Erosion of Global Privacy: Digital Surveillance Expands As Privacy Rights Shrink (Issue 48, 2025)
From "national passports" in the U.S to Telegram messenger handing out user data to the authorities; how governments and corporations are tightening control on the public.
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In this edition:
Creepy VR Gloves Let Security Agents Feel You Without Touching
Montana Fights Back: First-in-nation To Outlaw Police Backdoor Surveillance
Exposed: Microsoft’s Covert Role in Israeli Mass Surveillance
Leaked Docs Reveal Biden Admin Tracked COVID Dissidents as “Threats”
Ireland’s Draconian Hate Speech Law Sparks EU Rebellion
REAL ID Goes Live As America Rolls Out Internal “National Passport”
AI Platform Cracks Down on Deepfakes Via Ban
Telegram’s Privacy Myth Shattered: 20K Users’ Data Handed to Governments
Creepy VR Gloves Let Security Agents Feel You Without Touching
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are researching a virtual reality system that would allow agents to physically screen passengers without direct contact. Using VR goggles and haptic gloves, officers could "feel" a traveler's body for concealed weapons, without touching them physically through touchless sensors.
According to DHS documents and patent filings, the system employs millimeter wave scans, LiDAR or X-ray technology, to map a person’s contours in real time. These scans generate a 3D model, which is then relayed to an agent via haptic feedback gloves, simulating the sensation of touch.
DHS claims the tech could enhance privacy by avoiding direct pat-downs, but critics question whether a VR-assisted search is truly less invasive since the sense of touching them feels real. This isn’t the DHS’s first virtual crack at this, as they previously used AR headsets to identify "suspicious" individuals at borders and 3D imaging tools to spot counterfeit goods.
Montana Fights Back: First-in-nation To Outlaw Police Backdoor Surveillance
While Washington drags its feet, Montana becomes the first U.S. state to ban cops from buying citizens’ private data without a warrant — a far more common occurrence than many think. Montana’s SB 282 represents the most aggressive state-level push-back against law enforcement's warrantless surveillance practices, as it specifically prohibits police from purchasing location data, internet browsing history, or social media activity from third-party data brokers.
This comes after revelations that federal agencies like the IRS and DHS were buying location data tracking millions of Americans, their movements and routines, down to the minute, without their knowledge. Aptly referred to as a “data broker loophole” the practice has allowed government agencies to acquire these personal details without having to obtain warrants. While SB 282 does not totally eliminate the access, it restricts how it’s obtained.
This isn’t Montana’s first rodeo, as the state’s pushed groundbreaking protections in recent years. From strict facial recognition bans and genetic data safeguards to a constitutional amendment fully extending Fourth Amendment protections to digital data, the state leads in closing critical surveillance loopholes within law enforcement practices. Legal experts suggest this could inspire similar legislation regarding digital privacy laws in other states.
Exposed: Microsoft’s Covert Role in Israeli Mass Surveillance
Internal documents have forced Microsoft to admit that its AI tools and Azure cloud services have become integral parts of Israeli surveillance operations, including the Nimbus project — a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract with the Israeli military. While the company claims that their internal investigation found no evidence such tools were used in harming Palestinians, many point to this being unlikely given their extensive collaboration with Israel.
Microsoft, which employs over 1000 former Israeli military and intelligence personnel, including high-ranking officials working on Azure and cloud security, provides specialized services like facial recognition and predictive analytics used in West Bank monitoring systems. Additionally, many employees have direct ties to IDF units and Israeli Arms manufacturers, as Microsoft has acquired at least 17 Israeli tech firms since 2000 — all founded by former IDF intel officers — funneling billions into Israel’s economic sector.
In fact, reports confirmed Microsoft’s Azure powers Israel’s “Rolling Stone” system, which advocates say reinforces apartheid as it’s used to control Palestinians’ movements in the West Bank and Gaza. Israeli officials appear to agree, as they’ve openly credited the company’s AI with providing “operational effectiveness” in Gaza, displaying the Microsoft logo during presentations.
Leaked Docs Reveal Biden Admin Tracked COVID Dissidents as “Threats”
Leaked documents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FBI, and NCTC, obtained via Freedom of Information (FOIA )request, expose how the Biden administration maintained watchlists tracking journalists, medical professionals, and activists who opposed COVID vaccine mandates or lockdowns. The monitoring program, initially justified as counterterrorism measures, categorized protestors and organizers as potential domestic extremists. A December 2021 bulletin expanded "domestic extremism" to include opposition to masks, vaccine concerns for children, and claims of government overreach — fairly common views in many regular individuals especially parents.
Under the guise of "assessments," authorities monitored citizens without warrants, and solely based on any social media posts or protest attendance. Nearly 100 million Americans were affected by vaccine mandates, but dissenters — from healthcare workers to truckers — faced surveillance rather than any sort of dialogue. Internal reports relied on speculative language such as “could,” or “might”, to link mainstream skepticism to extremism, or radical tendencies. Meanwhile, the CDC withheld data on vaccine complications like myocarditis and social media companies openly censored and flagged content.
