ICE Deploys Facial Recognition on Officers’ Phones
▼ Summary
– WIRED’s investigation reveals ICE detention centers face severe issues, including sexual assaults, suicide attempts, and overcrowding, based on emergency call records.
– The US Supreme Court upheld a Texas porn ID law, with Justice Kagan dissenting over First Amendment and privacy concerns.
– Taiwan is accelerating domestic drone production amid rising tensions with China, while Telegram banned Chinese crypto black markets, which are now rebranding.
– ICE’s Mobile Fortify app uses facial recognition and biometrics, raising civil liberties concerns over potential wrongful arrests and surveillance.
– Global law enforcement arrested cybercriminals linked to Breachforums, while Scattered Spider hackers shift focus to aviation, targeting airlines like WestJet and Hawaiian Airlines.
Recent reports reveal that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deployed facial recognition technology on officers’ smartphones, raising serious concerns about privacy and civil liberties. The mobile app, called Mobile Fortify, enables agents to scan faces or capture fingerprints remotely, accessing government databases to match identities. While ICE claims the tool helps identify unknown individuals, critics warn it could lead to wrongful arrests and invasive surveillance.
According to 404 Media, the app connects to systems like Customs and Border Protection’s Traveler Verification Service and a Department of Homeland Security biometric database. Civil rights advocates argue the technology is unreliable, citing past cases where facial recognition misidentified innocent people. Nathan Freed Wessler of the ACLU called the program a “recipe for disaster,” emphasizing that Congress never authorized such widespread use.
In other security news, global law enforcement cracked down on cybercriminals linked to Breachforums, a notorious marketplace for stolen data. French authorities arrested four suspects, while the U.S. Justice Department charged a British hacker known as “Intelbroker” for causing $25 million in damages. Meanwhile, the cybercrime group Scattered Spider has shifted focus to aviation and transportation, recently targeting Canadian airline WestJet and Hawaiian Airlines.
A bizarre incident in Norway also made headlines when hackers manipulated a dam’s control systems, increasing water flow by 500 liters per second. Officials blamed weak passwords for the breach, though no serious damage occurred.
As digital threats evolve, debates over surveillance, cybersecurity, and privacy continue to intensify. The rapid adoption of biometric tools by law enforcement underscores the need for stronger safeguards against misuse.
(Source: Wired)
