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Demo gegen Überwachung: „Wir können die Welle brechen“
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Databroker-Deals der Polizei: Opposition fordert Aufklärung in acht Bundesländern
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Neue Töne aus Brüssel: Open Source soll Europa unabhängiger machen
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Gelöscht: Widerstand gegen Kameras: Mit Kaugummis, Laserpointern und Brecheisen
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Widerstand gegen Kameras: Mit Kaugummis, Laserpointern und Brecheisen
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UN-Report zu KI-Umweltkosten: Gut gemeint, schlecht gerechnet
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Automatisierte Falschmeldungen: BKA meldet Kinderpornografie, die keine ist
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Trugbild: Schöne (un-)heile Welt
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KW 23: Die Woche, als wir die Databroker-Debatte in die Bundesländer holten
NJ police to journalists: Papers please
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Dear Friend of Press Freedom:
Who gets to decide who’s a journalist? Police in New Jersey say it’s up to them. We disagree. Read on for more on that, plus the need for surveillance reform in light of President Donald Trump’s pick for intelligence chief, and what the murder of “60 Minutes” says about the Ellisons’ attempts to buy CNN parent company Warner Bros.
NJ police to journalists: Papers please
This week, our U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has been working to verify at least 40 assaults by federal and local law enforcement on journalists near an immigration detention facility in Newark, New Jersey known as Delaney Hall, where reporters are covering an ongoing hunger strike by detainees and related protests.
As Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Deputy Director of Advocacy Adam Rose wrote in The Guardian, New Jersey police seem to think they’re empowered to unilaterally decide who is a journalist entitled to First Amendment protections — and to violate the rights of anyone who doesn’t satisfy their arbitrary criteria.
Press rights don’t simply protect a chosen class of people. They protect the act of informing the public, Rose writes. “If an officer can point at [someone] and say they are not press, the first amendment ceases to have meaning.”
New intelligence chief could be catastrophic for press and privacy
Trump’s new pick for director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, is stunningly unqualified. And when it comes to press freedom and the public’s right to know, it’s terrifying to think what he could do in his new role.
The DNI oversees compliance with Section 702 of FISA, a law intelligence agencies have exploited to search countless Americans’ phone calls, emails, and texts without a warrant, including journalists. There’s no telling how Pulte could abuse these surveillance powers at Trump’s behest.
Congress is currently debating whether to renew Section 702, and it’s more important than ever to tell them not to reauthorize the law without major reforms. “Anyone who votes in favor of renewal with Pulte now in place … cannot seriously claim to care even one little bit about the Constitution,” FPF Executive Director Trevor Timm said in a new video.
Don’t mess with Scott Pelley
Veteran “60 Minutes” journalist Scott Pelley didn’t appreciate five of his colleagues being fired in a single day, and he didn’t keep his feelings to himself. Pelley told the show’s new executive producer, Nick Bilton, that CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss was brought in to “kill” the storied newsmagazine and that she did exactly that.
He soon got fired for speaking the truth. But it’s also important to remember who brought Weiss in — Trump’s buddy David Ellison, who bought CBS after promising the Trump administration he’d give the news division a MAGA makeover. Now, the Ellisons want Trump’s approval to buy CNN and HBO’s parent company, Warner Bros.
We issued a statement along with a coalition of press freedom organizations about how what we’re seeing at CBS is sure to repeat at CNN if the Warner Bros. acquisition proceeds. And everyone from former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather to legendary Pentagon Papers lawyer James Goodale to former “60 Minutes” journalist Lowell Bergman — portrayed by Al Pacino in “The Insider” — has added their name to our letter opposing the merger.
VPNs protect press freedom
Utah recently became the first state to enact a limited ban on virtual private networks to enforce its online age verification law, and lawmakers elsewhere are considering following suit.
That’s a problem for press freedom. FPF Deputy Director of Digital Security Dr. Martin Shelton and Senior Advocacy Adviser Caitlin Vogus recently wrote about how journalists use VPNs to protect themselves and their sources. Give it a read and then share it the next time you hear someone suggest we should restrict VPNs.
