A Politically Split Congress Can Perhaps Fuel Federal Surveillance Reforms
Part of a law that authorizes warrantless snooping is about to expire, opening up a opportunity to better protect our privacy rights.
Surveillance
Government Snoops in Maine Caught Spying on Peaceful Americans
Intelligence-gathering “fusion centers” repeatedly abuse civil liberties without making us safer.
Louisiana Now Checking IDs for Watching Porn
Plus: Still no House speaker, the gender gap in college scholarships, Meta fined $414 million, and more...
Beverly Gage: The Dark Truth About J. Edgar Hoover's FBI
The first FBI director wasn't all bad (or a cross-dresser). But he and the agency he created regularly flouted constitutional limits on power.
The Complicated Truth about J. Edgar Hoover
The first FBI director wasn't a cross-dresser, says a new biography, but he was often quick to flout constitutional limits on state power.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams Wants You to Love Big Brother
A surveillance state is no less tyrannical when the snoops really believe it's for your own protection.
Review: Why Does the CIA Need a Podcast?
The director worries that the public doesn't trust his spy agency.
Governments Worldwide Abuse COVID Surveillance Powers
Once the government has an excuse to electronically track everywhere you've been and everyone you've been near, abuses are predictable.
Why a Facial Recognition Device Barred This Woman From a Rockettes Show
Kelly Conlon's bizarre experience gives a glimpse into a future with omnipresent facial recognition systems.
Elizabeth Warren's Crypto Bill Targets Financial Freedom, Not Fraud
Senator Warren wants to extend the financial surveillance state cooked up by drug warriors and anti-terrorism fearmongers to cryptocurrencies.
The World Is Still Getting Less Free. A Distressing Number of People Think That's Fine.
Report: “Half of democratic governments around the world are in decline.”
China Eases 'Zero-COVID' Policies After Nearly 3 Years of Harsh Lockdowns
The long-term economic and social impacts of zero-COVID can't be reversed as easily.
Apple Announces Stronger Data Encryption, to the Dismay of FBI Snoops
Photos and information you store on iCloud will be safer from hackers, spies, and the government.
We Should All Be Nervous About Killer Police Robots
The San Francisco Police Department assured the public it had "no plans to arm robots with guns." But assurances aren't guarantees.
Geofencing Warrants Are a Threat to Privacy
A precedent set in the January 6 prosecutions could be dangerous to the public.
Wildlife Agents Placed a Camera on His Property Without a Warrant, Then Raided His Home After He Removed It
How a Prohibition-era legal precedent allows warrantless surveillance on private property.
The Federal Government's Plan to Track Truckers' Every Movement Is a Privacy Nightmare
This surveillance would be unconstitutional—and there’s no reason to believe it will make anyone safer.
See the Surveillance State at Work in Your Own Community
The Atlas of Surveillance lets us monitor the agencies that snoop on the public.
The Kids Online Safety Act Would Make It Less Safe Online
The bill would amp up surveillance while doing little to actually protect anyone.
'A Pretty Scary Moment': Dissident Chinese Students Say George Washington University Is Failing Them
The CCP’s tyranny extends even to U.S. college campuses, where Chinese and Taiwanese students fear censorship.
Michigan Court Allows Town To Use Drones To Snoop Without Warrants. One Couple Is Suing.
The Institute for Justice argues evidence from warrantless searches can’t be used for zoning enforcement.
San Francisco Police Can Now Have Live Access to Nearly Any Camera in the City
A new ordinance passed by the city's Board of Supervisors allows police to request live access to private security cameras even for misdemeanor violations.
New Gun Store Tracking Code Deputizes Private Firms To Do Government's Bidding
Politicians bypass hard legislative work and constitutional protections to target activities they don’t like.
The Federal Trade Commission vs. the Internet
Data collection is not the same as surveillance.
Artificial Intelligence Helps French Tax Authorities Find Thousands of Untaxed Swimming Pools
When taxing authorities get more resources and power, they will find ways to make everyone pay more.
Sen. Rand Paul Proposes Dumping Entire Espionage Act
The law has been abused to prosecute citizens for reasons other than spying. But there are better examples than Trump to highlight problems.
Concerned About Abortion Surveillance and Law Enforcement? Time To Treat Encryption Seriously
A mother-daughter arrest in Nebraska was fueled in part by unencrypted Facebook messages police accessed through a warrant.
Pennsylvania Poaching Police Warrantlessly Installed Camera on Private Land To Surveil Hunting Club
Evidence turned over in a lawsuit shows that wildlife officers set up a trail camera at a private club to surveil hunters who may be breaking state laws.
Police Can Access Your Ring Camera Footage Without a Warrant
After Amazon admitted it gives Ring footage to police departments upon "emergency" request, San Francisco Mayor London Breed wants cops to be able to access any camera at any time.
Homeland Security Is Buying Its Way Around the Fourth Amendment
Plus: The Respect for Marriage Act, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, and more...
Government Databases Invite Privacy Abuse in China and the U.S.
The surveillance state’s appetite for sensitive information is dangerous under any flag.
Border Patrol Launched a Surveillance Blimp Over Nogales, Arizona. Town Officials Didn't Know.
Residents of Nogales are now under the gaze of a round-the-clock surveillance craft.
Should Women Delete Their Period Tracker Apps in the Wake of Dobbs?
Grappling with surveillance implications of Roe being overturned
ICE Operates a Sweeping 'Dragnet Surveillance System,' New Report Finds
ICE has spent $2.8 billion since 2008 developing surveillance and facial-recognition capabilities, mostly in secrecy and without real oversight.
Ending Roe Threatens More Than Abortion Rights
Plus: Lawsuit against Twitter can move forward, antitrust bills targeting Big Tech falter, and more...
The FBI Secretly Searched Americans' Digital Communications 3.4 Million Times Last Year
Plus: A questionable algorithm can sic state social workers on families, governments aren't the only entities that can expand contraceptive access, and more...
Houston Says Businesses Must Install Surveillance Cameras and Cops Can View Footage Without a Warrant
Plus: The Warrant for Metadata Act, DOJ will appeal order ending mask mandate, and more...
Europe Targets Self-Hosted Bitcoin Wallets—and Financial Privacy
Proposed EU rules would be equivalent to tracking all cash transactions
Postal Inspectors Have Been Illegally Spying on Americans
The Post Office's inspector general uncovers unrestricted online snooping by postal cops without any legal authority.
'Geofence Warrant' for All Cell Location Data From Area Near Robbery Is Ruled Unconstitutional
Plus: New rules on sex discrimination in education, economists warn of housing market exuberance, and more...
