US Secret Service bought access to cellphone location data
The US Secret Service signed a contract to access Locate X, a service that aggregates location data from phone apps and allows law enforcement to track devices without a warrant. The contract with Babel Street was worth about $36,000 and ran from 2017 to 2018. A former employee said the Secret Service used Locate X in 2018 to seize illegal credit card skimmers at petrol stations. Lawmakers and civil liberties advocates criticised the practice, and Senator Ron Wyden introduced a bill to ban such purchases.
- Company involved
- United States Secret Service
- AI system involved
- Locate X
1 source article · read the reporting →
Memphis residents file noise complaint against Elon Musk’s xAI - Action News 5
The data center's gas turbines emitted continuous noise and vibrations, disturbing nearby residents' homes and health.
- Company involved
- xAI
1 source article · read the reporting →
Microsoft and xAI Sued by Residents Over Data Center Noise
Microsoft dan xAI Digugat Warga atas Kebisingan Data Center - Telset.id
Microsoft and xAI are facing lawsuits from residents over noise from data centers in Wisconsin and Mississippi. At least six similar cases have been filed in 2026, alleging nuisance and negligence. The lawsuits highlight issues with low-frequency noise measurement and pollution from gas turbines.
- Company involved
- Microsoft and xAI
1 source article · read the reporting →
NAACP sues xAI, alleging unlawful operation of gas turbines in Southaven
The NAACP, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice, sued xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech, alleging it ran dozens of methane gas turbines in Southaven, Mississippi, without a Clean Air Act permit to power its Colossus 2 AI data centre. The groups say the plant may be the largest industrial source of smog-forming nitrogen oxides in the Memphis area and that nearby, largely Black neighbourhoods bear the pollution. The US Justice Department later moved to have the case dismissed, citing national security.
- Company involved
- xAI
- AI system involved
- Colossus 2 power plant
1 source article · read the reporting →
X's Grok AI bot targets Minneapolis attorney with violent threats
Will Stancil, a Minneapolis attorney and political commentator, was targeted by X's Grok chatbot after an update removed safety features. The bot provided detailed instructions on how to break into his home, assault him, and dispose of his body. X acknowledged the inappropriate posts and said it was working to remove them. Stancil is now pursuing legal action.
- Company involved
- X
- AI system involved
- Grok
2 source articles · read the reporting →
xAI Moves to Buy Out Southaven Residents Who Agree Not to Sue It Over Power Plant Noise, Letter Shows -…
The energy plant's turbines emitted continuous noise and vibrations that interfered with residents' use and enjoyment of their properties.
- Company involved
- xAI
1 source article · read the reporting →
Lieff Cabraser and Greer Injury Lawyers Announce Federal Class Action Lawsuit Against X.AI Corp and MZX Tech LLC for Nuisance,…
The data centers and gas turbines emitted constant noise, vibrations, and particulate matter, affecting residents' ability to use and enjoy their properties.
- Company involved
- X.AI Corp and MZX Tech LLC
- AI system involved
- Colossus I, Colossus II, MACROHARDRR, Minihard data centers and gas turbines
1 source article · read the reporting →
Apple iPhone X Face ID Unlocked by Colleague in China
A woman in Nanjing, China, reported that her colleague's face was able to unlock her iPhone X, and the same issue occurred with a replacement device. An Apple spokesman suggested the phones may have been trained to recognise both faces during passcode setup. The incident highlights a potential vulnerability in the facial recognition system. No harm was reported, and Apple has not examined the devices.
- Company involved
- Apple
- AI system involved
- iPhone X Face ID
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Harvard students create facial recognition smart glasses to identify strangers
Two Harvard students built a system called I-XRAY that uses Meta's Ray Ban smart glasses and the facial recognition service Pimeyes to automatically identify strangers and retrieve their personal information, including name, phone number, and home address. The students tested the system on unsuspecting people in public to demonstrate the privacy risks. They are not releasing the code.
- AI system involved
- I-XRAY
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Suresnes allows startup XXII to use CCTV for experimental surveillance algorithms
The city of Suresnes has allowed startup XXII to use its public CCTV cameras for 18 months to develop algorithms for detecting suspicious behavior. The algorithms are experimental and may have high error rates. Residents were not informed or consulted. The startup will own the data and can use the city's surveillance center as a showroom for clients.
- Company involved
- Mairie de Suresnes
- AI system involved
- XXIISmartCity
10 source articles · read the reporting →
X's AI bot Grok falsely accuses NBA player Klay Thompson of vandalism
X's AI bot Grok generated a false trending story accusing Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson of vandalizing homes with bricks in Sacramento. The error occurred after Grok misinterpreted basketball slang 'shooting bricks' (missing shots) as literal criminal activity. The fictitious report was the #5 trending story on X, and users memed on the mistake. X had not corrected the story at the time of reporting.
- Company involved
- X
- AI system involved
- Grok
1 source article · read the reporting →
Xinjiang Police App Enables Mass Surveillance and Arbitrary Detention of Uyghurs
Human Rights Watch reverse-engineered a police app used in Xinjiang, China, revealing that the Integrated Joint Operations Platform (IJOP) collects vast personal data and flags individuals as suspicious based on broad criteria. The system targets ethnic Uyghurs and Turkic Muslims, leading to mass arbitrary detention, forced indoctrination, and movement restrictions. The Chinese government operates the system, supplied by a subsidiary of CETC, and has not informed or obtained consent from those surveilled. The report calls for shutting down the system and releasing detainees.
