Topic: government surveillance
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US Government Secretly Collecting American DNA for Years
A covert operation by Customs and Border Protection has collected DNA from U.S. citizens, including minors, and submitted it to the FBI's criminal database without congressional authorization. Government records show nearly 2,000 citizens had their DNA gathered between 2020 and 2024, with many no...
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Cindy Cohn Leaves EFF, Continues Digital Rights Fight
Cindy Cohn is stepping down as executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation after 25 years, during which she led key battles for digital rights, privacy, and encryption. She played a pivotal role in landmark cases like Bernstein v. Department of Justice and emphasized encryption's imp...
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America's War on Anonymity: Why Your Privacy Is at Risk
The U.S. Supreme Court has enabled widespread age verification mandates for adult websites and social media, raising concerns about free speech and privacy despite the goal of protecting minors. Government agencies are increasingly monitoring and pursuing individuals based on social media content...
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DHS Data Collection Endangers US Citizens
Recent immigration enforcement actions have detained U.S. citizens, as illustrated by the case of Leonardo Garcia Venegas, who was reportedly detained twice despite presenting proof of citizenship. The Department of Homeland Security denies racial profiling, stating enforcement is based solely on...
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Russia Threatens Internet Blackouts for WhatsApp, Telegram, YouTube
Russia is preparing to impose widespread internet blackouts on foreign platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, as part of efforts to restrict non-state-controlled digital services following the invasion of Ukraine. Domestic platforms such as the Mir payment network and the state-supported messenger...
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Chinese Hacking Contractor Exposed in Major Data Leak
A major data breach at Chinese cybersecurity firm KnownSec exposed hacking tools and sensitive data stolen from over 80 global organizations, including terabytes of records from India, South Korea, and Taiwan, directly linking its activities to Chinese state interests. In a separate incident, sta...
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Waymo co-CEO takes hard stance against robotaxi vandalism
Waymo is facing a significant increase in vandalism against its driverless vehicles and is working with police to prosecute those responsible, as co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana emphasized such acts are criminal and unacceptable. The vandalism is linked to broader public resistance against tech companies...
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Ring Partners with Flock's AI Camera Network Used by Police and ICE
Amazon's Ring and Flock Safety are partnering to enable law enforcement using Flock's license plate recognition cameras to request video evidence from millions of Ring doorbell users, aiming to enhance evidence collection and create an interconnected surveillance network. The collaboration raises...
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Social Security Data Shared With DHS to Target Immigrants
The Social Security Administration has acknowledged sharing citizenship and immigration data with the Department of Homeland Security for enforcement, with the disclosure made through a belatedly updated public notice after data exchanges had already begun. Legal experts highlight potential viola...
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'Luxury Surveillance' Is Outpacing Privacy Laws
Meta's smart glasses represent a significant advancement in discreet, always-on recording technology that current privacy laws struggle to address due to their subtle design and AI capabilities. Legal frameworks are inadequate for addressing the privacy concerns raised by these devices, as existi...
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OpenAI's Bias Problem & The Making of AI Videos
OpenAI's Sora video app exemplifies the dual potential of generative AI for innovation and copyright issues, requiring creators to enforce their own intellectual property rights. Taiwan has refused a U.S. request to move half its semiconductor production stateside, casting doubt on the stability ...
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AI's Economic Impact & DeepSeek's Latest Breakthrough
DeepSeek has launched new, more efficient AI models designed to compete with OpenAI's anticipated GPT-5, achieving this despite limited access to top-tier semiconductor chips. OpenAI has declared an internal "code red" to accelerate ChatGPT improvements amid competitive pressure, delaying other i...
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