Mathew Guariglia of EFF writes: The Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General has released a troubling new report detailing how federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Secret Service have conducted surveillance using cell-site simulators (CSS) without proper authorization and in violation of the law. Specifically, the office of the Inspector General…
Category: Govt
FTC says online counseling service BetterHelp pushed people into handing over health information – and broke its privacy promises
Lesley Fair writes: In the hierarchy of confidential data, health information ranks right up there. And in the hierarchy of health information, details about a person’s mental health may be among the most confidential. But according to the FTC, that’s not how online counseling service BetterHelp viewed it. The FTC says the company repeatedly pushed…
Texas Republican wants ISPs to block a wide range of abortion websites
Jon Brodkin reports: A proposed state law in Texas would force Internet service providers to block websites containing information on how to obtain an abortion or abortion pill. Republican lawmaker Steve Toth, a member of the state House of Representatives, introduced the bill last week. Texas already has several laws that heavily restrict access to abortion, but the new…
L.A. County agrees to $28.85-million settlement with Bryant family over crash photos
Keri Blakinger reports: Los Angeles County agreed Tuesday to pay $28.85 million to the family of Kobe Bryant, concluding three years of litigation that began after deputies shared graphic photos of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the Lakers star, his daughter and seven others. The settlement agreement filed in federal court also resolves pending…