August 2022 - cypherpunks@lists.ogf.org

Re: The New Way Police Could Use Your Google Searches Against You
by Rooty 02 Aug '22

02 Aug '22

Sent with duckduckgo encrypted mail ------- Original Message ------- On Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022 at 1:31 PM, Rooty <arpspoof(a)protonmail.com> wrote: > Thanks Gym! > > Sent with duckduckgo encrypted mail > > ------- Original Message ------- > On Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022 at 9:43 AM, jim bell <jdb10987(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > >> The New Way Police Could Use Your Google Searches Against You >> https://share.newsbreak.com/1j23z8tj >> >> For millennia, we’ve been told that asking questions was the path to enlightenment. But in the surveillance age, it might land you in jail. That’s the danger of a new search tactic that police are increasingly turning to in their constant campaign to transform our phones and devices into evidence against us: keyword warrants. One Denver court may soon rule on whether they can continue as a policing tactic—and in the post-Roe era, the wrong decision could put abortion seekers in unprecedented danger >> >> Police have used web browser history and search engine data in their investigations for about as long as the data has existed, but keyword warrants are different—a digital dragnet to find every user who searches for a specific person, place or thing. We don’t know how often they are used, but we the number of publicly known examples is only growing. And soon a Denver judge will provide one of the first decisions on their constitutionality. >> >> As far back as 2009, police would ask Google for a user’s search history for use in investigations, viewing a single account at a time. Where there was probable cause that someone had committed an offense, officers could compel Google to provide a list of every search a user had entered. And when individuals weren’t logged into Google, they could still search by their individual IP address, the unique identifier every internet-connected computer uses to communicate with servers at companies like Google.

1 0

who is grancrap - grarpamp@gmail.com
by punk 02 Aug '22

02 Aug '22

it's funny how agent grancrap, US nazi and jewmail user, hides behind his jewmail account while 'doxing' people here. it's hard to be a bigger, cowardly piece of shit and coward =) then again, we're talking about US jewnazis here.... Show some balls, turd, tell us your real name.

