Ken Macon
Ken is a teacher and contributor who focuses on researching and reporting on mass surveillance and privacy rights across the world. [email protected]
Oklahoma City Approves Controversial Facial Recognition Deal Despite Privacy Concerns
Oklahoma City is betting on an opaque AI dragnet without telling residents who’s behind the wheel or where it’s pointed.
YouTube to Get Australia Digital ID Age Checks by Year’s End, Plus New AI Profiling For US Users
YouTube will soon be a gated community: no ID, no login.
Spotify Threatens to Delete Accounts That Fail Digital ID Checks
Spotify’s move risks turning casual listeners into scanned data points under the guise of safety compliance.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Pitches Eyeball-Scanning World ID to Bankers
In Altman’s world, the AI that broke authentication is the same AI that now demands your iris.
Innocent People Are Already Getting Caught Up in UK Police’s Dystopian Facial Recognition Scans
A face flagged as dangerous was actually working to keep danger off the streets.
Amazon Acquires Bee, the AI Wearable That Hears Everything You Say
Amazon’s latest acquisition puts an always-listening microphone on your wrist and calls it progress.
When Smart Meters Turn Into Spy Tools
Sacramento’s electric utility turned energy data into a blunt-force tool for unchecked home surveillance.
Canada Advances National Digital ID With Consultants
Canada’s push for a digital ID system leaves questions about privacy, security, and the cost of outsourcing to private consultants.
American Airlines Expands Facial Recognition at Airports
American Airlines expands TSA PreCheck Touchless ID and facial recognition, deepening biometric reliance in US airports.
Ireland’s Dangerous War on Encryption
Every backdoor written into Irish law becomes a blueprint for global insecurity.
Russia Pushes State-Backed Messaging App “Max” as it Moves to Ban WhatsApp
WhatsApp’s potential exit marks another milestone in Russia’s quiet war to nationalize the internet one app at a time.
TSA Pursues $5.5B Privatized Airport Security Overhaul with Biometric and AI Surveillance Expansion
The TSA’s quiet overhaul of airport security could make biometric ID checks the new normal for domestic travel.