canada, New Zealand and Australia endorsed the recommendations. Those in the United Kingdom did not.”
“Officials in Canada, New Zealand and Australia endorsed the recommendations. Those in the United Kingdom did not.”
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
Confirming what @marisakabas.bsky.social had earlier today: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received an order this week from DOJ, its primary funder: remove references to trans people in its public materials, in accordance to Trump's anti-trans EO. NCMEC is complying.
DOJ orders child safety authority to comply with Trump's ‘gender ideology’ order
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said it would be removing all references to transgender people from its public materials.
www.nbcnews.com
February 7, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Confirming what @marisakabas.bsky.social had earlier today: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received an order this week from DOJ, its primary funder: remove references to trans people in its public materials, in accordance to Trump's anti-trans EO. NCMEC is complying.
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
New — The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) was told this week by DOJ that they'd lose their funding if the org didn't remove any mentions of LGBTQIA+ issues from their public materials, I've learned. Staff were told they need to deadname trans kids in their reports to comply.
February 7, 2025 at 3:30 AM
New — The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) was told this week by DOJ that they'd lose their funding if the org didn't remove any mentions of LGBTQIA+ issues from their public materials, I've learned. Staff were told they need to deadname trans kids in their reports to comply.
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
Trump's freezing of all civil rights cases at the DOJ is not part of an anti-DEI agenda, but an anti-civil rights agenda. DOJ was *founded* to protect Black rights during Reconstruction. That this difference is unclear speaks to the success of conservative propagandists and the failures of liberals.
January 24, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Trump's freezing of all civil rights cases at the DOJ is not part of an anti-DEI agenda, but an anti-civil rights agenda. DOJ was *founded* to protect Black rights during Reconstruction. That this difference is unclear speaks to the success of conservative propagandists and the failures of liberals.
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
I wrote a very timely introduction to digital security for journalists for @gijn.org last fall. This guidance may also apply to activists, lawyers, and anyone else doing at-risk work these days. gijn.org/resource/int...
Introduction to Investigative Journalism: Digital Security
Digital security may seem a little daunting at first, but increased security will help investigative journalists build trust with — and protect — current and future sources.
gijn.org
January 24, 2025 at 4:10 AM
I wrote a very timely introduction to digital security for journalists for @gijn.org last fall. This guidance may also apply to activists, lawyers, and anyone else doing at-risk work these days. gijn.org/resource/int...
Reposted by Abby (Liebeskind) Johnson
The surveillance systems that officials touted would keep us safe have become a major liability. Rights guaranteed by CA law cannot just be words on paper; they must also be lived reality. www.techpolicy.press/californias-.... New article w/ @mattcagle.bsky.social for @techpolicypress.bsky.social.
California’s Surveillance Systems Have Once Again Become a Major Liability | TechPolicy.Press
Nicole A. Ozer and Matt Cagle write that the rights guaranteed by California law cannot just be words on paper; they must also be a lived reality.
www.techpolicy.press
January 6, 2025 at 6:46 PM
The surveillance systems that officials touted would keep us safe have become a major liability. Rights guaranteed by CA law cannot just be words on paper; they must also be lived reality. www.techpolicy.press/californias-.... New article w/ @mattcagle.bsky.social for @techpolicypress.bsky.social.
How’s it going over here?
December 22, 2024 at 4:54 PM
How’s it going over here?