surveillance

Europe News

Italian government denies illegal spying on journalists and activists

A minister told parliament that while the government does have a contract with Israeli cyber solutions firm Paragon, it has not overstepped the law in its use of spyware technology.

13/02/2025

Culture news

George Orwell to be honoured with new £2 coin by UK’s Royal Mint

The UK’s Royal Mint is set to celebrate the legacy of George Orwell, the author of "Nineteen Eighty-Four" and "Animal Farm", with a special £2 coin marking the 75th anniversary of his death.

13/01/2025

Tech News

Austria plans to give police more powers to monitor social media

The new counterterrorism measures, which include stronger monitoring of "messenger services," come in the wake of a thwarted attack at a Taylor Swift concert.

14/08/2024

Tech News

Here’s what a US surveillance law means for European data privacy

A section of the framework allowing US surveillance abroad was renewed last month, meaning Europeans are still prone to being spied on.

01/06/2024

Tech News

Controversial AI surveillance used ahead of Taylor Swift's Paris shows

Paris authorities have authorised using AI-driven video surveillance ahead of Taylor Swift's concerts, but the tech has raised privacy concerns.

10/05/2024

Tech News

Euroviews. It's time for a heart-to-heart about the EU's surveillance agenda

The EU must end its shadowy games with the industry, engage in meaningful transparency and respect our fundamental rights, Chloé Berthélémy and Viktoria Tomova write.

08/05/2024

Tech News

Exclusive: Unions seek Amazon surveillance systems privacy probes

The tech giant received a data protection fine in France last year for monitoring employee activity.

07/05/2024

Tech News

EU migrant pact ushering in 'deadly new era of digital surveillance'

The warning from a coalition of European digital rights groups comes after years-long deadlock was broken with the polarising new legislation.

17/04/2024

Business

Airbnb bans indoor surveillance cameras in rentals

Rental platform Airbnb says it will prioritise guest privacy following complaints of hidden cameras in properties.

12/03/2024

Tech News

Euroviews. Who is looking after us when our digital safety is undermined?

When tech companies’ surveillance business practices facilitate law enforcement’s push for more access to data, movements are silenced and civic spaces for collective organising shrink, Viktoria Tomova writes.

20/02/2024

Europe News

Could the EU's AI Act increase mass surveillance?

The use of facial recognition technology could increase across the European Union despite efforts to regulate it under the bloc-wide Artificial Intelligence Act.

30/01/2024

Tech News

Euroviews. EU governments' hypocrisy is on full display over dangerous police AI

Our governments must be willing to put their money where their mouth is, ensuring that state uses of AI are subject to the same reasonable rules and requirements as any other AI system, Ella Jakubowska writes.

04/12/2023

World News

Euroviews. The EU should make facial recognition history for the right reasons

Whilst civil rights activists have long called for an outright ban, certain EU lawmakers may see the AI Act as an opportunity to claim that they are doing the (human) right(s) thing — and actually doing the opposite, Ella Jakubowska writes.

16/11/2023

World News

Euroviews. Facial recognition technology should be regulated, but not banned

The European Commission has proven itself to be an effective regulator in the past. A blanket ban on FRT in law enforcement will only benefit the criminals, Tony Porter and Dr Nicole Benjamin Fink write.

07/08/2023

World News

Euroviews. Will Europe’s AI legislation protect people’s rights?

As the EU’s AI Act moves into the final phase of negotiations, key battles arise for the protection of human rights. The rules on the police’s use of AI technology for surveillance are the heart of the issue, Sarah Chander writes.

12/07/2023

Europe News

MEPs endorse blanket ban on live facial recognition in public spaces

Members of the European Parliament endorsed on Wednesday a blanket ban on AI-powered facial recognition in public spaces.

14/06/2023

Nature

'Russian spy' whale spotted off the Swedish coast

Scientists are monitoring the whale, which has now been reported off Lysekill, north of Goteborg, Sweden.

30/05/2023

Greece

Greek PM admits phone tapping was wrong

He admitted there was no sufficient explanation for the surveillance of an opposition leader, with national elections nearing.

11/05/2023

World News

Euroviews. Retrospective facial recognition tech conceals human rights abuses

With the AI Act, the EU has a unique opportunity to end rampant abuse facilitated by mass surveillance technologies, Ella Jakubowska, Hajira Maryam and Matt Mahmoudi write.

14/04/2023

Iran

China turbocharging crackdown on Iranian women, say experts

Chinese technology and support are contributing to women's treatment as "second-class citizens" and "propping up" the regime, according to analysts.

14/04/2023