Tag - surveillance

 
 

SURVEILLANCE

Leaders of intelligence agencies testify before a congressional committee about worldwide threats in Washington on March 11.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 15, 2024
Campaign puts Trump and the spy agencies on a collision course
Some former officials fear that Trump, if elected again, would try to weaken intelligence agencies or undermine their independence.
Simon Harris, Ireland's prime minister-in-waiting, is among a vanguard of European politicians embracing the Chinese-owned social media platform, calculating that the need to reach younger voters outweighs security concerns.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 9, 2024
European politicians embrace TikTok despite security fears
Ahead of elections, mainstream politicians are wary of ceding ground to fringe parties who have successfully exploited its short video format.
An Israeli military helicopter flying away from the helipad of a hospitalin Tel Aviv, Israel, after transporting a patient on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 28, 2024
Israel deploys expansive facial recognition program in Gaza
Members of Israeli intelligence and its military are concerned about the experimental surveillance effort's false positives and cases of mistaken identity.
Police officers monitor traffic on the streets from surveillance cameras in Buenos Aires in April 2020.
WORLD / Society
Mar 20, 2024
Reboot of Buenos Aires facial recognition plan fuels privacy fears
The system of 300 cameras linked to a national crime database was suspended two years ago after a court ruled it unconstitutional.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, whose company launched a pair of smart glasses, on stage at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, in September.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 22, 2023
Do you want Meta snooping in your closet with AI wearables?
AI wearable devices represent yet another intrusion into our privacy, allowing tech companies to learn even more about who we are — and what we might buy.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during an event at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 29, 2024
Biden cracks down on U.S. data flows to China and Russia
Seeking to protect American personal data, Biden unveiled an executive order barring genomic data transfers to China and other "countries of concern."
A surveillance drone is seen in midair during the G7 foreign ministers' summit in Lucca, Italy, in 2017.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Feb 13, 2024
'Intrusive' drones? U.S. surveillance case tests privacy law
Evidence suggests police departments are increasingly using drones, including as first responders to emergency calls.
A security camera near Takojima Elementary School, which is used as an evacuation shelter following the New Year's Day quake, in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture.
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2024
Japan to fight crime in quake-hit areas with 1,000 security cameras
The National Police Agency and prefectural police forces plan to install around 1,000 security cameras at locations including evacuation centers.
Taiwan flags adorn the streets of Taipei on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 8, 2024
China's balloons inflate Taiwan poll fears
Since December, Taipei has said that mysterious balloons were crossing the Taiwan Strait, with their purpose being "gray-zone" harassment that stops short of open warfare.
Public scrutiny is key to defending internet privacy amid growing calls by governments for more surveillance.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 27, 2023
Time to curb government internet surveillance
Democracies are often leading the internet surveillance charge, inadvertently paving the way for the world’s autocrats.
An employee inspects integrated circuit boards at a factory in Suzhou, China.
BUSINESS
Dec 22, 2023
U.S. to scrutinize Chinese chipmakers as Biden mulls tariffs
Over 100 companies in various sectors to be surveyed on their procurement and use of legacy chips
Media mogul Jimmy Lai, the founder of now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and one of the most prominent Hong Kong critics of China's Communist Party leadership, has faced a salvo of litigation since a wave of pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 15, 2023
China crackdown on Hong Kong in focus as Jimmy Lai goes on trial
Media tycoon faces possible life imprisonment on charges he colluded with foreign forces, including the U.S.
Users often do not realize that almost all app notifications travel over Google and Apple's servers, giving the two companies unique insight into the traffic flowing from those apps to their users.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 8, 2023
Smartphone users' push notifications spied on, U.S. senator warns
Users often do not realize that almost all notifications for incoming messages, breaking news and other updates travel over Google and Apple's servers.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrives at the U.K. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Britain, on Nov. 2.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 6, 2023
EU set to hold talks to finalize agreement on world's first AI law
Brussels wants a legal armory to protect EU citizens' rights, while some member states worry that too much regulation will stifle innovation.
Chinese civil servants and employees of state-linked enterprises are facing tighter constraints on private travel abroad and scrutiny of their foreign connections.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 17, 2023
China tightens curbs on foreign travel by bankers and state workers
Individuals' accounts varied but were consistent in describing heightened scrutiny of overseas travel even after China reopened borders in January.
Demonstrators hold signs during a protest against COVID-19 measures Munich in 2022.
WORLD / Society
Oct 4, 2023
AI 'supercharges' online disinformation and censorship, report warns
Internet freedom declined for the 13th straight year, with China, Myanmar and Iran having the worst conditions of the 70 countries surveyed.
China Evergrande Group Chairman Hui Ka Yan
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 27, 2023
Evergrande’s billionaire chairman Hui under police surveillance
Hui was taken away by Chinese police earlier this month and is being monitored at a designated location. It’s not clear why he is under surveillance.
Pedestrians pass an advertisement for Huawei's Mate 60 series smartphones outside a Huawei store in Shanghai on Sept. 8. Huawei's Mate 60 Pro uses an advanced chip and is said to be capable of 5G speeds.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 20, 2023
Huawei ships Chinese-made surveillance chips despite tech curbs
The developments, as well as advances in Chinese-made smartphone chips, indicate the technology giant is overcoming Washington's export controls.
A woman walks past surveillance cameras in Shanghai. China’s Ministry of State Security has called for a "whole of society mobilization,” urging the public to watch for what it considers foreign-backed subversion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 20, 2023
Burner laptops and smaller profits: Firms face China challenges
Beijing has doubled down on policies emphasizing security and self-reliance that make it harder to do business.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has become increasingly vigilant about monitoring the activities of foreign nationals within the country.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2023
China steps up scrutiny of Japanese in China after Fukushima decision
More than 100,000 Japanese nationals live in China, and some in the international community worry they may be treated as potential hostages.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores