Surveillance
The US Shot Down The Chinese Spy Balloon And The Memes Are Gold
“Hey, did anyone lose a big white balloon?” tweeted the city of Myrtle Beach's tourism account after the US military shot down the Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean.
Why The Computer Company Raspberry Pi’s New Hire Caused A Social Media Firestorm
“I think what we’re looking at is a dogpile that’s being organized somewhere,” a Raspberry Pi cofounder told BuzzFeed News.
Apple Finally Will Let You Encrypt iCloud Backups. Here’s Why That’s Important.
Opting in will keep your iCloud backups safe from hackers, law enforcement, and Apple itself.
Heads Up, BeReal Users: You May Be Revealing More About Your Location Than You Think
⚠️Time to post your near-exact whereabouts.⚠️
Apps That Tell You Your Friends' Locations Are Now A Way Of Life
We’re in an age of apps where “it is no longer the format of ‘I’m selectively sharing what I want to,’ but sharing whatever possible.”
A South African City Says It's Putting QR Codes On Informal Settlement Cabins To Help Services. But Residents And Privacy Experts Are Uncertain.
A new pilot program by city officials says documenting the settlements will help residents get repairs and services. But some are wary.
Democrats Want To Stop Google's Location Data From Being Used Against People Who Get Abortions
If adopted, the change would dramatically reduce police access to citizens’ physical location and affect much more than abortion prosecutions.
In A Post-Roe America, Googling "Abortion" Could Put You At Risk. Here’s How To Protect Yourself.
If you’re planning an abortion in certain states, the data on your smartphone could be used against you if you’re not careful.
ICE Conducted Sweeping Surveillance Of Money Transfers Sent To And From The US, A Senator Says
Sen. Ron Wyden is seeking an investigation into whether the program, which obtained about 6 million records from people in several Southwest states, was constitutional.
Lyra Health, Which Provides Therapy For Google And Facebook Employees, Is Facing Concerns Over Privacy And Treatment
“This isn’t an assembly line. This is actually people,” said one former therapist.
Nothing Sacred: These Apps Reserve The Right To Sell Your Prayers
Prominent venture capitalists are flocking to invest in Christian worship apps. The apps say users’ prayers are a business asset.
The San Francisco Police Department Has Encrypted Its Radio Feeds
The SFPD’s move is part of a growing law enforcement trend of encrypting agency communications previously available to the public.
France Has Ordered Clearview AI To Delete Its Facial Recognition Data
The order is the latest in a global rebuke of the controversial tech firm by privacy regulators since BuzzFeed News revealed its use by law enforcement agencies around the world.
Clearview AI Is Facing A $23 Million Fine Over Facial Recognition In The UK
The provisional decision comes after a series of BuzzFeed News investigations revealing widespread and sometimes unsanctioned use of the company’s facial recognition software around the world.
Why Facebook Shutting Down Its Old Facial Recognition System Doesn’t Matter
Facebook just made a big deal of shutting down its original facial recognition system. But the company’s pivot to the metaverse means collecting more personal information than ever before.
Australia Has Ordered Clearview AI To Delete All Facial Recognition Data Belonging To Its Citizens
The move follows a pair of BuzzFeed News investigations revealing widespread and sometimes unsanctioned use of the company’s facial recognition software by law enforcement agencies around the world.
New Capitol Surveillance Footage Shows A Breach By Jan. 6 Rioters From Start To Finish
Two 40-minute videos from Jan. 6 show how hundreds of rioters breached one Capitol entry point and how police eventually regained control.
Britney Spears’ Phone And Private Conversations Were Allegedly Under Strict Surveillance And Monitoring, According To A Former Security Member
“It didn't feel like she was being treated like a human being.”
Prosecutors Lost A Fight To Keep A Set Of Jan. 6 Capitol Surveillance Videos Under Seal
A judge rebuffed the government’s argument that releasing more surveillance videos posed a national security risk.
