DEA Authorized To Conduct Surveillance On Protesters

An anonymous reader quotes a report from BuzzFeed News: The Drug Enforcement Administration has been granted sweeping new authority to “conduct covert surveillance” and collect intelligence on people participating in protests over the police killing of George Floyd, according to a two-page memorandum obtained by BuzzFeed News. Floyd’s death “has spawned widespread protests across the nation, which, in some instances, have…

Motherboard Built a Database of Over 500 iPhones Cops Have Tried To Unlock

“Motherboard built and analyzed a database of over 500 iPhones seized by law enforcement,” writes Slashdot reader em1ly. “It’s a deep dive into the ongoing “Going Dark” conversation.” Here’s an excerpt from the report: Most of all, the records compiled by Motherboard show that the capability to unlock iPhones is a fluid issue, with an ebb and flow of law enforcement…

Feds Order Massive Number Of Tech Giants To Help Hunt Down One WhatsApp Meth Dealer

As it struggles to get content from encrypted messenger apps and smartphones, the U.S. government is getting creative in how it tracks down criminal WhatsApp users, according to a search warrant uncovered by Forbes. From the report: Aside from shedding light on police data-trawling operations, these new efforts are “problematic,” legal experts tell Forbes. They show that investigators are willing to…

Secretive Surveillance Company Is Selling Cops Cameras Hidden In Gravestones

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: A surveillance vendor that works with U.S. government agencies, such as the FBI, DEA, and ICE, is marketing spying capabilities to local police departments, including cameras that are hidden inside a tombstone, a baby car seat, and a vacuum cleaner. The brochure highlights some of the capabilities on offer to law enforcement agencies,…

Mysterious Drones Flying Nighttime Patterns Baffle Colorado Officials

doug141 writes: At least 17 big drones, likely over the FAA limit of 55 pounds, are flying a grid search pattern over NE Colorado (Warning: source paywalled; alternative source), nightly between 7 and 10 p.m. at 40 MPH and about 300 feet. The FAA has no information and the USAF and DEA say the aircraft aren’t theirs.

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