Privacy & Surveillance News

Stay current on government and institutional surveillance, monitoring technology, and privacy policy, including facial recognition, license plate readers, Flock cameras, biometric systems, and government data collection. Keep general cybersecurity or consumer-tech stories elsewhere unless surveillance or privacy is the core issue.
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  • analysis

    Texas Legislators Demand Accountability as Flock Camera Debate Grows
    Texas often sets the standard for red-state policies—from the Second Amendment to protecting unborn babies to economic freedom. Now, amid public backlash to Flock cameras, state legislators are leading calls for accountability. Texas is estimated to have at least 13,000 Flock cameras, along with roughly 1,000 other similar devices, according to DeFlock, an anti-surveillance group…
    Lauren Washburn
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  • news

    DeSantis Deals Blow to Controversial Flock Cameras
    Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., notified local law enforcement that automated license plate recognition systems, such as Flock cameras, can no longer be used on the State Highway System. On Monday, DeSantis’ Florida Department of Transportation ordered all cameras to be removed within 30 days, according to a memo obtained by the Daily Signal. “If such…
    Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
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  • news

    You’re Being Watched: The Flock Camera Controversy Sweeping California
    Across California, cameras are quietly capturing the license plates and features of millions of vehicles—and allowing law enforcement to search where those vehicles have been. The cameras are operated by Flock Safety, a surveillance technology company whose rapidly expanding network has become the center of a growing debate over crime fighting, privacy, and mass surveillance….
    Angelina Delfin
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  • news

    RVA Duck Fest Flocks to CarMax Park
    Ducks are popular guests at Richmond’s new baseball stadium. So far this year, the Eastern League’s Flying Squirrels have hosted the Akron RubberDucks 12 times and sport a 10-2 home record against the accommodating Cleveland Guardians farm team. The Squirrels are now biding their time after winning the first-half title and will host playoff games…
    Rich Tucker
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  • opinion

    Why Do Flock Cameras Need to Be About Abortion?
    Flock cameras have been a hot news topic, bringing together those who might not normally be on the same side of a policy debate. Like many issues, though, especially when it comes to cautious allies, the nuances of certain views ought to be further examined. Who are among those opposing Flock cameras? Abortion activists in…
    Rebecca Downs
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  • opinion

    Get the Flock Out
    The Harrisonburg City Council voted unanimously this week to end the city’s contract with Flock Safety. It will bag the company’s surveillance cameras with trash bags until they are removed and will consider an ordinance that prohibits other similar mass-surveillance entities from entering into contracts with any entities in the city. Earlier this year, the…
    Joe Thomas
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  • news

    UT Dallas Policy Prohibits Flock Cameras From Being Used for Immigration Enforcement
    The University of Texas at Dallas Police Department currently uses Flock safety technology to capture evidence of crimes committed on campus. However, the department says it does not use the system for immigration enforcement. According to the university’s Flock transparency portal, the technology is used to provide “objective evidence without compromising on individual privacy.” The…
    Emily Medeiros
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  • analysis

    2 Surveillance Worlds Collide: FISA vs. Arctic Frost Probe of Americans
    The senators who exposed the Biden administration’s snooping on Republicans and conservative groups have differing views on extending a surveillance provision for foreign intelligence gathering. The two matters are distinct, to be sure, as the latter involves intelligence, while the former was primarily a criminal investigation targeting President Donald Trump, expanded to include supporters. Still,…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    Roy Pushes FISA Amendment to Kill Biden-Era Car Surveillance Mandate
    The vehicle kill switch may be getting another chance to be killed in Congress this week as a member of the House Rules Committee wants to repeal legislation that directs automakers to install surveillance technology on all new vehicles starting in 2027. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a committee member and influential congressman on the conservative…
    Virginia Grace McKinnon
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  • news

    The Real Reason Why Advertisers Are Flocking to Fox News
    Fox News delivered its highest second quarter advertising revenue in the network’s history, Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch announced Wednesday during the company’s earnings call. The record haul was fueled in part by an influx of new advertisers. Murdoch said Fox News added roughly 200 new advertisers in the first half of the fiscal year—on…
    Robert B. Bluey
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  • news

