Motherboard on Thursdayrevealedthat a “ closelipped ” U.S. political science vendor whose surveillance intersection are not publicly advertised has been marketing hidden camera disguised as apparently ordinary object — vacuum cleaner , tree stumps , and tombstones — to the Federal Bureau of Investigation , among other law of nature enforcement delegacy , and the armed forces , in improver to , hem , “ select clients . ”
Yes , that ’s tombstone Cam , because absolutely nothing in this macrocosm is sanctified .
The vendor , Special Services Group ( SSG ) , was plain none too pleased when Motherboard bring out that it planned to publish photographs and description of the companionship ’s surveillance plaything . When reach for comment , SSG reportedly threaten to sue the technical school issue , establish by VICE in 2009 .
Motherboard” class=”size-full wp-image-1852064022″ /> Screenshot:Motherboard
According to Motherboard , abrochure listing SSG ’s products(starting at connectedness from pageboy 93 ) was receive through public records asking filed with the Irvine Police Department in California .
Freddy Martinez , a policy analyst at government accountability group open up The Government , and Beryl Lipton , a reporter / researcher at the government transparency nonprofit MuckRock , both filed request and obtained the SSG pamphlet , Motherboard said .
In warn the site not to break the brochure , SSG ’s attorney reportedly claim the text file is protected under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations ( ITAR ) , though the observance did not point to any specific section of the law , which was act out to regularise arm exports at the height of the Cold War .
MuckRock” class=”size-full wp-image-1852064030″ /> Screenshot:MuckRock
ITAR does prohibit the public disclosure of sure proficient data touch to military munitions . It ’s unlikely , however , that a television camera design to look like a baby car backside — an actual SSG production send for a “ Rapid Vehicle Deployment Kit”—is cover under the law , which comprehend a wide reach ofactual military equipmentthat ca n’t be replicated in a home garage , such as distance launching vehicles , nuclear nuclear reactor , and anti - helicopter mines .
ITAR explicitly does not cover “ introductory marketing data ” or information “ loosely accessible or available to the public . ”
The California Public Records Act itself also includesan exemptionthat would have turn on the Irvine Police Department to legally withhold the brochure , had it mold the public interest serve by not making it public outweighed the public interest group served by bring out it . That was apparently not the case .
The “ strongly formulate legal email ” from SSG ’s lawyer travel on to advise the booklet may include copyrighted material ; a dubitable title consider the integral design of a folder is to advertise a company ’s wares . The document itself is clearly not a confidential internal record .
Motherboard declined to remark on the threat beyond what ’s already printed in its article . SSG did not immediately react to a petition for comment . ( We ’ll update if it does . )
Adam Marshall , an attorney at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press , said SSG ’s notice was probably just an seek to scare Motherboard into squashing the level . say , he said , was SSG ’s call that the brochure “ may ” include information restricted under various laws — the passing of which , it claimed , could submit Motherboard to civil , and potentially vicious , liability .
“ They ’re not enjoin it does ; they ’re tell it may , ” Marshall said . “ That ’s a classic attorney intelligence , because , you know , anything might be anything . ”
With compliments to the copyright call , issue of the brochure is more than likely get over under the fair use doctrine , which protect the unlicensed use of copyright - protected whole works .
“ One of the factors in see whether something is fair use or not is whether its publication is go bad to have a negative pecuniary effect on the person who possess the copyright , ” Marshall said . “ But in the casing of a product catalogue , of track the whole point is to shell out it so people can see things . As far as I can tell , they do n’t say they ’re sell the catalogue itself . ”
“ In all honestly , the notice they send seems like it ’s intended to scare citizenry into not publishing this and to dissuade them from doing so , ” added Marshall . “ wait at the info , it ’s clearly in the public interest , peculiarly if they ’re attempt to sell this poppycock to domestic legal philosophy enforcement . ”
Surveillance Tech
Daily Newsletter
Get the proficient technical school , science , and finish intelligence in your inbox day by day .
News from the future , delivered to your present .
You May Also Like
