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posted by janrinok on Saturday September 03 2022, @08:14PM   Printer-friendly
from the the-prefab-four dept.

Multiple publishers are reporting that Micky Dolenz, the last surviving member of the made-for-tv band, The Monkees, is suing the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act. He aims to get as much of the FBI's file on The Monkees as possible with the goal of uncovering what they may have on higher priority surveillance targets of the era, such as John Lennon or the MC5. According to a limited file release from 2011, The Monkees are only mentioned in two FBI documents, one of which remains fully redacted.

The Monkees may not be seem like the kind of band that would attract the FBI's attention, especially during a time when groups like Country Joe and the Fish and the MC5 were leading the movement against the Vietnam War. But the Monkees were one of the most popular bands in America in 1966 and 1967, and they sprinkled anti-war sentiments into songs like "Ditty Diego-War Chant" and even "Last Train to Clarksville," a song about a man headed off to war that fears he'll never see his love again.

"The Monkees reflected, especially in their later years with projects like [their 1968 art house movie] Head, a counterculture from what institutional authority was at the time," Zaid tells Rolling Stone. "And [J. Edgar] Hoover's FBI, in the Sixties in particular, was infamous for monitoring the counterculture, whether they committed unlawful actions or not."

-- https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-monkees-micky-dolenz-fbi-1234584299/

In the intervening decades, making and distributing music has become highly centralized and corporate.

Covered at:
BBC: Micky Dolenz: Last living Monkees member sues FBI for secret files on band
Bloomberg: Last of the Monkees Wants Their FBI Records Turned Over
The Los Angeles Times: The FBI had a file on the Monkees, and now Micky Dolenz is suing to find out why
TMZ: Micky Dolenz Demanding FBI File on The Monkees!!! (Yes, There Actually Is One)
Rolling Stone: The Monkees' Micky Dolenz Would Like a Word With the FBI
NBC: Surviving Monkees member Micky Dolenz sues the FBI, asks for files on him and his bandmates

Previously:
(2019) The FBI "Can Neither Confirm Nor Deny" That It Monitors Your Social Media Posts
(2019) U.S. Government Using Secretive FISA Rules to Spy on Journalists
(2017) EFF Sues FBI to Obtain Records About Geek Squad/Best Buy Surveillance
(2016) Snowden Tried to Tell NSA About Surveillance Concerns, Documents Reveal
(2014) Already a Winner in EFF's "Most Outrageous Response to a FOIA Request" Contest?


Original Submission

Related Stories

Already a Winner in EFF's "Most Outrageous Response to a FOIA Request" Contest? 7 comments

TechDirt reports

The [Electronic Freedom Frontier] recently kicked off a contest for the "most outrageous response to a Freedom of Information Act request" and we already have a frontrunner for the first inaugural "Foilie." MuckRock's loose confederation of FOIA rabblerousers has been hit with a $1.4 million price tag for John Dyer's request for documents related to the "localization and capture" of Mexican drug lord "El Chapo" (or Joaquin Guzman, as he was presumably known to his mom).

The price tag for the requested documents is almost absurdly high. Almost. There are some mitigating factors that might keep this request from snagging the coveted "Foilie." For one, there's a whole lot of responsive documents.

In fairness, the request is quite broad in scope, and the estimated 13,051 case files would create considerable workload.

But on the other hand, the estimate seems to have been pulled out of thin air, rather than based on any actual calculations.

But assuming that $200,000 of that fee came from photocopying (which would put the total number of pages at two million), that would put the time estimate at over 40,000 hours, or 1785 days. That's almost five years of constant work without breaks.

My guess: A ton of magic markers to redact all of DEA's criminal activity.

Snowden Tried to Tell NSA About Surveillance Concerns, Documents Reveal 22 comments

VICE got an 800 page FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act) dump from the NSA (National Security Agency) Friday evening. It contains no smoking gun, but does indicate that NSA's denials that Edward Snowden had tried to follow so-called proper channels are pretty flimsy and, in part, depend on a very self-forgiving interpretation of events. It's a long read.

https://news.vice.com/article/edward-snowden-leaks-tried-to-tell-nsa-about-surveillance-concerns-exclusive

takyon: The PDF is reachable here. The download is around 43.3 megabytes.


Original Submission

EFF Sues FBI to Obtain Records About Geek Squad/Best Buy Surveillance 10 comments

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Investigation to obtain records related to the FBI's secret relationship with Best Buy's Geek Squad:

Sending your computer to Best Buy for repairs shouldn't require you to surrender your Fourth Amendment rights. But that's apparently what's been happening when customers send their computers to a Geek Squad repair facility in Kentucky.

We think the FBI's use of Best Buy Geek Squad employees to search people's computers without a warrant threatens to circumvent people's constitutional rights. That's why we filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit today against the FBI seeking records about the extent to which it directs and trains Best Buy employees to conduct warrantless searches of people's devices. Read our complaint here [PDF].

