Modernization

Siri and Other Digital Assistants May Be Leaking Your Questions

AI helpers like Alexa and Siri are useful, but they’re not smart enough to keep your questions private—at least not yet.

Digital Government

How Russia's New Facial Recognition App Could End Anonymity

The power to identify total strangers on the street is the advertising pitch for a new wave of startups hoping to capitalize on rapidly advancing facial recognition technology. But in Russia, it’s already a reality.

Cybersecurity

DHS intel shop needs to work on privacy protection, says watchdog

The Office of Intelligence and Analysis at DHS office needs to buff its info handling skills, according to an inspector general report.

People

OMB teaches privacy pros about tech

The Office of Management and Budget is looking to forge links between privacy and tech experts, to help the two disciplines work together.

Cybersecurity

NIST looks to transform federal authentication

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is planning "transformational" changes to its technical guidelines for digital authentication.

Digital Government

Facebook Lost the First Round in a Battle Over the Legality of its Automatic Photo-Tagging

The judge rejected Facebook’s request to dismiss a class-action lawsuit brought by three Chicago Facebook users.

Cybersecurity

Report: CBP lacks 'clear authority' to collect SSNs for system access

U.S. Customs and Border Protection derives employee and contractor IT systems passwords from user Social Security numbers. But the agency may not have the authority to collect that personally identifiable information, according to a privacy report.

Cybersecurity

More modern IT could keep SSA from mailing out Social Security numbers

The Social Security Administration's internal watchdog said modernization would help the agency keep personally identifiable information out of mailings to beneficiaries.

Cybersecurity

FEMA tunes into social media for operations

FEMA is adding public-facing social media to the operational data streams used by its watch centers in civil emergencies.

Cybersecurity

Clapper: Snowden accelerated commercial crypto by 7 years

The director of national intelligence reiterated the view that industry/government collaboration is essential to finding a way to balance privacy and law enforcement access.

Cybersecurity

A Million People Now Access Facebook on the 'Dark Web' Every Month

This is the first time the company has revealed details about its presence in this shadowy corner of the Internet.

Digital Government

New European Law May Force Companies to Hire Data Privacy Experts

Tech, health care, drug and financial services companies that process large amounts of data will become particular hotbeds for hiring.

Digital Government

The Military Wants a Privacy Firewall for Disaster Response

A new tool to strip personal information from tweets and social media could help troops zero in on trouble spots

Digital Government

New EU passenger data measure gets warm reception at DHS

The European Union's vote to relax privacy restrictions on collecting and disseminating airline passenger data will help sharpen its anti-terrorism focus, said DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson.

Modernization

'Toxic' data threatens agencies

Data can get stale and make government more vulnerable to hacks. On the other hand, agencies must meet Freedom of Information Act requirements for preserving information.