Trump's travel ban expires in less than two weeks. Here's what could happen after that.
(The Washington Post, Sep 13, 2017)
Department of Homeland Security officials plan soon to submit to the White House a report that is likely to shape the future of President Trump’s entry ban, a key portion of which is set to expire Sept. 24, authorities said. The report is critical because it is being prepared in response to Trump’s order that the homeland security secretary present him with a list of countries for inclusion in what effectively amounts to a more permanent ban.
Apple is facing questions from the U.S. Senate on the privacy protections in iPhone X and Face ID
(Re/Code, Sep 13, 2017)
A day after Apple unveiled its new iPhone X, Sen. Al Franken is pressing the tech giant to detail the privacy and security safeguards it has in place for biometric data. To Franken, the concern is that Apple could use the so-called faceprints it collects through its new unlocking system, called Face ID, “to benefit other sectors of its business, sell it to third parties for surveillance purposes, or receive law enforcement requests to access it facial recognition system — eventual uses that may not be contemplated by Apple customers,” the lawmaker said in a letter.
Can Apple Unlock Promise of Facial Recognition?
(The Wall Street Journal, Sep 13, 2017)
Apple Inc.’s new iPhone X ties the future of its flagship device to facial-recognition technology that could alter how people interact with their gadgets—if the company can get it to work right. Facial recognition is the flashiest new feature in the 10th-anniversary iPhone Apple unveiled on Tuesday. Called Face ID, it will be the primary tool to unlock the nearly $1,000 iPhone X, which is scheduled to start shipping Nov. 3.
What happens if a cop forces you to unlock your iPhone X with your face?
(The Washington Post, Sep 13, 2017)
Imagine you've been detained at customs, waiting to cross the border. Or maybe you've been pulled over for a traffic violation. An officer waves your cellphone at you. “Look at this. Is this yours?” he asks. Before you can respond, a tiny infrared sensor in the phone has scanned your face. Matching those readings against the copy of your face that is stored in its archive, the phone concludes that its owner is trying to unlock it. The device lowers its defenses, surrendering its contents in moments to the law enforcement officer holding your phone.
Forced Searches of Phones and Laptops at U.S. Border Are Illegal, Lawsuit Claims
(The New York Times, Sep 13, 2017)
Eleven people whose phones and laptops were searched at United States airports and at the nation’s northern border are suing the Department of Homeland Security, joining a growing chorus of critics who say the forced inspections are invasive and unlawful. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, claims the plaintiffs’ First and Fourth Amendment rights were violated when United States agents searched, and in some cases confiscated, their devices without a warrant.
Agents are increasingly searching smartphones at the border. This lawsuit wants to limit that.
(The Washington Post, Sep 13, 2017)
Two leading civil rights groups sued the federal government Wednesday in hopes of curbing the wide-ranging ability of federal agents to search and seize the smartphones and computers of travelers — including U.S. citizens — as they arrive on American soil but have not yet formally entered the country. The practice, which remains rare but has grown more frequent in recent years, allows agents in border zones such as the arrivals areas of international airports to sidestep the Supreme Court’s landmark Riley decision in 2014.
How Silicon Valley is erasing your individuality
(The Washington Post, Sep 08, 2017)
Until recently, it was easy to define our most widely known corporations. Any third-grader could describe their essence. Exxon sells gas; McDonald’s makes hamburgers; Walmart is a place to buy stuff. This is no longer so. Today’s ascendant monopolies aspire to encompass all of existence. Along with Facebook, Microsoft and Apple, these companies are in a race to become our “personal assistant.” They want to wake us in the morning, have their artificial intelligence software guide us through our days and never quite leave our sides.
Conservatives, liberals unite against Silicon Valley
(Politico, Sep 12, 2017)
The days of unqualified praise from Washington are over for the country’s biggest tech companies, whose size and power are increasingly drawing attacks from both the left and the right. Democrats are condemning Facebook for allowing "fake news" and Russia-linked ads during the election, while conservatives accuse Google of silencing right-leaning viewpoints. President Donald Trump routinely accuses Amazon of dodging taxes, and right-leaning news organizations have begun mocking Silicon Valley leaders as power-hungry and out of touch.
DOS Implements Visa Sanctions on Countries that Refuse Deportees
(American Security Today, Sep 13, 2017)
The Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the State Department, has announced the implementation of visa sanctions on Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea, and Sierra Leone due to lack of cooperation in accepting their nationals ordered removed from the United States. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke notified Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that these governments have denied or unreasonably delayed accepting their nationals ordered removed from the United States.
CBP plans 2018 facial recognition rollout
(GCN, Sep 12, 2017)
Customs and Border Protection is looking to make a facial recognition pilot program fully functional at 20 airports by February 2018, according to Michael Hardin, deputy director of CBP’s Entry/Exit Transformation Office. “It will depend on what airports modernize and their willingness to work with us -- with individual airlines having a role in it too,” Hardin said at the Sept. 12 AFCEA Federal Identity Forum. “We see 'fully functioning' as getting to the majority of flights at the top 20 airports.”
TSA Administrator Pekoske Addresses ICAO Symposium
(ACI-NA, Sep 13, 2017)
Today, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David P. Pekoske addressed the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Global Aviation Security Symposium hosted in collaboration with Airports Council International. Following are Administrator Pekoske’s comments.
