All articles tagged with #surveillance
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao urged sailors and Marines to harden their online profiles and conceal connections to the Department of the Navy, citing a coordinated adversary campaign that includes drone surveillance, harassment, and data-mining. Personnel should review accounts, set profiles to private, remove identifying links to the DON, and report suspicious activity to NCIS as threats persist amid the ongoing war.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley told Fox News that AI-powered license-plate cameras should balance safety with privacy, calling for a national compromise amid backlash, vandalism, and Capitol Hill proposals to ban the tech or cut funding. He emphasized seven-day data retention and stronger accountability, noting Flock has aided over a million investigations and helped locate thousands of missing people, while critics push for stricter limits and regulatory safeguards.
Researchers warn that ordinary, unencrypted WiFi signals exchanged between devices and routers can be used to form radio images of people and identify them with near-100% accuracy—even if they’re not carrying a phone or other connected gadget—raising concerns that everyday networks could become covert surveillance systems. The method relies on beamforming feedback, was tested with 197 participants, and experts say privacy protections must be built into future WiFi systems to prevent widespread monitoring by governments or corporations.
A Darth Vader impersonator used a San Diego public safety committee meeting to advocate for Flock Safety's automated license-plate readers, framing them as security tools while highlighting privacy concerns; the city has renewed its use of Flock despite backlash, as about 100 municipalities have ended contracts with Flock, and incidents ranging from a false carjacking link to camera vandalism have fueled debate. In response, Flock rolled out new accountability measures, including an audit feature to curb misuse by year-end, though experts say more oversight is still needed.
Vandals damaged Flock traffic cameras in multiple cities despite privacy reforms; the Navy is debating naming the carrier after Donald Trump rather than Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller, while USS Abraham Lincoln returns home and USS George Washington deploys; Prince Harry’s return to the U.K. raises questions about reconciliation with Prince William; and undecided voters express anxiety about the economy in a focus group, alongside ongoing scrutiny of ICE's electric gloves.
HaveIBeenFlocked.com lets people see if their license plate appears in audit logs of ALPR searches conducted by Flock’s customers; a “hit” means the plate was looked up, not that the vehicle is under investigation or passed through cameras. The results come from public records requests and can be incomplete (latest data through July 31, 2026). The site notes it does not store plate numbers itself, and displayed entries include the officer’s initials and a 30-day lookup window when available. While ALPRs can aid crime-solving, privacy concerns persist, and several Michigan communities have ended contracts with Flock in response to public feedback.
Activists celebrated Longmont’s decision to drop Flock, but cities nationwide quickly replaced Flock’s license-plate readers with Axon’s ALPRs, intensifying a national debate over privacy, data retention, and cross-agency access. Officials argue ALPRs aid crime solving, while privacy advocates warn that swapping vendors doesn’t fix underlying governance; some municipalities are introducing safeguards and review boards, but local surveillance persists and calls for stronger data governance grow louder.
Public-facing workers are being filmed and harassed by AI-powered Ray‑Ban Meta glasses in workplaces like Target and Sprouts, highlighting a growing privacy and safety dilemma, power imbalances, and the need for clear policies as Meta defends its built-in privacy features.
A leaked demo shows Apple’s rumored AirPods with built-in cameras and Visual Intelligence analyzing what they see in real time, fueling privacy concerns about potential covert recording; Bloomberg has said the devices would include a public recording indicator, and Apple is expected to unveil them at an upcoming iPhone event.
Have I Been Flocked? lets people enter a license plate to see if it appears in publicly released Flock audit logs. As of Aug. 17, it logged about 242 million searches for over 4.6 million plates, showing when the search occurred, the agency, and the stated reason, though data can be incomplete or redacted. A match means a lookup happened, not that you were investigated, and logs can be delayed or incomplete; operator names are often partial. The project relies on public records requests and aims to increase transparency about license-plate reader use amid privacy concerns highlighted by outlets like The Washington Post and 404 Media.
Wisconsin towns pulling out of Flock’s shared license-plate reader program over privacy concerns are eroding the network’s usefulness, as fewer partner agencies mean less data access and a weaker network effect, prompting switches to other vendors and tighter safeguards.
Activists across the political spectrum are challenging Flock’s automated license-plate reader cameras over privacy and civil-liberties concerns, citing misuse by some officers and prompting several cities to end or rework contracts; Flock says it is adding misuse-detection and shortening data retention while highlighting that the system supported about 1 million investigations and 10,000 missing-person cases last year.
Residents can check the Have I Been Flocked? site to see if a Flock Safety license-plate camera has captured their vehicle. The story highlights privacy concerns around the nationwide camera network, recent vandalism and pushback in Minnesota, and ongoing changes including an audit tool for law-enforcement use.
A Science Daily report says researchers used unencrypted WiFi beamforming feedback to reconstruct radio-based images of people and their surroundings, identifying individuals with nearly 100% accuracy in tests (197 participants) from multiple angles, even when the subject isn’t carrying a device. The technique relies on RF wave propagation and existing WiFi signals, meaning turning off a personal device may not stop it; once a model is trained, identification takes seconds, raising significant privacy and surveillance concerns.
A court filing shows ICE undercover agents infiltrated Sunrise Movement and other Minnesota activist groups, attending trainings, monitoring meetings, and even trying to coax organizers into more confrontational tactics. Subpoenas sought Sunrise’s financial records and wire transfers, part of investigations dubbed Operation Puppet Master and Project Whipple Shield. The inquiries continued despite public backlash and fears they chill peaceful protest, while Sunrise emphasizes nonviolence and organizers vow to resist intimidation and defend free speech.