Tag: surveillance

Lindsey Graham Falls Prey to the Surveillance Monster He Championed

Some people find religion after a brush with mortality. Lindsey Graham found the Fourth Amendment after a brush with Jack Smith.

The senator from South Carolina has spent the past two decades helping build the modern surveillance state, and now he’s furious that it turned its cold electronic eye on him.

Federal prosecutors secretly subpoenaed his phone records without his knowledge as part of Special Counsel Smith’s investigation into President Donald Trump’s alleged role in the events of January 6.

Graham says it’s an outrage, a scandal. He’s demanding the impeachment of the federal judge who approved it and threatening to sue someone, though he hasn’t worked out who, for “tens of millions of dollars.”

It’s the kind of melodrama that comes easily to a man who’s never been shy about using the power of the state when it suits him.

This story started last month when FBI Director Kash Patel revealed that phone records of eight Republican senators, including Graham’s, were pulled as part of Smith’s “Arctic Frost” probe.

The data covered January 4 to 7, 2021, and came with gag orders preventing telecom companies from telling the targets they were under the microscope.

“They spied on my phone records as a senator and a private citizen,” Graham complained on Fox News. “I’m sick of it.”

He’s not wrong to be angry. But there’s something deeply comic about Graham discovering his inner civil libertarian only after the dragnet landed on his number.

Graham has been one of the most reliable defenders of the surveillance architecture that is now bothering him.

In 2001, as a House member, he voted for the Patriot Act, the law that kicked open the door for mass data collection. When Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA was collecting Americans’ phone records by the millions, Graham didn’t seem alarmed.

“I’m a Verizon customer. It doesn’t bother me one bit for the NSA to have my phone number,” he famously said. “I’m glad the NSA is trying to find out what the terrorists are up to overseas and in our country.”

He later voted to codify those surveillance powers into Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 2008 and backed every major reauthorization since.

For most of his career, Graham treated Section 702 like a sacred text.

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Pennsylvania School District Using AI-Enabled Wi-Fi To Search Students For Firearms

A Pennsylvania school district is using artificial intelligence to keep guns off its campuses. But civil liberties advocates have warned that the technology could lead to mass surveillance and violation of constitutional rights.

The Chartiers Valley School District in Allegheny County has implemented AI that harnesses the district’s Wi-Fi signals to determine whether people are carrying weapons as they enter the schools.

The technology, called Wi-AI, was developed by CurvePoint of Pittsburgh. CurvePoint grew out of AI research at Carnegie Mellon University.

According to the company, Wi-AI uses “spatial intelligence” to find weapons such as guns before they enter a school.

The AI system analyzes a space and detects where potential weapons are located by interpreting “how Wi-Fi signals reflect off people and objects.”

Once a possible weapon is found, security personnel, school administrators, or others can go to the location to determine whether there is actually a threat.

It is now in use at Chartiers Valley School District high school, middle school, and primary school campuses. CurvePoint CEO Skip Smith said that in a recent test, the system found a pistol hidden in a backpack. He said the technology has a 95 percent success rate, failing only 4 percent of its searches.

Smith said the Wi-AI does not carry the same privacy concerns of other security systems because it does not rely on facial recognition or biometric data.

“We don’t know it’s you,“ Smith told The Epoch Times. ”We have no biometric information about you. Our system just sees a big bag of salt water.”

Darren Mariano, president of the Chartiers Valley Board of School Directors, said the district is excited to be the first in the country to adopt the technology.

“The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority,” he said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be the first district in the nation to implement this groundbreaking technology.”

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Google Sued For Allegedly Using Gemini AI Tool To Track Users’ Private Communications

Google LLC is accused in a civil lawsuit of using its artificial intelligence program Gemini to collect data on users’ private communications in Gmail as well as Google’s instant messaging and video conference programs.

