Sam Biddle
The Intercept
New York, NY, United States
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Past articles by Sam:
U.S. Special Forces Want to Use Deepfakes for Psy-ops
The U.S. government spent years warning deepfakes could destabilize democratic societies. → Read More
Oakland Cops Hope to Arm Robots With Lethal Shotguns
While official language condoning killer robots is shelved for now, Oakland police are still pursuing the option. → Read More
Facebook Report Concludes Company Censorship Violated Palestinian Human Rights
The report, due out tomorrow, said Facebook and Instagram showed bias against Palestinians during a brutal Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip last May. → Read More
Facebook Tells Moderators to Allow Graphic Images of Russian Airstrikes but Censors Israeli Attacks
Internal memos show Meta deemed attacks on Ukrainian civilians “newsworthy” — prompting claims of a double standard among Palestine advocates. → Read More
Documents Reveal Advanced AI Tools Google Is Selling to Israel
Google employees, who have been kept in the dark about the “Nimbus” AI project, have concerns about Israeli human rights abuses. → Read More
Cryptocurrency Titan Coinbase Providing “Geo Tracking Data” to ICE
ICE is now able to track transactions made through nearly a dozen different digital currencies, including bitcoin, ether, and tether. → Read More
Google Ordered Russian Translators Not to Call War in Ukraine a War
Internal email shows that despite its anti-war stance, the company bowed to Kremlin decrees. → Read More
Startup Pitched Tasing Migrants From Drones, Video Reveals
Well-funded Brinc positions its use of robots as nonviolent, but an early promo video undercuts this message. → Read More
Revealed: Facebook’s Secret Blacklist of “Dangerous Individuals and Organizations”
Experts say the public deserves to see the list, a clear embodiment of U.S. foreign policy priorities that could disproportionately censor marginalized groups. → Read More
Facebook’s Secret Rules About the Word “Zionist” Impede Criticism of Israel
Obtained by The Intercept, the policies alarmed advocates, who said Facebook is silencing political speech. → Read More
Your Car Is Spying on You, and a CBP Contract Shows the Risks
A “vehicle forensics kit” can reveal where you’ve driven, what doors you opened, and who your friends are. → Read More
LexisNexis to Provide Giant Database of Personal Information to ICE
The company signed a contract with an ICE division that plays a key role in deportations. → Read More
Facebook Managers Trash Their Own Ad Targeting in Unsealed Remarks
The internal documents suggest that Facebook should stop positioning itself as a champion of small business. → Read More
Zoom Censorship of Palestine Seminars Sparks Fight Over Academic Freedom
Zoom cited anti-terrorism laws to shut down an event with Palestinian activist Leila Khaled — and other events criticizing its censorship. → Read More
Coronavirus Monitoring Bracelets Flood the Market, Ready to Snitch on People Who Don’t Distance
A crop of “new” body-worn devices issue alerts about hospital patients, the quarantined, people under house arrest, and workers who fail to social distance. → Read More
The Inventors of Bluetooth Say There Could Be Problems Using Their Tech for Coronavirus Contact Tracing
Judging distance based on the strength of a radio signal is a fraught process that can be stymied by physical obstructions. → Read More
TikTok Told Moderators: Suppress Posts by the “Ugly” and Poor
The China-based social media company also has policies censoring various forms of political speech, leaked documents reveal. → Read More
Ring Ukraine News Suppressed at Amazon’s Request, Journalists Say
Amazon told a business publication that it was expanding the scope of its work in Ukraine — then asked for that information to be removed from the article. → Read More
Amazon’s Ring Planned Neighborhood “Watch Lists” Built on Facial Recognition
Documents hint the data could be shared with police, but Ring denies the features are in use or development. → Read More
Why an “AI Race” Between the U.S. and China Is a Terrible, Terrible Idea
We don’t need to win this nationalistic race — especially when we don’t even know what’s at the finish line. → Read More