Who is likely to get caught in an expended IRS bank surveillance program? Just about everyone
Behind all the Democrats’ maneuvers to grow the size of government is a push to collect more tax revenue. That would mean giving the IRS sweeping new powers to see…
Governments and law enforcement using online data to beef up surveillance
Law enforcement and government intelligence agencies are big fans of using private sector data to conduct their operations. When such practices have run into constitutional and political barriers, agencies say…
The post-9/11 growth of the security state
One of the bigger changes to American life following the Sept. 11 terror attacks was a concerted effort to give local law enforcement access to military hardware and an array…
Giving the IRS expansive surveillance powers is a recipe for trouble
Democrats need more tax money to fund their plans to build an even bigger government. Where are they going to find it? Just raising taxes isn’t enough – what’s needed…
Commerce Department will shut down ‘rogue, unaccountable police force’
The Commerce Department’s bizarre, in-house security and intelligence operation is being shut down. As the Washington Post reports: The Commerce Department will eliminate a security unit that it found improperly…
Twenty years on, the war on terror has made the state larger and stronger than ever
One of the biggest changes in America during the 20 year-long fight against global terrorism has been the rapid change, and accelerated growth, of the security state. Once designed to…
Feds plan expanded use of facial recognition technology
According to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, federal agencies intend to expand their use of facial recognition technology (FRT), despite concerns over privacy, false positives, and that…
Report looks at the continuing rise of the regulatory state
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is out with its new look at the state of federal regulation, “10,000 Commandments.” It is a thorough, and thoroughly depressing, assessment of the regulatory state,…
Federal law enforcement is all-in on facial recognition technology
A new Government Accountability Office report shows that numerous federal agencies are currently using facial recognition software to conduct investigations: Agencies reported using the technology to support several activities (e.g.,…
Virginia Curbs Law Enforcement use of Facial Recognition Programs
Law enforcement’s use of facial recognition programs has long been problematic, and it’s lead to lawsuits, like one a Detroit-area man filed for wrongful arrest. But there’s at least some…