Surveillance

Carmen Aguilar y Wedge is the co-founder and director of creative technology for Hyphen-Labs. She modeled the company's ScatterViz visor at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

Arts

Covert Fashion Provides Camouflage Against Surveillance Software

8:07pm March 13, 2017

by Mandalit del Barco

Hyphen-Labs is a group of women of color who are scientists, engineers, architects and designers who have designed clothing that camouflages against facial recognition software.

Queue Listen Now

Germany has banned the My Friend Cayla dolls, which are also the subject of a complaint by privacy groups in the U.S. who say the toys spy on children.

Banned In Germany: Kids' Doll Is Labeled An Espionage Device

12:24pm February 17, 2017

by Bill Chappell

The doll Cayla looks like an everyday toy and gives no notice that it collects and transmits everything it hears, German regulators say.

Twitter and Facebook have restricted access to users' data for Geofeedia, a data analytics firm, over privacy concerns.

National

Police Searches Of Social Media Face Privacy Pushback

10:00am October 15, 2016

by Martin Kaste

Data analytics firms that analyze vast amounts of public social media are a tool for law enforcement. But there are signs that Twitter, Facebook and others are shutting off access to that data.

Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, listens during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, in July 2013.

National

Outgoing ACLU Director Reviews Tenure Fighting National Security Battles

6:46pm August 11, 2016

by NPR Staff

Jameel Jaffer of the ACLU Center for Democracy says the Obama administration made progress on issues such as CIA black sites. But the record is mixed on surveillance, drones and other issues.

Queue Listen Now

National

Encryption May Hurt Surveillance, But Internet Of Things Could Open New Doors

4:43pm February 02, 2016

by Alina Selyukh

Law enforcement and intelligence officials warn that encrypted communication makes investigation venues "go dark." A study sees other avenues for data collection through newly connected devices.

In this photo taken in 2011, worshippers are pictured inside the Al-Iman Mosque after midday prayers in the Queens borough of New York. The NYPD disbanded the special unit tasked with carrying out surveillance of Muslim groups in 2014

National

Appeals Court Reinstates Lawsuit Over NYPD Surveillance Of Muslims

3:30pm October 13, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

A U.S. appeals court compared the police department's program to periods of discrimination against groups of Americans — such as Japanese-Americans during World War II.

The National Security Agency campus in Fort Meade, Md.

National

As Congress Haggles Over Patriot Act, We Answer 6 Basic Questions

8:18pm May 19, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

If you haven't been paying attention, here's a primer on the changes Congress is considering making to U.S. surveillance practices.

Crime

Prosecutors Side With Charlotte Police On Cell Phone Surveillance

11:45am March 30, 2015

by Neal Charnoff

Charlotte prosecutors say police didn't violate state laws with surveillance technology that allows authorities to scan an area for a cell phone used by a target suspect.

Queue Listen Now

Researchers Tap Web Chatter To Figure Out Who's Sick

9:03am November 05, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

With the help of online data, doctors and public health officials are tracking the spread of illnesses and predicting where they might strike next. The analyses also provide clues for prevention.

National

Court Documents Show How NSA Leaned On Yahoo, How Yahoo Fought Back

9:00am September 12, 2014

by Robert Siegel

Newly released court documents reveal details of a battle between Yahoo and the Obama administration. The government pressured Yahoo to disclose some users' data for a secret NSA surveillance program.

Queue Listen Now