What we're reading
When norms fail, pass laws: A call for legislative action to protect press freedom
Prior Restraint
First Amendment scholar Matthew Schafer discusses the press freedom legislation we urgently need, from the PRESS Act to protect source confidentiality to Espionage Act reform to stop criminalization of newsgathering.
US Defense Department bars journalists from its press office
Al Jazeera
“It’s rare for anything other than disingenuous spin and outright lies to come out of the Pentagon’s press office these days, so it’s hard to imagine what basis they have to call the space classified,” said FPF Chief of Advocacy Seth Stern.
Trump on his presidential library: He’ll write his own history
The New York Times
Trump’s planned presidential library is “a shrine to the story that he wants to tell,” not an archive of presidential records, Lauren Harper, FPF’s Daniel Ellsberg chair on government secrecy, explained.
Judge in Luigi Mangione case holds secret hearing despite press objections
The Guardian
This is not how it works. Requests for secret court proceedings should be met with extreme constitutional scrutiny, not rubber stamps.
Pentagon is censoring military newspaper Stars and Stripes, lawsuit alleges
The Washington Post
Journalists who have fought back against the Trump administration’s censorship have almost all prevailed, and this lawsuit should be another winner. It’s important that news outlets don’t take these attacks lying down.
Israeli police compile dossiers on critical foreign journalists
Index on Censorship
If Israel believes its actions can withstand scrutiny, it should let journalists report freely instead of blacklisting foreign reporters, shutting them out from Gaza, and killing Palestinian journalists.
A snapshot into darkness: Bearing witness inside 26 Federal Plaza
Underexposed
A stunning account from journalist Michael Nigro, who was among the first to reveal the Trump administration’s strategy of arresting immigrants at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City.
Press groups to IU: ‘Now is the time’ to demonstrate commitment to student media
Student Press Law Center
Indiana University must act on its student media task force’s recommendations after it restricted the print content of the Indiana Daily Student and fired the student media director.
Spotlight PA, other newsrooms sue Penn State trustee leaders over ‘gag policy’ that silences members
Spotlight PA
Journalists should be able to tell the public what Penn State’s trustees actually think. Silencing criticism and dissent is how problems stay hidden.
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Rechenzentren in der EU: Stromfresser sollen uns souverän machen
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Smartphones hacken, Gesichter scannen: CDU, SPD und BSW wollen Überwachung in Sachsen ausweiten
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Cloud and AI Development Act: EU-Kommission greift bei US-Cloud-Anbietern kaum durch
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Aus für Cosmo Radio: Die ARD macht schon jetzt die Medienpolitik der AfD
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Gerichtsurteil: Facebook Messenger gilt weiterhin als dominanter Internet-Dienst
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EU-Rat und Parlament einigen sich: Ein Abschieberegime, von dem Rechtsextreme geträumt haben
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Massenüberwachung: Bundesrat will Vorratsdatenspeicherung stark ausweiten
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Peinliche Lücke: Hacker überreden Meta-KI, fremde Instagram-Accounts herauszugeben
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Online-Werbung: Wenn Überwachungskapitalismus und Überwachungsstaat zusammenwachsen
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Daten-Schwarzmarkt: Deutsche Polizei nutzt offenbar rechtswidrig Databroker
ICYMI: Updates from the 5/31 Meeting
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ICYMI
Arizona – The Arizona t-shirt contest concluded with the winner being the design seen below. The AZPP formed an IT Committee. Arizona also participated in the “A Future Without War” event, tabling and handing out literature.
Committees – Platform committee presented a comprehensive plank for “Markets and Economy,” covering various items such as minimum wage, taxation and a stance on predictive markets. The plank was heavily discussed before ultimately it being voted on to send back to committee on a 4-1-2 vote, with the “Nay” coming from Florida and abstentions from Ohio and Arizona.
The election committee met earlier today to discuss the election process for the upcoming 2026 Pirate National Conference. Former Capt. Liz Gorski has been chosen to conduct the interview process for candidates seeking a board position.