1 0

Jacob Appelbaum rape report
by Revevilgod God 02 Aug '22

02 Aug '22

https://geekfeminism.fandom.com/wiki/Jacob_Appelbaum_rape_report In May 2016, the Tor project blog announced that Jacob Appelbaum was stepping down from the project. Appelbaum, who often uses the handle "ioerror", is a longtime member of the information security community and supporter of Julian Assange. Shortly afterward, multiple Tor developers publicly accused Appelbaum of rape. On May 24, @puellavulnerata tweeted "A precommitment:", followed by a hexadecimal string. [1] On June 2, @puellavulnerata revealed that the previously-tweeted string was the SHA256 hash of the string "It seems one rapist is one rapist too many\n". [2] On May 27, the domain jacobappelbaum.net was registered; at this writing, it contains personal accounts from 5 different people who experienced sexual assault or inappropriate sexual conduct committed by Appelbaum. On June 3, @maradydd tweeted: "[Tor's blog post] is a gross disservice to the Tor community. People deserve to know why Tor evicted its resident sociopath." -- [3] "Jake finally raped enough people that Tor as an organisation couldn't ignore it anymore." -- [4] Responses In a June 6 blog post, Lex Gill wrote: What I’ve learned is that the real test is what happens after the accused makes a statement. One that muddies the waters, takes partial responsibility, questions the stability of his victims, implies ulterior motives. One that exposes a flawed process, or sheds light on true-yet-unflattering internal politics that make things seem “complicated.” He’s been reflecting carefully, you know. On his values. He was going through a tough time, before this. He is “dismayed” and “dishearted” and “troubled” and “ashamed” and “hurt.” If there is truth to these allegations, if that’s what the victims “believe happened” then he wants to make it right with them. His is a politics of ownership. He is an ally. He is kinky. He is sorry for your misunderstanding. In an extended tweet the same day, Appelbaum wrote: ...a calculated and targeted attack has been launched to spread vicious and spurious allegations against me.... Vague rumors and smear campaigns against me are nothing new. As a longtime public advocate for free speech and a secure internet, there have been plenty of attempts to undermine my work over the years. Now, however, these unsubstantiated and unfounded attacks have become so aggressive that I feel it’s necessary to set the record straight. Not only have I been the target of a fake website in my name that has falsely accused me of serious crimes, but I have also received death threats (including a Twitter handle entitled ‘TimeToDieJake’). I think it’s extremely damaging to the community that these character-assassination tactics are being deployed, especially given their ugly history of being used against fellow members of the LGBT community. It pains me to watch the community to which I’ve dedicated so much of my life engage in such self-destructive behavior. Nonetheless, I am prepared to use legal channels, if necessary, to defend my reputation from these libelous accusations. I want to be clear: the accusations of criminal sexual misconduct against me are entirely false. Inevitably, there may have been moments in my professional or private life when I may have inadvertently hurt or offended others’ feelings. Whenever I was aware of these instances, I have, and will continue to, apologize to the friends and colleagues in question and to continually learn how to be a better person. Though the damage to my reputation caused by these allegations alone is impossible to undo, I nonetheless take the concerns of the Tor community seriously.... (Backup copy on on archive.is) >From Wired Magazine's coverage: Andrea Shepard, a Berlin-based developer co-worker of Appelbaum’s at the Tor Project, says the site was created by a “longtime member of the Tor community” whom she knows and trusts. Shepard also says she’s spoken directly with one of Appelbaum’s alleged victims, who told Shepard in February of this year that Appelbaum had raped him or her. “Sadly…I think it’s the damn truth. He’s a charismatic, socially dominant manipulator,” Shepard writes to WIRED. “I absolutely believe the accusers." GEEK FEMINISM WIKI GEEK FEMINISM WIKI Jacob Appelbaum rape report TRIGGER WARNING This article or section, or pages it links to, contains information about sexual assault and/or violence which may be triggering to survivors. In May 2016, the Tor project blog announced that Jacob Appelbaum was stepping down from the project. Appelbaum, who often uses the handle "ioerror", is a longtime member of the information security community and supporter of Julian Assange. Shortly afterward, multiple Tor developers publicly accused Appelbaum of rape. On May 24, @puellavulnerata tweeted "A precommitment:", followed by a hexadecimal string. [1] On June 2, @puellavulnerata revealed that the previously-tweeted string was the SHA256 hash of the string "It seems one rapist is one rapist too many\n". [2] On May 27, the domain jacobappelbaum.net was registered; at this writing, it contains personal accounts from 5 different people who experienced sexual assault or inappropriate sexual conduct committed by Appelbaum. On June 3, @maradydd tweeted: "[Tor's blog post] is a gross disservice to the Tor community. People deserve to know why Tor evicted its resident sociopath." -- [3] "Jake finally raped enough people that Tor as an organisation couldn't ignore it anymore." -- [4] Responses In a June 6 blog post, Lex Gill wrote: What I’ve learned is that the real test is what happens after the accused makes a statement. One that muddies the waters, takes partial responsibility, questions the stability of his victims, implies ulterior motives. One that exposes a flawed process, or sheds light on true-yet-unflattering internal politics that make things seem “complicated.” He’s been reflecting carefully, you know. On his values. He was going through a tough time, before this. He is “dismayed” and “dishearted” and “troubled” and “ashamed” and “hurt.” If there is truth to these allegations, if that’s what the victims “believe happened” then he wants to make it right with them. His is a politics of ownership. He is an ally. He is kinky. He is sorry for your misunderstanding. In an extended tweet the same day, Appelbaum wrote: ...a calculated and targeted attack has been launched to spread vicious and spurious allegations against me.... Vague rumors and smear campaigns against me are nothing new. As a longtime public advocate for free speech and a secure internet, there have been plenty of attempts to undermine my work over the years. Now, however, these unsubstantiated and unfounded attacks have become so aggressive that I feel it’s necessary to set the record straight. Not only have I been the target of a fake website in my name that has falsely accused me of serious crimes, but I have also received death threats (including a Twitter handle entitled ‘TimeToDieJake’). I think it’s extremely damaging to the community that these character-assassination tactics are being deployed, especially given their ugly history of being used against fellow members of the LGBT community. It pains me to watch the community to which I’ve dedicated so much of my life engage in such self-destructive behavior. Nonetheless, I am prepared to use legal channels, if necessary, to defend my reputation from these libelous accusations. I want to be clear: the accusations of criminal sexual misconduct against me are entirely false. Inevitably, there may have been moments in my professional or private life when I may have inadvertently hurt or offended others’ feelings. Whenever I was aware of these instances, I have, and will continue to, apologize to the friends and colleagues in question and to continually learn how to be a better person. Though the damage to my reputation caused by these allegations alone is impossible to undo, I nonetheless take the concerns of the Tor community seriously.... (Backup copy on on archive.is) >From Wired Magazine's coverage: Andrea Shepard, a Berlin-based developer co-worker of Appelbaum’s at the Tor Project, says the site was created by a “longtime member of the Tor community” whom she knows and trusts. Shepard also says she’s spoken directly with one of Appelbaum’s alleged victims, who told Shepard in February of this year that Appelbaum had raped him or her. “Sadly…I think it’s the damn truth. He’s a charismatic, socially dominant manipulator,” Shepard writes to WIRED. “I absolutely believe the accusers." In a June 7 blog post, Leigh Honeywell wrote about her experiences as a survivor of intimate partner violence perpetrated by Appelbaum: There were a number of times I felt afraid and violated during interactions with Jacob. Being involved with him was a steady stream of humiliations small and large as he mistreated me in front of others and over-shared about our intimate interactions with friends who were often also professional colleagues. Two other survivors, Alison Macrina and isis agora lovecruft, also came forward with their experiences with Appelbaum. On June 11 a number of people wrote an open letter in solidarity with Jacob Applebaum on https://ourresponse.org/. Initially it was signed by 12 women who know Jacob Appelbaum: We, the undersigned, are a group of women who have been friends, colleagues, co-workers or partners of Jacob "Jake" Appelbaum over many years. We have decided that we must speak out due to the nature of this coordinated and one-sided attack on his character and work. It has become clear the mainstream media are unwilling to fact-check, and only too willing to persist in spreading uncorroborated and unfalsifiable rumor. This statement is to give our positive experiences with Jake from our first-hand, long-term perspectives, over many public and private situations. […] We stand in solidarity with Jake against the way this is being handled and on the side of justice for all, in hope the truth on all sides will be able to come to light in a rational and constructive manner. In March 2017, Henry de Valence, a former Ph.D student working with Tanja Lange and Dan Bernstein (both faculty at TU Eindhoven and friends of Appelbaum) wrote about his experiences with Appelbaum and leaving graduate school as a result due to Lange and Bernstein's defense of Appelbaum's behavior: On August 31, 2015, I started a Ph.D. in cryptography at TU Eindhoven, working with Tanja Lange and Dan Bernstein. On December 2, 2016, I resigned, due to sexual harassment, bullying, blackmail, and physical harm as a result of their favorite student, Jacob Appelbaum, as well as Tanja and Dan’s total abdication of their responsibility to manage the workplace environment in their research group.... On June 4, Dan sent an email to the entire research group. Dan informed the group that the only appropriate venue for dealing with Jacob’s behaviour is the criminal justice system and that he felt it would be inappropriate for him to take any action before the outcome of a court case. He took the time to emphasize the need to punish “false accusations”, which occur “often” (in reality, between 2% and 8% of the time), and described only two outcomes: a “true” accusation, leading to jail for the accused (in reality, 6 of every 1000 perpetrators are jailed in the United States), or a “false” accusation, leading to punishment for the complainant. According to Dan’s mail, there is no possibility beyond “punish the accused” or “punish the accuser”, or any level of inappropriate conduct below that which is strictly illegal: for instance, Dan did not mention the plagiarism alleged in the tweets he referenced in his own email. When Dan sent this mail, he had already received reports from multiple people that Jacob’s abusive behaviour was not limited to Tor, but also extended into his research group — and I suspect that he knew even more, since Jacob was staying at Dan and Tanja’s apartment at the time that he was attempting to negotiate his exit from the Tor Project.

