ALT: a pigeon with a camera on its head and the website sheepfilms.co.uk underneath

All the same privacy harms with online tracking are also present with AI, but worse.

In 1999, George Tenet, Director of Central Intelligence under Bill Clinton, used a provision buried in the CIA Act of 1949 to build a private investment vehicle.

Deadly ICE raids in the US rely on Palantir tools that mine health records to produce real-time data on people’s location – a chilling prospect for the NHS

I requested a copy of my data from McDonald’s loyalty program and received an extensive, personalized report that algorithmically predicts my next purchase.

A sustained public‑comment block at the Sept. 14 council meeting featured dozens of speakers urging the council to cancel or not renew automated‑license‑plate‑reader (ALPR) contracts (Flock), citing privacy, litigation risk, and costs; supporters of continued technology urged a cost‑benefit discussion.

LG TV spygate is far worse than a simple data grab. Independent researchers confirmed these machines capture clear microphone audio while the screen appears completely powered down in standby. EVEN ...

FTC report finds social media firms engaged in "vast surveillance," calls for new privacy laws amid industry pushback.

FTC report finds social media firms engaged in "vast surveillance," calls for new privacy laws amid industry pushback.

 Security researchers at Koi Security have discovered troubling behavior from FreeVPN.One, a popular Chrome VPN extension with over 100,000 installations that has begun secretly capturing and transmitting users' screenshots to remote servers.  Threat discovery  The extension, which had maintained legitimate functionality for years, recently shifted its behavior in July 2025 to silently capture screenshots approximately one second after each page load. These screenshots are then transmitted to external servers—initially unencrypted, but later obfuscated with encryption after updates. The malicious behavior was introduced gradually through smaller updates that first requested additional permissions to access all websites and inject custom scripts.  Developer's response When confronted, FreeVPN.One's developer claimed the extension "is fully compliant with Chrome Web Store policies" and that screenshot functionality is disclosed in their privacy policy. The developer provided various justifications, including that screenshots only trigger "if a domain appears suspicious" as part of "background scanning".  However, Koi researchers refuted this, providing evidence of activation on trusted domains including Google's own sites. The developer also claimed screenshots are "not being stored or used" but "only analyzed briefly for potential threats"—a distinction researchers found unconvincing.  Chrome web store failures This incident highlights significant security gaps in Google's Chrome Web Store review process. Despite Google's claims of performing security checks through automated scans, human reviews, and monitoring for malicious behavior changes, FreeVPN.One managed to maintain its verified status and featured placement while conducting these activities.  The extension appears to have exploited a patient approach—operating legitimately for years before introducing malicious functionality, effectively bypassing security measures. While the product overview mentions "advanced AI Threat Detection" with "passive mode" monitoring, it fails to clearly state that "scanning them visually" means sending screenshots to remote servers without notification or opt-out options.  Current status As of the article's publication, Google had not responded to inquiries about investigating the extension or removing it from the Chrome Web Store. The FreeVPN.One extension remained active and available for download despite the security findings, raising concerns about user protection in browser marketplaces. This case demonstrates how privacy-branded extensions can become surveillance tools, exploiting user trust while bypassing platform security measures.

Citizen Lab reports that Webloc, an advertising-based global geolocation surveillance system developed by Cobwebs Technologies and now sold by Penlink, is being used by Hungarian domestic intelligence, El Salvador’s national police, and multiple U.S. law enforcement agencies. The tool aggregates data from mobile apps and digital advertising to track up to...

OpenAI's planned intimate ChatGPT feature raises urgent questions about data surveillance, regulatory compliance, and whether the company can protect users' most sensitive conversations.