All posts tagged: spying

Fears erupt as China suspected to be spying on UK military base from Cyprus hotel | World | News

Fears erupt as China suspected to be spying on UK military base from Cyprus hotel | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

A luxury hotel in Cyprus could potentially be used to gather information on a nearby RAF base, British intelligence and military sources have warned. The concerns were first brought to attention by The Telegraph, which reported that the 16-storey City of Dreams Mediterranean resort could provide a vantage point overlooking RAF Akrotiri, one of Britain’s most strategically important military sites. It is particularly sensitive because it has been used in operations connected to the conflict with Iran and is home to advanced military aircraft, including F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters. The hotel is around 4.5 miles from the base and is much taller than many of the surrounding buildings. According to the sources, someone positioned on one of the hotel’s upper floors could potentially monitor aircraft taking off and landing using just binoculars. The highest floor is home to two presidential suites, which sources say offer the clearest views towards the military installation. Sources also told The Telegraph there is “no world” in which Beijing would not want to “seek to exploit” the hotel’s location. …

11 faith groups accuse Trump administration of violating court order while spying on churches

11 faith groups accuse Trump administration of violating court order while spying on churches

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — Faith groups suing President Donald Trump’s administration filed a motion Thursday (Aug. 20) alleging the Department of Homeland Security committed “multiple egregious violations” of a court order that barred warrantless surveillance at their churches. The motion, filed on behalf of the 11 religious plaintiffs, also asked the court to issue an order showing why DHS shouldn’t be held in contempt. “Given the blatant and repeated nature of Defendants’ violations, the harm to fundamental rights of religion and expressive association, and the threat of future similar violations, Plaintiffs also respectfully request the Court’s expedited consideration of this motion,” the filing reads. The religious plaintiffs — which include denominations such as American Baptist Churches USA and several regional bodies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America — sued the administration last July challenging the government’s decision to rescind the “sensitive locations” policy that had previously discouraged immigration raids at locations such schools, hospitals and churches. A federal judge eventually issued a 62-page injunction in February temporarily barring warrantless investigations on the grounds of churches involved in …

Where Vandals Can’t Reach? Flock Safety’s Future Is Full of Spying Drones

Where Vandals Can’t Reach? Flock Safety’s Future Is Full of Spying Drones

Published by skeptic

Surveillance company Flock Safety, one of the most controversial technology companies in the US, is expanding its footprint beyond automated license plate readers and its vast AI-powered camera network. Facing growing backlash over its partnership with law enforcement and its tracking of activists and protesters, Flock is now betting on drones — flying cameras dispatched from the sky for use in first-responder situations. Civil liberties groups and digital rights advocates have long warned that Flock’s surveillance network, which relies on the broad collection and sharing of location data, poses a threat to individual privacy. If anything, the recent publicity over its burgeoning drone business will only intensify scrutiny of a vendor already under fire. During an appearance on the All-In Podcast, Flock CEO and founder Garrett Langley gave the clearest indication yet of how much of a role drones will play in Flock’s future. Describing drones as the company’s “fastest-growing business unit right now,” Langley said on the podcast that drones will account for nearly half of the company’s future revenue. He described drones as …

IRS chief Frank Bisignano dismisses JPMorgan spying allegations

IRS chief Frank Bisignano dismisses JPMorgan spying allegations

Published by Sam Flores

Internal Revenue Service CEO Frank Bisignano denied allegations that he spied on his fellow executives while working at JPMorgan Chase more than a decade age. “None of it’s true,” Bisignano told CNBC on Tuesday. Bisignano surveilled colleagues at JPMorgan while he was co-chief operating officer, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. He wanted information to “keep a tight rein on employees” and “to undermine his rivals,” the Journal reported. One of the subjects of the surveillance was Charlie Scharf, who is now CEO of Wells Fargo, according to the Journal. “Charlie called me last night. We had a good laugh about it,” Bisignano said. Read more CNBC politics coverage Wells Fargo didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Bisignano’s remarks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent praised Bisignano in a statement to CNBC sent after Bisignano spoke on air. “With decades of experience leading some of America’s most successful companies, Frank Bisignano has brought proven executive leadership, operational excellence, and a results-driven mindset to the IRS,” Bessent said. “He has done a terrific job delivering …

Your Period Tracker Is (Probably) Spying on You

Your Period Tracker Is (Probably) Spying on You

Published by skeptic

Hours of San Francisco Police Department drone video footage exposed on the open web illustrates a new era of incredibly granular—and consequential—urban surveillance. Meanwhile, the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office sent cease-and-desist letters to Apple and Google this week demanding that the tech giants delete 13 AI nudifying “face-swap” apps from their app stores that are almost exclusively used to target women and girls. Since WIRED first reported in June about Meta’s NameTag face-recognition system, company executives have made opaque and conflicting comments about whether the feature even exists. We took a step back to lay out both the claims and the facts about the very real system. In a speech on Thursday, President Donald Trump continued to push unsubstantiated and thoroughly debunked claims about interference in the 2020 US election. He even promised massive revelations in a trove of documents posted to the White House website, but the files did not prove his assertions—and in some cases actually contradicted Trump’s claims. As adoption of AI tools rapidly expands and their capabilities increase, the tech …

