Surveillance

Social media has been flooded with complaints of how people are being coerced into using the Digi Yatra app, which uses facial scanning biometrics. Is it really risky? And what do the stakeholders have to say about it? Suraksha P finds out.Akshay Gupta recently posted on social media platform X (previously Twitter) that he was denied entry at the Varanasi airport because he “did not follow the Digi Yatra lane”.Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill CoursesOffering CollegeCourseWebsiteIIM KozhikodeIIMK Advanced…

Staff at the transportation body ran “extensive simulations” at Willesden Green station during the trial to gather more training data, the documents say. These included members of staff falling on the floor, and some of these tests happened when the station was closed. “You will see the BTP officer holding a machete and handgun in different locations within the station,” one caption in the documents state, although the images are redacted. During the trial, the files say, there were no alerts for weapons incidents at the…

Predictive policing has been shown to be an ineffective and biased policing tool. Yet, the Department of Justice has been funding the crime surveillance and analysis technology for years—and continues to do so despite criticism from researchers, privacy advocates, and members of Congress.Senator Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, and U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-New York, joined by five Democratic senators, called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to halt funding for predictive-policing technologies in a letter issued Jan. 29, 2024.…

Once, body cameras were attached only to cops, part of an effort to produce more evidence, de-escalate tense situations, and reduce force and abuse. The jury is still out on how effective they are, but the technology is spreading fast, and not just within policing. Increasingly, other sectors have adopted the cameras, and nowadays you might spot bus drivers, paramedics, sanitation workers, and even hospital and retail employees sporting the cameras. The idea is mostly twofold: to enforce accountability on its wearer’s…

In the early days of the pandemic, as courts across the country shut down and people awaiting trial for criminal charges languished in jail, Iman Freeman got a phone call from a local attorney that stunned her. At the time, Freeman’s nonprofit, the Baltimore Action Legal Team or BALT, was running a bail fund for people in the city who couldn’t afford to post bail on their own. But the attorney didn’t need help bailing his client out of jail. Instead, he told Freeman that, because of COVID, his client had been given the…

When Aaliyah Iglesias was caught vaping at a Texas high school, she didn’t realize how much could be taken from her. Suddenly, the rest of her high school experience was threatened: being student council president, her role as debate team captain and walking at graduation. Even her college scholarships were at risk. She was sent to the district’s alternative school for 30 days and told she could have faced criminal charges.Like thousands of other students around the country, she was caught by surveillance equipment that…

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends This has been quite a stunning week in regard to the privacy and security of smartphone users. Specifically, two investigations have revealed troubling privacy concerns around smartphone advertising and iOS’ notification system. The first, a deep investigation by 404 Media, uncovered a company called Patternz is weaponizing the ad delivery system on smartphones to extract information through apps and then send it to bidders. The report described Patternz as “a…

The National Security Agency (NSA) is purchasing Americans’ internet records, according to government documents made public on Friday. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, wrote a letter claiming the NSA goes through backchannel avenues to purchase your browsing records and location data, which government agencies typically require a search warrant to obtain.Alex Winter on the Most Important Modern Horror Movie “The U.S. government should not be funding and legitimizing a shady industry whose flagrant…

Amazon-owned Ring will stop allowing police departments to request doorbell camera footage from users, marking an end to a feature that has drawn criticism from privacy advocates.In a blog post on Wednesday, Ring said it will sunset the “Request for Assistance” tool, which allows police departments and other public safety agencies to request and receive video captured by the doorbell cameras through Ring’s Neighbors app.The company did not provide a reason for the change, which will be effective starting this week.Eric…

Ring, Amazon’s home surveillance company, announced it would stop letting police departments request video from your doorstep in a blog post Wednesday. The company has historically shared tons of footage with law enforcement, and Amazon came under fire for reportedly handing a full day’s worth of Ring footage to local authorities in March, despite the homeowner’s wishes to not help in prosecuting his neighbor.Top 5 Shopping Tips for Amazon Prime Day“This week, we are also sunsetting the Request for Assistance (RFA) tool,”…