Tag

Technology And Privacy

All articles tagged with #technology and privacy

St. Lucie County Uncovers 11 Unclaimed Flock Cameras Amid Statewide Removal Order

St. Lucie County, Florida, discovered 14 unpermitted Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras during a statewide removal effort. While the Sheriff's Office claimed three devices without explaining the lack of permits, 11 remain unclaimed. Officials have placed plastic covers on the cameras and issued a 30-day notice for removal, with deadlines expiring between October 16 and 20. The incident highlights ongoing concerns over unauthorized surveillance and data privacy in the US.

via TechSpot|

#flock-safety #florida-dot #license-plate-readers

technology-and-privacy1 month ago•1 min saved

Grindr Agrees to £26m Settlement Over Pre-2020 HIV Data Sharing

Grindr has agreed to pay £26 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging it shared users' sensitive health data, including HIV status, with third-party advertisers before 2020. The settlement, reached in September 2026, covers approximately 12,000 claimants in the UK and does not constitute an admission of liability.

via BBC|

#class-action #data-privacy #grindr

technology-and-privacy1 month ago•13 min saved

Florida’s Flock Camera Ban Leaves Hundreds of Surveillance Devices Operational

Florida’s mandate to remove automated license plate readers from state highways has not significantly reduced the state’s surveillance footprint. While agencies like the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office have suspended all programs, the majority of cameras remain on local roads, city streets, and private properties. Privacy advocates argue the state’s action is insufficient, noting that over 2,000 cameras still operate in South Florida, while law enforcement groups warn that the sudden removal risks public safety without clear transition plans.

via Miami Herald|

#flock-safety #florida-dot #license-plate-readers

technology-and-privacy1 month ago•3 min saved

AI Chat Logs Are Not Private: Employers, Police, and Courts Can Access Them

Conversations with AI chatbots are not private. Employers, tech companies, and law enforcement can access these records. Courts are increasingly using AI chat logs as evidence in civil and criminal cases, despite the lack of legal privilege for such communications.

via The Washington Post|

#ai-privacy #chatbots #data-security

technology-and-privacy1 month ago•3 min saved

Citizen database and bipartisan pressure challenge Flock Safety's surveillance network

A grassroots website tracking Flock Safety audit logs has surged in popularity, coinciding with bipartisan legislative efforts to regulate automated license plate readers. While Flock claims its technology aids in solving crimes, critics and lawmakers cite widespread misuse, including warrantless tracking of individuals, prompting some jurisdictions to terminate contracts despite complex ownership structures.

via Business Insider|

#flock-safety #law-enforcement #license-plate-readers

technology-and-privacy1 month ago•3 min saved

Flock Safety CEO urges national compromise as backlash over AI surveillance intensifies

Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley called for a national compromise on automated license plate readers, arguing that privacy and safety must be balanced rather than prioritized exclusively. This statement comes amid a surge in public opposition, including camera vandalism in multiple states and legislative proposals to ban or defund the technology. While Flock claims its cameras have aided over a million investigations, critics point to documented misuse by law enforcement and a lack of regulatory oversight. New transparency tools, such as the 'Have I Been Flocked?' database, now allow drivers to check if their plates have been searched, though the data remains incomplete.

via Fox News|

#flock-safety #law-enforcement-oversight #license-plate-readers

technology-and-privacy2 months ago•4 min saved

Public backlash and new safeguards reshape Flock Safety's license plate surveillance network

Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader network faces intense public scrutiny, with a new website allowing users to check if their plates were searched. While police cite crime-solving benefits, privacy advocates and some municipalities are pushing back, leading to vandalism, contract cancellations, and new corporate safeguards.

via FOX 2 Detroit|

#flock-safety #law-enforcement #license-plate-readers

technology-and-privacy2 months ago•8 min saved

Flight Attendants Challenge Google's $10M Spirit Data Deal Over Worker Privacy Gaps

Google has won a bankruptcy auction to acquire Spirit Airlines' internal enterprise data for $10 million, intending to use it to train AI models. While the dataset excludes consumer records, it includes approximately 100 million employee emails, 500 million Microsoft Teams chats, and HR records. The Association of Flight Attants (AFA) has filed an objection, arguing that while consumer data is protected, worker confidentiality is not adequately addressed by the de-identification process. A federal judge must still approve the sale, with Mercor Corporation serving as the backup bidder at $7.5 million.

