It's hard to keep up with the two-pronged assault on our rights of late: technologies of control are flying out of research facilities, while the government continues to eat away at our rights to privacy and freedom. If you can handle all that, read on for the latest.

• But we'll start with some good news: CNET is reporting that there's a new browser add-on that actually works to prevent you from being tracked as you go about the internet. After all, technology isn't our enemy here. The add-on works with Firefox, Chrome, IE, and Safari. Thanks to engineers who work for greater freedom and privacy!
• The FTC takes an awfully long time to investigate privacy violations, writes former FTC employee and privacy researcher extraordinaire Chris Soghoian. Maybe that's useful information in light of a recently announced EPIC lawsuit against the trade commission, alleging that Google's new privacy policy violates an agreement the company made with the FTC back in 2010. 
• Soghoian's blog also contains pretty juicy details about the FBI's real-time credit card tracking program. You read that right. And get this: the feds can access our real time credit card and travel info, no judicial oversight required.
• It was a big week for the drone industry in Washington DC. Congress passed rules approving new FAA regulations that will open the skies to drones on a massive scale. The agency estimates that there are currently 300 drones in the skies above the US; in three years, it thinks that number will be closer to 30,000. Take a minute with that. Read more about drones.
• Apple has apparently filed a patent for eye-tracking technology on an iPhone. Possible uses for such technology include "gaming, digital photography and videography, biometrics and surveillance applications." Soon, Siri won't be the only one watching you.
• Brazil is suing Twitter over complaints that the social messaging service has allowed Brazilians to post tweets alerting the public to the whereabouts of police checkpoints. Hmmm.
• As the United States government bats proposals for internet monitoring around Congress, our neighbors to the north are moving on a fast track towards similarly disastrous legislation. But the funny thing is, not one police officer in Canada can point to an example for why they need this vacuum-style surveillance power over internet communications. Not. One. Furthermore, reports allege that police chiefs have been spending public money lobbying for greater access to online communications. 
• Some of these terrible proposed statutes floating around Congress use "cyberdefense" as the excuse for government gaining near total control over the internet. The head of the US intelligence community has been sounding the alarm and calling for draconian legislation. Read this take on cyber legislation to understand where we are headed, and what you can do to help keep the internet open and free.
• If you want, you can sign up to receive a $25 gift card in exchange for allowing Google complete access to your internet activity. If you want. As it is now, Google tracks us around the internet and makes money off of it! (Nothing is free.) Maybe there's something to be said for getting a chunk of that change? Maybe not.
• DHS has rejected privacy concerns and the Privacy Act itself, approving a massive data gathering program targeted at anyone who uses airplanes to get around and has to pass through a TSA checkpoint. EPIC has the deets.
• And finally: here's some more info on the Wall Street firm-funded surveillance center, staffed by the NYPD.