Topic: government surveillance
-
Why Cellebrite Cut Off Serbia Over Phone Hacking Tools
Cellebrite suspended Serbian police from using its phone hacking tools last year in response to documented human rights abuse allegations, marking a notable public action. The company has recently dismissed similar, high-profile allegations of its tools being misused by authorities in Kenya and J...
Read More » -
CBP Partners with Clearview AI to Expand Facial Recognition Use
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has allocated $225,000 for a year of access to Clearview AI's facial recognition tools, allowing analysts to search against a database of over 60 billion images for security threat identification. The expansion occurs amid scrutiny from critics and lawmakers ove...
Read More » -
Moltbook AI Social Network Exposed Real User Data
A security breach at the AI-coded platform Moltbook exposed user data due to a flaw in its AI-generated JavaScript, highlighting the novel vulnerabilities introduced by AI-created software. Physical security concerns are rising as militarized border units use extreme tactics and data brokers thre...
Read More » -
Bill Would Ban ICE and CBP from Using Facial Recognition
The "ICE Out of Our Faces Act" proposes a comprehensive ban on ICE and CBP using biometric surveillance tools, including facial and voice recognition, within the United States. The legislation would require the deletion of historical biometric data and prohibit the use of any such data in legal p...
Read More » -
ICE and CBP Face-Recognition App Fails at Identity Verification
The Mobile Fortify facial recognition app, used by ICE and CBP, suffers from significant reliability issues and was deployed without standard privacy oversight, as it is not designed for definitive field identification. The app's rapid approval followed internal policy changes that removed privac...
Read More » -
Jeffrey Epstein's 'Personal Hacker' Revealed, Informant Says
A federal judge has delayed a ruling on armed DHS raids in Minnesota, amid scrutiny of ICE's use of AI surveillance tools and military-style tactics in immigration enforcement. Global security concerns include a human trafficking investigation in Laos, the rise of accessible deepfake abuse techno...
Read More » -
Secure Your PC's Disk Without Microsoft's Encryption Keys
Microsoft's BitLocker is a built-in Windows encryption tool that automatically backs up recovery keys to its servers, creating a potential access point for third parties under legal pressure. A 2025 FBI warrant case demonstrated that Microsoft can and does provide stored BitLocker recovery keys t...
Read More » -
ICE Seeks 'Ad Tech and Big Data' for Investigations
ICE is exploring commercial big data and ad tech tools to enhance its investigative capabilities, signaling a shift toward repurposing digital advertising technologies for government surveillance. The agency has a history of using commercial data, including mobile location information and platfor...
Read More » -
Microsoft Gave Government Access to Customer Encryption Keys
Microsoft complied with a federal warrant by providing customer BitLocker encryption keys for a fraud investigation, marking a notable shift from typical industry resistance to such legal demands. This action contrasts with precedents like Apple's 2016 refusal to unlock a device, as Microsoft ass...
Read More » -
DOGE Misused Social Security Data, DOJ Admits
Court filings reveal government agencies may have overstepped legal boundaries, including the improper sharing of sensitive Social Security data via unsecured servers. Broader privacy concerns are highlighted by law enforcement purchasing personal data to circumvent warrants and by significant di...
Read More » -
Who Are the Most Dangerous People Online in 2025?
Donald Trump's impulsive social media governance shapes national policy and news cycles, turning the federal government into an extension of volatile online culture. Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem architect harsh immigration policies using advanced surveillance and enforcement, including social m...
Read More » -
You Are the New Surveillance State
The widespread public practice of recording law enforcement, especially during immigration operations, acts as a powerful form of community-led accountability and a protected exercise of free speech. This documentation is enabled by technology, as smartphones and social media democratize oversigh...
Read More » -
The Verge's 2025 Art Preview: What's Next
The Verge's 2025 creative vision blends investigative journalism and visual art to tackle themes from cryptocurrency culture to the Vietnam War's legacy and urgent issues like online privacy for transgender communities. Projects employed innovative formats, including a physical kaleidoscope for g...
Read More » -
AI Toys for Kids: Unexpected Conversations on Sensitive Topics
AI-enabled children's toys lack basic safeguards, engaging in inappropriate conversations about explicit topics and propaganda, raising urgent safety and privacy concerns. A U.S. border proposal could require travelers from visa-waiver countries to submit years of social media history and persona...
Read More » -
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...
Read More » -
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...
Read More » -
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...
Read More » -
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...
Read More » -
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...
Read More » -
'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...
Read More » -
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 ...
Read More » -
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...
Read More » -
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...
Read More » -
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...
Read More » -
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...
Read More » -
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...
Read More »