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Android Update: Theft Detection Lock Knows When Your Phone Is Stolen

By Matt Burgess
Google is introducing new AI-powered safety tools in Android 15 that can lock down your phone if thieves nab it.

Secrecy Concerns Mount Over Spy Powers Targeting US Data Centers

By Dell Cameron
A coalition of digital rights groups is demanding the US declassify records that would clarify just how expansive a major surveillance program really is.

Internal Emails Reveal How a Controversial Gun-Detection AI System Found Its Way to NYC

By Georgia Gee
NYC mayor Eric Adams wants to test Evolv’s gun-detection tech in subway stations—despite the company saying it’s not designed for that environment. Emails obtained by WIRED show how the company still found an in.

The $2.3 Billion Tornado Cash Case Is a Pivotal Moment for Crypto Privacy

By Andy Greenberg
Tuesday’s verdict in the trial of Alexey Pertsev, a creator of crypto-privacy service Tornado Cash, is the first in a string of cases that could make it much harder to skirt financial surveillance.

Microsoft Deploys Generative AI for US Spies

By Dhruv Mehrotra, Andrew Couts
Plus: China is suspected in a hack targeting the UK’s military, the US Marines are testing gun-toting robotic dogs, and Dell suffers a data breach impacting 49 million customers.

Top FBI Official Urges Agents to Use Warrantless Wiretaps on US Soil

By Dell Cameron, William Turton
An internal email from FBI deputy director Paul Abbate, obtained by WIRED, tells employees to search for “US persons” in a controversial spy program's database that investigators have repeatedly misused.

Apple’s iPhone Spyware Problem Is Getting Worse. Here’s What You Should Know

By Kate O'Flaherty
The iPhone maker has detected spyware attacks against people in more than 150 countries. Knowing if your device is infected can be tricky—but there are a few steps you can take to protect yourself.

These Dangerous Scammers Don’t Even Bother to Hide Their Crimes

By Matt Burgess
“Yahoo Boy” cybercriminals are openly running dozens of scams across Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, YouTube, and more.

The Breach of a Face Recognition Firm Reveals a Hidden Danger of Biometrics

By Jordan Pearson
Outabox, an Australian firm that scanned faces for bars and clubs, suffered a breach that shows the problems with giving companies your biometric data.

ShotSpotter Keeps Listening for Gunfire After Contracts Expire

By Max Blaisdell, Jim Daley
Internal emails suggest that the company continued to provide gunshot data to police in cities where its contracts had been canceled.

The Next US President Will Have Troubling New Surveillance Powers

By Dell Cameron
Over the weekend, President Joe Biden signed legislation not only reauthorizing a major FISA spy program but expanding it in ways that could have major implications for privacy rights in the US.

AI-Controlled Fighter Jets Are Dogfighting With Human Pilots Now

By Dell Cameron, Andrew Couts
Plus: New York’s legislature suffers a cyberattack, police disrupt a global phishing operation, and Apple removes encrypted messaging apps in China.

The Biggest Deepfake Porn Website Is Now Blocked in the UK

By Matt Burgess
The world's most-visited deepfake website and another large competing site are stopping people in the UK from accessing them, days after the UK government announced a crackdown.

The Trump Jury Has a Doxing Problem

By Andrew Couts
One juror in former US president Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York has been excused over fears she could be identified. It could get even messier.

Big Tech Says Spy Bill Turns Its Workers Into Informants

By Dell Cameron
One of Silicon Valley’s most influential lobbying arms joins privacy reformers in a fight against the Biden administration–backed expansion of a major US surveillance program.

Change Healthcare’s New Ransomware Nightmare Goes From Bad to Worse

By Eric Geller
A cybercriminal gang called RansomHub claims to be selling highly sensitive patient information stolen from Change Healthcare following a ransomware attack by another group in February.

US Senate to Vote on a Wiretap Bill That Critics Call ‘Stasi-Like’

By Dell Cameron
A controversial bill reauthorizing the Section 702 spy program may force whole new categories of businesses to eavesdrop on the US government’s behalf, including on fellow Americans.

Roku Breach Hits 567,000 Users

By Andy Greenberg, Andrew Couts
Plus: Apple warns iPhone users about spyware attacks, CISA issues an emergency directive about a Microsoft breach, and a ransomware hacker tangles with an unimpressed HR manager named Beth.

House Votes to Extend—and Expand—a Major US Spy Program

By Dell Cameron
The US House of Representatives voted on Friday to extend the Section 702 spy program. It passed without an amendment that would have required the FBI to obtain a warrant to access Americans’ information.

DuckDuckGo Is Taking Its Privacy Fight to Data Brokers

By Matt Burgess
Privacy-focused company DuckDuckGo is launching a tool to remove data from people-search websites, a VPN, and an identity theft restoration service.

