Police
Crime Prediction Keeps Society Stuck in the Past
So long as algorithms are trained on racist historical data and outdated values, there will be no opportunities for change.
A Black Woman Invented Home Security. Why Did It Go So Wrong?
Surveillance systems, no matter the intention, will always exist to serve power.
1.8 TB of Police Helicopter Surveillance Footage Leaks Online
DDoSecrets published the trove Friday afternoon. Privacy advocates say it shows how pervasive law enforcement's eye has become, and how lax its data protection can be.
States Are Toughening Up Privacy Laws for At-Home DNA Tests
California’s SB 41 is the latest to tighten regulations on the sensitive data collected by companies like 23andMe or Ancestry.
Advocates Struggle to Control Police Use of Surveillance Tech
A key backer of a 2018 Oakland law to rein in tools like automated license plate readers says the city is not following the rules.
LA Police Are Collecting Detainees' Social Media Information
According to new documents, officers ask people they stop for their Facebook and Twitter account details, and then feed the data into Palantir.
Explosion in Geofence Warrants Threatens Privacy Nationwide
New figures from Google show a tenfold increase in the requests from law enforcement, which target anyone who happened to be in a given location at a specified time.
The NYPD Had a Secret Fund for Surveillance Tools
Documents reveal that police bought facial-recognition software, vans equipped with x-ray machines, and “stingray” cell site simulators—with no public oversight.
Struggling to Recruit, Police Turn to Targeted Ads
The pandemic and the George Floyd protests have made recruiters’ jobs tougher. Now they’re tapping the behavioral profiling power of social media.
Citizen's New Service Helps Paying Users Summon the Cops
The crime-tracking app is charging $20 per month to give subscribers access to their own virtual security service.
This AI Helps Police Track Social Media. Does It Go Too Far?
Law enforcement officials say the tool can help them combat misinformation. Civil liberties advocates say it can be used for mass surveillance.
Baltimore May Soon Ban Face Recognition for Everyone but Cops
The measure would make private use of the technology illegal but would not apply to police. It awaits the mayor's signature.
Could Brain Training Help Address Police Brutality?
New neuroscience-based technologies aim to improve decisionmaking under pressure. But solving systemic problems will take a lot more than that.
The All-Seeing Eyes of New York’s 15,000 Surveillance Cameras
Video from the cameras is often used in facial-recognition searches. A report finds they are most common in neighborhoods with large nonwhite populations.
Does a Robot Get to Be the Boss of Me?
WIRED’s spiritual advice columnist on policing, degrees of freedom, and dancing in the streets.
A Border Town Confronts the Reality of Police Surveillance
Chula Vista police have deployed drones and other tech. Now residents are pushing back, after reports that data was shared with immigration authorities.
New York Returns Its Police ‘Robodog’ After a Public Outcry
City residents and elected officials pushed back after videos showed the Boston Dynamics robot in action.
A New York Lawmaker Wants to Ban Police Use of Armed Robots
Officers’ use of Boston Robotics’ Digidog intensifies concerns about militarization of the police.
New York City’s Surveillance Battle Offers National Lessons
A lack of police transparency highlights how citizens need to remain vigilant to take back control over their privacy.
The Next Target for a Facial Recognition Ban? New York
San Francisco, Oakland, and other cities have enacted moratoriums on government use of the tech. New York looks like a harder sell.
The Capitol Attack Doesn’t Justify Expanding Surveillance
The security state that failed to keep DC safe doesn't need invasive technology to meet this moment—it needs more civilian oversight.
How Your Digital Trails Wind Up in the Police’s Hands
Phone calls. Web searches. Location tracks. Smart speaker requests. They’ve become crucial tools for law enforcement, while users often are unaware.
Some UK Stores Are Using Facial Recognition to Track Shoppers
Branches of the British grocer Southern Co-op are using surveillance technology to look for potential shoplifters.
Cops Are Getting a New Tool For Family-Tree Sleuthing
Verogen’s push into public crime labs with genetic genealogy may help solve more cold cases, but it raises concerns about DNA data collection.