NEWS 29.07.2024

US data broker sells location data taken from millions of German users

Journalists have gained access to a commercially available data set containing billions of geo-tracking data points. The information can be used to trace a person's movements and create detailed profiles. The data is collected from common smartphone apps.

NEWS 29.07.2024

EU consumer watchdogs question legality of Meta's subscription model

Consumer protection authorities in the EU are examining whether Meta's "pay or consent" model violates EU law. The company could potentially have used "misleading or aggressive practices."

NEWS 24.07.2024

Protests in Bangladesh prompt internet shutdown

The government in Bangladesh has shut down the internet amidst violent protests. More than 140 people have reportedly been killed during the protests.

Protesters' sandals and bottles, with police in the background

NEWS 17.07.2024

United States: Phone records stolen from "nearly all" AT&T customers

Hackers have stolen the data of millions of customers of the US mobile service provider AT&T. The breach is said to have occurred at a third-party cloud platform that has also been linked with recent instances of data theft at other companies.

NEWS 16.07.2024

United Kingdom: Police in Essex introduce live facial recognition

The Essex police force is preparing to begin regular use of real-time facial recognition. Civil liberties groups warn of a threat to citizens' privacy.

Mobile facial recognition unit in London, with officers

NEWS 15.07.2024

Saudi Arabia: 20-year prison sentence for tweets criticizing government

A Saudi court has sentenced a man to decades in prison for posting tweets critical of the government. It is not the first case of this kind in the country.

NEWS 11.07.2024

Brazil: Devastating fires in the Earth's largest wetland

The fire season hasn't even begun yet in Brazil's Pantanal region, but the number of blazes is already breaking records. Experts are predicting massive damages - some could be irreversible.

NEWS 10.07.2024

Detroit: Police issue new guidelines for facial recognition after unlawful arrests

The Detroit Police Department has repeatedly arrested people for crimes they did not commit based on automatic facial recognition. New guidelines should prevent such cases from happening in the future.

NEWS 27.06.2024

New York: Comptroller voices criticism of gunshot detection technology

A network of thousands of microphones installed throughout New York City is supposed to automatically detect gunshots and report them to police. A new audit report criticizes ShotSpotter's high number of false alarms, confirming longstanding criticisms from civil liberties groups.

NEWS 27.06.2024

UK: Hackers publish stolen patient records

Patient records were stolen as part of a ransomware attack against a British healthcare service provider. The stolen records include sensitive test results.