Eight Months After The Capitol Riots, Thousands Of Hours Of Surveillance Footage Remain Secret
There are 14,000 hours of surveillance footage from the Capitol riots. Most of it isn’t public, and the government is fighting to keep it that way.
Police In At Least 24 Countries Have Used Clearview AI. Find Out Which Ones Here.
As of February 2020, 88 law enforcement and government-affiliated agencies in 24 countries outside the United States have tried to use controversial facial recognition technology Clearview AI, according to a BuzzFeed News investigation.
The FBI Is Selling A Surveillance Plane It Used On Black Lives Matter Protests
The aircraft watched protests in Washington, DC, in June last year and also flew over Baltimore in 2015 after Freddie Gray’s death.
Venmo Is Ditching Its Public Feed. But It Still Needs To Do More.
The payments platform still needs to make friends and transactions private by default.
A Government Watchdog May Have Missed Clearview AI Use By Five Federal Agencies In A New Report
In a government accountability report about facial recognition, five federal agencies said they didn't use Clearview AI. Data reviewed by BuzzFeed News suggests they should have.
There Are No Laws Restricting “Stingray” Use. This New Bill Would Help.
“Stingrays” mimic cellphone towers to intercept phone calls and texts. This is the first law that would regulate their use.
If You Have Venmo, Do This Now: Make Friends Private
Pete Buttigieg, Antony Blinken, and other Biden Cabinet officials were recently exposing their personal information on the payments app. Here's how you can make your account safer.
Ring Now Has 350 Fire Departments In Its Neighborhood Surveillance Program
The home surveillance camera company owned by Amazon has also partnered with more than 1,800 police departments.
Venmo Will Now Let You Hide Your Friend List Because We Found Biden’s Account
Venmo confirmed it is adding a feature that would let people set their friend list to private or visible only to their friends.
WhatsApp Is Suing The Indian Government To Protect People’s Privacy
The company is fighting back against new rules that go into effect today in India.
Venmo Exposes All The Old Profile Photos You Thought Were Gone
Old photos on Venmo, which is owned by PayPal, are easily exposed on its website. There’s no way to delete them or make a profile private.
We Found Joe Biden’s Secret Venmo. Here’s Why That’s A Privacy Nightmare For Everyone.
The peer-to-peer payments app leaves everyone from ordinary people to the most powerful person in the world exposed.
I'm Not Turning Off App Tracking On My iPhone, Because I’m A Total Cuck
Do not do what I’m doing. It’s incredibly stupid.
Apple's New Software Update Will Let You Opt Out Of Being Tracked For Ads
The iOS 14.5 update will also let you unlock your iPhone with your face even if you are wearing a mask.
This Company Monitors Prisoners In Xinjiang. It Won An “Innovation” Award At An Event Sponsored By Amazon.
The Chinese government’s use of prisons and detention camps in Xinjiang is part of what the US and other countries have called a genocide.
The NYPD Has Misled The Public About Its Use Of Facial Recognition Tool Clearview AI
The NYPD has said that it never had a relationship with the facial recognition company, “formally or informally.” These documents say otherwise.
Your Local Police Department Might Have Used This Facial Recognition Tool To Surveil You. Find Out Here.
Search through BuzzFeed News’ database to find out if the police department in your community is among the hundreds of taxpayer-funded entities that used Clearview AI’s facial recognition.
How A Facial Recognition Tool Found Its Way Into Hundreds Of US Police Departments, Schools, And Taxpayer-Funded Organizations
A BuzzFeed News investigation has found that employees at law enforcement agencies across the US ran thousands of Clearview AI facial recognition searches — often without the knowledge of the public or even their own departments.
A Clearview AI Patent Application Describes Facial Recognition For Dating And Identifying People Who Are Unhoused Or Use Drugs
A patent unveiled on Thursday describes several potential uses for Clearview AI, such as creating networks for people in industries like real estate or retail to “share headshots of high-risk individuals.”
A New Photo Exhibit Looks At Decades Of FBI Surveillance On American Citizens
In Las Carpetas, Christopher Gregory-Rivera shares a cautionary tale of the American surveillance state.