via Ars Technica|

#association-of-flight-attendants #bankruptcy-auction #data-privacy

technology-and-privacy2 months ago•3 min saved

New Tool Reveals if Your License Plate Was Searched by Flock Cameras

A new website, HaveIBeenFlocked, allows users to check if their license plate has been searched by law enforcement via Flock Safety’s automated camera network. The tool relies on public records and audit logs, not real-time camera feeds. Amid growing privacy concerns and vandalism of Flock cameras in Minnesota, Flock CEO Garrett Langley announced new safeguards, including an audit tool to flag abnormal search behavior, effective January 1, 2026.

via 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS|

#flock-safety #haveibeenflocked #law-enforcement-data

technology-and-privacy2 months ago•27 min saved

HaveIBeenFlocked tool exposes Flock camera searches as company mandates stricter oversight

A new website, HaveIBeenFlocked, allows users to check if their license plate has been searched in Flock Safety's database using public records. This tool emerges as Flock Safety announces major policy changes, including mandatory case numbers for searches and automatic monitoring for abnormal activity, following reports of police misuse. While some jurisdictions adopt shorter data retention periods, others warn it may hinder investigations, and privacy advocates demand broader regulatory safeguards.

via WSTM|

#flock-safety #law-enforcement #license-plate-readers

technology-and-privacy2 months ago•19 min saved

New tool exposes Flock camera searches, highlighting privacy tensions

A new website, HaveIBeenFlocked, allows drivers to check if their license plates were searched by law enforcement using Flock Safety cameras. The tool relies on audit logs obtained through public records requests from over 6,500 agencies. While it reveals search reasons, it does not confirm if a vehicle passed a camera. Flock Safety, which operates over 120,000 AI-powered cameras, faces growing backlash over privacy concerns and data-sharing with immigration enforcement.

via nypost.com|

#flock-safety #haveibeenflocked #license-plate-readers

technology-and-privacy2 months ago

HaveIBeenFlocked: New Tool Reveals Flock Camera Searches on Your License Plate

A new website, HaveIBeenFlocked, allows drivers to check if their license plate was searched by agencies using Flock surveillance cameras. The tool queries public Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) audit logs to show which agencies conducted searches and the stated reasons, such as drug-related investigations or vehicle theft. While it does not indicate if a vehicle physically passed by a camera, it highlights growing privacy concerns over the widespread use of automatic license plate readers. Flock Safety has announced plans to implement an 'abnormal search behavior' flagging tool by January 1, 2027, in response to reported misuse by law enforcement officers.

via KCRG|

#flock-cameras #foia #haveibeenflocked

technology-and-privacy3 months ago•4 min saved

Hide Your Home From Google Maps Street View Forever

Google Maps Street View can permanently blur your home for free: on a desktop, search your address in maps.google.com, click the Street View photo, choose Report a Problem, outline the area to blur (select 'home'), provide details and your email, then submit for Google’s review; once approved, the blur is permanent, though the process is less convenient on mobile (best done from a web browser).

via CNET|

#blurring #google-maps #home

technology-and-privacy2 years ago•2 min saved

"Google Ordered to Disclose YouTube Viewers' Identities"

US authorities requested Google to provide the identities and user activity of accounts that watched specific YouTube videos as part of an investigation into suspected money laundering. The court granted the order, but it was kept under wraps, and it's unclear if Google complied. Critics and privacy advocates are concerned about potential overreach and the access to sensitive information of users who watched these videos.

via Engadget|

#google #government #investigation

technology-and-privacy2 years ago•3 min saved

"Automakers' Data Sharing with Insurance Companies Driving Up Premiums"

Automakers are selling driver data to data brokers, who then create "risk" scores for individual drivers and sell them to insurance providers, leading to increased premiums for many drivers. Meanwhile, the operator of darknet cryptocurrency service Bitcoin Fog has been found guilty of money laundering and other charges, and two commercial safe makers have been criticized for installing secret backdoors in their products, leaving consumers vulnerable to criminals and spies.

via WIRED|

#cryptocurrency #dark-web #insurance