Source: reason.com 8/5/24 Warrantless surveillance, Comic Con “sex trafficking,” and the persistence of trafficking myths Moral panic about sex work leads to law enforcement practices that reach far beyond anyone engaged in or with erotic labor. The latest example comes from San Diego County, California, where cops are putting up a creepy surveillance tower under the auspice of stopping sex sellers and sex buyers from meeting. The prostitution surveillance tower, stationed along National City’s Roosevelt Avenue, will record video of anyone who happens to be in the area. Read the…
Read MoreTag: Surveillance
U.S. Spy Agency Dreams of All-Seeing “SMART ePANTS”
Source: theintercept.com 9/2/23 The future of wearable technology, beyond now-standard accessories like smartwatches and fitness tracking rings, is ePANTS, according to the intelligence community. The federal government has shelled out at least $22 million in an effort to develop “smart” clothing that spies on the wearer and its surroundings. Similar to previous moonshot projects funded by military and intelligence agencies, the inspiration may have come from science fiction and superpowers, but the basic applications are on brand for the government: surveillance and data collection. Billed as the “largest single investment…
Read MoreTransparency Laws Let Criminal Records Become Commodities
Source: wired.com 12/23/21 For millions of people, details from an arrest—even a mistaken one—live on after being sold to data brokers. And the state profits. In April 2018, Adnan (a pseudonym) was wrongfully arrested in Newark, New Jersey, on the basis of an incorrect arrest warrant. A brief period in jail led to the criminal court judge dismissing the incident and moving to have Adnan’s arrest record expunged. A few days later, Adnan began receiving mysterious text messages from several “reputation management” companies that promised to help him get his…
Read MoreAL: Law enforcement praises technology for helping fight crime
Source: wbrc.com 11/15/21 Keeping the community safe now comes with the flash of a solar-powered camera. Local law enforcement praised the technology for helping them solve crimes. These days, no matter where you go, it’s likely your picture has been taken. Cities across Alabama were ramping up security, installing Flock Cameras as a part of their crime-fighting strategy. “Stolen vehicle, wanted persons, Silver alerts, Amber Alerts, registered sex offenders and other notifications like that,” Cpt. Shane Ware with the Vestavia Hill’s Police Department explained. Read the full article
Read MoreCA: Data Driven 2: California Dragnet—New Data Set Shows Scale of Vehicle Surveillance in the Golden State
[eff.org – 4/22/21] This project is based on data processed by student journalist Olivia Ali, 2020 intern JJ Mazzucotelli, and research assistant Liam Harton, based on California Public Records Act requests filed by EFF and dozens of students at the University of Nevada, Reno Reynolds School of Journalism. Tiburon, California: a 13-square-mile peninsula town in Marin County, known for its glorious views of the San Francisco Bay and its eclectic retail district. What the town’s tourism bureau may not want you to know: from the moment you drive into the city limits, your vehicle will…
Read More