The most advanced technology in schools is no longer found only in classrooms, computer labs, and libraries. It’s in the networked cameras angled for maximum visibility, the weapons detectors at entrances, and soon, in an advanced surveillance system designed to identify threats—and it may be turned on students as…

At least one school in China is trying out face recognition software that scans students’ faces to check if they’re paying attention in class, Epoch Times reports.

Security researchers have unearthed an elaborate scheme of North Korean front companies secretly suppling advanced biometric recognition and encryption software to countries around the world. In a new report, researchers at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies say North Korea uses a web of freelancing…

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new task force Wednesday dedicated to studying the social impact of algorithms on the public.

Eric Alexander, a former top executive with Uber, has sent a complaint to his former employer alleging he was wrongfully terminated last year, Recode reports. Recode’s sources say Alexander sent a draft complaint letter to Uber offices, claiming that he was not only wrongfully fired, but also unfairly targeted…

Apple has been granted a patent, first filed in 2015, that could lead to huge enhancements in the iPhone’s biometric powers by using “pulsed radiation” to peer into users’ veins. A relatively recent wave of similar patents could point to a new sub-dermal standard in future generations of smartphones and wearables.

The San Francisco District Attorney’s office is partnering with Code for America to trial a new algorithm to hasten clearing marijuana convictions. California’s landmark Proposition 64 opened the door for people with old marijuana convictions to petition to have the charges removed from their record. The algorithm…

A privacy watchdog group in the UK is calling for a ban on automated face recognition technologies after a report revealed staggeringly high false-positive rates. Big Brother Watch has released a report, titled “Face Off: The Lawless Growth of Facial Recognition in UK Policing,” detailing abuses of the tech, which the…

On Tuesday, Facebook debuted its Youth Portal, a subsite featuring dozens of quick explainers on its privacy and data collection policies, as well as general tips for using social media. It’s actually a great resource for adults. The sections are concisely written, with cute emoji that sort of look like updated…

A team of computer science students has embedded subliminal audio signals into music, allowing them to secretly seize control of devices that respond to voice commands.

A recently published patent filed by Nike depicts a new “rotatable conveyor element” designed to help people put on their shoes. Essentially a tiny treadmill, the proposed device is a conveyer belt that’s embedded in a shoe’s insole and “configured to rotatably engage a body part of the wearer as the foot enters the…

Wealthy elites sank more than $600 million into Theranos, the rapidly flatlining blood-testing startup, according to a new Wall Street Journal report.

An Illinois bill permitting police surveillance drones at protests is igniting a fiery debate in Chicago.

On Tuesday, Oakland passed a new ordinance regulating the use of surveillance devices by the city. While it’s not the first municipality in the nation to do so, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) are saying Oakland’s ordinance is the strongest one yet.

Realtors have a new warning for prospective homeowners: you’re being watched.

Companies throughout China are using brainwave sensors to train workers and screen for mental fitness, South China Morning Post reports. More than a dozen factories are requiring workers to wear devices that use artificial intelligence to monitor their emotions. While officials say this saves money, the implications…