Surveillance

When Eyes in the Sky Start Looking Right at You

For decades, privacy experts have been wary of snooping from space. Now, quite suddenly, a startup is building a new class of satellite whose cameras would do just that. “We’re acutely aware of the privacy implications,” said Topher Haddad, head of Albedo Space, the company making the new satellites. He claims the company is taking administrative steps to address a wide range of privacy concerns. Anyo

N.S.A. Buys Americans’ Internet Data Without Warrants, Letter Says

The National Security Agency buys certain logs related to Americans’ domestic internet activities from commercial data brokers, according to an unclassified letter by the agency. The letter offered few details about the nature of the data other than to stress that it did not include the content of internet communications.

Three technology trends shaping 2024’s elections

Three of the most important technology trends in the election space that you should stay on top of. 

Federal Communications Commission Launches First-Ever Enforcement Partnerships with State Attorneys General

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced a new initiative to strengthen and formalize the cooperation between the FCC and its state partners on privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity enforcement matters.

Rep. Luna (R-FL) Introduces Bill to Protect American Data from Foreign Adversaries

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) introduced the U.S. Data on U.S. Soil Act (H.R.6410) to protect the data security of Americans from being collected and exploited by our foreign adversaries. Specifically,  the U.S. Data on U.S. Soil would protect the data security of the American people by: 

The Repressive Power of Artificial Intelligence

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are amplifying a crisis for human rights online. While AI technology offers exciting and beneficial uses for science, education, and society at large, its uptake has also increased the scale, speed, and efficiency of digital repression. Automated systems have enabled governments to conduct more precise and subtle forms of online censorship. Purveyors of disinformation are employing AI-generated images, audio, and text, making the truth easier to distort and harder to discern.

Another campaign, another outrage over ‘free phones’

Former President Donald Trump questioned who was paying for the phones of illegal aliens, suggesting that the federal government is handing out high-quality cellphones to migrants as part of its purported efforts to flood the country with immigrants. This is the latest iteration of the political right’s frustration with the idea that the government (and, particularly, an incumbent Democratic president) is spending money on frivolous giveaways (in their estimation) to poor people of color. The government does have a program in which people seeking asylum are given mobile devices.

Google has a new tool to outsmart authoritarian internet censorship

Google is launching new anti-censorship technology, Outline VPN, to increase access for internet users living under authoritarian regimes.

Republican presidential contenders are taking aim at Silicon Valley

Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed into law a so-called “digital bill of rights” aimed at giving residents more control of their data, boosting children’s protections online, and barring social networks from coordinating with government officials to “censor” speech. It marked the latest broadside from a Republican presidential contender against Silicon Valley, which is poised to be a significant target as the 2024 campaign heats up.

Hearing from the American People: How Are Automated Tools Being Used to Surveil, Monitor, and Manage Workers?

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is releasing a public request for information (RFI) to learn more about the automated tools used by employers to surveil, monitor, evaluate, and manage workers. The RFI seeks to advance our understanding of the design, deployment, prevalence, and impacts of these automated technologies. Employers are increasingly investing in technologies that monitor and track workers, and making workplace decisions based on that information. Through this RFI, we hope to gather: