Surveillance
703 Articles
Locking in Transparency on the Vulnerabilities Equities Process
Eight months ago, the White House released a charter for the Vulnerabilities Equities Process (VEP), the interagency mechanism by which the federal government decides whether to…
Carpenter Ruling Brings Us Back From Brink of Orwellian Surveillance State
Orwell described a world where limitless surveillance makes us question every action, every thought. Last Friday’s decision in Carpenter v. United States brought us one step…
The Broad Reach of Carpenter v. United States
By focusing on the nature of the information rather than on the telecommunications nitty-gritty used to gather the information or the structure of the database in which the information…
Exigent Circumstances: iOS 12’s USB Restricted Mode and Warrantless iPhone Access
Apple recently confirmed the introduction of a new feature called “USB Restricted Mode” in the latest version of the iPhone’s mobile operating system, iOS 12. If enabled…
Dangerous Drone Bill Emerges from Senate Committee
It’s rare that a congressional committee tasked with overseeing homeland security approves a bill that would not only authorize sweeping surveillance, but also could pose a significant…
What If Police Use ‘Rekognition’ Without Telling Defendants?
At least two US law enforcement departments -- and Motorola, which sells equipment to the government -- have already purchased access to Amazon’s “Rekognition” system. This…
Digital Free for All Part Deux: European Commission Proposal on E-Evidence
The European Commission has released a proposal to enable EU-member states’ law enforcement authorities to access digital information regardless of where that data is stored.…
The Intel Community’s Annual Transparency Report Raises More Questions Than It Answers
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence's new mandatory report, summarizing certain intelligence agencies’ surveillance activities in 2017, is one of the most important…
The DNC Lawsuit and First Amendment Sensitivities
The First Amendment generally bars civil or criminal liability for publication of truthful material about a matter of public concern. That is true even in the case of stolen information.…
Cambridge Analytica, Big Data and China
As a researcher into China’s mass surveillance systems, I watch the revelations about the murky practices of the data marketing firm Cambridge Analytica and the debates about…
How to Move the Battle Lines in the Crypto-Wars
Get ready for another round of the crypto-wars. A recent report in the New York Times indicates that the Justice Department has been quietly discussing with researchers ways to…
Somewhat Improved, the CLOUD Act Still Poses a Threat to Privacy and Human Rights
Above: President Donald Trump gestures to the $1.3 trillion spending bill passed by Congress early Friday. The president just signed a 2,232 page omnibus bill to fund the government…