Law Enforcement

Amazon Shareholders Move to Stop Selling Facial Recognition Tech to Government Agencies

A group of shareholders filed a resolution to halt sales until they can consider the tech’s societal impact.

  • By Aaron Boyd

FBI Agents Say the Shutdown Is a Threat to National Security

Nearly 5,000 FBI special agents, intelligence analysts, attorneys, and professional staff have been furloughed.

  • By Natasha Bertrand, The Atlantic

Survey: Americans Warming to Use of Facial Recognition Tech

Americans do not favor strict limits on facial recognition technology, according to a new national survey.

  • By Frank Konkel

The FBI is Trying Amazon’s Facial-Recognition Software

The software allows the FBI to go through video surveillance footage much faster than agents can.

  • By Frank Konkel

State Department Is Buying Phone Hacking Tools for Ghanaian Police

The department issued a solicitation for specific hacking tools, which it plans to give to partners in Ghana to stem international crime.

  • By Aaron Boyd

The DEA Is Hiding Surveillance Cameras in Vacuum Cleaners

This is likely for a specific operation.

  • By Justin Rohrlich, Quartz

Who’s Tracking Your License Plate?

Automated license plate readers are collecting and sharing tons of data across state lines, according to records from nearly 200 police departments nationwide.

  • By Tanvi Misra, CityLab

Lawmakers Want Better Answers from Amazon About Facial Matching Program

As law enforcement agencies experiment with the tech, lawmakers push for details about accuracy and privacy.

  • By Heather Kuldell

FBI Issues Timeline for $5 Billion IT Contract Solicitation

The bureau’s ITSSS contract has gone through a lot of changes recently but officials expect to have the draft and final RFPs out early next year.

  • By Aaron Boyd

New U.S. Secret Service Lapel Pins Will Come with a Secret Security Feature

It's more than just a pin.

  • By Justin Rohrlich

FBI’s Counterterrorism Investigations Now Run on Amazon

The FBI is the latest intelligence agency to partner with Amazon Web Services.

  • By Frank Konkel

Postal Service's Informed Delivery Feature Could Be Helping Fraudsters

A new way to steal credit cards.

  • By Caitlin Fairchild

How Baltimore and Tulsa Are Using Data to Foster Community

“The great thing people need to understand about data—and this was the incorrect understanding I had at first—is it is not about efficiency,” said Tulsa’s mayor.

  • By Dave Nyczepir

The DEA And ICE Are Hiding Surveillance Cameras In Streetlights

It’s unclear where the streetlight cameras have been installed, or where the next deployments will take place.

  • By Dave Gershgorn and Justin Rohrlich, Quartz

A Rare Issue Is Causing Police Body Cameras to Explode

The nation’s largest police force is changing its body-camera policy after a malfunctioning camera started a fire.

  • By Sidney Fussell, The Atlantic

Police Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Spot Written Lies

Grammar can give away whether you're telling the truth or not.

  • By Olivia Goldhill, Quartz

Researchers Have Discovered a Way to Track 3D Printed Guns

Even printers have fingerprints.

  • By Caitlin Fairchild

IARPA Wants to Identify Criminals From Their Skin Cells

The goal isn’t to replace DNA analysis but rather add another technology to forensic analysts’ toolbox.

  • By Jack Corrigan

The Newest Password Technology Is Making Your Phone Easier for Police to Search

For the first time, police have compelled a suspect to unlock his phone using Face ID. The case reveals an interesting inversion: More advanced password technology is less protected from police seizure.

  • By Sidney Fussell, The Atlantic

Schools Are Spending Big On Surveillance Technology. Is It Worth It?

After Parkland, schools are installing gunshot-detection systems typically used in cities like Oakland and Chicago. But the concrete benefits of the technology are dubious.

  • By Sidney Fussell, The Atlantic