Archive for the 'Surveillance' Category
New GOP Bill Lets Companies Force Employees to Take Genetic Tests
March 12th, 2017Via: ExtremeTech: A new bill introduced by Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and approved by the House Ways and Means Committee would allow corporations to force employees to undergo genetic testing — and then share those results with third parties. In theory, this is already illegal, thanks to a 2008 law known as GINA. This type of […]
FBI Used Best Buy’s Geek Squad To Increase Secret Public Surveillance
March 11th, 2017Via: OC Weekly: Recently unsealed records reveal a much more extensive secret relationship than previously known between the FBI and Best Buy’s Geek Squad, including evidence the agency trained company technicians on law-enforcement operational tactics, shared lists of targeted citizens and, to covertly increase surveillance of the public, encouraged searches of computers even when unrelated […]
‘Crime-Fighting Robots Aid Police’
March 10th, 2017Via: Star Telegram: Maybe someday it will menacingly order citizens to drop their weapons — or else, a la Robocop. But for now, the Knightscope crime-fighting robots, demonstrated for the University of Texas at Arlington Police Department and the media on Thursday, are limited to less aggressive tasks like scanning license plates for unauthorized vehicles […]
Vault 7: CIA Hacking Tools Revealed
March 7th, 2017If you have an active U.S. Government security clearance, you probably shouldn’t click on this. Via: Wikileaks: Today, Tuesday 7 March 2017, WikiLeaks begins its new series of leaks on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Code-named “Vault 7” by WikiLeaks, it is the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency. The first full […]
Who Controls Your Computer? (And How to Make Sure It’s You)
March 7th, 2017Good luck with that. My paranoia doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of this thing. Keep going, keep pushing through, and the next thing you know, you’re falling through fractals of fuckedness that endlessly reveal more fuckedness the deeper you descend. Via: François-René Rideau: At least in theory, we therefore know how to build […]
Open Thread: Trump Wiretap Claims
March 6th, 2017I haven’t posted anything about this because I have no idea what all the fuss is about. Where is the uproar over the spook’s data center in Utah? Man, if you think that place is only used to store information gleaned from taps on foreigners, I’ve got a bridge to sell you. Retroactive surveillance? Remember […]
Why Amazon’s Data Centers Are Hidden in Spy Country
March 2nd, 2017Yeah, I guess you’d be nuts to think that Amazon built out infrastructure in this area to be in close proximity to CIA. That’s just a coincidence, as usual: The fact that northern Virginia is home to major intelligence operations and to major nodes of network infrastructure isn’t exactly a sign of government conspiracy so […]
‘Facebook Artificial Intelligence Spots Suicidal Users’
March 1st, 2017The Facebook bots will also be used to, “Identify posts by terrorists among other concerning content.” Mmm hmm. Via: BBC: Facebook has begun using artificial intelligence to identify members that may be at risk of killing themselves. The social network has developed algorithms that spot warning signs in users’ posts and the comments their friends […]
DHS Quietly Testing Mandatory Facial Recognition of Passengers *Exiting* U.S.
February 27th, 2017Via: Professional Troublemaker: We’re all used to having to identify ourselves as we enter a country. It is the only way we can hope to have any attempt at a secure border. But, so-called “exit controls,” where documents are checked as travelers are leaving the country, were popularized last century by Nazi Germany as a […]
Cameras, Microphones and Sensors on 3,200 Street Lights in San Diego
February 27th, 2017Via: Reuters: General Electric will put cameras, microphones and sensors on 3,200 street lights in San Diego this year, marking the first large-scale use of “smart city” tools GE says can help monitor traffic and pinpoint crime, but raising potential privacy concerns. Based on technology from GE’s Current division, Intel Corp and AT&T Inc, the […]