    Federal Workers Flock Back to Office in Droves After Trump’s Order Respecting ‘Taxpayers Who Pay Their Salaries’
    DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Hybrid positions for federal workers have plunged since President Donald Trump’s Day-One order to end most remote work arrangements for agency employees, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday. Federal employees working fully on site now totals 46%, which is more than double the national average of 21%, according to Gallup. Since Trump’s executive…
    Audrey Streb
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  • opinion

    Why Are Democrats Flocking to South Carolina?
    For some reason, Democrats are flocking to deep-red South Carolina. In recent weeks, California Gov. Gavin Newsom; Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear have all visited the Palmetto State, which favored President Donald Trump over Kamala Harris by almost 20 percentage points.  In May, Tim Walz and Wes Moore, the governors of…
    George Caldwell
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  • news

    Newly Adopted WHO Pandemic Pact Is a Step Toward ‘Global Surveillance Superstate,’ Expert Warns
    After three years of negotiations, delegates to the World Health Organization’s annual meeting have adopted a global pandemic agreement that threatens national sovereignty, requires the transfer of vaccines during global pandemics, asks nations to fight “misinformation,” and authorizes such “social measures” as lockdowns and mask mandates. The 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, adopted the final…
    Ben Johnson
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  • news

    Netanyahu Denies Israeli Security Chief’s Surveillance Allegations
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied allegations that he asked Israel’s domestic spy chief to surveil protesting citizens and demanded personal loyalty. The claims come from Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet. Bar’s allegations are from an affidavit made public on Monday as part of a legal case about…
    Jacob Adams
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  • news

    ‘Surveillance State’: Bill Would Tackle Government Collection of Investor Data
    Republicans in Congress are pushing back on what some consider another front on the surveillance state—in this case, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s collection of investors’ personal data.  Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., is the lead sponsor of the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act, which would restrict the SEC’s automatic collection of investors’ personal identifiable…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    FREE OF CHARGE: Protesters Flock to Supreme Court to Oppose Ban on ‘Gender-Affirming Care’
    Organizations in favor of child sex changes will protest the Supreme Court as the nine justices hear oral arguments Wednesday in a case that will decide whether states may ban irreversible transgender medical interventions for children. LGBTQ+ activists with the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, Human Rights Campaign, Gender Liberation Movement, Young Feminist Party, and…
    Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
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  • news

    Former Democrats, First-Time Voters Flock to Trump Rally in Michigan
    NOVI, Michigan—Concerns about the economy, religious freedom, and border security are driving unlikely Michigan voters to the polls to vote Republican for the first time. One of the most hotly contested swing states, with its 15 Electoral College votes, Michigan may determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Members of Naomi Steury’s Amish community in…
    Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
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  • news

    Rand Paul Wants Answers From TSA About Alleged Surveillance Abuses
    Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is attempting to get to the bottom of the Transportation Security Administration’s watchlist and blacklist programs following several high-profile cases and whistleblowers scrutinizing these TSA systems. “Recent disclosures from whistleblowers raise serious concerns that these mechanisms may have been improperly employed to target individuals based on their political views and…
    Bradley Devlin
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  • news

    Republicans Call for Enhanced Northern Border Security as Gazans Flock to Canada
    THE CENTER SQUARE—Republicans are calling on the Biden administration to increase security at the northern border after the Canadian government began issuing visas to Gazans who may be connected to the terrorist organization Hamas. The Canadian government’s program includes giving Gazans a “Refugee Travel Document,” which replaces their passport and is accepted by U.S. Citizenship…
    Bethany Blankley
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  • opinion

    EXCLUSIVE: Inquiries on Hunter Biden and FISA Surveillance Meet With Biden Admin Obstruction
    A review by The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project of documents recently released by the Justice Department reveals that for nearly three years, the agency actively has hindered congressional probes into a Chinese businessman associated with Hunter Biden, the president’s son. Patrick Ho, also known as Hé Zhìpíng, is a Chinese national who was a prominent…
    Colin Aamot
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