Don't Get (Your Data) Caught!

Facilitated by Dan Spalding, Legal Activist

Session Description

This discussion will explore the intersection of tech, direct action organizing and the law. There will be a special focus on cultivating best practices for activists' use of laptops and smartphones - to defend against self-incrimination as well as non-law enforcement attacks. (private security, foreign governments, etc.) Direct action organizers will be on hand to provide a firsthand perspective of how these questions get answered in the real world.

Session Notes

Protest against logging in Canada – blocked access road; police raided in 3 days, ambush of 40 police officers, arrested 10 out of 12 protester. Promising practices for concealing digital files - No access to tech, cells, etc. Only surviving photos were hidden; raised question of how to keep in the contact when out of tech reach – Appalachia, deserts, woods, etc. - Encrypt galleries; change extension of files – hide in plain site - Hiding cards more difficult - Backups – redundancy - Sat Phone Danger of documenting event/protest w files used against you Danger of posting info publically – web, etc: very careful wording Fedex or ship technology and materials Upload and download – free dropbox account Encryption Software: 5th amendment claim to not turn over pass phrase, no precedent of forcing pass Pgpdesktop – mac encryption Truecrypt – windows Freedom of Information Act to discover personal info/data w govt

Apps – post to Youtube, Facebook, Twitter (mass texting), Ushahidi geomapping live activity

Mass Actions against Iraq war: Encrypted Chat room to interface comprehensive resource of communication on the ground; got info out to media outlets in real time. Best practices – one big text loop for everyone, or several based on need/tactic – not always advantageous if media is directly reporting action/strategy instead of message/goal Closed versus Open loop text messages; balancing big with secure can be challenging