Senate blocks USA Freedom Act on data collection reform

By David Nield May 23, 2015

senate blocks usa freedom act on data collection reform — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Late last night the United States Senate voted to block the progress of the USA Freedom Act, dealing a blow to President Obama’s administration and leaving the regulatory framework around data collection in limbo. It has one more chance to pass into law after a last-minute session was hastily arranged for May 31.

The main aim of the new Act was to clarify some of the contentious issues in Section 215 of the Patriot Act — it’s that latter piece of legislation that the NSA has been accused of exploiting in its mass collection of phone records and other associated metadata. The USA Freedom Act states that data must be collected on a case-by-case basis and records should be handled by telephone companies rather than government agencies.

Despite clearing the House of Representatives by a huge margin last week, it’s now run aground. That means the Patriot Act will automatically expire on June 1 with nothing left to replace it — quite where that leaves the NSA and the legal ramifications of digital wiretapping remains to be seen. The Patriot Act was signed into law in 2001 as law enforcement agencies sought extra powers to tackle terrorist groups.

Backers of the USA Freedom Act see it as a sensible tweaking of existing law, keeping a framework in place while reducing the powers of the NSA. Those who are opposed to it are concerned about the ramifications of allowing private phone companies to keep data and release it on request to the government. As the latest development proves, no solution has yet been found to please all sides.

Privacy activist group the Electronic Frontier Foundation is happy to see both the USA Freedom Act and the Patriot Act fade away. “EFF urges Congress to again reject Section 215 reauthorization, and then turn to addressing other surveillance abuses by the US government,” the organization wrote in a blog post.

Editors' Recommendations

Xiaomi defends against accusations of collecting customers’ private data

Topics

Contributor

Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…

Computing

Best refurbished laptop deals: How to find cheap used computers

microsoft surface laptop go 2020 on desk

If you're shopping for laptops on a budget, then you probably don't want to aim for the best laptops on the market, since they often cost thousands of dollars and usually give you diminishing returns the more expensive they get. On the other hand, refurbished laptops are a great way to save money while also helping the environment and reducing e-waste. Not only that, but most refurbished laptops tend to be refurbished by the brand and are backed by warranties and return windows, so even if something is not right with your refurbished laptop, you can get a replacement or your money back.

To that end, Best Buy, Amazon, and Dell all have really great refurbished laptop sales that you can check out, and the prices really are great. Alternatively, if you're in the Apple ecosystem, take a look at these refurbished MacBook deals, or if you still want to go for something new, you could consider checking out these laptop deals instead.
Best Buy refurbished laptops -- starting at $113
Best Buy's refurbished laptops are -- you guessed it -- Geek Squad Certified and while they may not be free and clear of absolutely all cosmetic scuffs they are still exceptionally clean and always in working order. Some of them even come with additional software like virus tools, streaming access, like Apple TV+, and much more. Of course, the best part is that you can get a premium and fully upgraded model for less, often with more storage, more power, and more features than you would when buying a base model brand new. You've got some great options from Lenovo, Acer, HP, Dell, Gateway, and even Apple to choose from. The cheapest models start around $120 and increase from there. The best way to know what's available is to head over and browse for yourself.

Computing

Best student laptop deals: Laptops for college from $215

online web browser game list

Going to high school or college can be an overwhelming experience, and you probably don't want to add figuring out what laptop you can buy to that stress, especially when you're working under a limited budget and some of the best laptops cost thousands of dollars. That's why we've gone out and picked some of our favorite laptops that work well for students and listed them below, and we've included some of the best budget laptops out there. If you're unsure of where to start, it's worth checking out our laptop buying guide to give you an idea of which direction to go, and if you don't find that in the laptops we've listed below, you can check out these other great laptop deals as well.
HP Laptop 14 -- $204, was $269

The HP Laptop 14 is a popular choice among students because of its entry level price point. It's specs aren't going to blow anyone away, but they're good value for the price and are plenty to get the job done. This build of the HP Laptop 14 has 8GB of RAM and a quad-core Intel Celeron processor. It does check in with just 64GB of storage space -- this may not be enough for some users, but if you aren't planning on loading your laptop up with media this is one that will accompany you well around campus.

Computing

Blue Screen of Death: What it means and what to do if you get one

The Blue Screen of Death seen on a laptop.

The BSOD, or Blue Screen of Death, is an iconic error screen that anyone who's ever used a Windows PC has liekly come across at one time or another. It's no fun, and it can mean there's a problem with your PC that needs fixing. But in most cases, it's just one of those things that crops up, and simply keeping your PC updated will be enough to prevent it from coming up again.

Here's everything you need to know about BSODs and what to do if youget one.
What is a BSOD?
The stop error screen, or as it's colloquially known for its blue coloring, the BSOD, is an error screen that appears when something has gone critically wrong with your PC. It doesn't mean it's fundamentally broken, but it means something has gone so wrong with it that it can no longer function and needs to reboot to get working again.