Archive for the 'Surveillance' Category
Judge Declares Law Governing Warrantless Cellphone Tracking Unconstitutional
November 19th, 2011The NSA smiles at the part in bold below. Via: Wall Street Journal: In a succinct one-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Lynn N. Hughes of the Southern District of Texas declared that the law authorizing the government to obtain cellphone records without a search warrant was unconstitutional. “The records would show the date, time, […]
Many Android Phones Ship with Rootkit/Surveillance System Called ‘CarrierIQ’
November 17th, 2011Via: Android Security Test: Carrier IQ is able to query any metric from a device. A metric can be a dropped call because of lack of service. The scope of the word metric is very broad though, including device type, such as manufacturer and model, available memory and battery life, the type of applications resident […]
Britain: CCTV Taxi Plan ‘A Staggering Invasion of Privacy’
November 15th, 2011Via: Independent: Plans to fit all taxis operating in the city of Oxford with audio recording devices have been branded a “staggering invasion of privacy” prompting calls for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to investigate how widespread the use of microphones on public transport has become. Taxi drivers in the university town have been told […]
Man Finds Two GPS Trackers on His SUV
November 9th, 2011Via: Wired: As the Supreme Court gets ready to hear oral arguments in a case Tuesday that could determine if authorities can track U.S. citizens with GPS vehicle trackers without a warrant, a young man in California has come forward to Wired to reveal that he found not one but two different devices on his […]
‘Socialbots’ Invade Facebook: Cull 250GB of Private Data
November 5th, 2011Via: PC World: Facebook was recently invaded by a robot army created by four researchers to demonstrate the ease at which online social networks can be maliciously exploited by the unscrupulous. With a horde of 102 bogus Facebook friends, the University of British Columbia researchers showed that they could harvest personal information on members not […]
CIA’s Vengeful Librarians
November 5th, 2011Here’s one for your Complete Lack of Surprise file folder. Via: AP: In an anonymous industrial park in Virginia, in an unassuming brick building, the CIA is following tweets — up to 5 million a day. At the agency’s Open Source Center, a team known affectionately as the “vengeful librarians” also pores over Facebook, newspapers, […]
Hotel Guests Recruited with Homeland Security TV Spots
November 3rd, 2011Via: USA Today: The Department of Homeland Security is recruiting hotel guests to join the fight against terrorism. Starting today, the welcome screens on 1.2 million hotel television sets in Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, Holiday Inn and other hotels in the USA will show a short public service announcement from DHS. The 15-second spot encourages viewers […]
U.S. Government Glossed Over Cancer Concerns As It Rolled Out Airport X-Ray Scanners
November 2nd, 2011Via: Pro Publica: On Sept. 23, 1998, a panel of radiation safety experts gathered at a Hilton hotel in Maryland to evaluate a new device that could detect hidden weapons and contraband. The machine, known as the Secure 1000, beamed X-rays at people to see underneath their clothing. One after another, the experts convened by […]
Cordon Multi-Target Photo-Radar System
November 1st, 2011Via: Engadget: Go easy on the gas, Speed Racer, because Cordon is on its way. Developed by Simicon, this new speed sensor promises to take highway surveillance to new heights of precision. Unlike most photo radar systems, which track only one violator at a time, Simicon’s device can simultaneously identify and follow up to 32 […]
EU Mulls Biometric Borders
October 31st, 2011Via: Planet Biometrics: The European Commission has adopted a Communication which sets out the main options for using new technologies, such as biometrics, to simplify life for foreigners frequently travelling to the EU and to better monitor third-country nationals crossing the borders. Enabling smooth and fast border crossing for travellers, while ensuring an adequate level […]
