Tag: privacy

PRISONS ACROSS THE U.S. ARE QUIETLY BUILDING DATABASES OF INCARCERATED PEOPLE’S VOICE PRINTS

Roughly six months ago at New York’s Sing Sing prison, John Dukes says he was brought out with cellmates to meet a corrections counselor. He recalls her giving him a paper with some phrases, and offering him a strange choice: He could go up to the phone and utter the phrases that an automated voice would ask him to read, or he could choose not to and lose his phone access altogether.

Dukes did not know why he was being asked to make this decision, but he felt troubled as he heard other men ahead of him speaking into the phone and repeating certain phrases from the sheets the counselors had given them.

“I was contemplating, ‘Should I do it? I don’t want my voice to be on this machine,’” he recalls. “But I still had to contact my family, even though I only had a few months left.”

So, when it was his turn, he walked up to the phone, picked up the receiver, and followed a series of automated instructions. “It said, ‘Say this phrase, blah, blah, blah,’ and if you didn’t say it clearly, they would say, ‘Say this phrase again,’ like ‘Cat’ or ‘I’m a citizen of the United States of America.’” Dukes said he repeated such phrases for a minute or two. The voice then told him the process was complete.

“Here’s another part of myself that I had to give away again in this prison system,” he remembers thinking as he walked back to the cell.

Dukes, who was released in October, says he was never told about what that procedure was meant to do. But contracting documents for New York’s new prison phone system, obtained by The Appeal in partnership with The Intercept, and follow-up interviews with prison authorities, indicate that Dukes was right to be suspicious: His audio sample was being “enrolled” into a new voice surveillance system.

In New York and other states across the country, authorities are acquiring technology to extract and digitize the voices of incarcerated people into unique biometric signatures, known as voice prints. Prison authorities have quietly enrolled hundreds of thousands of incarcerated people’s voice prints into large-scale biometric databases. Computer algorithms then draw on these databases to identify the voices taking part in a call, and to search for other calls where the voices of interest are detected. Some programs, like New York’s, even analyze the voices of call recipients outside prisons to track which outsiders speak to multiple prisoners regularly.

Keep reading

Judge Rules Assange Visitors May Sue CIA For Allegedly Violating Privacy

A federal judge ruled that four American attorneys and journalists, who visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange while he was in the Ecuador embassy in London, may sue the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for their role in the alleged copying of the contents of their electronic devices.

The Americans sufficiently alleged that the CIA and CIA Director Mike Pompeo—through the Spanish security company UC Global and its director David Morales—“violated their reasonable expectation of privacy” under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Richard Roth, attorney for the four Americans, reacted, “We are thrilled that the court rejected the CIA’s efforts to silence the plaintiffs, who merely seek to expose the CIA’s attempt to carry out Pompeo’s vendetta against WikiLeaks.”

Keep reading

America’s largest pharmacies are handing over medical records to police WITHOUT a warrant, congressional probe finds – amid fears women could be hunted down for taking abortion drugs

America’s biggest pharmacies have been quietly sharing Americans’ private medical records with police without their knowledge.

In what is being described as a ‘staggering’ breach of privacy, a congressional probe found the seven largest chains released people’s sensitive information to law enforcement or federal investigators without a warrant. 

While some of the pharmacy chains required their lawyers to review law enforcement requests, three of them — CVS, Kroger and Rite Aid which have 60,000 stores nationwide — said they allowed staff to hand over the records in their stores.

Senator Ron Wyden, who led the investigation, said it raised grave concerns because medical records were among the ‘most personal’ information for patients — revealing long-term conditions, sexual behavior and birth control.

There are now concerns that women could be hunted down by officials in states where abortions are illegal for taking abortion drugs.

Sen Wyden warned the current rules allowed for a ‘full blown witch hunt’ by Republican states against women.

This week mother-of-two Kate Cox was forced to travel out of Texas after a court denied her an abortion for her fetus which has a fatal genetic complication.

Current rules allow law enforcement to request medical records using a subpoena.

These can be issued by court clerks or government agencies but, unlike a warrant, do not require the approval of a judge.

And unlike subpoenas, warrants require law enforcement to establish a probable cause to believe a crime has been committed before making the request.