2 1

Fwd: FBI Laboratory Publishes Major Handwriting Analysis Study | Federal Bureau of Investigation
by Gunnar Larson 02 Aug '22

02 Aug '22

You know how Mr. Trump writes a New York HRC type FBI con job. Brody Larson. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: FBI <fbi(a)subscriptions.fbi.gov> Date: Mon, Aug 1, 2022, 5:16 PM Subject: FBI Laboratory Publishes Major Handwriting Analysis Study | Federal Bureau of Investigation To: <g(a)xny.io> * National Press Releases * FBI Laboratory Publishes Major Handwriting Analysis Study The FBI’s Laboratory Division, in conjunction with Noblis, Inc., published a major scientific research paper today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences about the accuracy and reliability of forensic handwriting comparison. Aug. 1, 2022 Full Press Release <https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/press-releases/fbi-laboratory-publi…> ------------------------------ <https://www.facebook.com/FBI> <https://twitter.com/FBI> <https://www.youtube.com/user/FBI> <https://www.fbi.gov/e-mail-updates?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=…> * You have received this message because you are subscribed to one or more of the following categories: National Press Releases * Manage Subscription <https://delivery.fbi.gov/account-reminder> | Unsubscribe <https://delivery.fbi.gov/subscriber/c57956fe9830b3f02d21fe7a2581942df706f0b…> If you have questions about this service, email us at delivery(a)subscriptions.fbi.gov. Help <https://www.fbi.gov/e-mail-updates?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=…> | Privacy Policy <http://www.fbi.gov/privacy_policy?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=e…> | Visit FBI.gov <https://www.fbi.gov/?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=email&utm_sour…>

