Cybersecurity

House Subcommittee Knocking at Amazon’s Door Over Ring Data

The chairman of a House Oversight panel wants a briefing with Amazon officials about the consumer security tool.

Emerging Tech

Lawmakers Working on Legislation to ‘Pause’ Use of Facial Recognition Technology

Details on the bill remain scarce, though lawmakers at a hearing Wednesday expressed interest in halting the use of facial recognition until the tech can be brought under control.

Emerging Tech

Lawmakers Demand Answers on Facial Recognition Deployments in Public Housing

In a letter to HUD Secretary Ben Carson, democrats from both chambers raised concerns about threats to residents’ privacy.

Digital Government

NSA data storage poses risk to civil liberties, watchdog says

An audit conducted by the National Security Agency inspector general raises questions about the intelligence agency’s data retention policies.

Emerging Tech

Bill Would Constrain Some Police Use of Facial-Recognition Tools

A 72-hour limit on tracking individuals would become the first, and somewhat arbitrary, federal line in the sand.

Cybersecurity

Spy Agencies Stopped Collecting GPS, Phone Location Data Last Year

The decision came in the wake of a Supreme Court decision restricting law enforcement’s use of such information.

Emerging Tech

Did Body Cameras Backfire?

Body cameras were supposed to fix a broken system. What happened?

Cybersecurity

Report: 2020 is the Year Data Gets Weaponized

Research firm Forrester experts criminals and bad actors to weaponized artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the results won’t be pretty.

Emerging Tech

The Endless Aerial Surveillance of the Border

New reports suggest that drone activity at the southern border is spreading to nearby cities, erasing the line between police procedures and immigration enforcement.

Emerging Tech

Six U.S. Cities Make the List of Most Surveilled Places in the World

A new report found that CCTV surveillance is increasing in certain areas of the U.S., with one city government watching its citizens from 35,000 cameras.

Emerging Tech

The Intelligence Community is Exploring Long-Range Biometric Identification 

A new IARPA program aims to build biometric technology that can identify people using cameras stationed on far off rooftops and unmanned aircraft.

Digital Government

NIST Wants Public Input on Protecting Personal Privacy

The latest version of its privacy framework is meant to help organizations address the risks of holding sensitive data on their customers.

Digital Government

Study: More than Half of Americans Trust Law Enforcement to Use Facial Recognition Responsibly

Pew Research Center’s study is the latest to conclude Americans are growing more comfortable with having their faces scanned.

Cybersecurity

Why Hong Kongers Are Toppling Lampposts

For protesters, claims of Chinese surveillance are politically useful, even when they can’t be proved.

Emerging Tech

The Unsettling Rise of the Urban Narc App

It’s getting easier for city residents to use technology that can report bad drivers who block bike lanes. Welcome to the self-surveillance era of traffic safety.

Emerging Tech

DHS is Collecting Biometrics on Thousands of Refugees Who Will Never Enter the U.S.

Most refugees who apply for asylum in the U.S. never set foot in the country, but under an agreement with the United Nations, DHS and its partners can still build biometric profiles on them.

Emerging Tech

Facial Recognition Software Prompts Privacy, Racism Concerns in Cities and States

Some lawmakers are proposing to limit its use even as law enforcement officials and landlords are embracing it.