How law enforcement is using technology to track down people who attacked the US Capitol building
Facial recognition, social media and location tracking give law enforcement a leg up in a monumental investigation.
yesterday • ~9 min
social-media facial-recognition law-enforcement surveillance gps us-capitol-incursion location-tracking
The scent of sickness: 5 questions answered about using dogs – and mice and ferrets – to detect disease
Scientists are experimenting with using dogs to sniff out people infected with COVID-19. But dogs aren't the only animals with a nose for disease.
Jan. 13, 2021 • ~8 min
infectious-diseases covid-19 dogs mammals mice smell air-travel odor olfaction disease-surveillance avian-flu animal-training
Instagram's redesign shifts toward shopping – here's how that can be harmful
Instagram's Shop button signals the growing commodification of human interactions on social media.
Dec. 28, 2020 • ~9 min
social-media facebook instagram online-shopping e-commerce surveillance-capitalism online-advertising predictive-algorithm personal-data
A circular economy could end waste – at the cost of our privacy
Manufacturers will increasingly track the products they sell to make recycling them more profitable.
Nov. 9, 2020 • ~7 min
data-privacy online-privacy circular-economy data-security surveillance-capitalism
Digital identity: new UK scheme risks running a repeat of ID card controversy
A digital ID will only work if people are allowed to keep control of their data.
Sept. 10, 2020 • ~7 min
data-privacy online-privacy government-surveillance id-cards e-government identity-card online-surveillance digital-identity identity-fraud
COVID-19 clues in a community's sewage: 4 questions answered about watching wastewater for coronavirus
Sewage surveillance is one technique that can alert authorities to the presence of a pathogen in the community. An environmental engineer explains the state of the science when it comes to SARS-CoV-2.
Aug. 31, 2020 • ~8 min
covid-19 coronavirus sars-cov-2 pathogens wastewater disease-surveillance
How to hide from a drone – the subtle art of 'ghosting' in the age of surveillance
Avoiding drones' prying eyes can be as complicated as donning a high-tech hoodie and as simple as ducking under a tree.
July 28, 2020 • ~7 min
facial-recognition demonstrations surveillance gps drones infrared mit-press civil-liberties mass-surveillance surveillance-systems us-protests face-surveillance
Police surveillance of Black Lives Matter shows the danger technology poses to democracy
The massive increase in internet-connected devices will create an informal surveillance network that could be used to target protestors and activists.
July 24, 2020 • ~6 min
internet-of-things surveillance police digital-privacy black-lives-matter digital-surveillance
Contact tracing's long, turbulent history holds lessons for COVID-19
Trust in the confidentiality of contact tracing broke down during the AIDS epidemic. Today, it's faltering again.
July 16, 2020 • ~10 min
health covid-19 coronavirus history pandemic surveillance contact-tracing sexually-transmitted-diseases aids syphilis stds
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