Federal Judge Calls Flock License-Plate Searches Unconstitutional
A federal ruling in Oklahoma finds warrantless use of Flock's automated license plate readers can violate the Fourth Amendment.
Society
Education, media, ethics, and culture.
Campus Censors Target Student Journalists, Records Show
Public records and hotline data show administrators increasingly pressure student newsrooms and their advisors over sensitive reporting.
Leaked Video Claims New GrayKey Tool Freezes iPhones to Beat Apple’s Auto-Reboot
A leaked training video says a police device can keep iPhones in an unlocked state, undermining Apple’s automatic reboot feature.
Columbia Journalism School pauses M.A. admissions, adds online degree
The prestigious journalism school is restructuring graduate education, halting the M.A. while introducing a part-time online degree.
California signs largest US local news tax credit into law
The state expects the credit to channel up to $40 million a year to newsrooms based on how many journalists they employ.
AI audio briefing built by two 23-year-olds tops Argentina’s news apps
A daily AI-generated audio news briefing, inspired by a car dealership manager’s habit, has become Argentina’s most-downloaded news app.
AI 'Torture Chamber' Project Triggers Debate Over Model Welfare
A developer's stunt involving 'pain vectors' in open-source chatbots has reignited a divisive argument about whether language models deserve ethical consideration.
Lawyer Sanctioned After ChatGPT Invented Witnesses in Murder Appeal
A New Mexico attorney faces disciplinary action after relying on ChatGPT for a brief that contained fabricated testimony.
Countries Need Independent AI Safety Evaluators, Not Just Vendor Checks
At a Rest of World event, speakers argued that nations outside the U.S.-China AI race must build their own capacity to assess imported models.
Federal Drug Grant Pulls Local License Plate Data Into National Surveillance
A 1980s anti-drug program is quietly aggregating local automated license plate reader data into federal systems, bypassing local restrictions and oversight.
USPS Pilot Puts Road-Scanning Cameras in Mail Trucks
The Postal Service is testing dashboard cameras that map roads and sidewalks, citing community safety, with privacy safeguards.
Big Tech Infrastructure Enables Deepfake Abuse, Study Finds
Researchers found that Cloudflare, Google, Namecheap, WordPress, and Proton provide essential services to sites hosting non-consensual AI-generated intimate imagery.
Publishers rethink audience engagement at London conference
A one-day event brought together media professionals to discuss how news organizations are changing the way they connect with audiences.
Third-Party Firm Offers Facial Recognition for Flock Camera Data
A company called VIDIZMO is marketing facial recognition tools that can analyze footage from Flock's license plate cameras, despite Flock's refusal to add the capability itself.
NPR's new video-first podcast deal signals shift from audio
The public radio network is moving beyond its audio roots with a high-profile video podcast acquisition.
MIT Tech Review Names 2026 Climate Tech Companies to Watch
The annual list highlights 10 firms making progress on emissions and adaptation even as global warming accelerates and climate policy backslides.
ModelScope and MoArk Vie to Be China’s Hugging Face
Two open-source AI platforms are racing to become the default repository for Chinese developers operating behind the Great Firewall.
Two New Birds Join the 120-Decibel Club of Loudest Species
A new study finds two more bird species that can sing louder than a jackhammer, expanding the elite group of loudest birds.