Keep reading

The UN Is Threatening Privacy Under Pretense of New Cybercrime Treaty

The US digital rights group EFF is describing the latest UN Cybercrime Treaty draft as “a significant step backward” and a case of “perilously broadening its scope beyond the cybercrimes specifically defined in the convention, encompassing a long list of non-cybercrimes.”

This “dance” – with some reported progress, for things to then again get worse – is not exactly new in the now lengthy process of negotiating the document, amid criticism not only from observers among the involved rights non-profits, but also UN member-countries.

EFF is also convinced that these latest developments are not accidental, i.e., a case of oversight, but rather an essentially purposeful wrong step that diminishes chances of the treaty, once/if adopted being the result of proper consensus.

When it all started, the Treaty was presented as a “standardized” manner for the world to combat cybercrime.

What has been happening in the meanwhile, though, is a seemingly never-ending stream of additions and expansions of the document’s original powers, to the point where it has now, in the words of EFF, “morphed into an expansive surveillance treaty.”

A major concern is what EFF calls possible overreach as national and international investigations are carried out. And instead of improving on these concerns, the new draft is said to have held on to past controversial rules, only to add even more.

This time, it’s in the form of “allowing states to compel engineers or employees to undermine security measures, posing a threat to encryption.”

Keep reading

EU Committees Vote in Favor of Mandatory Interconnected Digital Patient Health Records for All Citizens

The EU’s next legislative goal post that opponents see as part of a big push to strip citizens of their privacy, has now reached medical histories and associated data.

Interconnecting – in effect, centralizing (and making remotely accessible) – that data is the key premise of what has now emerged as European Health Data Space (EHDS). The upcoming bill has been backed by the European Parliament (EP), its Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), and Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).

EP member (MEP) and lawyer Patrick Breyer, a long-time critic of this type of policy, explains that EHDS – which he voted against – would “bring together information on all medical treatments received by citizens.”

Doctors will have to submit summaries of treatments they provide to “the new data space” – with the initial proposal not containing provisions that would allow for objections or exceptions. And while access can be restricted if a patient so wishes – the actual creation of the database can’t be prevented.

And let’s just reiterate that this might concern some of the most sensitive personal medical information: “mental disorders, sexual diseases and disorders such as impotence or infertility, HIV or drug abuse therapies,” writes Breyer.

“The EU’s plan to collect and interconnect records on all medical therapies entails irresponsible risks of data theft, hacking or loss. Even the most delicate therapies can no longer be administered off record in the future,” the German Pirate Party MEP further warned, blasting the idea as the end of medical confidentiality in the EU.

He makes a particular note of the danger that those who are less both computer and politically literate – such as the elderly or those not paying enough attention to bureaucratic decisions made by the EU (that nonetheless end up defining their lives), as well as those with actual lower level of education – all especially vulnerable in a scheme like this – would simply not be fully aware of the long-term consequences.

Keep reading

Meta sues FTC, hoping to block ban on monetizing kids’ Facebook data

Meta sued the Federal Trade Commission yesterday in a lawsuit that challenges the FTC’s authority to impose new privacy obligations on the social media firm.

The complaint stems from the FTC’s May 2023 allegation that Meta-owned Facebook violated a 2020 privacy settlement and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The FTC proposed changes to the 2020 privacy order that would, among other things, prohibit Facebook from monetizing data it collects from users under 18.

Meta’s lawsuit against the FTC challenges what it calls “the structurally unconstitutional authority exercised by the FTC through its Commissioners in an administrative reopening proceeding against Meta.” It was filed against the FTC, Chair Lina Khan, and other commissioners in US District Court for the District of Columbia. Meta is seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the FTC proceeding pending resolution of the lawsuit.

Meta argues that in the FTC’s administrative proceedings, “the Commission has a dual role as prosecutor and judge in violation of the Due Process Clause.” Meta asked the court to “declare that certain fundamental aspects of the Commission’s structure violate the US Constitution, and that these violations render unlawful the FTC Proceeding against Meta.”

Meta says it should have a right to a trial by jury and that “Congress unconstitutionally has delegated to the FTC the power to assign disputes to administrative adjudication rather than litigating them before an Article III court.” The FTC should not be allowed to “unilaterally modify the terms” of the 2020 settlement, Meta said.

