Mass surveillance

Two surveillance cameras on a pole in front of a river.

Omnipresent License Plate Readers Enable Unconstitutional ‘Dragnet Surveillance Program,’ Lawsuit Says

The federal lawsuit filed in Virginia argues that Flock’s automated license plate readers enable warrantless surveillance in violation of the Fifth Amendment.

By Tom Maxwell Published October 22, 2024

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

The Feds Have Another Way to Spy on Your Mail

A program inside the U.S. Postal Service allows law enforcement agencies to request data about specific Americans' mail.

By Lucas Ropek Published June 24, 2024

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

Leaked FBI Email Reportedly Shows Desperation to Justify Warrantless Wiretaps

"I urge everyone to continue to look for ways to appropriately use US person queries..."

By Matt Novak Published May 9, 2024

Tech NewsNews

NSA Employee Gets 22 Years in Prison for Trying to Give Top Secret Info to Russia

The Russian spy was actually an undercover FBI agent.

By Matt Novak Published April 30, 2024

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

Lawmakers Are Kicking Warrantless Wiretapping Into Overdrive

Critics say a newly proposed update to the law would vastly expand the government's spying powers.

By Lucas Ropek Published April 18, 2024

Photo: Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

ScienceSpaceflight

Mysterious National Security Threat Hyped By Republicans Likely Nukes In Space: Report

Is the hyperventilating in Congress all part of a plan to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act?

By Matt Novak Updated February 15, 2024

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

The Jig is Up: NSA Is Buying Your Browser History, Says U.S. Senator

Data brokers are selling loads of Americans’ data to the U.S. government, according to Senator Wyden.

By Maxwell Zeff Published January 26, 2024

Tech NewsTech Policy

Lawmakers Say FBI Can Keep Its Prized Surveillance Tool, but It’ll Need a Warrant

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle said they would only reauthorize FISA Section 702 if the feds agree to new warrant requirements.

By Mack DeGeurin Updated November 7, 2023

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

The NYPD Is Deploying Drones to Spy on Labor Day Barbecues

Police say they will deploy drones to monitor large crowds and even large parties in backyards over the Labor Day weekend.

By Mack DeGeurin Updated September 1, 2023

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

Legislators Vote Forward Bill That Would Turn Tech Platforms Into DEA Narcs

The controversial Cooper Davis Act has been voted out of committee, meaning it will take another step towards enactment.

By Lucas Ropek Published July 14, 2023

Tech NewsPolitics

New Law Protects EU Citizens From Trans-Atlantic Data Collection in the US

European citizens can now file appeals against U.S. intelligence agencies for illegally accessing their data.

By Nikki Main Published July 10, 2023

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

U.S. Intelligence Has Amassed ‘Sensitive and Intimate’ Data on ‘Nearly Everyone’

A newly declassified report confirms that the government has unprecedented insight into our lives through smartphones, cars, web browsing, and other tech.

By Lauren Leffer Updated June 15, 2023

Tech NewsTech Policy

The CIA Is Begging Congress to Please Keep Spying on U.S. Citizens Legal

Officials from the CIA, FBI, and NSA are expected to urge lawmakers during a Senate hearing to reauthorize Section 702 of FISA.

By Mack DeGeurin Updated June 13, 2023

Tech NewsCybersecurity

Kremlin Accuses the NSA of Spying on Russian iPhone Users

Russia is accusing the U.S. of using iPhones to spy on citizens and diplomats despite Apple's history of refusing government backdoor access.

By Nikki Main Published June 1, 2023

Tech NewsTech Policy

6 Key Moments From House Republicans’ Hearing on Warrant-Free FISA Surveillance

Lawmakers inspecting Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act were left with more questions than answers after a critical House hearing.

By Mack DeGeurin Published April 28, 2023

Tech NewsNews

Watch House Republicans Grill the FBI Over Alleged Domestic Surveillance Abuses

A House hearing today examining the FBI's alleged misuses of FISA surveillance powers precedes a debate over whether the program should exist.

By Mack DeGeurin Updated April 27, 2023

Tech News90s Week

The Short Life and Humiliating Death of the Clipper Chip

Thirty years ago, the U.S. government first floated the idea of a backdoor into public-key encryption, an idea it's been obsessed with ever since.

By Lucas Ropek Published April 7, 2023

Tech NewsPrivacy and Security

What You Need to Know About The U.S. Government’s Surveillance of Money Transfers

More than 150 million money transfer records are reportedly accessible, without a warrant, by more than 600 law enforcement agencies.

By Mack DeGeurin Published January 19, 2023

Tech NewsTech Policy

The Year Ahead in Tech Policy

A divided Congress will spar over perceived tech censorship, while SCOTUS hears cases threatening to fundamentally alter bedrock internet protections.

By Mack DeGeurin Published January 4, 2023