The widespread protests in Iran have highlighted both Tehran’s brutal tactics and the extreme measures taken to block residents from accessing the global internet. As it has in previous uprisings, the Iranian regime has disconnected the country’s people from the global internet. Additionally, they shut down access to the National Information Network, the country’s intranet, which new research reveals is increasingly being used for pervasive surveillance. Ironically, this might end up being the only way for Iranians to connect online.
In another area of concern, the last significant nuclear weapons treaty between the U.S. and Russia has officially expired. What could fill that void? Some researchers suggest artificial intelligence might play a role. They propose that AI-powered systems, combined with satellite imagery and human reviewers, could take over in-person inspections of nuclear facilities. However, there are considerable flaws in this approach.
Cryptocurrencies may be just 16 years old, but they’ve quickly become the financial tool of choice for some of the world’s most nefarious individuals. A recent report by crypto-tracking firm Chainalysis revealed that blockchain-based transactions related to human trafficking and forced scams have nearly doubled over the past year, with annual transactions amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. Researchers from Chainalysis believe this figure is likely an underestimate.
Meanwhile, while the Trump administration claims to be scaling back its immigration enforcement in Minnesota, repercussions continue to impact the state’s court system. A WIRED analysis found that court filings intended to allow individuals to be released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody surged in January, straining U.S. attorneys and leaving many individuals imprisoned well beyond when they should have been released.
On a different front, Customs and Border Protection has entered into a $225,000 agreement with Clearview AI, allowing Border Patrol intelligence units access to the company’s facial recognition technology.
In security and privacy news, Ring is backpedaling in response to public concerns about mass surveillance. An announcement reported by The Verge revealed that, after a “comprehensive review,” Ring concluded that its plan to integrate its network of privately owned surveillance cameras with Flock Safety would require much more time and resources than initially expected. “The integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety,” the company stated.
This cancellation comes soon after Ring aired a Super Bowl ad promoting its new Search Party feature, which “uses AI to help families find lost dogs.” The response to the feature raised concerns, with many wondering if it would also be used to track down people.
A subsidiary of Amazon since 2018, Ring has faced severe criticism from privacy advocates for its collaborations with police. One controversial tool in its Neighbors app allowed authorities to access surveillance footage from Ring users without judicial oversight, although that feature was removed in early 2024. Flock Safety has also faced backlash for its extensive surveillance network, which, according to 404 Media, ICE has covertly utilized in its aggressive efforts to deport immigrants.
Facial recognition technology is facing significant backlash in the U.S. As Democratic lawmakers push ICE to cease its use of facial recognition in public spaces, ICE is reportedly growing anxious about the potential for this technology to be used against its own agents.
In this “dynamic political environment,” as described in an internal memo from Meta obtained by the Times, the company is considering updating its smart glasses to include a facial recognition feature referred to internally as Name Tag.