EFF has long been concerned about law enforcement using private actors, such as Best Buy employees, to conduct warrantless searches that the Fourth Amendment plainly bars police from doing themselves. The key question is at what point does a private person's search turn into a government search that implicates the Fourth Amendment.

Previously: Cooperation Alleged Between Best Buy and the FBI


Original Submission

U.S. Government Using Secretive FISA Rules to Spy on Journalists 27 comments

US Government Using Secretive FISA Rules to Spy on Journalists

Documents recently obtained by the Freedom of the Press Foundation reveal troubling facts about how the government is secretly using the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to spy on journalists. The documents were released as part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by the Freedom of the Press Foundation and Columbia University's Knights First Amendment Institute. These newly declassified memos confirm suspicions long held by civil liberties advocates that the government is using and abusing FISA court orders to conduct intrusive surveillance on reporters they deem as "foreign agents" and on those reporters' contacts.

By using FISA, the Department of Justice circumvents traditional court systems that have long protected journalists from invasive and illegal spying practices. [...] Memos made public through the FOIA request reveal that it is highly likely that both the Trump and Obama administrations have spied on journalists they considered "foreign agents" and anyone with whom they may have been in contact.


Original Submission

The FBI "Can Neither Confirm Nor Deny" That It Monitors Your Social Media Posts 24 comments

The FBI 'Can Neither Confirm nor Deny' That It Monitors Your Social Media Posts

In recent years, the federal government has significantly ramped up its efforts to monitor people on social media. The FBI, for one, has repeatedly acknowledged that it engages in surveillance of social media posts. So it was surprising when the bureau responded to our Freedom of Information Act request on this kind of surveillance by saying that it "can neither confirm nor deny the existence of records."

The six other federal agencies we submitted the FOIA request to haven't produced a single document. The request, filed last May, seeks information on how the agencies collect and analyze posts from Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.

Today we sued the agencies to get some answers, because the public has a right to know about the exact nature of social media surveillance — especially whether agencies are monitoring and retaining social media posts, or using surveillance products that label activists and people of color as threats to public safety based on their First Amendment-protected activities.


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by Gaaark on Saturday September 03 2022, @08:36PM

    by Gaaark (41) on Saturday September 03 2022, @08:36PM (#1270112) Journal

    Mickey Dolenz is my favourite Monkee: his voice saved the Monkees.

    I think Hoover just investigated EVERYONE, hoping to get something good for later 'Hoovermail'. Investigate, then hide it in his drawers somewhere beneath his dress maybe?

    Hey, hey, I'm a Gaaarkee!

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Snotnose on Saturday September 03 2022, @08:55PM (2 children)

    by Snotnose (1623) on Saturday September 03 2022, @08:55PM (#1270114)

    No, not the mouse. The house of mouse deserves all the derision we can send it's way when it comes to copyrites and seekrits.

    But the Monkeys? I think It's A Good Thing (tm) that we understand the surveillance used in the 60s, and the why. Face it, that was over 50 years ago, the principles are either dead or retired. There is no good reason to keep this stuff classified. Unless, of course, it makes Hoover and/or the FBI look like kneejerk idiots. In which case do not, under any circumstances, release this data.

    The release of this info might help the average sheeple to understand why modern surveillance is bad. I'm not hopeful, but there is a chance.

    --
    Why shouldn't we judge a book by it's cover? It's got the author, title, and a summary of what the book's about.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2022, @05:29PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2022, @05:29PM (#1270211)

      > the principles are either dead or retired

      Touche'd yourself

    • (Score: 2) by epitaxial on Sunday September 04 2022, @08:55PM

      by epitaxial (3165) on Sunday September 04 2022, @08:55PM (#1270242)

      The FBI even opened an investigation into the lyrics of Louie Louie...

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2022, @01:22AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2022, @01:22AM (#1270130)

    I hope this information helps him find out why the FBI knocked off the other band members. However, It's best not to wait till your the last one. Once you see a pattern, ask yourself "What Am I Doing Hangin' Round", swing into action, become a believer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2pv53Samyo [youtube.com]
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiQUnxNEDqk [youtube.com]

  • (Score: 3, Funny) by sjames on Sunday September 04 2022, @08:40AM (4 children)

    by sjames (2882) on Sunday September 04 2022, @08:40AM (#1270174) Journal

    My first thought was it's hard to believe the FBI actually investigated the Monkees. Then I remembered that they investigated the Kingsmen because they were afraid that if they ever managed to understand the words to Louie Louie it would be Communist propaganda. I'm not sure the Kingsmen can make out the words to Louie Louie.

    So sadly, they probably do have a folder about the Monkees.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by canopic jug on Sunday September 04 2022, @11:02AM (3 children)

      by canopic jug (3949) Subscriber Badge on Sunday September 04 2022, @11:02AM (#1270183) Journal

      So sadly, they probably do have a folder about the Monkees.

