Video Surveillance by Computer

The ACLU’s Jay Stanley has just published a fantastic report: "The Dawn of Robot Surveillance" (blog post here) Basically, it lays out a future of ubiquitous video cameras watched by increasingly sophisticated video analytics software, and discusses the potential harms to society. I’m not going to excerpt a piece, because you really need to read the whole thing…. Continue reading Video Surveillance by Computer

iOS Shortcut for Recording the Police

"Hey Siri; I’m getting pulled over" can be a shortcut: Once the shortcut is installed and configured, you just have to say, for example, "Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over." Then the program pauses music you may be playing, turns down the brightness on the iPhone, and turns on "do not disturb" mode. It also sends a quick text to… Continue reading iOS Shortcut for Recording the Police

This D-Link Camera Has a Huge Security Flaw, According to Consumer Reports

Internet-enabled and IoT devices have made it possible to deploy a custom home security system. One can purchase many wireless security cameras, sensors and motion detectors and install them around their home or property. The beauty of a DIY system is … Continue reading This D-Link Camera Has a Huge Security Flaw, According to Consumer Reports

Hidden Cameras in Streetlights

Both the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are hiding surveillance cameras in streetlights. According to government procurement data, the DEA has paid a Houston, Texas company called Cowboy Streetlight Concealments LLC roughly $22,000 since June 2018 for "video recording and reproducing equipment." ICE paid out about $28,000 to Cowboy Streetlight Concealments over the same… Continue reading Hidden Cameras in Streetlights

Consumer Reports Reviews Wireless Home-Security Cameras

Consumer Reports is starting to evaluate the security of IoT devices. As part of that, it’s reviewing wireless home-security cameras. It found significant security vulnerabilities in D-Link cameras: In contrast, D-Link doesn’t store video from the DCS-2630L in the cloud. Instead, the camera has its own, onboard web server, which can deliver video to the user in different ways. Users… Continue reading Consumer Reports Reviews Wireless Home-Security Cameras