As San Francisco expands its use of police surveillance technology, a three-part ‘Civic’ audio series examines decades of government spying and the concurrent struggle to protect civil liberties.
Category: Data Privacy
Posted inData Privacy, Law & Justice
Police Drone Data Reveals Lack of Transparency, Privacy Concerns
San Francisco Police drone flight records reveal a pattern of vague and missing data, alarming privacy advocates. Despite criticism from the Public Defender’s Office, the Police Commission has approved a new, more permissive policy.
Posted inArtificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, Government & Politics
San Francisco Airport Contractor Exports Facial Data to Federal Agencies, Critics Charge
A San Francisco International Airport contract for facial recognition technology that sends data to Customs and Border Protection violates local sanctuary city policies, advocates said at an Airport Commission meeting Tuesday.
Posted inBay Area, Data Privacy, Economy & Business, Law & Justice
Patelco Credit Union Settles Class Action Cyberhack Suit for $7.25M
Nearly a year after a ransomware attack paralyzed Patelco Credit Union, a class action against the nonprofit financial cooperative has been settled for $7.25 million. More than 1 million accounts were affected by the breach.
Settlement terms include creating a $7.25 million fund to be shared by victims affected by the ransomware attack and system shutdown of Patelco that lasted for more than two weeks last summer.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, California, Coronavirus, Data Privacy
Exploring Privacy of Coronavirus Exposure Notification System
Millions of Californians have gotten a push notification on their phones asking them to opt in to CA Notify to get warnings from their phones if they have been in close proximity to someone who later tested positive for the coronavirus. Gennie Gebhart, the activism director with the digital civil liberties group Electronic Frontier Foundation, explained to “Civic” how the system works and what information is exchanged.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Data Privacy, Neighborhoods, Public Safety
Neighborhood Anti-Crime Surveillance Effort Prompts Privacy, Equity Concerns
On several streets in the Mission, you can spot sticky notes in the windows of some homes. They’re blank, but they’re sending a message: The residents would like to signal their interest in participating in a neighborhood effort to address crime, trash and visible homelessness in the neighborhood. Nuala Bishari reported on the initiative for the San Francisco Public Press. She talked with “Civic” about what she found and how she learned it.