      They do. As mentioned in the summary the band is only mentioned in two FBI documents, one of which remains fully redacted [fbi.gov]. The redacted one might have hints about what to ask for regarding other bands. The folder on the the MC5 [makemyday.free.fr] is probably quite thick, it was basically the house band for one of the more radical political parties. All the major bands, both local and national, were tuned into the anti-war zetigeist to a greater or lesser extent. That alone would get a file opened on them. When you throw in civil rights on top of that, they will surely get attention.

      What do we have in place of music pushing peace and equality these days? AI-generated, corporate drill rap: Feed a markov bot into autotune plus a drum machine and out comes money. No musicians or entertainers needed. No push back on politics, working hours, tour dates, or even union wages.

      --
      Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
      • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2022, @05:34PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2022, @05:34PM (#1270212)

        But K-Pop is so cool, they move in perfect formation and wear sharp outfits, just like Nazis.

      • (Score: 2) by Username on Sunday September 04 2022, @11:45PM (1 child)

        by Username (4557) on Sunday September 04 2022, @11:45PM (#1270267)

        > What do we have in place of music pushing peace and equality these days?

        I thought a lot about this concept recently. I remember lefty songs were cliche hippie nonsense about love and drugs. currently, lefty songs are about hate and violence. Not the kind of random edgy teen violence we got with the hardcore scene that I'm familiar with either. It's the directed hate towards specific groups of people, that just feels evil and wrong. You have the president raging about how he wants to kill the people wearing maga hats while in front of a red building flanked by identical military soldiers, with musicians and actors supporting his position by spewing all sorts of hate through their mediums. I'm pretty sure if we took lefty musicians of the 60s in a time machine to today, and showed them the current left without explaining who they are, they would think their the people they were protesting against.

        What happened?

        • (Score: 2) by sjames on Sunday September 11 2022, @05:46AM

          by sjames (2882) on Sunday September 11 2022, @05:46AM (#1271177) Journal

          Where do you get Biden calling to kill anyone? Or do you fear that if the more extreme MAGA Republicans get voted out of office they might drink hemlock?

  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by HammeredGlass on Sunday September 04 2022, @02:42PM (4 children)

    by HammeredGlass (12241) on Sunday September 04 2022, @02:42PM (#1270199)

    i.e. the feds don't need to keep an eye on musicians anymore as they are already dancing to a fed/corpo tune.

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by canopic jug on Sunday September 04 2022, @08:09PM (3 children)

      by canopic jug (3949) Subscriber Badge on Sunday September 04 2022, @08:09PM (#1270240) Journal

      Indeed. I can't see Taylor Swift, Inc, LLC, or her employees getting up and the stage and letting loose like the MC5:

      “Brothers and sisters, I want to hear some revolution out there, I want to hear some revolution. The time has come for each and every one of you to decide whether you are gonna be the problem, or whether you are gonna be the solution. You must choose, brothers, you must choose. It takes five seconds. Five seconds of decision. Five seconds to realize your purpose here on the planet. It takes five seconds to realize that it’s time to move. It’s time to get down with it. Brothers and sisters, it’s time to testify, and I want to know — are you ready to testify? Are you ready? I give you a testimonial, THE MC5!”
      -- https://www.westword.com/music/mc50-kick-out-the-jams-fiftieth-anniversary-tour-brings-the-sound-of-freedom-10920120 [westword.com]

      As far as I know the The Dixie Chicks [dankennedy.net] were one of the last to try anything of import, having initially spoken up about Iraq. However, since back then only six companies controlled all of US radio [businessinsider.com], fewer now, it was easy for Cumulus Media to pull the plug on them [latimes.com]. An example was made of them such that it is very unlikely that any entertainer, or musician, will step out of line again in the foreseeable future. Though they did not get as far as earning a beat-down like Ian Murdock or Michael Hastings.

      I would guess that it is the same interests which have been pushing wars against both general purpose computing and the open web / Internet. The former lets people do stuff, the latter say stuff.

      --
      Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
      • (Score: 3, Informative) by epitaxial on Sunday September 04 2022, @08:58PM (2 children)

        by epitaxial (3165) on Sunday September 04 2022, @08:58PM (#1270244)

        The Dixie Chicks are the best example of republican hypocrisy. They practically invented cancel culture with that move.

        • (Score: 1, Offtopic) by HammeredGlass on Monday September 05 2022, @06:06PM (1 child)

          by HammeredGlass (12241) on Monday September 05 2022, @06:06PM (#1270362)

          if democrats can larp with 'the parties changed' (at some point we conveniently draw a line that moves, 1933, 1945, 1960, 1968, 1976, 1988), then repugnants can yell 'the parties changed' as well.

          the parties today are not the parties then

          • (Score: 2) by HammeredGlass on Monday September 05 2022, @06:07PM

            by HammeredGlass (12241) on Monday September 05 2022, @06:07PM (#1270363)

            meant to type "demonrats" to balance out that statement

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 05 2022, @01:37PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 05 2022, @01:37PM (#1270321)

    I sort of remember that. I had to read that in high school.

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