Until around Oct. 10, the Gemini AI assistant required the user to deliberately opt into its feature. After that date, the feature was allegedly “secretly” turned on by Google for all its users’ Gmail, Chat, and Meet accounts by default, enabling AI to track its users’ private data in those platforms “without the users’ knowledge or consent,” according to the complaint filed Nov. 11 in federal court in San Jose.

The class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that Google is violating the California Invasion of Privacy Act, a 1967 law that prohibits surreptitious wiretapping and recording of confidential communications without the consent of all parties involved.

Although Google provides a way for users to turn off the feature, it requires users to look for it in the privacy settings to deactivate it, despite never having agreed to it in the first place, the complaint said.

The AI feature is categorized in “Google Workspace smart features” in Google settings. Once turned on, it means the user consents to the program using “Workspace content and activity” across Workspace or in other Google products.

When the feature is turned on, Gemini can “scan, read, and analyze every email (and email attachment), message, and conversation on those services,” according to the complaint.

Technology writer Ruben Circelli wrote in a PCMag article that Gemini is “downright creepy” in diving deep into his personal history, analyzing 16 years’ worth of emails after he signed up for a more advanced pro feature.

In a series of tests by Circelli, Gemini told him one of his character flaws and even knew who his first crush was in elementary school.

“This invasion of privacy wasn’t just disconcerting, though; it was unexpected,” Circelli wrote.

“Google didn’t explain what this integration would do before I signed up for its AI Pro plan, nor did it give me a way to opt out at the start.”

The Epoch Times reached out to Google for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.

“We do not use your Workspace data to train or improve the underlying generative AI and large language models that power Gemini, Search, and other systems outside of Workspace without permission,” the company has stated.

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House Will Vote on Repealing Funding Provision Allowing Senators to Sue Over Phone Searches

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced on Nov. 12 that the House will soon vote on legislation to repeal a provision of a deal to end the shutdown that allows senators to sue if the government illegally obtains their electronic records.

The provision in question creates a civil right of action to sue the U.S. government if a senator’s digital data, generated in the course of their official duties, is illegally accessed by the Executive Branch. Senators could recover a minimum of $500,000 per violation.

Congress passed the measure on Wednesday as part of a legislative package to reopen the government.

“House Republicans are introducing standalone legislation to repeal this provision that was included by the Senate in the government funding bill. We are putting this legislation on the fast track suspension calendar in the House for next week,” Johnson wrote on social media.

The provision was inserted into the government funding bill at the behest of several Republican senators whose phone data was accessed by the Department of Justice under the Biden administration during Special Counsel Jack Smith’s “Arctic Frost” probe and criminal investigation of President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The senators whose data was accessed include Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).

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Open Table is spying on you — and ratting out your bad habits like being late, canceling to restaurants

What happens at the dining table no longer stays at the dining table.

If the city’s servers suddenly always seem to know your go-to drink order, or how you always order extra croutons on your salad – you’re not going crazy.

Reservation platform OpenTable is spying on its users and compiling personal information on guests to share with restaurants, both good and bad, from wine preferences to whether they cancel a same-day reservation.

This allows eateries to highlight things to your preference, save preferred seating or — if your AI notes reveal poor etiquette — cancel your reservation altogether, sources tell The Post. 

“It’s not just spending habits or if they like Coca-Cola or bottled water. Now, we’re getting a taste of what a diner’s behavior at a restaurant is like: If they’re a late canceler, if they leave reviews a lot,” Shawn Hunter, a general manager for Sojourn Social on the Upper East Side told The Post of the feature he first noticed two weeks ago.

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Dem-run city hires inspectors to snoop in residents’ garbage cans to make sure they’re recycling properly

Residents in a California city can expect to see trash inspectors lifting their garbage cans in the early morning hours as the city continues to crack down on recycling. 

Officials are sending teams of Compliance Officers or ‘lid lifters’ to walk through neighborhoods before trash collection and monitor whether residents are properly sorting their trash and recycling. 