A Federal Domestic Terrorism Law Could Threaten Civil Rights Groups Like BLM
“It's a failure of will, as opposed to a failure of the law.”
People Are Really Mad About Facebook's Changes To WhatsApp's Privacy Policies
And they are moving to Signal and Telegram as a result.
Surveillance Video Shows A Woman Tackling A Teen At An NYC Hotel After She Accused Him Of Stealing Her Phone
Police said they have identified the woman in the video and are working to locate her.
This Is How Chicago Police Are Getting Ready For Election Night Protests
Newly released documents and videos show the military tactics that could be used.
Scars, Tattoos, And License Plates: This Is What Palantir And The LAPD Know About You
Newly revealed documents show how Los Angeles police were trained to use the flagship product of the most secretive company in law enforcement.
Elizabeth Warren Wants To Know Why This Company Was Spying On BLM Protesters
A group of Democratic lawmakers is demanding answers about protester surveillance conducted by data broker Mobilewalla.
Donald Trump's Portland Rhetoric Doesn't Match Reality
The right-wing media portrays a city under siege — but the city's real siege is from the federal government.
Here’s Why BLM Protesters Have Asked Journalists Not To Show Their Faces
As demonstrations against police brutality continue, the norms of photojournalism are also being tested.
Data Collection And State Surveillance Put LGBTQ People At Risk Online And Off
Apps that harvest data, dark web marketplaces, and state surveillance are just some of the dangers LGBTQ people have to think about online.
Police Departments Are Using Gunshot-Tracking Technology To Pinpoint Fireworks
ShotSpotter was designed to pinpoint gunshots. Now police are using it to find people setting off illegal fireworks.
Almost 17,000 Protesters Had No Idea A Tech Company Was Tracing Their Location
Data company Mobilewalla used cellphone information to estimate the demographics of protesters. Sen. Elizabeth Warren says it’s “shady” and concerning.
Many Police Departments Have Software That Can Identify People In Crowds
BriefCam, a facial recognition and surveillance video analysis company, sells the ability to surveil protesters and enforce social distancing — without the public knowing.
Lawmakers Call For Halt To Covert Surveillance Of Protesters By DEA
Following a BuzzFeed News report revealing that the Justice Department authorized the spying, two members of Congress called the program “antithetical to the American people’s right to peacefully assemble.”
Find The Police And Military Planes That Monitored The Protests In Your City With These Maps
As protests against police brutality ramped up across the nation, aircraft operated by law enforcement and the National Guard were flying overhead.
The DEA Has Been Given Permission To Investigate People Protesting George Floyd’s Death
The Justice Department gave the agency the temporary power “to enforce any federal crime committed as a result of the protests over the death of George Floyd.”
Workers Around The World Are Already Being Monitored By Digital Contact Tracing Apps
Coronavirus contact tracing apps aren’t government-mandated. But they may be employer-mandated.
Here Are The Minneapolis Police's Tools To Identify Protesters
As protesters demonstrate in Minneapolis in response to George Floyd's death, law enforcement agencies have access to a host of surveillance tools that could make it easier to target and find them.
The ACLU Is Suing Clearview AI To Stop “Privacy-Destroying Face Surveillance”
The civil liberties organization is suing the facial recognition company for allegedly violating the privacy of Illinois residents.
UPDATE: The Company Running An Oregon Online Coronavirus Symptom Tracker Now Says It Won't Sell Your Data To Advertisers
The privacy policy for Vital's coronavirus symptom tracker for Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties had previously reserved the right to sell residents' personal data.
After The Coronavirus Passes, Your World Will Not Go Back To Normal
Before the pandemic began, the systems that govern our world were brittle. Today, they are broken. When we emerge, the world will be different, and so will we.
The Coronavirus Pandemic Has Set Off A Massive Expansion Of Government Surveillance. Civil Libertarians Aren't Sure What To Do.
As nations around the world take on sweeping new powers to fight the disease, critics aren't sure what's necessary and what's too far.
