Privacy
Coverage of the way technology is changing the kinds of data state and local government collects about citizens, how it uses that data and the ethical and security implications of that. Includes stories about police body cameras, facial recognition, artificial intelligence, medical data, surveillance, etc., as well as privacy policy nationwide.
Ruling that the Fourth Amendment protects a person’s right to privacy, a Norfolk Circuit Court has granted a defendant’s motion to suppress evidence obtained by city-owned license plate reader cameras, but without a search warrant.
Alarmed by the reach and rapid expansion of license plate cameras, privacy advocates have filed suit in Illinois, saying the cameras violate the Constitution’s protections against unreasonable search.
Los Angeles Unified School District is investigating claims that a user on the dark web posted student information including home address, homelessness status, disability status and contact information for relatives.
A bill introduced in the New York City Council last week would change the New York City Correction Department’s longtime practice of recording and keeping jail telephone calls. A court-ordered warrant or consent would be required.
Police in Anchorage, Alaska, began using body-worn cameras this year. Now, body cam video of a fatal officer-involved shooting could test a state position on releasing footage that could be evidence.
The city is cautioning constituents to look for signs of identity theft, after its phone lines and online payment system were compromised March 25. After the incident, officials worked with a third-party specialist to investigate.
The Credential Authentication Technology, in use by Transportation Security Administration agents at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, scans photo IDs, but also works to crack down on fraudulent identification.
The private information of around 10,300 people — potentially including Social Security numbers, passport and driver’s license numbers — may have been compromised by bad actors targeting the University of Chicago Medical Center.
At a time when cameras are ubiquitous and social media is part of community engagement, school districts need policies, and perhaps technology, that formalize the process of getting parental consent for photos of students.
Two bills on Internet safety and privacy for children that are now before the New York state Legislature have fierce opposition from tech companies. But Gov. Kathy Hochul said their passage is her “priority.”
