Box won’t say if it’s giving your secrets to the government

Cloud storage giant Box won't say how many times it has turned over customer data to the government.

The company's policy stands out from the cloud storage crowd, including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Dropbox, which along with other every internet and phone company in the Fortune 500, provide a biannual transparency report detailing the number of government requests and secret orders they receive.

[…]

Read More… from Box won’t say if it’s giving your secrets to the government

Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association falling flat on transparency, audit finds

Anyone interested in obtaining up-to-date information on the Massachusetts prison population or grant funds going into the state's various sheriffs' departments might be in for some frustration.

An audit conducted between 2013 and 2015 by the office of State Auditor Suzanne Bump found Massachusetts Sheriff's Association "did not provide the public with sufficient transparency about inmate populations in various counties, and the Legislature and other state agencies had to expend time and resources to obtain information."

[…]

Read More… from Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association falling flat on transparency, audit finds

New VA watchdog pledges more transparency

The new inspector general at the Department of Veterans Affairs is hoping to quickly repair the office’s image after nearly two years of criticism for cursory investigations and secrecy.

Michael Missal, who began work last Monday, said he plans to reach out to veterans’ groups, Congress and others to let them know his door is open and he plans to be more transparent.

[…]

Read More… from New VA watchdog pledges more transparency

Editorial: Minnesota Senate’s police body-cam bill hinders public access

From the 1991 Rodney King beating in California to the 2014 shooting death of Laquan McDonald in Chicago, nothing had more impact on the public than the video evidence. And, in cities across the nation, video of police-citizen interactions have helped inform the debate over police conduct.

In fact, that’s the point behind efforts to equip all cops with body cameras. Along with dashcams, surveillance camera footage and cellphone video, body cams can help give the most accurate accounts of what happens as police officers do their jobs.

[…]

Read More… from Editorial: Minnesota Senate’s police body-cam bill hinders public access

Sources: Obama transparency official stepping down

An official tasked with improving the operation of the Freedom of Information Act across the Obama Administration is resigning after less than a year on the job, several sources briefed on the move told Politico.

James Holzer took over last August as director of the Office of Government Information Services, which serves as an ombudsman between federal agencies and FOIA requesters. The office also conducts audits of agencies' FOIA operations and proposes ways to streamline those processes.

[…]

Read More… from Sources: Obama transparency official stepping down

Opinion: Florida Gov. Scott’s ‘transparency’ hypocrisy is out in the open

Last week, Florida Gov. Rick Scott lectured the Republican National Committee on the need to "be transparent."

It was like Alex Rodriguez warning Little Leaguers not to use steroids. Acting as Donald Trump's surrogate, Scott told RNC members at their meeting in Hollywood to avoid "tricks" or "stunts" that might impede Trump's path to the presidential nomination.

[…]

Read More… from Opinion: Florida Gov. Scott’s ‘transparency’ hypocrisy is out in the open