Searching Private Data, and Ensuring It Stays Private
The National Security Agency has your data. Is there a way to use it that won't further violate your privacy?
NSA
Where's the Evidence That Mass Surveillance Actually Works?
Officials are again pointing to the need for mass surveillance to take down terrorists. Here’s what we know about how well it works.
What America Fears
A new Chapman University survey reveals cyber-terrorism and threats to privacy are high on the list.
France Is Upset With the U.S. So Is the Rest of the World, Apparently
The latest Pew poll shows America has earned some less-than-favorable marks around the globe.
Secret Memos Reveal Warrantless Surveillance of Internet Activity
The Obama administration has stepped up the National Security Agency's surveillance program on U.S. soil to search for signs of hacking.
The Hidden Intelligence Breakdowns Behind the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks
After Edward Snowden, the government said its controversial surveillance programs had stopped a terrorist—David Coleman Headley. The claim is largely untrue.
Two Years Later, Snowden’s Mangled Laptop Is More Than an Empty Symbol
The British government's demand that physical computers be destroyed is both nonsensical and ruthless—and that’s what makes it so disturbing.
Most Americans Don't Mind Being on Candid Camera
The latest Pew survey shows that a majority of people actually approve of mass surveillance.
Here's One Unexpected Way to Land on the NSA's Watch List
If you downloaded the privacy software Tor in 2011, you may have been flagged to be spied on.
Reining in the National Security Agency
A measure adopted by the House to bar the National Security Agency from meddling with encryption standards was inserted into a defense appropriations bill and approved on a voice vote.
The Truth About Truthers
While it's turned into a disparaging term, being a "truther" once meant you were the opposite of a liar.
The NSA Is Put on Notice Over Encryption Standards
An amendment proposed by the House would remove the requirement that the National Institute of Standards and Technology consult with the NSA on encryption standards.
A Quick Guide to Encrypting the Data You Store and Transmit
Here are some techniques that anybody can use to protect their privacy online.
U.S. Needs to Stop Running Internet Security Like a Wikipedia Project
One lesson of the Heartbleed bug is that our government is paying to undermine Internet security, not to fix it.
ZunZuneo: Do Former Users Care That It Was Secretly Built by USAID?
Our criticism of the U.S. government's covert or "discreet" funding of communication channels like ZunZuneo or Radio Free Europe presumes that they try to seed something non-native.
What the Proposed NSA Reforms Wouldn't Do
All the plans purport to end the bulk phone records collection program, but there are big differences.
Secrecy, Surveillance, and Misinformation: Lessons From Moynihan
Rereading the late senator in a post-Edward Snowden and Julian Assange era.
FAQ: Why Is the NSA So Interested in 'Angry Birds'?
Answers to some of your questions about how the NSA and its British counterpart have been scouring smartphone apps.
How to Appear Properly Annoyed by a Wiretap
Australia's security service tapped some phones in Indonesia. It hasn't ended well.
Is the NSA Really Preventing Terrorist Attacks?
The agency, President Obama, and members of Congress have all said NSA spying programs have thwarted more than 50 terrorist plots. But there’s no evidence the claim is true.