Johan Moreno reports: Alphabet Inc.’s Google subsidiary has tentatively settled accusations of misappropriating user data, averting a potentially revealing court trial. The lawsuit originally sought $5 billion in damages, but terms of the settlement terms were not disclosed. The news was first reported by Reuters. According to court documents, the search giant agreed to resolve claims…
Category: Surveillance
With car privacy concerns rising, automakers may be on road to regulation
Suzanne Smalley reports: This is the third and final part in a series on automobile privacy. Read part 1 and part 2 here. Faye Francy decided to buy a used car from a dealer a few hours from her house. After writing a check and signing the paperwork, she synced her phone to the infotainment center so she could…
Drug-sniffing dog searches fall under Fourth Amendment protections, NY appellate court rules
Erik Uebelacker reports: Law enforcement’s use of drug-sniffing dogs on individuals now qualifies as a search under the Fourth Amendment, according to a Tuesday ruling from New York’s high court. It’s been an issue long unresolved by the United States Supreme Court, which has taken an “incremental” approach to the issue for the past four decades, according…
Google’s Location Data Move Will Reshape Geofence Warrant Use
Skye Witley reports: Google’s decision to limit its access to users’ location data will reshape police investigations well before appellate courts get a chance to rule on the constitutionality of law enforcement’s use of geofencing surveillance technology. The Alphabet Inc. unit’s move to encrypt users’ Google Maps location history and store it on their devices, announced last week, will…