Tag: Privacy
ShotSpotter, the gunshot detection system introduced in New York City last week, is the NYPD’s newest high-tech tool against against gun violence. It comes with a lot of promise, primarily from one of its main proponents, Mayor Bill de Blasio, who campaigned with a pledge to bring gunshot location technology to the city. “This new […]
At this point in America’s ongoing loss of privacy, it’s becoming clear that if one can imagine a way for an agency to spy, it’s probably happening. Hot on the heels of the recent announcement that the DEA collects call data on citizens, the ACLU has discovered that the drug agency is tracking millions of peoples’ […]
San Francisco-based taxi app start-up Uber has come under a lot of scrutiny from all sides recently, with accusations of sexism, breaches of privacy with customer data, and allegations of unfair pay. The multiple controversies have worried New York City councilmembers that Uber is not in compliance with city law, and at a hearing on […]
Here’s a story that involves a two-way mirror, a sneaky bro, and the Illuminati — the the perfect trifecta for, err, something, right? Okay, I’m overselling this. Over at BroBible, writer Chris Illuminati discovered that his friend has a “speak easy side entrance” to his New York apartment that’s actually a two-way mirror. I don’t […]
When it comes to technology-related security fears, many people immediately think of hackers and identity thieves as the number one threat, but over the last few years it’s become increasingly clear that the very people assigned to protect you are the ones to be afraid of. Case in point: A Virginia judge ruled on Thursday […]
ANIMAL will be bringing you continuing coverage from The New York Film Festival, which rans Sep 26 – Oct 12 at Film Society of Lincoln Center. Citizenfour will be released on October 24th in New York. Citizenfour, the latest documentary by Laura Poitras, attempts to give us an overview of the NSA’s shocking invasions into […]
Boston police used mass facial surveillance technology on thousands of attendees at last year’s Boston Calling festival, Dig Boston reports this month. Employing existing security cameras, the program scanned people for recognizable characteristics, like “height, clothing, and skin color.” The documents uncovered by Dig, which have been online for nearly a year, show that the city’s partnership with IBM […]
In Florida, Pedro Bravo is standing trial for the murder of former friend Christian Aguilar, who had started dating his ex-girlfriend. After missing for weeks, his body was found buried in a shallow grave in Levy Country. According to the Gainesville Sun and Palm Beach Report, on September 20, 2012 — the day the victim disappeared — the accused told iPhone’s Siri “I need to […]
Facebook is currently fighting against disclosing user data — like photos, friend lists and private messages — to the authorities. Such warrants are being issued at an unprecedented rate, with nearly 400 in New York. The fight has been joined by four NY-based social media platforms — Tumblr, Kickstarter, Foursquare and Meetup, AP reports. The NYCLU and […]
If you post photos of your cat on social media, the internet probably knows exactly where your cat lives. And, unless your cat has its own place, that’s probably where you live too. Florida State University professor Owen Mundy was trying to tell you this when he created I Know Where Your Cat Lives — an interactive map […]
