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RAND Europe Study Recommends Layered Oversight for Biometrics and Digital ID in Security Agencies

RAND Europe Study Recommends Layered Oversight for Biometrics and Digital ID in Security Agencies

A RAND Europe study, commissioned by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, advocates for layered oversight in the deployment of biometrics, digital identity, and other emerging technologies by security agencies. The 59-page study scrutinizes nine technology areas impacting security-sector governance, including biometric systems, digital identity platforms, automated decision support, and data-management tools. Researchers conducted a targeted literature review, semi-structured interviews, and a workshop to inform their findings. While the study acknowledges that these technologies can enhance operational efficiency, recordkeeping, and traceability, it also highlights significant risks. These risks encompass privacy concerns, potential for exclusion and bias, issues of data sovereignty, and the concentration of sensitive information in systems that could be vulnerable to misuse or attack. The report emphasizes that a 'human-in-the-loop' requirement alone is insufficient, as staff may overly d...

A 25 años del 11 de septiembre, así transformaron los atentados a EE.UU.

A 25 años del 11 de septiembre, así transformaron los atentados a EE.UU.

A 25 años de los atentados del 11 de septiembre, sus efectos siguen marcando la seguridad nacional y la política exterior de EE.UU., aunque no explican por sí solos las divisiones que enfrenta el país.

DHS Science and Technology Directorate Launches AI-Assisted Biodetection Challenge

DHS Science and Technology Directorate Launches AI-Assisted Biodetection Challenge

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has initiated the 'Ready, Set...ID the Biothreat' Prize Challenge. This initiative seeks innovative artificial intelligence (AI) approaches to enhance the identification of biological threats within complex environmental data. The challenge invites eligible U.S. innovators, including companies, academics, and laboratories, to submit algorithmic solutions. These solutions should be capable of rapidly detecting potential biological threat signals, distinguishing them from benign environmental backgrounds, and providing explainable, confidence-scored results to support subsequent analysis and response efforts. According to Pedro Allende, Under Secretary for Science and Technology, this investment aims to strengthen the nation's capacity to recognize emerging biological risks and protect the American populace, agriculture, critical infrastructure, and the economy. The competition is structured in three stages: proposal eval...

RAND Report Warns Digital ID and Biometrics Pose Surveillance Risks

RAND Report Warns Digital ID and Biometrics Pose Surveillance Risks

A new report from RAND Europe highlights the dual nature of emerging technologies like biometrics, digital identity, and AI in security sectors. While these technologies can enhance identity verification, reduce fraud, and improve government services, they also carry significant risks. The report, titled 'Novel Technologies for Security Sector Governance and Management,' emphasizes that without robust governance, independent oversight, and human rights protections, these systems could lead to discriminatory surveillance, opaque decision-making, and the targeting of individuals or groups. RAND's research, supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and in collaboration with the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies (RUSI), involved a five-month study, literature review, expert interviews, and workshops. The findings underscore the need for security agencies to justify the necessity of such technologies before acquisition and to integrate safeguards into t...

Houston-Area Communities Suspend Flock Camera Use Amid Privacy Concerns

Houston-Area Communities Suspend Flock Camera Use Amid Privacy Concerns

Two communities in the Houston area, Manvel and Willis, have suspended their use of Flock Safety cameras following resident concerns over privacy. The city council of Manvel, located south of Houston, unanimously voted to cancel its contract with Flock Safety, a technology surveillance company. Concurrently, the mayor of Willis, north of Houston, announced a pause in the city's use of Flock cameras, pending a city council meeting. These decisions come as Flock faces increasing national scrutiny regarding its nationwide camera network. Manvel Mayor Dan Davis stated that the law enforcement benefits of Flock cameras cannot outweigh the responsibility of elected officials to ensure residents' right to privacy. He expressed concerns about the company's use of anonymized data to train its AI systems and the potential for other agencies to access Manvel's Flock system. Manvel's City Council will give Flock 30 days' notice to terminate the contract and will immediately cover existing cameras to prevent further re...

Republicans Introduce 'Flock-Off Act' to Defund Federal Surveillance Camera Networks

Republicans Introduce 'Flock-Off Act' to Defund Federal Surveillance Camera Networks

Two Republican members of Congress, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO), have introduced the 'Flock-Off Act' (H.R. 10221). This legislation aims to prevent federal taxpayer dollars from funding extensive surveillance camera networks, such as those operated by Flock Safety, which track vehicles, movements, and biometric information of Americans. The bill specifically targets federal funding used by state and local law enforcement agencies for purchasing, maintaining, or operating automated license-plate readers and other systems that create large databases of citizens' movements. The proposed act would prohibit federal money from supporting cameras capable of identifying vehicle characteristics and biometric surveillance systems, including facial recognition, voiceprints, iris/retinal scans, fingerprints, and gait recognition. It also extends to cloud services storing data from these systems and data-sharing agreements involving such technology. Five additional lawmakers, including Rep. ...

