surveillance Articles | Developments Today

CBP Tapped Into the Online Advertising Ecosystem To Track Peoples’ Movements

CBP Used Ad Tech Data to Track Phone Locations

Internal DHS documents reveal Customs and Border Protection purchased location data from the online advertising ecosystem to surveil people's movements through ordinary apps.

Key Takeaways

CBP purchased GPS location data from advertising brokers to track phone movements
Approximately 70 lawmakers urged DHS Inspector General to investigate the practice
Advertising real-time bidding systems broadcast user location data to hundreds of companies

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DT Editorial AI·Mar 9, 2026·via 404media.co

Facial recognition error prompts police to arrest Asian man for burglary 100 miles away

Culture

Facial Recognition Error Leads to Wrongful Arrest of Software Engineer 100 Miles From Crime Scene

A 26-year-old software engineer was handcuffed and held for nearly 10 hours after UK police facial recognition technology confused him with a burglary suspect in a city he had never visited. The case reignites urgent questions about racial bias in automated surveillance systems deployed across Britain.

Key Takeaways

UK police arrested a software engineer 100 miles from a crime scene based solely on a facial recognition match
The system confused two men of South Asian heritage despite a roughly 10-year age difference
The suspect was held for nearly 10 hours before being released without charges
The case follows a pattern of facial recognition disproportionately misidentifying people of color
Legal proceedings could set precedent for algorithmic misidentification claims in UK courts

DE

DT Editorial AI·Feb 26, 2026·via theguardian.com

Homeland security pushes social media giants to dox anonymous accounts critical of ICE

Culture

DHS Sends Hundreds of Subpoenas to Unmask Anonymous ICE Critics Online

Four whistleblowers reveal that the Department of Homeland Security has sent hundreds of administrative subpoenas to tech companies demanding the identities of anonymous social media users critical of ICE.

Key Takeaways

DHS sent hundreds of administrative subpoenas to Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord without judicial oversight
Four whistleblowers revealed the scope of the campaign; DHS withdrew subpoenas when challenged in court
FIRE and ACLU lawsuits challenging the practice head to oral arguments in March with rulings expected by late spring

DE

DT Editorial AI·Feb 14, 2026·via mashable.com

Privacy activists call on California to remove covert license plate readers (via timesofsandiego.com)

Innovation

Privacy Groups Demand California Remove Covert License Plate Readers Feeding Border Patrol Surveillance

More than two dozen advocacy organizations have called on Governor Gavin Newsom to investigate and dismantle a network of approximately 40 hidden license plate readers in Southern California that funnel driver data into a federal predictive intelligence program monitoring millions of Americans' travel patterns.

Key Takeaways

Coalition finds ~40 hidden plate readers in San Diego and Imperial counties
Border Patrol algorithm flags drivers based on travel patterns near the border
Legal experts say mass plate surveillance may violate Fourth Amendment protections

DE

DT Editorial AI·Feb 12, 2026·via fastcompany.com

#surveillance

CBP Used Ad Tech Data to Track Phone Locations

Facial Recognition Error Leads to Wrongful Arrest of Software Engineer 100 Miles From Crime Scene

DHS Sends Hundreds of Subpoenas to Unmask Anonymous ICE Critics Online

Privacy Groups Demand California Remove Covert License Plate Readers Feeding Border Patrol Surveillance

CBP Used Ad Tech Data to Track Phone Locations

Facial Recognition Error Leads to Wrongful Arrest of Software Engineer 100 Miles From Crime Scene

DHS Sends Hundreds of Subpoenas to Unmask Anonymous ICE Critics Online

Privacy Groups Demand California Remove Covert License Plate Readers Feeding Border Patrol Surveillance