The surveillance technology that will watch us all, all the time

Wide Angle Motion Imagery (WAMI) is a surveillance game-changer. And it's here.

Photo by Stanislav Krasilnikov\TASS via Getty Images
  • In his new book, Eyes in the Sky, Arthur Holland Michel details the evolution of aerial surveillance technology.
  • Cameras aboard drones can monitor the entirety of 50 square kilometers for hours without refueling.
  • New aerial technologies are going to create the privacy fights of the future.
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Why home DNA tests might not be as private as you think

These tests report on more than just your risk for cilantro aversion and your ice-cream flavor preference.

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Spit in the tube, seal up the envelope, wait three to five weeks, receive a litany of information about your ancestry and health for less than $200.

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Should Facebook be regulated with laws instead of fines?

The fine Facebook just paid was huge, but many in tech say it wasn't nearly enough to protect your data.

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  • Last week, Facebook incurred a five billion dollar fine as a result of its mismanagement of user data.
  • This is the second largest fine the FTC has ever given out.
  • Many in tech are arguing that this was a mere slap on the wrist and that stronger regulation is needed.
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FBI and ICE scan millions of DMV photos to find suspects, raising concerns

Researchers discover government agencies use facial recognition software on photos from local DMVs.

Photo by Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. 2004.
  • FBI and ICE routinely scan through millions of photos in state DMV databases.
  • The agencies use facial recognition software to find matches for suspects.
  • Congressmen on both sides of the isle are worried about privacy implications of such unregulated practices.
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FTC fines Facebook $5 billion over Cambridge Analytica scandal

The company must also appoint an independent privacy committee to its board of its directors.


Photo credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Staff
  • The FTC said Facebook violated a 2012 agreement it made with the agency over user data.
  • Facebook must restructure its board of directors, undergo regular privacy audits and pay a $5 billion fine.
  • Still, some say the punishment doesn't go far enough.
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