Trump Loyalists Kill Vote on US Wiretap Program

By Dell Cameron
An attempt to reauthorize Section 702, the so-called crown jewel of US spy powers, failed for a third time in the House of Representatives after former president Donald Trump criticized the law.

How to Stop Your Data From Being Used to Train AI

By Matt Burgess, Reece Rogers
Some companies let you opt out of allowing your content to be used for generative AI. Here’s how to take back (at least a little) control from ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and more.

Section 702: The Future of the Biggest US Spy Program Hangs in the Balance

The US Congress will this week decide the fate of Section 702, a major surveillance program that will soon expire if lawmakers do not act. WIRED is tracking the major developments as they unfold.

A Breakthrough Online Privacy Proposal Hits Congress

By Makena Kelly
While some states have made data privacy gains, the US has so far been unable to implement protections at a federal level. A new bipartisan proposal called APRA could break the impasse.

Identity Thief Lived as a Different Man for 33 Years

By Dell Cameron, Andrew Couts
Plus: Microsoft scolded for a “cascade” of security failures, AI-generated lawyers send fake legal threats, a data broker quietly lobbies against US privacy legislation, and more.

The Incognito Mode Myth Has Fully Unraveled

By Dell Cameron, Andrew Couts
To settle a years-long lawsuit, Google has agreed to delete “billions of data records” collected from users of “Incognito mode,” illuminating the pitfalls of relying on Chrome to protect your privacy.

Yogurt Heist Reveals a Rampant Form of Online Fraud

By Andy Greenberg, Andrew Couts
Plus: “MFA bombing” attacks target Apple users, Israel deploys face recognition tech on Gazans, AI gets trained to spot tent encampments, and OSINT investigators find fugitive Amond Bundy.

Jeffrey Epstein’s Island Visitors Exposed by Data Broker

By Dhruv Mehrotra, Dell Cameron
A WIRED investigation uncovered coordinates collected by a controversial data broker that reveal sensitive information about visitors to an island once owned by Epstein, the notorious sex offender.

Apple Chip Flaw Leaks Secret Encryption Keys

By Andrew Couts
Plus: The Biden administration warns of nationwide attacks on US water systems, a new Russian wiper malware emerges, and China-linked hackers wage a global attack spree.

The DOJ Puts Apple's iMessage Encryption in the Antitrust Crosshairs

By Andy Greenberg, Andrew Couts
Privacy and security are an Apple selling point. But the DOJ’s new antitrust lawsuit argues that Apple selectively embraces privacy and security features in ways that hurt competition—and users.

Some of the Most Popular Websites Share Your Data With Over 1,500 Companies

By Matt Burgess
Cookie pop-ups now show the number of “partners” that websites may share data with. Here's how many of these third-party companies may get your data from some of the most popular sites online.

Glassdoor Wants to Know Your Real Name

By Amanda Hoover
Anonymous, candid reviews made Glassdoor a powerful place to research potential employers. A policy shift requiring users to privately verify their real names is raising privacy concerns.

Automakers Are Telling Your Insurance Company How You Really Drive

By Dell Cameron, Andrew Couts
Plus: The operator of a dark-web cryptocurrency “mixing” service is found guilty, and a US senator reveals that popular safes contain secret backdoors.

Sinking Section 702 Wiretap Program Offered One Last Lifeboat

By Dell Cameron
For months, US lawmakers have examined every side of a historic surveillance debate. With the introduction of the SAFE Act, all that’s left to do now is vote.

Porn Sites Need Age-Verification Systems in Texas, Court Rules

By Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica
The US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit has vacated an injunction against an age-verification requirement to view internet porn in Texas.

US Lawmaker Cited NYC Protests in a Defense of Warrantless Spying

By Dell Cameron
A closed-door presentation for House lawmakers late last year portrayed American anti-war protesters as having possible ties to Hamas in an effort to kill privacy reforms to a major US spy program.

Airbnb Bans All Indoor Security Cameras

By Amanda Hoover, Matt Burgess
Starting at the end of April, Airbnb will no longer allow hosts to have security cameras inside their rental properties, citing a commitment to prioritizing guest privacy.

Google Is Getting Thousands of Deepfake Porn Complaints

By Matt Burgess
Content creators are using copyright laws to get nonconsensual deepfakes removed from the web. With the complaints covering nearly 30,000 URLs, experts say Google should do more to help.

Russian Hackers Stole Microsoft Source Code—and the Attack Isn’t Over

By Dhruv Mehrotra, Andrew Couts
Plus: An ex-Google engineer gets arrested for allegedly stealing trade secrets, hackers breach the top US cybersecurity agency, and X’s new feature exposes sensitive user data.

Inside Registered Agents Inc., the Shadowy Firm Pushing the Limits of Business Privacy

By William Turton, Dhruv Mehrotra
Registered Agents Inc. has for years allowed businesses to register under a cloak of anonymity. A WIRED investigation reveals that its secretive founder has taken the practice to an extreme.

