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A graduate of the University of Kansas, Brian Clausen is the U.S. news reporter for Dopplr. Before joining the team, he created digital content for large companies.
Dressing Room Surveillance Laws
One of the cornerstone issues of the first 16 years of the 21st century has been privacy. Phones, computers, the TSA, Facebook advertising, drones; they all have had a significant impact on our understanding of privacy. As technological capability advances, so too does our concern for privacy. Technology has always advanced much faster [...]
B. Clausen
House Votes To Not Expand Patriot Act
In a somewhat sneaky attempt to fast-track H.R. 5606, otherwise known as the Anti-Terrorism Information Sharing Is Strength Act, Congress used a strategy called “suspension of the rules” to try and get it passed. However, it required two-thirds majority, and failed by about 55 votes. It would have chipped away at Fourth [...]
B. Clausen
Is Nintendo Liable For Pokemon Go Injuries? Are Lawsuits Coming?
The new app, Pokémon Go, has been wildly popular in its short existence. Some of the numbers are jaw-dropping: Nintendo’s stock has risen nearly 50 percent in the last five days. It has surpassed Candy Crush as the most popular mobile game ever, and has already overtaken Twitter in active users. In fact, mobile users are […]
B. Clausen
First Recorded Fatality In a Self-Driving Car
There have been two high profile accidents regarding Tesla’s new self-driving cars. One happened in Montana, in which the driver claims that the car essentially drove itself off the road into a guard rail. The second had a tragic result, when the car went underneath the trailer of a semi. It’s been reported that the […]
B. Clausen
Home Computers Aren’t Private: Virginia Judge Rules Against Fourth Amendment
(Update; 7/12, 4:00 pm): The FBI used malware to infiltrate the site and obtain all of the user information. This could very well mean that evidence may be dismissed, and the FBI’s practices called into question. Further updates may warrant. A recent decision by a federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia has stipulated [...]
B. Clausen
Filming the Police: Laws and Your Rights
In just 24 hours, we have seen police kill two innocent black men at point blank range while they were doing nothing that warranted a threat. An officer’s perception of “imminent danger” seems to be easier to find when they are confronting a black person, and the only reason we know about what happened in […]
B. Clausen
ERADs and Prepaid Debit Cards: Civil Forfeiture and You
In Oklahoma, the highway patrol has come under fire for using a device called the Electronic Recovery and Access to Data (ERAD) machine – a device with the capability to see how much money is on any card with a magnetic strip. We should mention right up front that the use of this has been suspended due to […]
B. Clausen
Decriminalization vs Legalization : Ending the War on Drugs
It’s election season, and there are many issues which find themselves at the forefront of our discussions day in and day out. However, one that has remained a constant presence is drug use, and everything that surrounds it. A few states have legalized marijuana, up to a certain amount, and as many as 20 states […]
B. Clausen
Case Runners: The Real Amublance Chasers
The term “ambulance chaser” is often used as a catchall stereotype of personal injury attorneys. Lawyers who follow ambulances to the scene of an accident or to a hospital, harassing victims and their families with hopes of signing them up as clients. While ambulance chasing attorneys do (I’m certain) exist, the actual [...]
B. Clausen
Gawker Files For Bankruptcy
Gawker Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to their inability to pay a $140 million settlement in the Hulk Hogan lawsuit. There will be an appeal, and many suspect that the damages will be reduced, perhaps even significantly. But if that doesn’t happen, Gawker as a company and website could cease to exist. However, […]
B. Clausen