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EFF Unveils Search Tool for FOIA Results

Posted by kdawson on from the beats-languishing-in-a-drawer dept.

The EFF has released a beta version of a new search tool that lets you mine the documents the EFF has unearthed using FOIA requests and lawsuits over the years. Quoting: "In celebration of Sunshine Week, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today launched a sophisticated search tool that allows the public to closely examine thousands of pages of documents the organization has pried loose from secretive government agencies. The documents relate to a wide range of cutting-edge technology issues and government policies that affect civil liberties and personal privacy." I tried a search for "border" among the documents relating to the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and turned up 21 results and fascinating reading.

9 of 57 comments (clear)

  1. Perhaps I'm missing something... by rindeee · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...but couldn't they just make them searchable via Google? Why reinvent the wheel?

    1. Re:Perhaps I'm missing something... by Shikaku · · Score: 4, Informative

      Google does not search the whole internet.

      http://www.chillingeffects.org/notice.cgi?sID=1161

      Etc.

  2. wow by zoomshorts · · Score: 4, Funny

    Let me guess before looking, hundreds of PDF files with those annoying black lines through
    that parts people are really interested in.

    1. Re:wow by Yacoby · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Let me guess before looking, hundreds of PDF files with those annoying black lines through
      that parts people are really interested in.

      I remember reading somewhere about a method of removing the black lines by calculating what the word could be based on the font used (letter spacing). I am not sure how far it got, and weather you could input a context.

      And some information is always better than no information.

    2. Re:wow by Yvanhoe · · Score: 2, Informative

      Just scanned through some and yes, that's it. More frustrating are email discussion where all emails are included, each time with the whole email they answer to, while sender and recipients are blacked out. The information here is : so these two guys discussed about another guys' problem, they looked a bit concerned. Could be anyone, slashdot readers, governments officials, ambassadors, we don't know. Useless 100 pages block of paper.

      --
      The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
  3. Re:Hah. i just donated $5 this morning by Shakrai · · Score: 5, Interesting

    but i donate to EFF frequently too.

    After Obama reversed himself on FISA I wrote his campaign demanding a refund of all monies I had donated to them. When I received said refund I donated every single penny (>$500) to the EFF. They do good work and unlike the ACLU they aren't hypocrites, at least as far as I can tell.

    --
    I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
    We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  4. No little green men... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    bah that site is censored couldn't find any UFO

  5. Re:Free information should be free by calmofthestorm · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Depends on the department, some places it goes smooth as clockwork. That's your clue you didn't ask for anything unpatriotic or counterrevolutionary.

    --
    93rd rule of Slashdot: No matter how obvious my sarcasm is, my comment will be taken seriously by someone.
  6. Re:Free information should be free by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If one had sufficient resources, it would be quite interesting to use large numbers of FOIA requests, on a wide variety of topics, to build a "topic sensitivity map", if you will, of various agencies. Analogous to the various network mapping and monitoring techniques that infer things about the network's structure, load, and so on by looking at packet response times, TTLs, and losses.