Ideas
I Researched Uighur Society in China for 8 Years and Watched How Technology Opened New Opportunities – Then Became a Trap
The Muslim ethnic minority must carry their smartphones or risk being detained.
Emerging Tech
Six U.S. Cities Make the List of Most Surveilled Places in the World
A new report found that CCTV surveillance is increasing in certain areas of the U.S., with one city government watching its citizens from 35,000 cameras.
Emerging Tech
The Intelligence Community is Exploring Long-Range Biometric Identification
A new IARPA program aims to build biometric technology that can identify people using cameras stationed on far off rooftops and unmanned aircraft.
Digital Government
NIST Wants Public Input on Protecting Personal Privacy
The latest version of its privacy framework is meant to help organizations address the risks of holding sensitive data on their customers.
Digital Government
Study: More than Half of Americans Trust Law Enforcement to Use Facial Recognition Responsibly
Pew Research Center’s study is the latest to conclude Americans are growing more comfortable with having their faces scanned.
Cybersecurity
NIST seeks comment on privacy framework
The latest version comes with a number of notable additions, such as increased flexibility for organizations and a concerted effort to align the agency's privacy and cybersecurity efforts.
Policy
DHS is Using Fake Social Media Profiles to Investigate Immigrants
Agency officials had previously banned the practice.
Ideas
Worker-Protection Laws Aren't Ready for an Automated Future
Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality and advanced monitoring systems have already begun altering workplaces in fundamental ways that may soon become impossible to ignore.
Cybersecurity
Digital rights group sues DHS over warrantless surveillance at border
The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a lawsuit demanding the release of legal and training documents that could shed new light on the government's use of GPS trackers for vehicles entering the United States.
Cybersecurity
NIST Wants Insight on Combatting Telehealth Cybersecurity Risks
The agency aims to ensure remote monitoring setups are secure.
Digital Government
TSA Agents Say They’re Not Discriminating Against Black Women, But Their Body Scanners Might Be
The full-body scanners at airports across the country frequently give false alarms for Afros, braids, twists and other hairstyles popular among black women.
Digital Government
When Transgender Travelers Walk Into Scanners, Invasive Searches Sometimes Wait on the Other Side
Transgender and gender nonconforming people say they have been pressured to expose their genitals during TSA searches at airports. The encounters stem from shortcomings in the agency’s technology and insufficient training of its staff.
Digital Government
ICE extends Palantir's case management contract
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is sticking with Palantir's Gotham as its case management tool, and granted Palantir a three-year sole source extension to operate and service the system.
Emerging Tech
DHS is Collecting Biometrics on Thousands of Refugees Who Will Never Enter the U.S.
Most refugees who apply for asylum in the U.S. never set foot in the country, but under an agreement with the United Nations, DHS and its partners can still build biometric profiles on them.
Artificial Intelligence
People Are Starting to Realize How Voice Assistants Actually Work
The secrecy surrounding AI products makes even basic information about them a scandal.
Ideas
Regulating Facebook, Google and Amazon Is Hard Given Their Bewildering Complexity
Whether you’re an individual, business, or government, if you need the internet, you need their services.
Emerging Tech
Facial Recognition Software Prompts Privacy, Racism Concerns in Cities and States
Some lawmakers are proposing to limit its use even as law enforcement officials and landlords are embracing it.
Emerging Tech
CBP Plans to Use Facial Recognition For ‘All Passenger Applications’
The agency is ramping up its use of biometric identification technology as part of a broader effort to overhaul its traveler processing systems.
Artificial Intelligence
This Dashcam App Can Map Traffic in Near-Real-Time
The traffic safety app Nexar’s new “Live Map” feature lets anyone peek in on near-real-time video footage of city streets.
Cybersecurity