Surveillance

How a data ecosystem can quell the opioid crisis

A data infrastructure that tracks drug use trends and drug market activity can inform policy and program decisions aimed at curbing the opioid crisis.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

How video evidence is presented in court can hold sway in cases like the beating death of Tyre Nichols

Video surveillance footage may help courts better judge past events, but viewers can still be influenced by their own biases and even the way video is presented, an expert says.

  • By Sandra Ristovska, The Conversation

Chinese spy balloon over the US: An aerospace expert explains how the balloons work and what they can see

An expert explains the capabilities and implications of surveillance technology such as the Chinese spy balloon recently shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4.

  • By Iain Boyd, The Conversation

Transit agency pilots gun detection tech

Philadelphia’s SEPTA will test an AI-based video analytics solution that aims to reduce gun-related violence on train platforms.

  • By Chris Teale

FCC bans sale of new devices from Chinese companies Huawei, ZTE and others

Friday’s order to ban new sales and imports from five Chinese companies is the first time in its history that the agency has blocked the sale of telecommunications equipment on national security grounds.

  • By Edward Graham

What is Fog Reveal? A legal scholar explains the app some police forces are using to track people without a warrant

Law enforcement use of Fog Reveal puts a spotlight on that loophole between U.S. data privacy law and electronic surveillance law.

  • By Anne Toomey McKenna, The Conversation

Surveillance is pervasive: Yes, you are being watched, even if no one is looking for you

It’s important to recognize how physical and digital tracking work together.

  • By Peter Krapp, The Conversation

Lawmaker questions community doorbell surveillance

Sen. Edward J. Markey wants more information on “invasive data collection and problematic engagement with police departments” of Amazon’s subsidiary, Ring.

  • By Susan Miller

ICE's 'surveillance dragnet' built with DMV photos, report says

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has used facial recognition to search through the driver's license photos of one in three adults in the U.S., according to a new report by Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy and Technology.

  • By Natalie Alms

Colorado moves toward statewide coverage of wastewater surveillance

As the state expands wastewater surveillance and testing to cover 47 utilities serving 60% of Colorado's population, residents can review results on a public dashboard.

  • By John Daley, KFF Health News

Report reveals surveillance abuses in educational technology

Four education technology companies misused surveillance software while students were using their products, resulting in contact with local law enforcement, according to a report prepared by two senators.

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Health officials see bright future in poop surveillance

Using wastewater surveillance data, academics, private companies, public health departments and sewage plant operators are trying to track infectious diseases beyond COVID-19.

  • By Anna Maria Barry-Jester, KFF Health News

Proposed bill would let people know when law enforcement is surveilling them

The legislation would require law enforcement to disclose surveillance orders covering digital communications, such as e-mails and search histories, as well as more traditional calls and wiretaps. 

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Virginia expands sewage surveillance for COVID

To better spot infections before cases spike, the Virginia Department of Health’s wastewater surveillance testing program will start receiving data weekly from 25 sites selected based on geographical location and population-testing rates.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz
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Police ties to Ring home surveillance come under scrutiny

Many law enforcement agencies have been launching voluntary doorbell camera registries so they can call on homeowners' videos to expedite investigations.

  • By Lindsey Van Ness

High-tech surveillance amplifies police bias and overreach

The debates about reimagining existing law enforcement practices must include a discussion about police surveillance because technology cannot address the deeper issues of race, power and privacy that lie at the heart of modern-day policing.

  • By Andrew Guthrie Ferguson

Digital surveillance can help bring the coronavirus pandemic under control -- but also threatens privacy

The pandemic is confronting Americans with important questions about how much and what kinds of surveillance and tracking to accept in support of better health, as well as a revitalized economy.

  • By Jennifer Daskal