3 2

Post-quantum encryption contender is taken out by single-core PC and 1 hour
by jim bell 02 Aug '22

02 Aug '22

Post-quantum encryption contender is taken out by single-core PC and 1 hour https://share.newsbreak.com/1j2jwill In the US government's ongoing campaign to protect data in the age of quantum computers, a new and powerful attack that used a single traditional computer to completely break a fourth-round candidate highlights the risks involved in standardizing the next generation of encryption algorithms. Last month, the US Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, selected four post-quantum computing encryption algorithms to replace algorithms like RSA, Diffie-Hellman, and elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman, which are unable to withstand attacks from a quantum computer. In the same move, NIST advanced four additional algorithms as potential replacements pending further testing in hopes one or more of them may also be suitable encryption alternatives in a post-quantum world. The new attack breaks SIKE, which is one of the latter four additional algorithms. The attack has no impact on the four PQC algorithms selected by NIST as approved standards, all of which rely on completely different mathematical techniques than SIKE. Getting totally SIKEd SIKE—short for Supersingular Isogeny Key Encapsulation—is now likely out of the running thanks to research that was published over the weekend by researchers from the Computer Security and Industrial Cryptography group at KU Leuven. The paper, titled An Efficient Key Recovery Attack on SIDH (Preliminary Version), described a technique that uses complex mathematics and a single traditional PC to recover the encryption keys protecting the SIKE-protected transactions. The entire process requires only about an hour’s time. The feat makes the researchers, Wouter Castryck and Thomas Decru eligible for a $50,000 reward from NIST. “The newly uncovered weakness is clearly a major blow to SIKE,” David Jao, a professor at the University of Waterloo and co-inventor of SIKE, wrote in an email. “The attack is really unexpected.”

1 0

The New Way Police Could Use Your Google Searches Against You
by jim bell 02 Aug '22

02 Aug '22

The New Way Police Could Use Your Google Searches Against You https://share.newsbreak.com/1j23z8tj For millennia, we’ve been told that asking questions was the path to enlightenment. But in the surveillance age, it might land you in jail. That’s the danger of a new search tactic that police are increasingly turning to in their constant campaign to transform our phones and devices into evidence against us: keyword warrants. One Denver court may soon rule on whether they can continue as a policing tactic—and in the post-Roe era, the wrong decision could put abortion seekers in unprecedented danger Police have used web browser history and search engine data in their investigations for about as long as the data has existed, but keyword warrants are different—a digital dragnet to find every user who searches for a specific person, place or thing. We don’t know how often they are used, but we the number of publicly known examples is only growing. And soon a Denver judge will provide one of the first decisions on their constitutionality. As far back as 2009, police would ask Google for a user’s search history for use in investigations, viewing a single account at a time. Where there was probable cause that someone had committed an offense, officers could compel Google to provide a list of every search a user had entered. And when individuals weren’t logged into Google, they could still search by their individual IP address, the unique identifier every internet-connected computer uses to communicate with servers at companies like Google.

1 0

Nomad bridge “hacked” for ~$190million
by John Newman 02 Aug '22

02 Aug '22

Estimates on loss is somewhere between $150-$190million. https://cryptosaurus.tech/nomad-token-bridge-raided-for-190-million-in-fren… Lol, the relevant bit from the article - Nomad’s developers had accidentally pushed a routine update that told the protocol to process any transaction with the default root hash of “0x00,” where blockchain networks typically require a specific, unique root as proof that the transaction is valid. On a different matter - I normally use my personal mail server, where I’ve stood up all the bits and pieces and feel much better than I do with google, and yea of course my shit is running on various VM providers (or hosted at work - depends on current job situation)…. Anyway, I don’t use AWS or GCP, and that also makes me feel a tiny fucking bit better. I realize it’s mostly an illusion of separation but all the same… in any case, servers are down while I rearchitect everything. Joined cp with one of my gmail accounts for now. Dipping my toe in the list - seems pretty fucking toxic, ya? Cheers, John N

