top
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Sun Oct 11 2015 (Updated 10/16/15)
Alameda County DA Wants to Spy on You – Without Any Oversight
County Board of Supervisors to Vote on DA's Request for Hailstorm Cell Site Simulator
Governor Jerry Brown signed into law what advocates describe as some of strongest privacy protections in the United States. Legislation which takes effect January 1st, 2016, known as CAL-EPCA, will prohibit police from searching electronic equipment and records such as email, including metadata, without a warrant. Another bill, signed into law, requires most state and local agencies acquiring a Stingray Cellphone Surveillance Device or equivalent to both conduct a public hearing before acquisition and to create a privacy policy that governs its use. A "Stingray" is a device that simulates a cellphone tower and intercepts all the cell phone traffic in its range.

On Tuesday, October 13, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider whether to approve a request by the Alameda County District Attorney to accept money from the state to acquire an upgraded Stingray known as a "Hailstorm." If approved, and if the purchase is consummated before the new year, the new Stingray law would not apply.

The hearing, beginning at 10:45 AM will take place on the 5th floor of the Alameda County Administration Building at 1221 Oak St. in Oakland.

UPDATE: The decision on approving the grant money for a Stingray upgrade was postponed to an indefinite date, probably December.

Read More
2025-08-15 Sable Attempting to Restart Corroded Pipeline that Caused Refugio Oil Spill Environment & Forest Defense | Central Valley | California | Government & Elections2025-08-08 Noise Demonstrations Target BCG for Role in Deadly "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" Front Page | Racial Justice | Health, Housing & Public Services | Anti-War | San Francisco | U.S. | International | Palestine2025-07-31 Monarch Population Especially Vulnerable to Mass Deaths from Pesticides During Winter Front Page | Environment & Forest Defense | Animal Liberation | Santa Cruz Indymedia2025-07-29 Bay Area Gray Whale Deaths at Highest Level Since 2000 Front Page | Environment & Forest Defense | East Bay | California | U.S. | Animal Liberation2025-07-28 Senator Alex Padilla Called Out for Supporting Bills That Fund Genocide Front Page | Racial Justice | Health, Housing & Public Services | Anti-War | San Francisco | California | U.S. | International | Government & Elections | Palestine2025-07-25 Musk-Owned Company Subjects Primates and Pigs to Deadly Brain Chip Implants East Bay | Animal Liberation2025-07-25 Wells Fargo Funds Toxic Pipelines, Genocide, and Deportation Front Page | Environment & Forest Defense | Racial Justice | Global Justice & Anti-Capitalism | San Francisco | U.S. | International | Palestine | Immigrant Rights2025-07-24 Stakeholder Group Takes Action After Exposure to Fire's Massive Pollution Cloud Front Page | Environment & Forest Defense | Health, Housing & Public Services | Government & Elections | Santa Cruz Indymedia2025-07-22 Palantir Makes Billions Off Surveillance, Deportation, and Genocide Front Page | Racial Justice | Anti-War | Global Justice & Anti-Capitalism | Peninsula | U.S. | Palestine | Immigrant Rights2025-07-21 Program Pioneered Harm Reduction Model that Centered Voices of Drug Users Front Page | Health, Housing & Public Services | Drug War | Santa Cruz Indymedia2025-07-20 Protests Continue at Trader Joe's Stores Over Chicken Supplier Petaluma Poultry Front Page | East Bay | North Bay / Marin | California | Animal Liberation
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$225.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network