Privacy Policy This privacy policy applies to information collected online from users of this website. In this policy, you can learn what kind of information we collect, when and how we might use that information, how we protect the information, and the choices you...
Results for "privacy"
‘Genetic surveillance’: Police use of DNA databases and privacy
If you take a genealogy test, you could be exposing your family, from your kids to your distant relatives, to the possibility of having their genetics exposed to third parties, including law enforcement.This is because companies like GEDmatch have created massive...
‘Fog Reveal’ tool allows police to know your full location history
Do you want the police to keep a record of everywhere you’ve ever been? It would be awfully convenient for the police to have that information. Law enforcement could simply make a list of places where illegal things are likely to happen or where certain people are not...
Should the police be allowed to access newborns’ DNA?
Our DNA contains a tremendous amount of sensitive, personal information. Not only about us, but about our family members. It can tell us who we’re related to, whether we have genetic disorders and even how likely we are to get certain cancers. According to one study,...
Wisconsin Supreme Court allows end-run around lack of warrant
When the founders decided to require warrants before the government could search someone, what rights were they trying to protect? They wanted to free Americans from an intrusive government seeking to take their liberty without due process. They wanted to protect our...
Cops need a warrant to search phones? Not for parolees, probationers
In 2014’s Riley v. California, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that law enforcement cannot search the contents of your phone without a warrant, even when they’re arresting you. The high court specifically found that modern cellphones are not like the contents...
Apple announces plan to scan your iPhone for child pornography
It’s tempting to set aside the privacy rights of people who may be involved in child pornography. Most people have no sympathy for that type of criminal offense, and many people feel that policing child pornography should be aggressive. The problem with doing so is...
Supreme Court: Cops in hot pursuit may still need a warrant
The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects Americans from “unreasonable” searches and seizures by the government. That doesn’t always mean that police officers need a warrant before they can search you, but courts start with the base assumption that a...
2 states pass laws to limit police use of genealogy data
Did you know that taking a genetic genealogy test could result in your DNA being uploaded to a national, searchable database that police could use to accuse you of a crime? Worse, it’s not just you who is at risk. The entry of your DNA into such a database exposes...
Should police be allowed to collect your ‘abandoned’ DNA without your consent or a warrant?
The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures by government agents such as police. It is among our primary sources of constitutional protection against government overreach and surveillance. This is because, in criminal...