10 verified briefings on Surveillance. Each story includes a plain-English summary, why it matters, and the concrete action engineering teams should take.
Flock Safety's AI-powered drone business is its fastest-growing segment, according to its CEO. However, privacy advocates warn the technology poses significant surveillance risks, comparing it to controversial automated license plate readers.
A federal court has ruled that "tower dump" warrants are unconstitutional. This decision protects user privacy by preventing law enforcement from collecting location data from every phone connected to a specific cell tower, a major win for digital privacy.
Russia's FSB intelligence agency has accused foreign spy services of compromising the smartphones of senior Russian officials. The agency claims the devices were turned into surveillance tools capable of stealing data, recording conversations, and covertly activating microphones and cameras to monitor their surroundings.
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison made a striking comment about the societal impact of constant surveillance. He suggested widespread recording would compel citizens to be on their 'best behavior,' raising questions about privacy, freedom, and a monitored society.
A user of the privacy-focused GrapheneOS was reportedly flagged to authorities simply for using the software. The incident raises serious questions about whether privacy-enhancing tools are now viewed as suspicious by default.
New research demonstrates a technique called "WiFi sensing," which uses standard Wi-Fi signals to identify people and monitor physical spaces. The method analyzes how signals are reflected and scattered by human bodies, effectively turning routers into surveillance devices without accessing cameras or other sensors.
For the first time since 2008, a key US surveillance law has temporarily expired. This creates a brief but significant gap in the government's ability to conduct warrantless monitoring of foreign targets, impacting data privacy.
The FBI has issued a request to purchase access to a commercial, nationwide license plate reader database. This would provide the agency with real-time and historical location data on vehicles across the US, raising significant privacy concerns among civil liberties groups and the public.
The FBI is planning to spend up to $36 million for nationwide access to a commercial database of automated license plate reader (ALPR) data. This would enable the agency to query and track vehicle movements across the United States and its territories for law enforcement purposes.
The FBI has announced plans to purchase access to a nationwide network of license plate readers. The agency is seeking contracts with vendors who can provide "near real-time" data from cameras across the U.S. to track subjects for its Directorate of Intelligence.