The initiative in San Diego was launched following the passage of a law in the California State Senate (SB 1383), which established a new organic waste recycling program. 

The city will not issue citations to those who violate the recycling rules, but instead will place an ‘oops’ tag on the bin, notifying the owner that they made a mistake. 

Some bins may have a ‘do not collect’ sticker on them, which requires homeowners to sift through their trash and call the city for a new pickup.  

The lid lifters won’t be sifting through garbage cans and are only tasked with inspecting what they can see after looking inside the bins. 

City Waste Reduction Program Manager Alexander Galasso told local ABC affiliate, KGTV: ‘Waste doesn’t end when you come to the trash can.’

‘There is a life after waste and we want to make sure that these are sorted correctly, because not only does it impact our staff and trucks, but it impacts what goes into our landfill.’

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56 Arrested in Massachusetts Child Porn Sweep

Massachusetts authorities arrested 56 people across the state for alleged child pornography activities in a crime sweep dubbed “Operation Firewall,” state police announced on Monday.

The three-day investigation in 38 communities targeted the growing problem of possession, production, child enticement, and sharing of child sexual abuse material, the Massachusetts State Police reported.

In addition to the arrests, investigators say they searched 34 homes and seized 229 devices.

“Over several months, members of the State Police’s Division of Investigative Services used their training and skill to develop these cases,” said Col. Geoffrey Noble. “I commend the Troopers for their hard work to overcome the evasive tactics of suspects and build a comprehensive operational plan to safely remove predators from our streets.”

The defendants are expected to face charges connected to child pornography, child enticement, outstanding warrants for assault and battery of a child, rape of a child, and failure to register with the Sex Offender Registry Board, according to authorities.

The investigators worked for several weeks to develop Operation Firewall, according to Lt. Col. Daniel Tucker.

The operation relied on several partners, including detective units, district attorney’s offices, special tactical teams, and officials specializing in the apprehension of violent fugitives.

Troopers conducted arrests for a variety of sexual offenses with children, including contact, enticement, trafficking, and aggravated rape, the state reported.

“The Massachusetts State Police are working very hard every day to keep our communities safe, especially our children,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement.

According to the state police, many child pornography investigations stem from a growing number of online tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding suspicious activity.

Under federal law, electronic service providers are required to submit a cyber tip line report to the agency when they recognize dangerous behavior. Troopers assigned to the cybercrime unit review the tips to see if the content violates the state’s child pornography laws.

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Nancy Mace outraged by whistleblower report that she is targeted by TSA, airport officials

Rep. Nancy Mace is railing against the Transportation Security Administration after being told she has been almost constantly surveilled by the agency.

She said current and former airport employees told her about the TSA surveillance, and she called on more whistleblowers to come forward.

“This appears to be yet another example of the weaponization of government agencies against a conservative,” the South Carolina Republican said in a statement. “If these allegations are true, it represents a disturbing abuse of power and a clear case of political retaliation. No American — let alone a sitting Member of Congress — should be subjected to this kind of targeted harassment.”

She said she was subjected to surveillance every time she was at the Charleston airport, with TSA officials allegedly trying to block her from using the crew-only entrance. She claimed using the entrance is “standard operating procedure for all members of Congress.”

The Washington Times reached out to the TSA for comment.

Ms. Mace reportedly rebuked police and TSA agents at a security checkpoint last month at Charleston International Airport.

She took to social media, saying, “If this turns out to be the weaponization of government officials and law enforcement agents against a sitting member of Congress — HEADS NEED TO ROLL!!!”

Ms. Mace has been accused of outbursts, including swearing at a constituent and police officers. She said the stories were fabricated.

In the case of airport surveillance, Ms. Mace urged current or former TSA employees, airport security personnel, airport employees and others to come forward with information. She said she will refer information to federal and state oversight committees and inspectors general for investigation.