By 2022, the FBI's 3,000 domestic terrorism cases largely involved January 6 non-violent offenses like "parading." As we now know, targeted individuals reported subsequent harassment, including IRS audits and placements on “no-fly” lists. Legal experts argue this is one presentation of the alarming politicization of intelligence agencies against domestic critics and the clear suppression on speech.
Ireland’s Draconian Hate Speech Law Sparks EU Rebellion
Ireland faces EU legal threats for resisting Brussels’ push to criminalize "hate speech," with Independent MEP Michael McNamara condemning and opposing the measures as authoritarian and ineffective in punishing noncompliance. The MEP argued that such laws—already controversial in the UK — suppress speech without affecting beliefs or accomplishing much, citing prosecutions of elderly citizens while violent crimes go under-policed.
According to McNamara, attempts to legislate acceptable speech do little more than sow fear and resentment from people threatened for simply expressing their views. He emphasizes that these actions do not alter views but merely force them underground and create disunity. Domestic opposition already sank a 2023 Irish hate speech bill after public outcry over civil liberties, with backlash contributing to the defeat of two 2024 constitutional referenda.
The EU Commission has given Ireland and Finland two months to adopt rules targeting historical denialism and "incitement," warning of court action. The bill would impose harsh penalties — up to 5 years imprisonment — for possessing even private "hateful material”. Some have criticized the law's vague language that could criminalize memes, historical analysis or even thoughts. The actions reflect emerging tensions between EU bureaucrats pushing for continent-wide speech regulations and national sovereignty advocates.
REAL ID Goes Live As America Rolls Out Internal “National Passport”
The May 2025 REAL ID enforcement deadline has effectively created a de facto national ID system, though the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) still denies this, insisting it merely sets "national standards" for state-issued licenses. But unlike traditional driver's licenses, REAL IDs contain RFID chips and must be verified through federal databases for air travel and entry to federal facilities. The law also mandates uniform data fields, machine-readable technology, and inter-state database sharing via the State-to-State Verification Service, making licenses functionally interchangeable and only cosmetically different.
Proponents argued REAL ID would prevent terrorism, citing 9/11 hijackers' use of state IDs. But fraud often stems from corrupt officials — like a Virginia DMV manager caught selling licenses for $3,500 — not merely lax standards. Further, centralized databases create a treasure trove for identity thieves, while offering a false sense of security. Critics also note that REAL ID erodes privacy by normalizing demands for "papers" in daily life.
Privacy researchers have discovered the cards enable real-time location tracking when scanned. Some states like Montana and Texas are resisting implementation, but citizens are facing increasing restrictions without compliance. Alternatives like U.S. passports remain, but their use as domestic ID only highlights the reality that America now has a national ID — whether it admits to it or not.
AI Platform Cracks Down on Deepfakes Via Ban
Civitai, an AI model-sharing platform has banned AI models designed to generate realistic likenesses of real people — a major shift following pressure from payment processors, new U.S. and EU regulations and investigative reporting. The ban on non-consensual real-person imagery represents the first major crackdown by an AI platform against deepfake pornography. The policy change follows reports showing that the site hosted over 100,000 non-consensual deepfakes, mostly of women and minors.
Civitai previously prohibited sharing explicit content, but its lax policies allowed users to upload custom models, replicating celebrities and private individuals — tools easily combined elsewhere to generate exploitative material. Payment processors recently cut ties over these risks, forcing Civitai’s hand. While welcomed by anti-exploitation groups, some free speech advocates warn the broad policy could also ban legitimate parody and artistic expression.
The move pressures other AI firms to address mounting legal and ethical concerns. The policy temporarily disrupts the ecosystem for non-consensual AI porn, as users scramble to archive thousands of soon-to-be-deleted models. Loopholes persist as models can migrate to rival sites, as detecting obscure faces remains difficult.
Telegram’s Privacy Myth Shattered: 20K Users’ Data Handed to Governments
Despite marketing itself as a “secure messenger,” Telegram recently disclosed it provided authorities with data on 22,777 users in Q1 2025 — a 290% increase from the same period in 2024 (5,826 users )— according to transparency reports archived on GitHub. The U.S. accounted for 1,664 affected users across 576 requests, and now more compliant, Telegram processes requests via a bot tracking disclosures by country. France’s requests spiked from 4 (affecting 17 users) in Q1 2024 to 668 (1,425 users) in Q1 2025; Romania, previously absent, made 37 requests (88 users).
The shared data includes IP addresses, phone numbers, and in some cases, decrypted private messages from non-secret chats. This revelation undermines Telegram's reputation among dissidents and journalists who relied on the platform’s privacy. Security experts note the disclosures highlight how even "encrypted" services maintain backdoor access points for authorities.
The shift follows CEO Pavel Durov’s 2024 arrest in France after refusing data related to a child abuse case. Durov, temporarily released from France in March, also accused French intelligence of pressuring Telegram to censor conservative voices during Romania’s election — a claim France denies. Contrary to its branding as a free speech haven, Telegram’s role as a hub for both activism and illicit activity has forced tighter cooperation with governments.
That concludes this edition of Your Worldwide INTERNET REPORT!
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