Favorite The Federal Trade Commission has entered a settlement with self-styled “weapon detection” company Evolv, to resolve the FTC’s claim that the company “knowingly” and repeatedly” engaged in “unlawful” acts of misleading claims about their technology. Essentially, Evolv’s technology, which is in schools, subways, and stadiums, does far less than they’ve been claiming. The FTC…
All posts tagged Street-Level Surveillance
Creators of This Police Location Tracking Tool Aren't Vetting Buyers. Here's How To Protect Yourself
Favorite 404 Media, along with Haaretz, Notus, and Krebs On Security recently reported on a company that captures smartphone location data from a variety of sources and collates that data into an easy-to-use tool to track devices’ (and, by proxy, individuals’) locations. The dangers that this tool presents are especially grave for those traveling to…
AI in Criminal Justice Is the Trend Attorneys Need to Know About
Favorite The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into our criminal justice system is one of the most worrying developments across policing and the courts, and EFF has been tracking it for years. EFF recently contributed a chapter on AI’s use by law enforcement to the American Bar Association’s annual publication, The State of Criminal Justice…
The Human Toll of ALPR Errors
Favorite This post was written by Gowri Nayar, an EFF legal intern. Imagine driving to get your nails done with your family and all of a sudden, you are pulled over by police officers for allegedly driving a stolen car. You are dragged out of the car and detained at gun point. So are your…
Cop Companies Want All Your Data and Other Takeaways from This Year’s IACP Conference
Favorite Artificial intelligence dominated the technology talk on panels, among sponsors, and across the trade floor at this year’s annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). IACP, held Oct. 19 – 22 in Boston, brings together thousands of police employees with the businesses who want to sell them guns, gadgets, and…
The Real Monsters of Street Level Surveillance
Favorite Safe trick-or-treating this Halloween means being aware of the real monsters of street-level surveillance. You might not always see these menaces, but they are watching you. The real-world harms of these terrors wreak havoc on our communities. Here, we highlight just a few of the beasts. To learn more about all of the street-level…
California Attorney General Issues New Guidance on Military Equipment to Law Enforcement
Favorite California law enforcement should take note: the state’s Attorney General has issued a new bulletin advising them on how to comply with AB 481—a state law that regulates how law enforcement agencies can use, purchase, and disclose information about military equipment at their disposal. This important guidance comes in the wake of an exposé…
Prosecutors in Washington State Warn Police: Don’t Use Gen AI to Write Reports
Favorite The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which handles all prosecutions in the Seattle area, has instructed police in no uncertain terms: do not use AI to write police reports…for now. This is a good development. We hope prosecutors across the country will exercise such caution as companies continue to peddle technology – generative artificial…
Unveiling Venezuela’s Repression: A Legacy of State Surveillance and Control
Favorite The post was written by Laura Vidal (PhD), independent researcher in learning and digital rights. This is part two of a series. Part one on surveillance and control around the July election is here. Over the past decade, the government in Venezuela has meticulously constructed a framework of surveillance and repression, which has been…
Unveiling Venezuela’s Repression: Surveillance and Censorship Following July’s Presidential Election
Favorite The post was written by Laura Vidal (PhD), independent researcher in learning and digital rights. This is part one of a series. Part two on the legacy of Venezuela’s state surveillance is here. As thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets across the country to demand transparency in July’s election results, the ensuing repression…