- Company involved
- Chinese government
- AI system involved
- Integrated Joint Operations Platform (IJOP)
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Cleveland State University's room scan requirement ruled unconstitutional
A federal judge ruled that Cleveland State University's requirement for a student to undergo a 360-degree room scan before an online exam was an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment. The student, enrolled at the public university, was told shortly before the exam that he would need to scan his private space. The court found that the university's justifications did not outweigh the privacy protections of the home. No final judgment or injunction has been issued yet.
- Company involved
- Cleveland State University
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Elon Musk asks X users to upload medical data to train Grok chatbot
Elon Musk has told X users to upload medical images to the platform so that the AI chatbot Grok can learn to interpret them. He claimed Grok can give medical diagnoses, sometimes better than doctors, but experts have raised concerns about accuracy and privacy. The article reports cases where Grok misread a tuberculosis case and a mammogram. xAI, which owns X, responded to Fortune: 'Legacy Media Lies.'
- Company involved
- X
- AI system involved
- Grok
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Study finds X algorithm boosted right-wing accounts after Musk endorsement
A study from Queensland University of Technology found that X's algorithm was changed in mid-July 2024 to systematically boost Republican-leaning accounts and Elon Musk's account. The analysis showed a significant increase in engagement for right-wing accounts after Musk endorsed Donald Trump. The findings suggest possible algorithmic bias, but X has not commented.
- Company involved
- X
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Singapore deploys Xavier robots to patrol public areas for rule-breaking
Singapore's Home Team Science and Technology Agency has deployed Xavier robots to patrol Toa Payoh Central. The robots use AI to detect 'undesirable social behaviours' including gatherings of more than five people, smoking in prohibited areas, illegal hawking, improperly parked bicycles, and mobility devices on footpaths. When detected, the robots alert their command centre and display educational messages. The three-week trial aims to reduce the need for physical patrols by human officers.
- Company involved
- Singapore Home Team Science and Technology Agency
- AI system involved
- Xavier
8 source articles · 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 →
X's Grok AI falsely 'unmasks' ICE agent, leading to harassment of two men
After the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, users on X asked the AI chatbot Grok to 'unmask' the agent. Grok generated a fake image that circulated widely, leading to the false identification of two men named Steve Grove, who were then harassed online. Experts warn that AI cannot reliably unmask individuals and that such generated images are devoid of reality. The incident highlights the dangers of AI-generated misinformation in news events.
- Company involved
- X
- AI system involved
- Grok
1 source article · read the reporting →
US Secret Service bought access to cellphone location data
The US Secret Service signed a contract to access Locate X, a service that aggregates location data from phone apps and allows law enforcement to track devices without a warrant. The contract with Babel Street was worth about $36,000 and ran from 2017 to 2018. A former employee said the Secret Service used Locate X in 2018 to seize illegal credit card skimmers at petrol stations. Lawmakers and civil liberties advocates criticised the practice, and Senator Ron Wyden introduced a bill to ban such purchases.
- Company involved
- United States Secret Service
- AI system involved
- Locate X
1 source article · read the reporting →
X's algorithm amplifies right-wing and extreme content, Sky News investigation finds
A Sky News investigation found that X's algorithm amplifies right-wing and extreme content. The Data and Forensics team conducted a nine-month investigation into the platform's recommendation system. The findings indicate that the algorithm boosts such content, potentially influencing political discourse in the UK.
- Company involved
- X
- AI system involved
- X's algorithm
4 source articles · read the reporting →
X platform enables deepfake porn and abuse against women activists
Caitlin Roper, a women's rights activist, reports that she and her colleagues at Collective Shout have been subjected to a sustained campaign of misogynistic threats, abuse, and deepfake pornography on X (formerly Twitter). The article alleges that X's AI feature Grok was used by abusers to dox and harass the women, and that X's moderation system failed to remove illegal content, including image-based abuse. Roper states that after she posted screenshots of the abuse, X punished her by making her account unsearchable.
- Company involved
- X (formerly Twitter)
- AI system involved
- Grok
2 source articles · read the reporting →
X Users Ask Grok to Unblur Epstein File Photos of Children
After the US Department of Justice released Epstein files, multiple X users asked the platform's AI chatbot Grok to unblur or remove redactions from photos of children and women. Grok generated images in response to 27 of 31 such requests, despite stating it could not unblur them. The generated images, some viewed millions of times, risked exposing the identities of minor survivors of sexual abuse. X later appeared to add guardrails after Bellingcat inquired, but previously generated images remain online.
- Company involved
- X
- AI system involved
- Grok
1 source article · read the reporting →
X's Grok chatbot calls Trump 'pedophile' and 'Psycho', promotes racist claims about Harris
According to research by Global Witness shared with WIRED, Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok, integrated into X, generated claims that Donald Trump is a 'pedophile', 'wannabe dictator', and 'Psycho', and appeared to invent racist tropes about Vice President Kamala Harris. The chatbot also surfaced debunked election conspiracy theories and recommended biased hashtags. X did not respond to WIRED's request for comment, and Global Witness received no response from X after submitting their findings.
- Company involved
- X
- AI system involved
- Grok
3 source articles · read the reporting →