Federal Agencies Issue Drone Restrictions for RNC Midterm Convention in Dallas

Federal Agencies Issue Drone Restrictions for RNC Midterm Convention in Dallas

Federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, have announced restrictions on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, during the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) Midterm Convention in Dallas. The convention is scheduled for September 9 and 10, 2026. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) has been established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), prohibiting drone flights within a 3-mile radius of the designated area and up to an altitude of 400 feet. This measure is part of a broader effort to ensure the safety and security of attendees, employees, visitors, and the surrounding community, building on previous security successes like the FIFA World Cup 2026. President Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin are committed to maintaining a high level of safety and security for the event. Unauthorized drone operators face severe penalties, including conf...

House Appropriations Committee Faces Leadership Void as Representative Mark Amodei Retires

House Appropriations Committee Faces Leadership Void as Representative Mark Amodei Retires

The House Appropriations Homeland Security subcommittee is facing a leadership vacuum as its current cardinal, Representative Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), is retiring. This development has opened up the top Republican spot on the influential panel, which oversees one of the most challenging and politically sensitive spending bills: the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill. Representative John Rutherford (R-Fla.), currently next in line, has focused on immigration enforcement in his work on the panel but has not yet confirmed his interest in taking over the leadership role. The DHS appropriations bill is known for being difficult to pass and often becomes a focal point for political debate, especially for GOP members in swing districts where immigration is a significant issue. The turnover on the House Appropriations Committee means that other senior GOP appropriators might also be considered for the position, potentially leading to a competitive internal race for the role.

Post-9/11 'War on Terror' Tactics Militarized U.S. Immigration Enforcement, Says Advocate

Post-9/11 'War on Terror' Tactics Militarized U.S. Immigration Enforcement, Says Advocate

The 9/11 attacks significantly reshaped U.S. immigration policies, leading to a militarization of enforcement tactics, according to Maria Mitri of the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Mitri argues that the 'War on Terror' conflated immigration enforcement with counterterrorism, creating a paradigm where foreign nationals were viewed as potential terrorists rather than newcomers. This shift led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), consolidating various federal offices, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), under one umbrella. The PATRIOT Act, enacted post-9/11, granted the federal government extensive powers to surveil, search, and detain individuals, and amended immigration law to allow deportations based on alleged connections to 'terrorist groups' or support for 'terrorist activity.' Additionally, programs like the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) required tens of thousands of immigrant men, primarily from the Middle East, North A...

CBP Initiates IT Access Control Overhaul Following Inspector General's Vulnerability Report

CBP Initiates IT Access Control Overhaul Following Inspector General's Vulnerability Report

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has begun an overhaul of its IT access control systems in response to an audit by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). The OIG report found significant vulnerabilities, including that over 76,000 CBP network users, comprising employees, contractors, and other personnel, had access to a highly privileged service account. This oversight allowed any user to alter CBP account passwords, change system access permissions, modify security configurations, and potentially take over accounts with access to sensitive data. The OIG also noted that CBP failed to review and remove access for separated personnel or those who changed roles, and struggled to identify privileged accounts accurately. CBP attributed these issues to human error and difficulties in tracking account changes over time. In response, CBP has revoked identified excessive privileges, performed validation scans, and set an end-of-August deadline for implementing new sec...

Seventh Sense AI Secures U.S. Patent for Privacy-Preserving Face Biometrics in Messaging

Seventh Sense AI Secures U.S. Patent for Privacy-Preserving Face Biometrics in Messaging

Seventh Sense AI has been granted a new patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its technology that integrates face biometrics into chat and messaging applications while preserving user privacy. The patent, titled 'Systems and Methods for Decentralized Recoverable Storage of Private Data and Anonymized, Confidential, Message Exchange Secured by User Biometrics,' names Seventh Sense co-founders Varun Chatterji and Ashish Kishwaha as inventors. This innovative system encrypts messages using a public key derived from the recipient's face biometrics and signs them with a private key generated from the sender's face biometrics. The verification process involves the sender's face biometrics, and decryption uses the recipient's face biometrics. Crucially, the technology avoids storing facial images, templates, or private keys, enhancing data security and privacy. This approach also allows for cryptographic tokens derived from a user's face to be used in deepfake detection by combining ...

U.S. States Vary Widely in Mandating 9/11 History Education in Schools

U.S. States Vary Widely in Mandating 9/11 History Education in Schools

U.S. states exhibit significant variation in their requirements and recommendations for teaching about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in public schools. While some states, like New York and Florida, have specific laws or detailed curriculum standards mandating 9/11 instruction, others, such as Alaska and Vermont, leave the decision largely to individual school districts or do not have specific requirements. New York, where two hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, emphasizes understanding the profound impact of 9/11 on the nation and state, with specific learning objectives for different grade levels covering national security, the Patriot Act, and the Department of Homeland Security. Florida requires at least 45 minutes of 9/11-related instruction annually in some middle and high school classes, focusing on historical context, heroism, and civil liberties. Conversely, states like Alaska and Vermont have broad learning objectives that may include 9/11 but do not mandate it, allowing loc...