Florida – Florida recent met and ratified recent changes to the bylaws and nominated officer positions.
Maryland – The Maryland Pirate Party launched a new website, which can be found here.
Nevada – Early voting is underway for the Sparks City Council race. Our guy, Hunter Rand, is running for Sparks City Council, Ward 2. Hunter will be speaking during the Pirate National Conference.
Pirate National Conference – We are less than one week away from the 2026 PNC […] Hoist the Colours and Spill the Tea (20 Years a Pirate!). It’s not too late to sign up, you can do that here.
Pride – Two statements are expected later this week; one coming from yours truly, Jolly Mitch, and a second collective letter from our Trans Pirates. There is no timeline for release, only the knowledge the statements will come prior to the conference.
The meeting last night was a long one, but highlights (the whole thing) can be found here. There will be no meeting following the conclusion of the Pirate National Conference; our next meeting will be June 14th.
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KI-Klimaschwindel und Greenwashing: Big-Tech erklärt das Problem zur Lösung
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Digitale Medienkompetenz: Eltern und Mitschüler sollen es richten
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Netzpolitische Enzyklika: Wie Papst Leo gegen die Verzweckung des Menschen argumentiert
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KW 22: Die Woche, als die Databroker Files weiter Kreise zogen
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TikTok, Instagram, Youtube: Plattformen schludern bei Hassrede und Accountsperren
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Statt Durchsetzung von Völkerrecht: EU-Mittelmeermission IRINI dient künftig nur noch der Migrationsabwehr
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Hype um Prognosemärkte hält an: Wetten, dass Familie Trump gewinnt
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Unsichere Billigimporte: EU-Kommission überzieht Temu mit einer satten Strafe
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Strafanzeige: Journalist wehrt sich gegen Staatstrojaner-Angriff
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Tiere und künstliche Intelligenz: Wie die KI in unser Hackfleisch kommt
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Für 250 Millionen Euro: Bund schafft neue Abhängigkeiten von IT-Konzernen
ICYMI: Updates from the 5/24 Meeting
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ICYMI
Arizona – Arizona is participating in “A Future Without War” today, tabling and passing our USPP literature. The event ran from 8am-2pmPT. Updates from the event itself should come during the 5.31 meeting.
California – The California Pirate Party has relaunched their website, which you can visit here. California formally remains a probationary state, however, their status should be changed back as soon as the 5.31 meeting, given their chapter’s indiscretions have been resolved.
Florida – The next Florida Pirate Party meeting is scheduled to take place on May 30th at 8pmET.
Illinois – The next Illinois Pirate Party meeting is scheduled to take place June 14th at 7pmCT. Illinois Pirates have also offered to accompany anyone interested in attending the Chicago Hounds vs New England Free Jacks game on Sunday, June 7th, providing an alternative to walking the second Freedom Trail camera walk as is currently planned for the 2026 Conference.
Maryland – Pirates from our Maryland Pirate Party have set out to host a park clean-up event at Paul Revere Park on June 7th at 10amET, providing an alternative to walking the first Freedom Trail camera walk as is currently planned for the 2026 Conference.
Massachusetts – Our 2026 Pirate National Conference: […] Hoist the Colours and Spill the Tea (20 Years a Pirate!) is right around the corner. Taking place in Boston, this conference would not be possible without the help, hardwork and organizational prowess of the Massachusetts Pirate Party. So to Jamie O’Keefe, Joe Onoroski, Steve Revilak, Eli McGee and every single Massachusetts Pirate that played their part in making this a successful conference. Without you all, there wouldn’t be a 20th year of the Pirate Party, let alone a well-planned 20th anniversary celebration Conference.
We thank you all so very much for the work you do.
Nevada – Early voting has begun for the Sparks City Council race! Voting will conclude following our conference. We are incredibly proud of the campaign Hunter Rand has ran, and we are excited to watch it play out. You’re a rockstar, Hunter. Thanks for running the quintessential Pirate campaign; a true exemplar of an honest campaign that we as Pirates hope to run every single time.
