Privacy

Lawmakers in the state are considering legislation that would make the unauthorized use of tracking technology, like surveillance software and GPS devices, a felony.

Senators on both sides of the aisle criticized the heads of large social media companies during a Washington, D.C., hearing on Wednesday for failing to adequately protect childrens' safety online.

Benton County Sheriff's detectives want to use controversial software from Clearview AI to compare suspect images against a database of about 30 billion publicly available images. Not everyone loves the plan.

Stalking victims would be armed with stronger protections if proposed changes to a Florida law outlawing unauthorized use of wireless tracking devices are enacted.

The bill is also being paired with a crackdown on distracted driving in the state, a combination that recently drew concerns from the families of Iowans killed in distracted driving incidents.

Clients of social service programs in 18 Minnesota counties may have had sensitive information stolen in a ransomware attack on a Clay County electronic document management system.

The Pasadena Police Department plans to use $1.2 million in asset forfeiture funds to purchase a cell site simulator that will help "trick" nearby mobile phones into sharing their data in real time.

The Monterey Police Department is looking for resident input on a plan to install license plate cameras to assist with crime investigations. The controversial technology has seen broad U.S. adoption amid police staffing challenges.

The City Council voted to overhaul San Diego's hard-fought surveillance law, a move officials said was necessary to prevent citywide disruptions, but that privacy advocates saw as a gutting of oversight powers.

Despite criticism, the city passed legislation for a 15-month surveillance pilot program that greatly expanded the powers of police to temporarily monitor live video feeds from privately owned cameras.

In the absence of nationwide policy, 13 states have enacted their own data privacy laws. Several others have taken a different approach with a mix of basic and substantive protections. Congress may take the issue this session.

Advocates for children’s online safety are hoping that Congress will enact federal legislation rather than allowing a piecemeal, state-by-state approach. They hope new rules would rein in tech platforms.

The city of Huber Heights, Ohio, is still in a state of emergency nearly two months after a cyber attack took down multiple government systems and functions. All city services are functional, though additional work is still underway.

The Dayton City Commission this week approved an expansion of license plate reader camera technology in the city. Three other contracts related to police technology were also approved.

Members of the Coalition on Public Protection say the police department's proposed acquisition of fixed-site license plate readers represents a major expansion of surveillance that should trigger public input.

The effects of a November ransomware attack against Oceanside, Calif.’s Tri-City Medical Center were contained more than two weeks ago, but now those behind the cyber incident are publishing stolen data on the dark web.

License plate-reading cameras are springing up across Bakersfield and Kern County, bringing an added level of security that local law enforcement agencies say makes a significant dent in crime.

Three weeks after a cyber attack took down multiple city of Huber Heights, Ohio, government systems and functions, officials have still not determined what, if any, resident personal data has been released by the hackers.