Microsoft should suspend business activities that are contributing to grave human rights abuses and international crimes by the Israeli military and other Israeli government bodies. There is no time to delay.

A federal agent used a local cop's password for Flock to do an immigration-related search without his knowledge. Illegal in Illinois and at the very least a Flock terms of service violation. Of course they're all just joking about it though: www.404media.co/feds-used-lo...

The UK gov plans to experiment with facial age estimation tech on vulnerable young people. But refugee children need care, not algorithms. This tech isn't the solution - instead, it creates new potentially life-changing risks, as @techchildrights.bsky.social and I write. www.hrw.org/news/2025/07...

Stand by this: www.politico.com/newsletters/...

NEW: Spyware maker Paragon says its $2M contract with ICE is still inactive, so the company hasn’t provided its surveillance tech to the agency. If the U.S. govt approves it, Paragon will face the dilemma of whether to work with an agency that’s very different from 2024, when contract was signed.

Here is how #Frontex unlawfully shared thousands of people’s personal data with #Europol Investigation conducted by Solomon, the French newspaper Le Monde, the Spanish newspaper El País, and the German outlet Netzpolitik. wearesolomon.com/mag/format/i...

The CEO of Flock wrote a blog about our "recent clickbait-driven reporting and social media rumors that mischaracterize Flock’s LPR devices" then proceeded to explain how our reporting directly resulted in extensive changes to how police are allowed to use Flock www.404media.co/flock-remove...

A must-read report form @dmehro.bsky.social that @wired.com made free to read because it is based on government documents (it's their policy to make FOIA-based reporting free as well). Thank you for making important journalism based on public records available to all.

New from 404 Media: ICE is tapping into a nationwide AI camera network, data we got shows. Flock's automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) in thousands of communities. Data shows "ICE", "immigration" as reasons for use. Local cops doing lookups for ICE, no warrant www.404media.co/ice-taps-int...

This week, news emerged that UK police have been issued guidance on investigating unexpected pregnancy loss that includes seizing digital devices, checking internet searches and health apps, such as menstrual cycle and fertility trackers. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

My latest on the clean OPSEC saga: TeleMessage customers include DC Police, Andreesen Horowitz, JP Morgan, and hundreds more micahflee.com/telemessage-...

SCOOP: In Feb, federal agencies "lost" many #FOIA requests but you probably had no idea. It turns out that the FOIAs disappeared due to an "insider threat attack" by 2 employees at a software company who were previously convicted of hacking into the State Dept 🧵 🎁 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The Trump administration’s first 100 days in office have been a relentless barrage of actions that violate, threaten, or undermine human rights. To illustrate the breadth and depth of damage, HRW has compiled 100 harmful actions during these 100 days ⤵️

My latest for @justsecurity.org on what Trump's call to eliminate “information silos” within government means for human rights. This dangerous and dystopian move underscores the desperate need for comprehensive privacy and data protection laws in the US @hrw.org www.justsecurity.org/110133/what-...

The UK should drop its order to Apple demanding access to encrypted user data. Strong encryption should be the norm, and this order threatens the rights of users worldwide www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; „… without #encryption tools, lives may be endangered. In the worst cases, a Government’s ability to break into its citizens’ phones may lead to the persecution of individuals who are simply exercising their fundamental human rights.” t.co/AWG89rXGkD

Last year my @hrw.org colleague @joeyshea.bsky.social & I attended the #UN Internet Governance Forum in Riyadh. We organized a session w/the Saudi human rights org ALQST. @linaalhathloul.bsky.social spoke remotely. The UN censored the session & retaliated against us 👇 www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...

Google announced significant changes to its artificial intelligence policy this week. This pivot from refusing to build AI for weapons to stating an intent to create AI that supports national security ventures is stark, and it sparks serious human rights concerns. Read more: bit.ly/4gwYBeL

Paragon spyware used to target citizens across Europe, says Italian government

Italy’s security bill threatens fundamental rights It criminalizes peaceful protest, with harsh penalties for activists, detainees, and migrants Human rights bodies warn of serious risks - the Senate should listen ❌Repression is not security❌ hrw.org/news/2025/02...

Google has amended its responsible AI guidelines, including removing the red line in its AI Principles that the company won't design or deploy AI for "[w]eapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people."

Come work on tech research @hrw.org! Vacancy for a senior researcher, working with me, @deblbrown.bsky.social, @notzachcampbell.bsky.social. Scope to shape the role - expertise in platforms, internet infrastructure, data exploitation a bonus. Closes 5 Jan. job-boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightsw...

New from 404 Media: this is huge. FTC to ban Venntel from selling sensitive location data. Sensitive locations include health facilities (think abortion); places of worship; schools; refugee shelters. Crucial because Venntel sold its data to ICE, CBP etc www.404media.co/ftc-bans-loc...

On December 5, a court in Athens will hear a defamation case against journalists who exposed state surveillance in Greece. This case, brought by an ex-official linked to the scandal, is a clear attempt to silence critical reporting. #MediaFreedom www.hrw.org/news/2024/12...

well this is nice