Telling the NSA to [Back] Off

#sxsw #nsabackoff

Documents leaked by Edward Snowden show that the NSA is engaging in an unprecedented breach of our privacy, gathering data about every telephone conversation and online transaction it can. But don't worry, says President Obama: "Nobody is listening to your phone calls."
Is that supposed to make us feel better?
This panel will discuss what we can do to push back against widespread government surveillance. I will highlight some of the best practices for both individuals and companies who want to push back against this unconstitutional practice, ranging from a step-by-step walkthrough of anti-surveillance technologies to opportunities for activism to rein in these programs entirely.
Secret court decisions empowering three-letter agencies to invade the innermost recesses of our private lives should be fodder for spy novels, not part of a functioning democracy. It's time to say 'no way' to the NSA.

Presenters

Chris Conley

Policy Atty

ACLU of Northern California

Chris Conley is a Technology & Civil Liberties Policy Attorney at the ACLU of Northern California. As a lawyer and a computer scientist, he has worked to develop technical and legal resources that help individuals understand the intersection of government surveillance and consumer data collection and the role of online platforms in enabling or limiting free expression. His current focus is on the privacy implications of "metadata."
Prior to joining ACLU-NC, Chris was a Fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, where his research explored international Internet surveillance. He has previously worked as a software engineer and data architect for various corporations and non-profits. Chris holds a B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering from The University of Michigan, a S.M. in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Journal of Law & Technology.

Evan Greer

Campaign Mgr

Fight for the Future

Evan Greer has been organizing hard-hitting campaigns for over a decade, online and in the streets. She’s currently the campaign manager at Fight for the Future, the viral digital rights organization that was one of the main forces behind the infamous SOPA blackout. Her day job is using the web to get millions to take action and dismantle the NSA’s blanket spying programs. Previously, Evan relentlessly toured the U.S. and Europe for 7 years as a professional musician and workshop facilitator. She’s is now the parent of a 3 year old who has been to more than a dozen countries and countless activist events, protests, and punk shows. Renowned historian Howard Zinn called Greer “an eloquent and energetic writer,” and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello calls her “a heck of a guitarist.” She works to educate and inspire groups to use cutting edge technology, creative tactics, and radical ideas, to effectively agitate for lofty things like justice and liberation.