Flawed biometric schemes in Asia highlight mass surveillance risks

Developing more complex and invasive methods of mass surveillance seems to be a constant goal of governments around the world as they pursue ever-increasing control over their citizens' lives. While much has been revealed about Western governments' communications monitoring programs in recent years, however, new developments in China and India offer insights into the potential … Continue reading Flawed biometric schemes in Asia highlight mass surveillance risks

Iris scanning on the rise

While mass monitoring of internet and phone communications, along with image- or video-based technologies such as automated license plate readers and facial recognition, have received increasing media coverage in recent years, one area of surveillance -- iris recognition -- has gotten less attention. But that is starting to change. Earlier this month The Intercept, which … Continue reading Iris scanning on the rise

Govt. wants face recognition for ‘non-cooperative’ subjects ‘in the wild’

The U.S. spy world's high tech research agency, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity or IARPA, has launched a new face-recognition challenge, as Atlantic Media's government tech news site NextGov reports this week. Unlike the procession of so-called "artificial intelligence" algorithms that have emerged in recent years for the purpose of identifying faces in photos … Continue reading Govt. wants face recognition for ‘non-cooperative’ subjects ‘in the wild’

U.S. looks into setting up biometric surveillance system for Mexico

During last year's election campaign, President Donald Trump famously promised to build a wall on the United States' southern border, and make Mexico pay for it. Now, however, it appears that U.S. taxpayers may end up paying not only for the border wall, but for a whole biometric surveillance system for the Mexican government. "The … Continue reading U.S. looks into setting up biometric surveillance system for Mexico

Police want Minority Report tech, but problems persist

Last summer, a coalition of American civil rights groups came together to denounce the increasing proliferation of "predictive policing" technologies that they described as "profoundly flawed." Nevertheless, the development of these technologies hurtles forward both in the United States and around the world. In the U.S., President Donald Trump appears enthusiastic about the prospects for … Continue reading Police want Minority Report tech, but problems persist

Carnage, violence, law and order, biometric profiling and predictive policing under Trump

Last summer, as he rallied supporters at the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump declared himself the "law and order candidate," echoing the (somewhat ironic) claims of Richard Nixon before him. Yet given the rapid development of technology available to law enforcement in the decades since Nixon occupied the Oval Office, President Trump's use of the … Continue reading Carnage, violence, law and order, biometric profiling and predictive policing under Trump