Portside

Surveillance and self-protection

We are troubled by growing demands for restrictions on TikTok. Before taking such a drastic step, the government must come forward with evidence of a real problem and a narrowly tailored solution. So far, the government hasn’t done so.

Hell of a week for Big Tech

Plantation owners were determined to extract every last bit of labor they could get from enslaved workers, meticulously tracking, documenting, and analyzing their every move in order to maximize productivity and profit.

Ankle monitors are part of the social landscape of the 21st century US. We need to be aware of them, afraid of them, realize that some people are making money off of them and think very seriously about who might want to shackle our ankle.

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Cities, counties and even one state are working to push legislation that would force police agencies to disclose their acquisition and use of surveillance technologies to local lawmakers and communities.

Drones are a growth industry with, aside from the U.S., states such as Israel, Britain, Sweden, Iran, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and even Lebanon in possession of the more lethal varieties.

Germany's justice minister, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, demanded an explanation from Washington, saying that if confirmed, US behaviour "was reminiscent of the actions of enemies during the cold war".