French police secretly used Briefcam facial recognition since 2015
The French National Police has been using Briefcam's Video Synopsis software since 2015, according to internal documents obtained by Disclose. The software, which includes facial recognition capabilities, was deployed without the required data protection impact assessment or notification to the CNIL. The Ministry of the Interior concealed the use of this tool for eight years. The police hierarchy allegedly used the software for facial recognition without judicial requisition, and the DGPN did not respond to requests for comment.
- Company involved
- French National Police
- AI system involved
- Briefcam Video Synopsis
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Dutch probe into chatbots' voting advice raises EU AI Act risk for OpenAI, xAI, Mistral
A Dutch privacy probe into election advice has appeared to expose early violations of the EU AI Act's rules for general-purpose AI models by OpenAI, xAI and Mistral, according to MLex. The companies' chatbots provided distorted voting advice to users. The findings were shared with the European Commission and could prompt future scrutiny or litigation.
- Company involved
- OpenAI, xAI and Mistral
6 source articles · read the reporting →
GMB members report declining earnings since Uber introduced dynamic pricing
GMB Union has welcomed a report into Uber's dynamic pricing that appears to show it benefits Uber more than drivers. GMB members have reported declining earnings since the introduction of dynamic pricing. The union has called for greater transparency around earnings in the gig economy and will review the report before consulting members on next steps.
- Company involved
- Uber
- AI system involved
- dynamic pricing
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Delhi Police use facial recognition to screen PM Modi rally attendees
Delhi Police used an Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS) to screen crowds at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally on December 22, 2019. The system, originally installed to find missing children, was used to identify possible disruptions. Privacy advocates called the move illegal and unconstitutional, saying it amounts to mass surveillance. Police defended the use, citing credible intelligence about possible disruptions.
- Company involved
- Delhi Police
- AI system involved
- Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS)
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Audit of RisCanvi finds biases and reliability issues in criminal justice system
Eticas conducted an adversarial audit of RisCanvi, an AI risk assessment tool used in Catalonia's criminal justice system. The audit uncovered biases in risk classifications against specific demographics and significant reliability issues. The findings call for fairer practices in criminal justice AI.
- Company involved
- Catalonia's criminal justice system
- AI system involved
- RisCanvi
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Vumacam's AI CCTV system flagged 28 black people as suspicious in Johannesburg suburbs
In Johannesburg suburbs, Vumacam's AI-powered CCTV network using iSentry software flagged 28 black individuals as 'suspicious' in a shift report, according to a 2019 article. The system, deployed by private security firms, uses video analytics to detect abnormal behavior and alerts security guards. The article alleges that the system disproportionately targets people of color, reflecting racial bias in a racially divided country.
- Company involved
- Vumacam
- AI system involved
- iSentry
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Meta admits scraping Australian users' public data for AI training without opt-out
Meta has admitted to scraping the public photos, posts and other data of all Australian adult users on Facebook and Instagram to train its generative AI models. The company does not offer Australians an opt-out option, unlike users in the European Union. The admission came during a Senate inquiry, where Meta's global privacy director acknowledged the practice. The scraping has been ongoing since at least 2007.
- Company involved
- Meta
- AI system involved
- Meta AI
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Individual used AI to fabricate Yunnan landslide death toll
In January 2024, an individual used AI software to generate a fake news article claiming a landslide in Yunnan had killed 8 people, posting it online to attract traffic and profit. The false information caused adverse social impact. Police investigated and imposed an administrative penalty on the perpetrator.
1 source article · read the reporting →
GoLaxy Used AI to Manipulate Public Opinion in Hong Kong and Taiwan
The Chinese company GoLaxy used an AI system called Smart Propaganda System (GoPro) to monitor and manipulate public opinion in Hong Kong and Taiwan, according to internal documents. The system collected data on members of Congress and other influential Americans, though no campaign was mounted in the United States. GoLaxy denied the allegations, calling them misinformation. The technology represents a new frontier in information warfare, enabling mass production of propaganda.
- Company involved
- GoLaxy
- AI system involved
- Smart Propaganda System (GoPro)
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Philip Morris accused of using AI to rig EU tobacco consultation responses
Dutch broadcasters Pointer and NOS allege that Philip Morris International used an AI-powered platform, 'Your Voice, Your Choice', to generate responses to the European Commission's public consultation on tobacco legislation. The platform offered pre-defined responses and AI assistance, leading to an estimated 30 per cent of all responses being AI-generated. Philip Morris denies wrongdoing, stating that users retained full control and that anti-tobacco lobbyists are attempting to discredit legitimate participation. The incident raises concerns about the integrity of EU democratic processes.
- Company involved
- Philip Morris International
- AI system involved
- Your Voice, Your Choice
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Italian DPA fines Municipality of Trento over AI surveillance projects
The Italian data protection authority (Garante) fined the Municipality of Trento €50,000 for two research projects, Marvel and Protector, that used AI to analyze video, audio, and social media data for public security purposes. The projects involved automated detection of risk events from surveillance cameras and microphones in public spaces, as well as monitoring social media for hate speech. The Garante found multiple violations of privacy law, including lack of a valid legal basis, insufficient anonymization, failure to conduct a data protection impact assessment, and inadequate transparency. The municipality is required to delete the unlawfully processed data.
- Company involved
- Comune di Trento
- AI system involved
- Marvel and Protector
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Palantir secretly tested predictive policing in New Orleans
Beginning in 2012, Palantir Technologies secretly partnered with the New Orleans Police Department to deploy a predictive policing system. The programme analysed gang affiliations, social media and criminal histories to forecast individuals’ likelihood of committing or becoming victims of violence, operating without public knowledge or city council oversight. Researchers and law enforcement officials raised concerns about systemic bias and civil liberties. As of 2018, the city and Palantir had not disclosed the programme’s status.
