United States intelligence agencies

When it comes to data privacy in our present, hyper-connected age, many of your worst fears and biggest anxieties are probably correct. Yes, smartphones and our manifold other devices collect an incredible array of information on our habits, choices, and movements at all times. Yes, all of this information is compiled by companies to sell for profit. Yes, the U.S. government is among the many clients buying up that data. And yes, it represents a significant and persistent threat to your civil liberties and safety, as…

This story was originally published by Grist. You can subscribe to its weekly newsletter here. This article was produced in partnership with the nonprofit newsroom Type Investigations, where Adam Federman is a reporting fellow. Subscribe to their newsletters here.Last summer, a “Chicago Against Cop City” Twitter account was created and began sharing information about a campaign unfolding some 700 miles away. Its first tweet, posted on July 18, promoted a talk at a community bookstore on Chicago’s west side featuring…

The U.S. reopened its embassy in Havana, Cuba in 2015. Then in 2016, officials working overseas at the embassy were the first to report strange symptoms that would eventually become known as ‘Havana syndrome.’ Photo: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images)Yet again, another report based on U.S. intelligence sources has re-re-realleged that the mysterious “Havana syndrome” wasn’t brought on by some foreign adversary wielding strange energy weapons. As to any other possibilities for hundreds of U.S. officials experiencing a…

Photo: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images)The Department of Energy now assesses that the Covid-19 pandemic most likely began as the result of a leak from a government laboratory, the Wall Street Journal reports. That assessment was laid bare in a classified intelligence report recently shared with the White House and with select members of Congress. The report, which appears to have been a brief survey of the U.S. intelligence community on the issue of Covid-19's origins, shows that the DOE has shifted its assessment about…

Photo: Drew Angerer (Getty Images)The U.S. says it’s punching back in the digital cold war over emerging technologies with a new “Disruptive Technology Strike Force.” “Our goal is simple but essential—to strike back against adversaries trying to siphon off our best technology,” a deputy attorney general said.The strike force, a joint initiative created by the Department of Justice and the Commerce Department reportedly, willfocus on combating “adversaries” attempting to steal crucial U.S. tech secrets and attack supply…

Photo: Associated Press (AP)The Department of Homeland Security launched a failed operation that ensnared hundreds, if not thousands, of U.S. protesters in what new documents show was as a sweeping, power-hungry effort before the 2020 election to bolster President Donald Trump’s spurious claims about a “terrorist organization” he accused his Democratic rivals of supporting. An internal investigative report, made public this month by Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat of Oregon, details the findings of DHS lawyers concerning a…

Photo: Kevin Dietsch (Getty Images)Top U.S. law enforcement authorities revealed three newly unsealed cases Monday involving Chinese intelligence agents they say engaged in “malign influence efforts” targeting the United States. One allegedly involving a failed attempt to bribe a U.S official to give up confidential information related to Huawei, a global telecommunications company based in China.A criminal complaint unsealed on Monday accuse two Chinese intelligence officers of attempting to bribe someone they believed…

FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, in Omaha, Nebraska.Photo: Chris Machian (AP)Two top Democrats in the House of Representatives have issued requests to a host of federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, demanding details of alleged purchases of Americans’ personal data. The lawmakers accuse the seven federal agencies of using commercial dealings with data brokers and so-called location aggregators to sidestep warrant…