1 0

CNBC: Hacktivist group Anonymous is using six top techniques to 'embarrass' Russia
by jim bell 02 Aug '22

02 Aug '22

CNBC: Hacktivist group Anonymous is using six top techniques to 'embarrass' Russia. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/28/how-is-anonymous-attacking-russia-the-top-s… Hacktivist group Anonymous is using six top techniques to 'embarrass' Russia PUBLISHED THU, JUL 28 2022 6:00 PM EDTUPDATED FRI, JUL 29 2022 4:09 AM EDTMonica Buchanan Pitrelli@MONICAPITRELLIWATCH LIVEKEY POINTS - Anonymous uses many strategies in its digital fight against Russia, the most effective being hacking into databases and leaking the information online, according to cybersecurity specialist Jeremiah Fowler. - The size of the leaked data will take years to process. - The hacks have also exposed Russia's cybersecurity defenses to be far weaker than previously believed, say cybersecurity researchers. In this article - NES.N-CHMembers of the loosely connected collective known as Anonymous are known for wearing Guy Fawkes masks in public. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images Ongoing efforts by the underground hacktivists known as Anonymous are "embarrassing" Russia and its cybersecurity technology. That's according to Jeremiah Fowler, co-founder of the cybersecurity company Security Discovery, who has been monitoring the hacker collective since it declared a "cyber war" on Russia for invading Ukraine. "Anonymous has made Russia's governmental and civilian cyber defenses appear weak," he told CNBC. "The group has demystified Russia's cyber capabilities and successfully embarrassed Russian companies, government agencies, energy companies and others." "The country may have been the 'Iron Curtain,'" he said, "but with the scale of these attacks by a hacker army online, it appears more to be a 'paper curtain.'" The Russian embassies in Singapore and London did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Ranking Anonymous' claims Though missile strikes are making more headlines these days, Anonymous and its affiliate groups aren't losing steam, said Fowler, who summarized many of the collective's claims against Russia in a report published Friday. CNBC grouped Anonymous' claims into six categories, which Fowler helped rank in order of effectiveness:

1 0

Alex Jones to take the stand in civil case
by professor rat 02 Aug '22

02 Aug '22

Chewing up the scenery " Will you state under oath that you will never eat this judges ass? " ( Alex Jones to take the stand in carnivores trial soon ) It could come out how he ate John Youngs brain. Pass the popcorn.

1 0

Yahoo News: High-risk Colombians say GPS devices only add to dangers
by jim bell 02 Aug '22