- Company involved
- New Orleans Police Department
1 source article · read the reporting →
Duke University MTMC Dataset Used in Authoritarian Surveillance Research
Duke University created and openly distributed the Duke MTMC dataset, containing surveillance footage of approximately 2,000 students and visitors on campus. The dataset was used by numerous organisations, including Chinese military-linked companies like SenseTime and Hikvision, for developing person re-identification and facial recognition technologies. Following an investigation by exposing.ai and the Financial Times, Duke University terminated the dataset in May 2019. The incident highlights the privacy risks of academic datasets being repurposed for mass surveillance without consent.
- Company involved
- Duke University
- AI system involved
- Duke MTMC
1 source article · read the reporting →
San Jose is training AI to spot homeless encampments in first US pilot
San Jose has been running a pilot in which cameras on a municipal vehicle feed computer vision software being trained to detect lived-in vehicles and homeless encampments in District 10. The scheme, believed to be the first of its kind in the US, has prompted concern among housing advocates that it could be used to punish and displace unhoused residents. The city says the aim is to respond more efficiently to complaints about encampments and that the footage is not being actively monitored for law enforcement.
- Company involved
- City of San Jose
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Google contractors targeted homeless people for Pixel 4 facial recognition data
Google hired Randstad to collect facial data to train the Pixel 4's face recognition system. Contractors allegedly targeted homeless people and unaware students, using deceptive tactics such as calling it a "selfie game" and offering $5 without informing subjects they were being recorded. Google suspended the research program and opened an investigation following the report.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- Pixel 4 facial recognition
1 source article · read the reporting →
Xuhui police expand facial recognition surveillance to profile 1.1 million residents
The Xuhui District branch of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security is expanding its Intelligent Image Recognition System, adding 2,500 facial recognition cameras and increased computing capacity to build profiles of residents and flag deviations. The project, contracted to US-sanctioned FiberHome, is designed to match each face to files on more than 50 million people. Officials say the system will analyse behaviour patterns and trigger early warnings.
- Company involved
- Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security, Xuhui District Branch
- AI system involved
- Intelligent Image Recognition System
3 source articles · read the reporting →
NHS faces legal action over Palantir data contract extension
The NHS is being taken to court by campaign group Open Democracy over its contract with data firm Palantir. The legal action alleges that the extension of Palantir's involvement in analysing NHS patient data for pandemic response and beyond lacked a proper Data Protection Impact Assessment. The contract, initially an emergency response, was extended for two years at a cost of £23.5m. The case is pending.
- Company involved
- NHS
- AI system involved
- Palantir data analysis platform
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Brainwash cafe customers unknowingly put in AI surveillance dataset
In 2014, customers at the Brainwash Cafe in San Francisco were recorded by a publicly available webcam. The images were compiled into a dataset containing 11,917 photos for training surveillance-related object and head detection algorithms. The dataset was later removed from access following an investigation revealing use by researchers affiliated with the National University of Defense Technology in China. The dataset's creators are accused of collecting the images without the cafe customers' knowledge or consent.
- Company involved
- Stanford University
- AI system involved
- Brainwash dataset
1 source article · read the reporting →
Google Cloud Used in CBP AI Virtual Border Wall Contract
The Intercept reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection accepted a proposal to use Google Cloud artificial intelligence for its Innovation Team, including work with Anduril Industries' surveillance towers. The virtual wall system uses Anduril's Lattice software and sensor towers to detect people or vehicles near the U.S.-Mexico border and relay their locations to agents. Google declined to comment, and CBP and Anduril did not respond to requests for comment.
- Company involved
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- AI system involved
- Google Cloud AI Platform with Anduril Lattice and Sentry Towers
1 source article · read the reporting →
Whole Foods uses heat map to track unionization risk at stores
Whole Foods, owned by Amazon, is reportedly using a heat map that scores stores on their risk of unionization. The system analyses metrics including local union membership, NLRB charges, employee compensation, diversity, and internal sentiment surveys. The tool is used to monitor and potentially prevent union organising efforts. Whole Foods stated it prefers a direct relationship with employees, while Amazon has a history of aggressively combating unionization.
- Company involved
- Whole Foods Market
1 source article · read the reporting →
Grab's surge pricing algorithm always adds fees, investigation finds
An investigation by the Pulitzer Center found that Grab's ride-hailing app in the Philippines always includes surge fees in its fares, even when wait times are long. Customers like Rica Torres reported rising costs without explanation. A complaint filed with the LTFRB in 2022 remains unresolved, and the regulator has not determined how the algorithm sets surge rates.
- Company involved
- Grab
- AI system involved
- Grab app
8 source articles · read the reporting →
DOJ, Pinnacle reach settlement in RealPage case - Yahoo Finance
The system recommended rent prices to landlords, affecting renters' housing costs.
- Company involved
- Pinnacle Property Management Services
- AI system involved
- RealPage
1 source article · read the reporting →
New Meta smart glasses class action gives employers a reason to write the policy they've been puttin - hcamag.com
The smart glasses recorded bystanders without their consent and sent the footage to Meta for AI training.
- Company involved
- Meta Platforms
- AI system involved
- Meta AI-enabled Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses
1 source article · read the reporting →
Meta accused of exploiting content moderators in Ghana
Meta moved its Facebook content moderation operations to Ghana after laying off moderators in Kenya. Workers in Accra report poor working conditions, low pay, and psychological harm from reviewing traumatic content. Foxglove is investigating and planning a legal challenge.
- Company involved
- Meta
- AI system involved
- Facebook content moderation system
3 source articles · read the reporting →