The Facial Recognition Company That Scraped Facebook And Instagram Photos Is Developing Surveillance Cameras
Clearview AI is operating a sister entity called Insight Camera that’s been experimenting with live facial recognition, according to documents seen by BuzzFeed News and companies that have used it.
Mike Pompeo Sent Investigators To Ukraine Ahead Of His Visit To Look Into The Possible Surveillance Of Marie Yovanovitch
One US diplomat described the investigation as “cynical” and a “cover your ass” move on the part of Pompeo.
Ukraine Is Investigating Whether Marie Yovanovitch Was Under Surveillance By Rudy Giuliani's Associates
“Ukraine cannot ignore such illegal activities on its territory,” an official from the country's interior ministry said.
A Dad Is Suing Amazon's Ring Because He Says A Hacker Terrified His Kids
The complaint, filed Dec. 26, seeks a class-action against the home surveillance company owned by Amazon.
The Rise — And Rise — Of Mass Surveillance
Eavesdropping bureaucrats have been replaced by algorithm-driven facial recognition technology. But the real impact of indiscriminate surveillance may be in our minds.
Ring Doesn’t Have Facial Recognition — Some Police Want To Add Their Own
The assistant police chief of Chandler, Arizona, briefed colleagues in April on “leveraging consumer surveillance systems.”
Opinion: The Right To Hide Your Face
Hong Kong's highest court recently ruled a ban on protesters wearing masks was unconstitutional. Similar bans are already in place right here in America.
Amazon-Owned Ring Shared Data About Tracking Kids On Halloween
The home surveillance company owned by Amazon bragged on Instagram about taping millions of kids going door to door.
Amazon, Apple, And Google Are Distributing Products From Companies Building China's Surveillance State
Three Chinese companies helped build a security state in China’s Xinjiang region to repress millions of Uighur Muslims. Amazon, eBay, Apple, and Google are still selling their products and distributing their apps.
Gaggle Knows Everything About Teens And Kids In School
Gaggle monitors the work and communications of almost 5 million students in the US, and schools are paying big money for its services. Hundreds of company documents unveil a sprawling surveillance industrial complex that targets kids who can’t opt out.
ICE Deleted Surveillance Video Of A Transgender Asylum-Seeker Who Died In Its Custody
Attorneys representing Roxsana Hernández's family said ICE was required to preserve the surveillance footage for pending litigation.
Opinion: How Artists And Fans Stopped Facial Recognition From Invading Music Festivals
The surveillance dystopia of our nightmares is not inevitable — and the way we kept it out of concerts and festivals is a lesson for the future.
Incoming: A Surveillance State In The Making
A deadly attack in Germany, three impeachment stories you should know, It's..........Rebekah Vardy's account. Your BuzzFeed News newsletter, October 10.
India Is Creating A National Facial Recognition System, And Critics Are Afraid Of What Will Happen Next
“Unless we all get plastic surgery at the same time, there’s nothing we can do about it.”
How Your Instagram Story Lets The Cops Follow You Around A City
By cross-referencing just one hour of footage from public webcams with stories taken in Times Square, BuzzFeed News confirmed the full identities of a half dozen people.
Tell Us: How Has Social Media Surveillance Impacted You?
As government bodies struggle to stop mass shootings at schools, districts are buying software to monitor teens’ social media. BuzzFeed News wants to know how students are affected.
Here's The Most Complete Map So Far Of Amazon's Ring Camera Surveillance Partnerships With Local Police
Dozens of U.S. cities are working with the doorbell camera company, according to Fight for the Future.
US Lawmakers Want An Examination Of The US Money Funding Surveillance Tech In China
Following a report from BuzzFeed News, Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Tom Suozzi want to scrutinize the ties between US institutional investors and two successful Chinese facial recognition companies, SenseTime and Megvii.
Ring Is Using Its Customers’ Doorbell Camera Video For Ads. It Says It's Allowed To.
