Reality Winner Got 5 Years in Federal Prison for Leaking 5-Page Document
In her memoir, the former NSA contractor details her journey from top secret security clearance to federal prison.
Surveillance
FBI Blunders and Internet Panic: How the Search for Charlie Kirk's Killer Went Off the Rails
The alleged shooter was turned in by his family and roommates while the surveillance state remained clueless.
How Weed Surveillance Drones Destroyed the Lives of These Californians
California tried to use drones to find illegal marijuana operations, but they found building code violations instead.
What Is ICE Doing With This Israeli Spyware Firm?
The Department of Homeland Security restored a $2 million contract with Paragon, maker of the surveillance tool Graphite, despite earlier civil liberties concerns.
FBI Spied on Libertarian Sci-Fi Author Vernor Vinge In 'Espionage' Case
The late friend of Reason, who coined the term "technological singularity," landed on the feds' radar for his association with a foreign policy dissident.
Inside Jeffrey Epstein's Spy Industry Connections
Leaked emails show Epstein’s attempts to dabble in security tech—across borders—in the last years of his life.
Warrantless Use of License Plate Reader Cameras Is Unconstitutional
A new campaign pushes back against the widespread use of automatic license plate readers without warrants.
Automated License Plate Readers Are Watching You
The technology enables routine surveillance that would have troubled the Fourth Amendment’s framers.
Hotel Sex Trafficking Suit Can Proceed, Inviting Hotels to Profile and Harass Guests
Can a hotel be guilty of sex trafficking just because it didn't surveil its customers enough?
'Tracking Everyone, All the Time': What Americans Need To Know About Israel's Secret Eavesdropping Program
Unit 8200's dragnet was designed by a U.S.-trained general, is powered by American-owned cloud computing, and could spell the future for domestic surveillance at home.
The Libertarian Case for Postmodernism
Political economist Mark Pennington draws on the ideas of Hayek and Foucault to show how expert rule and government surveillance are making it harder for people to think freely and live on their own terms.
Patrick Eddington: How to 'Tyranny-Proof' America
The former CIA analyst and Cato scholar discusses Palantir, Trump's new national database, and the sordid history of federal law enforcement on Just Asking Questions.
An Arkansas Town Agrees To Remove a License Plate Camera Aimed at a Couple's Home
Local officials initially were unfazed by complaints that the constant surveillance raised serious privacy concerns.
X's Win in Federal Court Is a Victory for Free Speech and Open Disclosure
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has placed minor restraints on the government’s ability to impose gag orders on secret subpoenas issued to tech companies.
Sacramento Uses Smart Electric Meters To Spy on Residents
The city’s police consider “high” power consumption evidence of cannabis cultivation.
Turning Credit Cards into Comprehensive Financial Surveillance
New laws on interchange fees will transform credit card payments into detailed government-accessible records of every item purchased, including firearms
Bill Kristol Is Alarmed That a President Would Ship Accused Foreign Enemies to an Overseas Prison
The hawkish defender of Guantanamo Bay and the post-9/11 security state worries President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown is threatening civil liberties.
Did the Secret Service Surveil James Comey Without a Warrant After '86 47' Post?
The former FBI director's cringey Instagram photos are not an "exigent circumstance" that allows law enforcement to circumvent the Constitution.
ICE Is Snooping on Your Medical Bills
The immigration agency has reportedly gained access to a private database designed to fight insurance fraud.
Trump Can Take Revenge on the 'Deep State': Pardon Snowden
Why Edward Snowden deserves not only a presidential pardon, but a hero's welcome home.
New Orleans City Council Considers Ordinance To Adopt Real-Time Facial Recognition Technology
America is slipping steadily down the slippery slope to a surveillance state.
How DHS Facial Recognition Tech Spread to ICE Enforcement
More government agencies are using facial recognition for enforcement than ever before.
Crossing the U.S. Border? Keep Your Electronic Devices Safe from Searches.
Officials at the border have the power to paw through sensitive data on your phone.
Don't Blame 23andMe for the Federal Government's Lack of Clear Data Privacy Rules
A lawsuit against the genomics company "imposes top-down restrictions" rather than "establishing clear rules" or "letting companies equip individuals with better tools to manage their privacy," says one expert.
Big Business as Gun Control
Partly from coercion and partly by choice, many banks and social media businesses impose severe gun controls
Florida Used a Nationwide Surveillance Camera Network 250 Times To Aid in Immigration Arrests
Flock Safety’s 40,000 cameras present in over 5,000 communities across the U.S. are being used to detain undocumented immigrants, many of whom have no criminal history.
Would Releasing the Martin Luther King Files Help Curb the Surveillance State?
The FBI spied on the civil rights leader for years. Would releasing its surveillance files just be a further violation of King's privacy, or would it make future abuses less likely?
That Time the FBI Conspired To Get George Foreman an Award for Boxing
In 1968, the feds thought that the boxing champion—and future grill salesman—could be a potent weapon against the left.
How Palantir Is Expanding the Surveillance State
If you think the government will only use these tools to track illegal immigrants, think again.
Illinois Cops Gave ICE Access to More Than 5,000 Surveillance Cameras Nationwide
A camera network developed to help find missing cars and persons is now being used for immigration enforcement.
With REAL ID, America Now Has National ID Cards and Internal Passports
To make us safer, the feds required standardized ID and one-stop shopping for identity thieves.
New Orleans Police Secretly Used Prohibited Facial Recognition Surveillance for Years
Although the AI-generated surveillance of the public has been paused, the program continues to send automatic alerts to the Louisiana State Police and federal authorities.
New Montana Law Blocks the State From Buying Private Data To Skirt the Fourth Amendment
The Big Sky State becomes the first to close the "data broker loophole" allowing the government to get private information without a warrant.
The IRS Says Your Digital Life Is Not Your Property
A Supreme Court case could determine whether Americans own their digital data—or whether the government can take that information without a warrant.
Judge Halts Federal Scrutiny of $200 Transactions
The temporary restraining order allows time to challenge burdensome reporting requirement.
Is REAL ID Actually Happening?
The law was passed 20 years ago, and enforcement finally looms.
The Intelligence Community's AI Revolution
The feds are rapidly deploying artificial intelligence across spy agencies. What could go wrong?
Taking $200 Out of an ATM Should Not Trigger Federal Financial Surveillance
No, not even if you do it in a county that borders Mexico.
How To Recover From Debanking
Thousands of people have lost their bank accounts over "suspicious" activity. Here's what to do if it happens to you.
Little Rock, Arkansas, Drops Intrusive, Ineffective ShotSpotter System
For all the money spent on it, the gunshot detection system has a spotty record at best.
Los Angeles Sheriff Misused Confidential Database Thousands of Times To Run Concealed Carry Background Checks
Public records obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation show how sensitive police databases are used and abused.
Banks Are Narcing on You Because Congress Forces Them To
The Bank Secrecy Act regime forces banks to report customers to the government for an ever-growing list of “red flags.”
Trump Is Trying To Fire Most of the White House's Civil Liberties Watchdog
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board should be Trump's ally in a battle against the deep state. So why is he undermining it?
