Tag Archives: law enforcement

Connected To The Case to use Facebook for crowd-sourced crime solving

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Ready the spandex and decide on a name for your alter ego, because come October 16th, you’ll have the chance to fight crime from the comfort of your computer. On that date, the “Connected To The Case” website goes live with the aim of crowd-sourcing …


We’re not the only ones carriers are overcharging; cell phone wiretap fees revealed

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Cell phone bills are a tough pill to swallow each month, often reaching well into the hundreds-of-dollars range for families or even individuals. Regional and prepaid carriers offer some relief, but users who need nationwide coverage and a wide variety of handsets to choose from often have no choice but to pay a premium. According to documents recently obtained and published by the American Civil Liberties Union, consumers and business users aren’t the only ones overpaying wireless carriers for service. Read on for more. A series of documents detailing the rates each of the four major U.S. carriers charge law enforcement agencies to execute cell phone wiretaps was unearthed last month, and as Forbes reports, the rates are fairly surprising —


Authorities decrypt laptop without defendant’s help, Fifth Amendment need not apply

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Constitutional junkies have had their eyes on Colorado for awhile now, because a federal judge there ordered a woman to decrypt her hard drive in a criminal trial. This, despite her cries that doing so would violate her Fifth Amendment right to be fre…


Court upholds Fifth Amendment, prevents forced decryption of data

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When our forefathers were amending the constitution for the fifth time, they probably didn’t have TrueCrypt-locked hard drives in mind. However, a ruling from the 11th Circuit Appeals Court has upheld the right of an anonymous testifier to not forcibl…


Taser’s on-officer cameras catch you in the act, right to remain silent imperative

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Taser International has released an update to its on-officer system, the AXON Flex. The new rig provides law enforcement officials with body-mounted cameras that capture video evidence “from the officer’s perspective.” These recording devices can be a…


Hawaii’s online tracking law is all but dead, lead sponsor confirms

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The Hawaii state legislature has apparently pulled an about face on a proposed internet tracking bill, amid swelling concerns from civil libertarians and internet service providers alike. First introduced last week, the controversial measure calls for …


AR goggles take crime scene technology to CSI: Miami level

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Dutch researchers are looking to catapult crime scene investigation into the 21st century through the use of augmented reality (AR). The prototype system, designed by the Delft University of Technology, employs a pair of AR goggles, two head-mounted c…


Judge forces defendant to decrypt laptop, fuels debate over Fifth Amendment rights

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A judge in Colorado yesterday ordered a defendant to decrypt her laptop’s hard drive at the prosecution’s request, adding new fire to the ongoing debate surrounding consumer technology and the Fifth Amendment. The defendant, Ramona Fricosu, is facing …


NYPD begins testing long-distance gun detector as alternative to physical searches

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As part of its ongoing effort to keep New York City safe, the NYPD has begun testing a new scanning device capable of detecting concealed firearms from a distance of about 16 feet. Developed in conjunction with the Department of Defense, the technolog…


WikiLeaks’ Spy Files shed light on the corporate side of government surveillance

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WikiLeaks’ latest batch of documents hit the web this week, providing the world with a scarily thorough breakdown of a thoroughly scary industry — government surveillance. The organization’s trove, known as the Spy Files, includes a total of 287 …