UK Police Charge Man Over Iran-Linked Spying Offences

UK Police Charge Man Over Iran-Linked Spying Offences

Published by Sam Flores

LONDON, July 17 (Reuters) – A British-Iranian national appeared in ⁠a ⁠London court on Friday accused ⁠of offering to help Iran’s intelligence service, the latest in ​a series of incidents involving Tehran and offences covered under UK national security laws. Vahid Aberi, a ‌39-year-old from Liverpool, northern England, ‌allegedly approached contacts in Iran with a view to helping their intelligence agencies but ⁠failed, after ⁠which he wrote to the Iranian consulate in London last year. Aberi ​in his message referred to himself as a “humble servant” and asked how he could help his “dear compatriots”, prosecutor Kristel Pous told Westminster Magistrates’ Court. British authorities then deployed a “role-player” to engage with ​Aberi, asking him to collect a bag from London which he was told contained ⁠a ⁠drone. Aberi was arrested on Wednesday ⁠and appeared ​in court on Friday, when he was remanded in custody to next appear at ​the Old Bailey on ⁠August 21. UK security officials have repeatedly warned that Iran has sought to use criminal proxies to carry out hostile activity in the …

Russia Jails Romanian Man for 15 Years After Convicting Him of Spying for Ukraine

Russia Jails Romanian Man for 15 Years After Convicting Him of Spying for Ukraine

Published by Sam Flores

MOSCOW, June 19 (Reuters) – A Romanian ⁠man ⁠has been sentenced ⁠to 15 years in a Russian maximum ​security penal colony after being convicted of spying ‌for Ukraine by helping Kyiv ‌identify the location of sensitive air ⁠defence systems, ⁠Russia’s FSB security service said on Friday. It said ​that the man, David-Adrian Kercho, had shared the location of air defences in Sochi, southern Russia, with a ​Ukrainian intelligence agency in August 2024. “In return for ⁠helping to ⁠obtain information of ⁠interest ​to the enemy, the Ukrainian handler promised the Romanian ​national assistance in ⁠leaving Russia safely and joining a Ukrainian armed group, which is banned on Russian territory, to take part in hostilities against our country,” ⁠the FSB said in a statement. The FSB released video of ⁠Kercho’s arrest in what looked like a park, showing him being forced to the ground by two agents. Reuters could not establish how Kercho had pleaded to the charge, but the FSB said he had admitted his guilt. Dressed in a tracksuit, Kercho, who the FSB ⁠said was …

UK court convicts two men for spying for Hong Kong, China | Espionage News

UK court convicts two men for spying for Hong Kong, China | Espionage News

Published by Sam Flores

The men, dual Chinese-British nationals, are believed to be the first people convicted of spying for China ‌in Britain. Published On 18 Jun 202618 Jun 2026 Two ‌men, including one who worked as a British immigration officer, ⁠were jailed after being convicted of spying on prominent pro-democracy dissidents now based in the United Kingdom on behalf of Hong Kong, and ⁠ultimately China. Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 66, and Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 41, who worked for the UK Border Force, were imprisoned on Thursday after being convicted last ⁠month of assisting a foreign intelligence service by carrying out surveillance on targets between December 2023 and May 2024. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list They are believed to be the first people to have been convicted of spying for China ‌in the UK. Wai was also convicted of misusing his Border Force job to search the interior ministry’s computer database for details about targets. The men, both dual Chinese and British nationals, had denied the accusations, while the Chinese embassy in London said the …

Pentagon raised threat of Israeli spying on U.S. to highest level, sources say

Pentagon raised threat of Israeli spying on U.S. to highest level, sources say

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is increasingly concerned about Israel ramping up its spying on the U.S., recently raising the counterintelligence threat level from America’s top ally in the Middle East to the highest level, according to two U.S. officials and one former U.S. official. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. The Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency in recent weeks issued the new counterintelligence threat assessment amid rising tensions between Israel and the U.S. over the way forward in the war with Iran, the officials said. They said the DIA posted an internal message, viewed by one of the current officials, that raised the level for Israel to “critical.” The designation stems from concerns within the Pentagon that Israel is making a particular effort to surveil top U.S. officials to get information on the Trump administration’s internal deliberations and decision-making on the conflicts in the Middle East, the officials said. The DIA assessment includes a seven-page document and features a chart, according to one of the current U.S. …

Your rewards card may be spying on you — and impacting how much you pay

Your rewards card may be spying on you — and impacting how much you pay

Published by Sam Flores

If you’ve been anywhere online or in stores lately, you’ve likely encountered marketing buzz like “Sign-up to earn loyalty discounts” or “Become a rewards member today!” Today’s consumers are inundated with the pleas of businesses to sign up for member clubs, loyalty programs, discount cards and more. They often offer exclusive sales, access to limited edition items and maybe even specialized discounts. It’s also commonly understood that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is — so what’s the catch? Increasingly, companies are using loyalty programs to offer discounts in name only by building hyperspecific profiles on members that determine what deals customers receive and the maximum they’re willing to pay. In other words, it’s all about data, which can be used against the very consumers who assume it benefits them. This practice falls under the umbrella of surveillance pricing, which is the use of a customer’s personal data to set prices. For example, Customer A is shopping online for grocery pick-up and sees $3.99 for a bag of lemons, whereas …