Ms. Mace is running for South Carolina governor in a crowded 2026 primary. Republicans who have announced bids include Attorney General Alan Wilson, state Sen. Josh Kimbrell of Spartanburg County, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman.

“When I’m Governor, the era of good old boy politics will be over,” Ms. Mace said on social media. “The POWERFUL will become the POWERLESS, and power will return to the people where it belongs. Corruption will not be tolerated, and those who abuse their positions will be FIRED or worse yet — PROSECUTED!”

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Bill to end government shutdown would let senators snooped on by Jack Smith seek up to $500K

A provision tucked into the government funding bill that passed the Senate on Monday would compensate GOP senators whose phone records were seized without their knowledge during former special counsel Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Up to nine Senate Republicans would be able to sue the government and be eligible for up to $500,000 in damages, plus attorneys’ fees, for each instance in which their call logs were coughed up to the feds. A payout for one incident apiece could cost taxpayers about $4.5 million.

Phone carriers would also be required to immediately notify senators and their offices if their devices, accounts, records or communications are sought — unless the lawmakers are the target of a criminal investigation.

In such cases, judges can issue a 60-day nondisclosure order if they find an imminent threat to “the life or physical safety of any person” or that the targeted senator poses a flight risk, that evidence would be destroyed, that witnesses would be intimidated or that the investigation would be jeopardized.

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Here are Three Criminal Charges Pam Bondi Could Immediately Arrest Crooked Judge James Boasberg for – That He Committed in the Arctic Frost Scandal

Mike Benz has laid out a roadmap for Attorney General Pam Bondi to hold corrupt Obama-appointed Judge James Boasberg accountable.

This comes amid the exploding Arctic Frost Scandal, where the Biden DOJ’s rogue Special Counsel Jack Smith orchestrated a massive spying operation on at least ten GOP senators and other conservatives.

Senators Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz both confirmed this week that their official and campaign phone records were secretly subpoenaed by Special Counsel Jack Smith, with Judge Boasberg personally signing a gag order to conceal the unconstitutional seizure from them for over a year.

Senator Graham revealed on X that Verizon, his phone carrier, “was extremely irresponsible by complying” with the subpoena, calling it a “violation of the Speech and Debate Clause of the U.S. Constitution.”

He slammed both Smith and Boasberg for engaging in what he described as “legal slander” and “constitutional abuse.”

“It is now clear that my official and campaign phone records were subpoenaed by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Worse, a judicial gag order was issued prohibiting me from being informed of the subpoena for at least a year because Judge Boasberg believed that if I were informed, it would lead to witness tampering and destruction of evidence. That is legal slander. I would like to know the factual predicate for issuing the gag order.

My carrier, Verizon, was extremely irresponsible by complying with this subpoena. Instead, they should have followed AT&T’s example and declined to turn over the records because it is a violation of the speech and debate clause of the U.S. Constitution.

I also expect the House of Representatives to investigate Judge Boasberg’s potential misconduct, which could be grounds for his impeachment.

The misconduct here is worthy of a Watergate-style investigation. It is my firm belief that there should be a Senate Select Committee formed to get to the bottom of this constitutional abuse and potential ethical and legal misconduct by Jack Smith as well as any potential judicial misconduct by Judge Boasberg.

This model served the nation well during Watergate, and it is appropriate for the gravity of the offenses. This fishing expedition against at least ten Republican U.S. Senators by Special Counsel Jack Smith is the biggest violation of separation of powers in our nation’s history.

The driver of this outrageous conduct was a desire to stop President Trump’s 2024 campaign for president. Three days after Donald Trump announced he would seek the presidency on November 15, 2022, Jack Smith was appointed special counsel.

Within months, 91 felony indictments were issued primarily in the deepest blue jurisdictions of the country against President Trump. What was a trickle before his announcement became an avalanche all because he dared seek the presidency again. I am convinced that if Donald Trump had chosen not to run, none of this would have happened.”

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