Tag Archives: National security

03Mar/23

Snooping on campaigners

March 3, 2023SecurityAdam Smith, Arshak Makichyan, Articles, Avi Asher-Schapiro, Beijing, Bogota, China, Closed-circuit television, Crime prevention, Diana Baptista, Disha Ravi, Facial recognition system, India, Internet privacy, Kim Harrisberg, Learning, María Quiñones Triana, Metaverse, Mexico, Moscow, National security, Peter Rest, Prevention, Rina Chandran, Security, Surveillance, Tanzania, Thomson Reuters Foundation, TikTok, Triana, United States, Video surveillanceadmin

By Kim Harrisberg | South Africa correspondent

From phishing traps to arrests based on their social media posts alone, activists from Russia to Uganda say they’re increasingly being watched for their online campaigning.
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19Jan/23

Digital welfare dystopia

January 19, 2023SecurityAtos, Australia, Brisbane, China, Crime prevention, Data mining, Internet privacy, Law enforcement, Lina Dencik, Machine learning, Manchester, Mass surveillance, Melanie Klieve, Melbourne, National security, Netherlands, Philip Alston, Prevention, Profiling, Qian Ji Data Co, Samuel Woodhams Digital, Security, Skills, Surveillance, Thomson Reuters Foundation, United Kingdomadmin

By Samuel Woodhams | Digital rights researcher and journalist

Algorithms to determine welfare payments and detect fraud are becoming standard practice around the world. From Manchester to Melbourne, peoples’ lives are being shaped by secretive tools that determine who is eligible for what, and how much debt is owed.

Although the technology has been around for some time, the outbreak of COVID-19 renewed enthusiasm for the digital welfare state and, for thousands of cash-strapped public bodies, the promise of increased efficiency and lower costs has proven irresistible.
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09Dec/22

Avast 2023 Predictions Highlight Increased Risk for Detrimental Damage Caused by Ransomware Gangs

December 9, 2022SecurityAvast, Computer security, Cryptography, Cybercrime, Cyberwarfare, Malware, National security, Prevention, Ransomware, Security, Security breachesadmin

Avast, a leading global digital security and privacy consumer brand by Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), anticipates an increased risk of ransomware attacks in 2023 threatening to leak people’s and businesses’ valuable data if ransom demands aren’t paid. Additionally, Avast researchers foresee optimization of social engineering used in scam attacks, taking advantage of economic hardships and energy crisis fears. The experts also expect increased malicious activity overall, as open-source malware becomes more accessible, and cybergangs recruit hacktivists to join their causes. Continue reading

28Nov/22

Gangs, drill music, and police databases

November 28, 2022SecurityAdemola Adedeji, Awate Suleiman, Bryan Knight, Chicago, Chinx, Closed-circuit television, Crime prevention, Digga, Drill music, Law enforcement, London, META, National security, Police, Prevention, Safety, Security, Selam Gebrekidan, Simone Browne, Surveillance, Thomson Reuters Foundation, United Kingdomadmin

The Met has overhauled its ‘Gangs Violence Matrix’ database following a legal challenge by human rights organisation, Liberty. The tool is used by the police force to identify and monitor people suspected of being involved in gang-related crime.
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21Nov/22

Neurotechnology Announces the Release of SentiVeillance Cluster, Ready-to-Use Software for Surveillance Systems with Clustered Architecture Implementation for Smart-city-scale Projects

November 21, 2022SecurityAutomatic number-plate recognition, Biometrics, Crime prevention, Identification, Law enforcement, National security, Prevention, Security, Skills, Surveillanceadmin

Neurotechnology, a provider of deep learning-based solutions and high-precision biometric identification technologies, today announced the release of SentiVeillance Cluster for real-time biometric face identification, tracking of people and vehicles and automatic vehicle license plate recognition. The solution has been designed for expansive surveillance systems supporting continuous video streams from multiple servers. It provides operators with structured and sorted live data, enabling faster decision-making in a variety of scenarios, including law enforcement, security and smart city monitoring applications. Continue reading

17Nov/22

The ads are watching you

November 17, 2022SecurityADTECH, Advertising, Belfast, Bermuda, Digital marketing, Facial recognition system, France, Glasgow, Internet privacy, Japan, Ji, London, Manchester, Market economics), Marketing, National security, Online advertising, Peter, Samsung Electronics, Samuel Woodhams Digital, Security, Surveillance, Targeted advertising, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Tokyo, United Statesadmin

By Samuel Woodhams | Digital rights researcher and journalist

Targeted online advertisements are impossible to ignore. Ads based on our browsing history, geolocation, and personal information appear constantly on our social media feeds, news articles, and streaming platforms. As the authors of a new report on the advertising surveillance industry put it: “Targeted advertising is unavoidable for anyone who owns a smartphone or goes online.”
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15Nov/22

Facial recognition: An ethical policing tool?

November 15, 2022SecurityAutomatic identification and data capture, Beijing, Belgium, Bill, Biometrics, Caitlin Chin, China, Closed-circuit television, Colombia, Crime prevention, Evani Radiya-Dixit, Face ID, Facial recognition system, Lauren Rhue, Law enforcement, Learning, London, Luxembourg, Mark Travis, Morocco, National security, Netflix, Nicol Turner Lee, Prevention, Samuel Woodhams Digital, Shanghai, Surveillance, United Kingdom, United States, Video surveillance, Xinjiangadmin

By Samuel Woodhams | Digital rights researcher and journalist

Facial recognition technology made headlines again last month as researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK said that the UK police’s use of the technology was unethical and potentially unlawful. The report from the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy urged police to stop using live facial recognition (LFR) in public spaces and said trials by the Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police failed to meet the “minimum legal and ethical standards.” Continue reading →

07Nov/22

How can black people feel safe and have confidence in policing?

November 7, 2022CrimeBias, Bristol, Chris Kaba, Clare Torrible, Creative Commons, HIS MAJESTY S, Hong Kong Police Force, Judah Adunbi, London, Mark Rowley, Misconduct, National security, Police, Police misconduct, Prevention, Safety, United Kingdom, Walesadmin

Clare Torrible, University of Bristol

The inquest into the death of Chris Kaba opened on October 4 2022. Kaba, an unarmed black man, was shot and killed in Streatham Hill, south London on September 5 2022 by a Metropolitan police officer.

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04Nov/22

Video doorbells: security or surveillance?

November 4, 2022SecurityAmazon, Avi Asher-Schapiro, China, Chris Gilliard, Closed-circuit television, Crime prevention, Doorbell, Encinitas, George Orwell, Las Vegas, Law enforcement, Learning, London, Masha Borak, National security, New York, Prevention, Privacy, READING, Remo, Ring Inc., Samuel Woodhams Digital, Security, Singapore, Skills, Smart doorbell, Surveillance, Uber, United Kingdom, United States, Video surveillance, Vivintadmin

By Samuel Woodhams | Digital rights researcher and journalist

Video doorbells are everywhere now, sold as a modern security solution that can help protect your home and belongings. They let you greet guests remotely, deter would-be parcel thieves, and could even reduce the cost of your home insurance.
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Tag: National security