02 Aug '22

Yahoo News: High-risk Colombians say GPS devices only add to dangers. https://news.yahoo.com/high-risk-colombians-gps-devices-140636081.html The bulletproof vehicles that Colombia’s government assigns to hundreds of high-risk individuals are supposed to make them safer. But when an investigative reporter discovered they all had GPS trackers, she only felt more vulnerable — and outraged. No one had informed Claudia Julieta Duque — or apparently any of the 3,700-plus journalists, rights activists and labor and indigenous leaders who use the vehicles — that the devices were keeping constant tabs on their whereabouts. In Duque’s case, it happened as often as every 30 seconds. The system could also remotely cut off the SUV's engine. Colombia is among the world’s most dangerous countries for human rights defenders — with more than 500 killed since 2016. It is also a country where right-wing extremists have a track record of infiltrating national security bodies. For Duque, the GPS revelation was chilling: Movements of people already at risk of political assassination were being tracked with technology that bad actors could weaponize against them.It’s something super invasive,” said Duque, who has been a persistent target of rogue security agents. “And the state doesn’t seem to care.” The government agency responsible has said the trackers were installed to help prevent theft, to track the bodyguards who often drive the vehicles and to help respond to dangerous situations. For a decade, Colombia had been installing trackers in the armored vehicles of at-risk individuals as well as VIPs, including presidents, government ministers and senators. The agency's director made that disclosure after Duque learned last year through a public records request that the system was recording her SUV’s location an average of five times an hour.The director dismissed privacy concerns and called the practice “fundamental” to guaranteeing security. Considering the tracker a danger to her and her sources, Duque pressed for details on its exact features. But the National Protection Unit, known as UNP in Spanish, offered little. She then demanded the agency remove the device. It refused. So in February, Duque returned the vehicle, left the country and filed a legal challenge. Now back in Bogotá, she is hoping for satisfaction when Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, takes office Aug. 7. Petro’s domestic security transition team did not respond to questions from The Associated Press on the matter. Whatever action the new administration takes will reflect on its avowed commitment to human rights and its ability to reform a national security establishment long run by bitter political foes. The UNP is a pillar of that establishment. It employs, mostly as bodyguards, dozens of ex-agents of the disgraced DAS domestic security agency, which was dissolved in 2011 after the government of former President Alvaro Uribe abused it to spy on Supreme Court justices, journalists and political opponents. Prominent among them were Petro himself – and Duque. She was surveilled, threatened and bullied by DAS operatives after uncovering evidence that the 1999 assassination of beloved humorist and peace activist Jaime Garzon was a crime of the state. Duque's reporting eventually helped convict a former DAS deputy director in the killing, and three other ex-DAS officials have been convicted of psychological torture for threatening the lives of Duque and her daughter. Trials against eight others are pending. Through it all, threats forced her into temporary exile nearly a dozen times. The questions about the GPS devices added to growing concerns about an agency that once ranked among Latin America’s most effective in human rights protection. Adam Isacson, an analyst with the Washington Office on Latin America, said the UNP became less responsive, more politicized and more penetrated by criminality under the outgoing conservative government. “With social leaders being killed nearly every other day during the past four years, this was the worst time for the unit to fall into disarray,” he said. Right-wing death squad activity spiked following a historic 2016 peace pact with leftist rebels. Duque says she was tipped to the GPS trackers in early 2020 when she learned of a planned attempt on her life, but when she asked about them, the government stonewalled for a year. When she finally got documents with the aid of the InterAmerican Human Rights Commission, they showed her location was recorded 25,183 times over 209 days from February to August of last year alone. A software manual described a panoply of other control options, including remotely operating cameras and door locks managed through vehicles' computers. Duque asked if any such features were active in the government-leased vehicles but said she got no answer. The general manager of the company that provides the GPS software told the AP that it only tracks location and speed and enables engine cutoff. A 2021 contract with the vehicle-leasing company obtained by Duque stipulates that a UNP official must approve any engine cutoff and that collected data be kept a minimum of two years. Nothing in the contract supports the claim made by the UNP that the system tracks bodyguards and enables quick reactions in dangerous situations. UNP officials declined to respond to questions from the AP. There is no evidence the GPS tracking led to any harm to any of the people under protection. Agency officials took offense last year when Duque questioned their intentions. “We don’t persecute or follow anyone illegally,” Director Alfonso Campo tweeted in October. “The information compiled by GPS is private" and only handed over to a judge or judicial authority when required in a case or for security reasons. The AP asked the chief prosecutor's office if had made any requests, but it did not respond. Privacy experts consider the Colombian government's tracking illegal and disproportionate and say it poses an unnecessary hacking risk. Under the country's 2012 privacy law, affected individuals must consent for such data to be retained. But they were never asked, said Emmanuel Vargas, a privacy law expert helping Duque. There is no indication that GPS helped protect the indigenous leader Miller Correa, who was kidnapped and killed in mid-March while driving alone on a rural highway. The tracker served afterward to retrieve his government-issued car, which was not armor-plated. A June 2021 letter from the government to the InterAmerican commission said the UNP took “all measures necessary” to ensure data on protected individuals was “not accessible to (agency) functionaries.” But in a December letter to Duque, the agency indicated it does not directly administer the data-protection efforts. A contractor is responsible. After Duque publicized her findings, several other high-risk Colombians publicly voiced distrust of their government-provided security details. One was investigative journalist Julian Martinez, whose book about the infiltration of DAS by corrupt narco-paramilitaries won a 2017 national journalism award. Martinez’s government-assigned bodyguards didn’t just spy on him after he published articles on alleged drug corruption involving the outgoing government. He accuses them of collecting material for a smear campaign organized by their boss – an outside contractor and former DAS official. In February, Martinez’s armored vehicle was attacked in Bogota by armed men who were reportedly repelled by his bodyguards. He was nearby at the time, and no one was hurt. Martinez doesn’t believe it was a robbery attempt, as investigators have said they suspect. “The protection scheme has become a scheme of control,” he said from Argentina, where he fled last month after denouncing an alleged plot to strip him of protection by claiming he was abusing it. Alberto Yepes, a leading rights activist who assists victims of extrajudicial killings by Colombia’s military, is certain the UNP is being used to spy on him. He suspects cellphone circuitry he discovered in September in his government-provided vehicle could be used to eavesdrop on conversations. Yepes is not sure Petro can succeed in overhauling the protection unit due to the heavy involvement of contractors with military backgrounds. “It will be difficult for the new government to change,” he said. “They’re going to have to negotiaye.

1 0