Information Allegations Directed at Some Law Enforcement Entities
January 26, 2022
Before the advent of modern technology, police states were limited in the amount of surveillance they could conduct. As technology advances, the amount of information police can extract from people’s devices is as scary as science fiction. El Poder Deportivo explains a frightening surveillance tool US police are now using: “AI-Driven People Surveillance: US Cops Reportedly Utilizing Invasive Tool To Grab Candidates’ Social Media Marketing, Pornhub and Tinder.”
Police in Michigan are using a tool called SocialNet that captures data from social media and other pertinent Web sites. ShadowDragon is responsible for inventing SocialNet. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your political stance, Michigan is not the only state that is ShadowDragon’s customers. Massachusetts and the US Department of Immigration are on that list.
Law enforcement officials are not broadcasting they are using SocialNet, but the information it is in use is available after a little detective work. Michigan nor ShadowDragon admit what agencies are using SocialNet, but documents show that it was purchased through a third party called Kaseware.
Local and state governments spent a lot of money on the SocialNet application. Authorities are also whitewashing their justification for purchasing and using SocialNet.
It is not surprising that US police are using advances tools to collect people’s personal information. Law enforcement and governments have been doing that for centuries. The bigger question to ask if the US police are collecting the information lawfully or illegally?
“Likening ‘predictive policing’ to ‘AI-driven racial profiling and society surveillance,’ the United states Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Michigan workplace observed that ShadowDragon tools broken the “basic right to confidentiality.” In a number of tweets, the ACLU required the usage of such hardware https://datingmentor.org/escort/pomona/ to finish.”
SocialNet will probably be used in both positive and negative ways. It will capture plenty of evidence to put bad actors behind bars as well as hinder individuals who the governments do not like. In the wake of the NSO Group’s publicity tsunami, more specialized software vendors are likely to be subject to scrutiny.
Whitney Grace, January 26, 2022
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