Pennsylvania – Drew Bingaman recently joined us as guest on Talk the Plank! to promote his campaign. That episode can be found here!
Pirate National Committee Board – As is done yearly, a new board will be elected during the conference. The following are the candidates for this year’s election:
- Captain – “Jolly” Mitchel Davilo (I), Eli McGee
- Vice Captain – Blase Henry, Vermin Supreme
- Scribe – Blase Henry (I), Lily Boyt, Wanda Ward
- Treasurer – Darren McKeeman (I), Eli McGee
- Lookout – AJ Porter, Joseph Onoroski, Joel Lightfoot
- Auditor – Eli McGee (I), Mars Bale, Joel Lightfoot
- Swarmcare Manager – Wanda Ward, Eli McGee
- Webmaster – Mars Bale (I), Eli McGee
- PR Director – Blase Henry, Lily Boyt, Rowan Tipping
An (I) indicates an incumbent running for re-election. Should a candidate be elected, they will be removed from consideration from other positions. Results will come following the conclusion of the 2026 Conference. There will be no regular meeting on June 7th.
Pirate National Conference – Less than two weeks out until the 2026 Pirate National Conference: Piratey McPirateface, of the House of Supreme, Heir to the Crown of the United States of America, Held By His Father Vermin Supreme, and Sole Heir to the Kingdom of Libertalia, By the Grace of God, King of Castile, of León, of Aragon, of the Two Sicilies, of Jerusalem, of Dalmatia, of Croatia, of Navarre, of Granada, of Toledo, of Valencia, of Galicia, of Mallorca, of Seville, of Sardinia, of Córdoba, of Corsica, of Murcia, of Jaén, of the Algarves, of Algeciras, of the Canary Islands, of the East and West Indies, of the Islands and Mainland of the Ocean Sea; Archduke of Austria; Duke of Burgundy, of Brabant, of Milan, of Athens and Neopatria; Count of Habsburg, of Flanders, of Tyrol, of Barcelona, of Roussillon, and of Cerdanya; Marquess of Oristano and Count of Goceano, Duke of Sealand, Mayor of Des Moines, Mr. Florida 1999, Reborn, Runs for Something to Spill This Tea and Hoist the Colours Over the Stolen Pirate National Conference of 2024, aka Hoist the Colours and Spill the Tea
20 Years a Pirate!
takes place. If you haven’t signed up yet, you’re not too late. You can do so here.
Signing Day – A brainchild of the Legal Marijuana Now Party, the first ever Signing Day took place on May 23rd. The premise is simple: independent and minor party candidates are seeking volunteers for petition circulation. 70% of U.S. voters say they want a “third party” (read “something else”). So let’s give them a day that lets folks introduce people to candidates, causes and everything that might need help gaining signatures.
We want to thank the LMNP for their efforts in organizing the first Signing Day. Not for a lack of trying, the United States Pirate Party did have members go out seeking petitions, but came away empty on the photographic side of things. Not only do we appreciate our friends in the Legal Marijuana Now Party for launching this project, but for carrying out the project with proof of concept.
Next year, whether it remains the fourth Saturday of May or otherwise, we will be sure to better promote Signing Day and work to work together with fellow minor parties and independent candidates to ensure a successful Signing Day for everyone involved.
These are the updates! Despite the actual meeting being cancelled due to the holiday, we would never pass up the opportunity to post an ICYMI for all Pirate related news.
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Breakpoint: Das Internet verrottet
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KW 21: Die Woche, in der die Zivilgesellschaft aufsteht
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Öffentlichkeitsfahndungen: Wanted Dead or Alive
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Digitale Souveränität: Wie die Entzauberung eines Mythos gelingt
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AI Forensics gegen BigTech: „Es kann zu Vergeltungsmaßnahmen gegen uns kommen“
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AI Forensics gegen X: „Es kann zu Vergeltungsmaßnahmen gegen uns kommen“
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AI Forensics: Die Organisation hinter der Grok-Untersuchung