Surveillance

Democrats Want To Stop Google's Location Data From Being Used Against People Who Get Abortions
If adopted, the change would dramatically reduce police access to citizens’ physical location and affect much more than abortion prosecutions.

In A Post-Roe America, Googling "Abortion" Could Put You At Risk. Here’s How To Protect Yourself.
If you’re planning an abortion in certain states, the data on your smartphone could be used against you if you’re not careful.

Lyra Health, Which Provides Therapy For Google And Facebook Employees, Is Facing Concerns Over Privacy And Treatment
“This isn’t an assembly line. This is actually people,” said one former therapist.

Nothing Sacred: These Apps Reserve The Right To Sell Your Prayers
Prominent venture capitalists are flocking to invest in Christian worship apps. The apps say users’ prayers are a business asset.

The San Francisco Police Department Has Encrypted Its Radio Feeds
The SFPD’s move is part of a growing law enforcement trend of encrypting agency communications previously available to the public.

France Has Ordered Clearview AI To Delete Its Facial Recognition Data
The order is the latest in a global rebuke of the controversial tech firm by privacy regulators since BuzzFeed News revealed its use by law enforcement agencies around the world.

Clearview AI Is Facing A $23 Million Fine Over Facial Recognition In The UK
The provisional decision comes after a series of BuzzFeed News investigations revealing widespread and sometimes unsanctioned use of the company’s facial recognition software around the world.

Why Facebook Shutting Down Its Old Facial Recognition System Doesn’t Matter
Facebook just made a big deal of shutting down its original facial recognition system. But the company’s pivot to the metaverse means collecting more personal information than ever before.

Australia Has Ordered Clearview AI To Delete All Facial Recognition Data Belonging To Its Citizens
The move follows a pair of BuzzFeed News investigations revealing widespread and sometimes unsanctioned use of the company’s facial recognition software by law enforcement agencies around the world.

Police In At Least 24 Countries Have Used Clearview AI. Find Out Which Ones Here.
As of February 2020, 88 law enforcement and government-affiliated agencies in 24 countries outside the United States have tried to use controversial facial recognition technology Clearview AI, according to a BuzzFeed News investigation.

Venmo Is Ditching Its Public Feed. But It Still Needs To Do More.
The payments platform still needs to make friends and transactions private by default.

A Government Watchdog May Have Missed Clearview AI Use By Five Federal Agencies In A New Report
In a government accountability report about facial recognition, five federal agencies said they didn't use Clearview AI. Data reviewed by BuzzFeed News suggests they should have.

There Are No Laws Restricting “Stingray” Use. This New Bill Would Help.
“Stingrays” mimic cellphone towers to intercept phone calls and texts. This is the first law that would regulate their use.

If You Have Venmo, Do This Now: Make Friends Private
Pete Buttigieg, Antony Blinken, and other Biden Cabinet officials were recently exposing their personal information on the payments app. Here's how you can make your account safer.

Venmo Will Now Let You Hide Your Friend List Because We Found Biden’s Account
Venmo confirmed it is adding a feature that would let people set their friend list to private or visible only to their friends.

WhatsApp Is Suing The Indian Government To Protect People’s Privacy
The company is fighting back against new rules that go into effect today in India.

Venmo Exposes All The Old Profile Photos You Thought Were Gone
Old photos on Venmo, which is owned by PayPal, are easily exposed on its website. There’s no way to delete them or make a profile private.

We Found Joe Biden’s Secret Venmo. Here’s Why That’s A Privacy Nightmare For Everyone.
The peer-to-peer payments app leaves everyone from ordinary people to the most powerful person in the world exposed.

I'm Not Turning Off App Tracking On My iPhone, Because I’m A Total Cuck
Do not do what I’m doing. It’s incredibly stupid.

Apple's New Software Update Will Let You Opt Out Of Being Tracked For Ads
The iOS 14.5 update will also let you unlock your iPhone with your face even if you are wearing a mask.

Your Local Police Department Might Have Used This Facial Recognition Tool To Surveil You. Find Out Here.
Search through BuzzFeed News’ database to find out if the police department in your community is among the hundreds of taxpayer-funded entities that used Clearview AI’s facial recognition.

How A Facial Recognition Tool Found Its Way Into Hundreds Of US Police Departments, Schools, And Taxpayer-Funded Organizations
A BuzzFeed News investigation has found that employees at law enforcement agencies across the US ran thousands of Clearview AI facial recognition searches — often without the knowledge of the public or even their own departments.

A Clearview AI Patent Application Describes Facial Recognition For Dating And Identifying People Who Are Unhoused Or Use Drugs
A patent unveiled on Thursday describes several potential uses for Clearview AI, such as creating networks for people in industries like real estate or retail to “share headshots of high-risk individuals.”

People Are Really Mad About Facebook's Changes To WhatsApp's Privacy Policies
And they are moving to Signal and Telegram as a result.