The UK’s GPS Tagging of Migrants Has Been Ruled Illegal

By Morgan Meaker
The UK’s privacy regulator says the government did not take into account the intrusiveness of ankle tags that continuously monitor a person’s location.

Biden Executive Order Bans Sale of US Data to China, Russia. Good Luck

By Dell Cameron
The White House issued an executive order on Wednesday that aims to prevent the sale of Americans' data to “countries of concern,” including China and Russia. Its effectiveness may vary.

Dictators Used Sandvine Tech to Censor the Internet. The US Finally Did Something About It

By Peter Guest
Canada-based Sandvine has long sold its web-monitoring tech to authoritarian regimes. This week, the US sanctioned the company, severely limiting its ability to do business with American firms.

The UK Is GPS-Tagging Thousands of Migrants

By Morgan Meaker
Ankle tags that constantly log a person’s coordinates are part of a growing cadre of experimental surveillance tools that countries around the world are trying out on new arrivals.

How the Pentagon Learned to Use Targeted Ads to Find Its Targets—and Vladimir Putin

By Byron Tau
Meet the guy who taught US intelligence agencies how to make the most of the ad tech ecosystem, "the largest information-gathering enterprise ever conceived by man."

A Vending Machine Error Revealed Secret Face Recognition Tech

By Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica
A student investigation at the University of Waterloo uncovered a system that scanned countless undergrads without consent.

A Mysterious Leak Exposed Chinese Hacking Secrets

By Matt Burgess
Plus: Scammers try to dupe Apple with 5,000 fake iPhones, Avast gets fined for selling browsing data, and researchers figure out how to clone fingerprints from your phone screen.

Here Are the Secret Locations of ShotSpotter Gunfire Sensors

By Dhruv Mehrotra, Joey Scott
The locations of microphones used to detect gunshots have been kept hidden from police and the public. A WIRED analysis of leaked coordinates confirms arguments critics have made against the technology.

Leak Reveals the Unusual Path of ‘Urgent’ Russian Threat Warning

By Dell Cameron
The US Congress was preparing to vote on a key foreign surveillance program last week. Then a wild Russian threat appeared.

Apple iOS 17.4: iMessage Gets Post-Quantum Encryption in New Update

By Matt Burgess
Useful quantum computers aren’t a reality—yet. But in one of the biggest deployments of post-quantum encryption so far, Apple is bringing the technology to iMessage.

Signal Finally Rolls Out Usernames, So You Can Keep Your Phone Number Private

By Andy Greenberg
We tested the end-to-end encrypted messenger’s new feature aimed at addressing critics’ most persistent complaint. Here’s how it works.

How to Not Get Scammed Out of $50,000

By Andrew Couts
Plus: State-backed hackers test out generative AI, the US takes down a major Russian military botnet, and 100 hospitals in Romania go offline amid a major ransomware attack.

Leak of Russian ‘Threat’ Part of a Bid to Kill US Surveillance Reform, Sources Say

By Dell Cameron
A surprise disclosure of a national security threat by the House Intelligence chair was part of an effort to block legislation that aimed to limit cops and spies from buying Americans' private data.

Section 702 Surveillance Fight Pits the White House Opposite Reproductive Rights

By Dell Cameron, Andrew Couts
Prominent advocates for the rights of pregnant people are urging members of Congress to support legislation that would ban warrantless access to sensitive data as the White House fights against it.

‘AI Girlfriends’ Are a Privacy Nightmare

By Matt Burgess
Romantic chatbots collect huge amounts of data, provide vague information about how they use it, use weak password protections, and aren’t transparent, new research from Mozilla says.

A Backroom Deal Looms Over Section 702 Surveillance Fight

By Dell Cameron
Top congressional lawmakers are meeting in private to discuss the future of a widely unpopular surveillance program, worrying members devoted to reforming Section 702.

The Hidden Injustice of Cyberattacks

By Nicole Tisdale
Cyberattacks and criminal scams can impact anyone. But communities of color and other marginalized groups are often disproportionately impacted and lack the support to better protect themselves.

London Underground Is Testing Real-Time AI Surveillance Tools to Spot Crime

By Matt Burgess
In a test at one station, Transport for London used a computer vision system to try and detect crime and weapons, people falling on the tracks, and fare dodgers, documents obtained by WIRED show.

WhatsApp Chats Will Soon Work With Other Encrypted Messaging Apps

By Matt Burgess
New EU rules mean WhatsApp and Messenger must be interoperable with other chat apps. Here’s how that will work.

US Lawmakers Tell DOJ to Quit Blindly Funding ‘Predictive’ Police Tools

By Dell Cameron
Members of Congress say the DOJ is funding the use of AI tools that further discriminatory policing practices. They're demanding higher standards for federal grants.
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