"You hereby grant Ring and its licensees an unlimited, irrevocable, fully paid and royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide rights to exploit Shared Content for any purpose," reads the Amazon-owned doorbell camera company’s terms of service.
US Universities And Retirees Are Funding The Technology Behind China’s Surveillance State
Millions of dollars from US university endowments, foundations, and retirement plans have helped fund two billion-dollar Chinese facial recognition startups: SenseTime and Megvii. The Chinese government is using their technologies to surveil and profile its own citizens.
If You Can Pass This Surveillance Test, You Should Join The CIA
Get out your glasses.
United Airlines And Delta Confirm That Their Premium Economy Screens Have Cameras
Following passenger concerns over cameras spotted on Singapore and American Airlines flights, a United spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that its cameras “have never been activated,” while Delta said that its cameras “are not functional.”
Chicago Police Have Released Surveillance Images Of Possible Suspects In Jussie Smollett's Alleged Assault
Police said the Empire actor reported that two people yelled anti-gay and racist slurs as they beat him early Tuesday in what investigators are treating as a potential hate crime.
India Wants Tech Platforms To Break Encryption And Remove Content The Government Thinks Is "Unlawful"
It is not clear whether India will now choose to be a leader in privacy or mass surveillance, sources told BuzzFeed News.
New Surveillance Video Appears To Show The Proud Boys Starting The New York Fight
The newly released footage shows two members of the far-right group charging at a handful of protesters that October night.
6 Times When “Opting Out” Doesn’t Actually Stop Data Collection
Telling a company you want out doesn’t necessarily mean it stops collecting, or even sharing, your data.
Australia Just Became The Testing Ground For Breaking Into Encryption
Australia's new law goes well beyond those that are being used in the United States or the United Kingdom.
The US Secret Service Plans To Test Facial Recognition In And Around The White House
A government document, published last week, describes how the Secret Service will scan video feeds and images of individuals passing by on public streets and parks near the White House.
Surveillance Video Appears To Show A Saudi "Body Double" Wearing Khashoggi's Clothes After He Was Killed
Surveillance footage showed the man leaving the Saudi Consolate in Khashoggi's clothes and a fake beard.
Morning Update: Inside The Surveillance Nightmare Unfolding In China
A deep dive into how China is organizing what is easily the world’s most sophisticated persecution campaign. Your BuzzFeed News newsletter, September 7.
We Tested The FBI’s Most Wanted List On Amazon’s Celebrity Recognition Tool. Then Things Got Weird.
Bob Ross is not a criminal, y’all.
Bipartisan Lawmakers Want To Talk To Amazon About Its Facial Recognition Tech
In a letter shared exclusively with BuzzFeed News, Reps. Jimmy Gomez and John Lewis have asked to meet with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to discuss Amazon's controversial face recognition tool.
Amazon Rekognition Falsely Matched 28 Members Of Congress With Arrest Mugshots
The false matches were disproportionately people of color, said the ACLU.
Walmart's Newly Patented Technology For Eavesdropping On Workers Presents Privacy Concerns
“The sound sensors can capture audio data based on interactions between the employee and the guests, interactions between the guests, and sounds resulting from movement and/or actions of the employees and/or guests.”
These California Malls Are Sharing Their Customers' License Plate Data With Law Enforcement
"You go to the mall to enjoy yourself and get Chipotle and buy a pair of penny loafers, you don’t expect your data is accessible by police."
They Thought They’d Left The Surveillance State Behind. They Were Wrong.
China is using its huge digital surveillance system, and the threat of sending family members to reeducation camps, to pressure minorities to spy on their fellow exiles.
DOJ Quickly Responded After Trump Said He'll "Demand" An Investigation Into Whether Politics Were Behind Campaign Surveillance
The tweet could set up a constitutional crisis. Or it could set up a now-familiar process of lawyers, essentially pushing off the request to avoid such a crisis. Or it could be forgotten by the week's end.
NBC Corrects Its Reporting On Government Surveillance Of Michael Cohen
"I am told by two people now that it is not true," Rudy Giuliani said of reporting that was soon corrected.
