Tag: transparency

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

$58 billion in cancelled DoD projects just a drop in a bucket of unknown depth

The Pentagon is not known for good bookkeeping. As some readers may recall, the Defense Department's Inspector General reported in June that the DoD cannot account for trillions in spending. So the release of a definite number last week - $58 billion - might come as a relief - except that it's not an amount … Continue reading $58 billion in cancelled DoD projects just a drop in a bucket of unknown depth

U.S., other countries issue drone declaration, but key players absent

The United States was one of 44 countries to sign a declaration Wednesday that sets the stage for a conference next year to create formal rules regarding the export and use of armed, unmanned aerial vehicles, otherwise known as drones. "As a world leader in the development and deployment of military UAVs, the United States … Continue reading U.S., other countries issue drone declaration, but key players absent

Libya campaign underscores lack of US military oversight, accountability

Following this week's announcement of a new U.S. bombing campaign in Libya, several opinion pieces have been written denouncing President Obama's decision to allow the airstrikes without further authorization from Congress, as well as Congress' inaction on explicitly authorizing force against Islamic State extremists. "Just five years after bombing Libya to dispose of Muammar Gaddafi, … Continue reading Libya campaign underscores lack of US military oversight, accountability

Groups Urge FBI Biometrics Transparency

A diverse range of organizations including Amnesty International USA, Uber and Lyft, as well as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and American Civil Liberties Union, published a letter this week urging the rejection of a plan to exempt the FBI's biometrics database from provisions of the Privacy Act. The "Next Generation Identification" (NGI) database, as it … Continue reading Groups Urge FBI Biometrics Transparency