GoKawiil
Tech News
A public research project called the Atlas of Surveillance has compiled the largest known database tracking police surveillance tools used across the United States, including automated license plate readers made by Flock Safety. The tool lets residents search by location to see whether local law enforcement agencies have deployed these camera systems in their area.
Slovak investigators reportedly discovered a hidden backdoor of Russian origin embedded in the country's traffic speed camera systems. The finding raises concerns that the compromised devices could have been used for surveillance or remote manipulation without operator knowledge.
Garrett Langley, CEO of surveillance firm Flock Safety, has been giving media interviews urging a 'compromise' between privacy and public safety as scrutiny of his company's cameras and license plate recognition tools intensifies. The pushback follows a Washington Post investigation citing 46 cases of police officers allegedly misusing Flock's technology to track partners or exes, prompting Langley to apologize while denying his company caused the abuse.
Slovakia's national security agency NBU issued an alert stating that NERO R-ONE traffic cameras purchased for a €30 million EU-funded monitoring project contain a hidden backdoor allowing shell and network access via SMS from hardcoded Russian phone numbers. The agency found the devices are rebranded versions of a Russian camera made by St. Petersburg-based Semicon, following opposition claims that the Interior Ministry bought them through a Cyprus shell company using fake certifications.
The FCC has retroactively revoked the equipment authorization it granted to Shenzhen Zero Zero Infinity Technology for the HoverAir Versa's Flight Kit, a module that turns the 230g pocket camera into a self-flying drone. The agency says the certification was issued in error since the Flight Kit qualifies as a prohibited foreign-made UAS critical component under its Covered List rules, and it accused HoverAir of willfully skirting the ban. HoverAir has already pulled Flight Kit orders for U.S. backers on its Indiegogo campaign, which had raised over $230,000, citing vague 'logistics updates.'