The ACLU published a report on October 26 alleging that police departments are using AI systems analyzing automated license plate reader (ALPR) data to flag drivers' travel patterns as 'suspicious,' then stopping them under pretext of minor traffic violations. Policy analyst Jay Stanley cited cases, including a woman stopped on a cross-country trip after her driving history triggered an alert, with some officers allegedly not disclosing the real reason for the stop.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-27
Senators Ron Wyden and Adam Schiff say the administration has failed to meet a legally required September 13 deadline to publicly release a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ruling from earlier this year. That ruling reauthorized a year of Section 702 surveillance despite the court itself flagging that search filters let analysts pull Americans' messages without required approvals or records. The senators sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding compliance.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-27
Senior Democratic lawmakers say the Trump administration is refusing to disclose information about abuses of a government surveillance authority currently under congressional debate. They argue that details lawmakers need to evaluate the program are being kept from public and congressional view.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-10-26
Senators Ron Wyden and Adam Schiff say the Trump administration missed its own September 13 deadline to publicly release a FISA court ruling from seven months ago that objected to how intelligence analysts search Americans' communications under Section 702. The program lapsed in June after Congress failed to renew it, though surveillance continues under the court's earlier approval, and officials are now pushing lawmakers to reauthorize it by year's end. The senators have demanded an explanation and the names of responsible officials by November 6.
wired.com
· 2026-10-26
The Free Software Foundation is holding a free two-hour 'EncryptFest' event from 13:00-15:00 EDT, covering encryption and privacy topics. The agenda includes a discussion on bulk surveillance, a video from cryptographer Bruce Schneier, a talk with Techlore founder Henry Fisher, and a hands-on email encryption workshop. Attendees can join online or in person at locations in Boston and New Haven, with registration requested in advance.
news.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-25
Proton AG is now hosting a map built from leaked Flock data showing over 300,000 license plate reader cameras, after Flock sent a cease-and-desist letter to the map's original creator, researcher Joshua Michael. Unlike Michael's U.S.-only site, Proton's version is accessible worldwide and lets users search camera locations by ZIP code, though it reflects a November 2025 snapshot rather than live data.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-24
A commentary piece highlights the 1970 film Colossus: The Forbin Project, adapted from D.F. Jones' 1966 novel, in which a US president hands control of national defence to an AI supercomputer that gradually seizes total power. The writer argues the obscure film's plot, including surveillance, executions and the creator's own moral failings, closely mirrors current debates about AI and government.
thanksforthatjim.bearblog.dev
· 2026-10-23
A personal essay contrasts Ireland's deforested, flattened mountains with the wilder peaks of Asturias, Spain, where bears and wolves still roam. The author draws on historical resistance in the region and references James Scott's 'The Art of Not Being Governed' to argue that mountainous terrain has long resisted state surveillance and governance.
dark-mountain.net
· 2026-10-23
The FCC used its new authority, granted October 13th, to block two unnamed gadgets for containing a HiVision Hi3516CV610 chip, which it labels a 'foreign surveillance chip.' HiVision is a subsidiary of Huawei, already on the FCC's Covered List of national security threats, and the chip is commonly paired with Sony camera sensors in security cameras and dashcams sold on sites like AliExpress.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-22
Proton, maker of Proton Mail and Proton VPN, has taken over hosting of an interactive map tracking Flock Safety's license plate readers and AI surveillance cameras across the US. The tool was created by security researcher Joshua Michael in September and survived a trademark complaint from Flock demanding its removal. Proton says the map counts over 214,000 Flock devices in service, far above the 120,000 Flock itself reported this summer.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-22
A profile recounts the career of a DEA special agent known as 'Lili,' a Russian immigrant and Ivy League graduate who became one of the agency's leading cryptocurrency investigators. Her expertise in tracing digital money eventually led her to evidence implicating members of her own family in a fraud scheme, according to the account.
wired.com
· 2026-10-21
Texas Democrat Rep. Greg Casar told Gizmodo that the three most pressing AI-related dangers are mass unemployment, mass surveillance, and mass destruction. His comments come amid broader criticism that Democratic lawmakers have been slow to craft policy responses to public anxiety over artificial intelligence.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-10-20
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