EFF’s Atlas of Surveillance Database Now Documents 10,000+ Police Tech Programs
By Dave Maass This week, EFF’s Atlas of Surveillance project hit a bittersweet milestone. With this project, we are creating a searchable and mappable repository…
Dave Maass
A National Lab Is Promoting a “Digital Police Officer” Fantasy for Law Enforcement and Border Control
By Dave Maass Researchers at a national laboratory are forecasting a future where police and border agents are assisted by artificial intelligence, not as a…
San Francisco Police Nailed for Violating Public Records Laws Regarding Face Recognition and Fusion Center Documents
By Dave Maas By unanimous vote, San Francisco’s public records appeals body ruled last night that the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) violated state and…
Scholars Under Surveillance: How Campus Police Use High Tech to Spy on Students
By Dave Maass Hailey Rodis, a student at the University of Nevada, Reno Reynolds School of Journalism, was the primary researcher on this report. We…
Video Analytics User Manuals Are a Guide to Dystopia
By Dave Maass and Matthew Guariglia A few years ago, when you saw a security camera, you may have thought that the video feed went…
EFF Publishes New Research on Real-Time Crime Centers in the U.S.
By Dave Maass EFF has published a new report, “Surveillance Compounded: Real-Time Crime Centers in the United States,” which profiles seven surveillance hubs operated by…
San Francisco Police Accessed Business District Camera Network to Spy on Protesters
By Dave Maas and Matthew Guariglia The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) conducted mass surveillance of protesters at the end of May and in early…
California Agency Blocks Release of Police Use of Force and Surveillance Training, Claiming Copyright
By Dave Maass and Naomi Gilens Under a California law that went into effect on January 1, 2020, all law enforcement training materials must be…
California Privacy Advocates Sue Vallejo Over Cell-Site Simulator
By Dave Maass Special thanks to legal intern Gillian Vernick, who was lead author of this post. The Vallejo Police Department was warned: by rushing…
Digital Security Advice for Journalists Covering the Protests Against Police Violence
By Naomi Gilens and Dave Maass This guide is an overview of digital security considerations specific to journalists covering protests. For EFF’s comprehensive guide to…
California Auditor Releases Damning Report About Law Enforcement’s Use of Automated License Plate Readers
By Dave Mass and Hayley Tsukayama California police and sheriffs are failing to protect the privacy of drivers on city streets, the California State Auditor’s…
Victory: San Diego to Suspend Face Recognition Program, Limits ICE Access To Criminal Justice Data
By Dave Maass We just stopped one of the largest, longest running, and most controversial face recognition programs operated by local law enforcement in the…
Victory: California Orders State Audit of Automated License Plate Readers
By Dave Maass A California legislative committee today voted to direct the State Auditor to launch a probe into the use of automated license plate…
Four Steps Facebook Should Take to Counter Police Sock Puppets
By Dave Maas Despite Facebook’s repeated warnings that law enforcement is required to use “authentic identities” on the social media platform, cops continue to create…