The FTC action “would dictate how and when Meta can design its products,” the lawsuit said.

Keep reading

Appeals Court Strikes Blow to Gun Owner Privacy Rights in Ruling Accommodating ‘Violence Researchers’

A California appeals court ruled Friday that the state may continue sharing the personal information of gun owners with “gun violence” researchers.

California’s Department of Justice had been permitted to share “identifying information of more than 4 million gun owners” collected by the state during the background check process for firearms purchases with “qualified research institutions,” ostensibly to aid in the study of gun-related accidents, suicides and violence.

The information sharing was authorized by new law, Assembly Bill 173, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, according to The Associated Press.

California’s DOJ was permitted to share “names, addresses, phone numbers, and any criminal records, among other things” under the new regulation.

The AP didn’t note how much of that information had already been shared with researchers, but apparently at least some sharing had occurred, since the outlet reported the state attorney general’s intention to “resume” the provision of it to unspecified researchers.

Keep reading

A Secret Phone Surveillance Program is Spying on Millions of Americans

According to a letter obtained by WIRED, a little-known surveillance program called Data Analytical Services (DAS) has been secretly collecting and analyzing more than a trillion domestic phone records within the U.S. each year. The program, which was formerly known as Hemisphere, is run by the telecom giant AT&T in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

The program uses a technique known as chain analysis, which targets not only those in direct phone contact with a criminal suspect but anyone with whom those individuals have been in contact as well. This means that innocent people who have no connection to any crime can have their phone records swept up and scrutinized by the authorities.

The program allows law enforcement agencies to access the records of any calls that use AT&T’s infrastructure, which covers a large portion of the country. The records include the phone numbers, dates, times, durations and locations of the calls, as well as the names and addresses of the subscribers.

The DAS program raises serious concerns about the privacy and civil liberties of millions of Americans. It operates without any judicial oversight or public accountability and violates the Fourth Amendment, which protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Keep reading

Nikki Haley Claims Posting Social Media Anonymously is a ‘National Security Threat’ – Calls for Mandatory Verification of All Social Media Users

In a now-viral video,  Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina Governor and a contender for the GOP presidential nomination has called for social media reforms that will end anonymous social media posting, citing national security concerns.

Haley proposed two significant reforms. Firstly, she insisted that social media companies should disclose their algorithms to the public. This move, according to Haley, is necessary to understand the basis of content promotion on these platforms.

“When I get into office, the first thing we have to do is social media accounts, social media companies, they have to show America their algorithms. Let us see why they’re pushing what they’re pushing,” Haley said during an interview with FOX News.

Secondly, and more controversially, Haley called for the mandatory verification of all social media users with their real names. She labeled anonymous social media posting as a “national security threat.”

“The second thing is every person on social media should be verified by their name,” Haley suggested, adding, “It’s a national security threat.”

According to Haley, this measure would eliminate the influence of foreign bots from countries like Russia, Iran, and China and foster greater accountability and civility online.

Keep reading

WA Judge Rules That Car Manufacturers Can Legally Store Your Texts and Phone Calls Without Explicit Permission

In a move concerning privacy advocates, a federal judge last week ruled against reinstating a collective lawsuit accusing four auto manufacturing giants of contravening privacy protections in Washington state. The companies were alleged to have illicitly intercepted and documented private text messages and call records of customers using their car’s inbuilt infotainment systems.

The judge based in Seattle concluded that this activity did not constitute unauthorized privacy infringements according to state regulations.

The court’s decision favors the automakers Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, and General Motors, who find themselves as defendants in five parallel collective lawsuits revolving around this issue. A similar case against Ford had been earlier dismissed following an appeal.

The complainants from the existing four lawsuits had sought legal redress following a previous dismissal by another judge. In their judgment given Tuesday, the appellate judge asserted that the clandestine capture and logging of mobile phone usage did not violate the provisions of the Washington Privacy Act. According to the act, to be a vulnerable plaintiff, one must demonstrate a threat to “his or her business, his or her person, or his or her reputation.”

To highlight the matters in question, the plaintiffs in one of the five lawsuits launched a legal challenge against Honda in 2021, contending that starting at least in 2014, infotainment systems in Honda’s vehicles have been storing duplicates of all text messages from smartphones once they were connected to the system.

Keep reading