Detroit OKs Expansion of ShotSpotter Surveillance Tech

Last week, the Detroit City Council narrowly approved an expansion of the city's controversial ShotSpotter surveillance technology. But instead of using COVID stimulus money as initially planned, the funding will come out of the police department's own budget.

The post Detroit OKs Expansion of ShotSpotter Surveillance Tech first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.

Continue ReadingDetroit OKs Expansion of ShotSpotter Surveillance Tech

The Right to Be Left Alone

Those who drafted the Bill of Rights recognized that human rights are pre-political. They precede the existence of the government. They come from our humanity, and, in the case of privacy, they are reinforced by our ownership or legal occupancy of property.

The post The Right to Be Left Alone first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.

Continue ReadingThe Right to Be Left Alone

San Diego Passes Surveillance Ordinance with Loophole for Federal Task Forces

The new law contains a big loophole that was inserted in June under pressure from San Diego Police Chief Dave Nisleit. The council voted 5-4 to include new language that exempts police officers working on federal task forces from the oversight and transparency requirements.

The post San Diego Passes Surveillance Ordinance with Loophole for Federal Task Forces first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.

Continue ReadingSan Diego Passes Surveillance Ordinance with Loophole for Federal Task Forces

New Documents Reveal the Extent of Federal Location Surveillance

The Department of Homeland Security has collected reams of location data from a private vendor in order to track people across the United States.

The post New Documents Reveal the Extent of Federal Location Surveillance first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.

Continue ReadingNew Documents Reveal the Extent of Federal Location Surveillance

Feds Accessing Location Data from Millions of People Through Private Brokers

According to a recent report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), data brokers harvest location data from mobile apps and then sell it to government agencies including state and local law enforcement, ICE, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.

The post Feds Accessing Location Data from Millions of People Through Private Brokers first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.

Continue ReadingFeds Accessing Location Data from Millions of People Through Private Brokers

Supreme Court Refuses to Limit Warrantless Surveillance

According to the Supreme Court, the legality of NSA mass surveillance can't even be legally challenged. This was the message the Court sent when it refused to take up Jewel v. NSA, allowing an appellate court decision to stand.

The post Supreme Court Refuses to Limit Warrantless Surveillance first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.

Continue ReadingSupreme Court Refuses to Limit Warrantless Surveillance

Signed as Law: Arizona Prohibits Warrantless Access to Prescription Databases

The new law prohibits the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy from releasing any information contained in the prescription drug monitoring program database (PDMP) to local, state, or federal law enforcement agencies without a warrant. Under the old law, the board could release such data if a law enforcement agency stated in writing that the information was "necessary" for an open investigation.

The post Signed as Law: Arizona Prohibits Warrantless Access to Prescription Databases first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.

Continue ReadingSigned as Law: Arizona Prohibits Warrantless Access to Prescription Databases

Signed as Law: Colorado Limits Government Use of Facial Recognition

The law prohibits Colorado law enforcement agencies from engaging in ongoing surveillance, conducting real-time or near real-time identification, or from starting persistent tracking using facial recognition without a warrant in most situations. In order to obtain a warrant, police must first establish probable cause and show that the use of facial recognition is necessary to develop leads in an investigation.

The post Signed as Law: Colorado Limits Government Use of Facial Recognition first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.

Continue ReadingSigned as Law: Colorado Limits Government Use of Facial Recognition

Signed as Law: Illinois Prohibits Warrantless Data Collection from Household Electronic Devices

Titled the Protecting Household Privacy Act, the new law prohibits government agencies from obtaining household electronic data or directing the acquisition of household electronic data from a private third party. Law enforcement can only access household electronic data with a warrant, with a few exceptions.

The post Signed as Law: Illinois Prohibits Warrantless Data Collection from Household Electronic Devices first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.

Continue ReadingSigned as Law: Illinois Prohibits Warrantless Data Collection from Household Electronic Devices