One official reportedly described Palantir as 'ethically bankrupt' in justifying his refusal to use the software, and noted that he knows of coworkers who deliberately slow their work pace when forced to use the system.
Rhyne's attack involved unauthorized remote desktop sessions, deletion of network administrator accounts, and changing of passwords, showcasing significant security vulnerabilities.
Private detection and spying on people was only a cottage industry by comparison with what it is today, when everything happens, if not in the glare of publicity exactly, at least within the purview of electronic surveillance of one kind or another. Surveillance is to us what electricity was to James Thurber's aunt, that is to say leaking all over the house.
While the authority is legally limited to foreign intelligence, it can sweep in Americans' texts, emails and phone calls when they communicate with overseas targets. Those incidental collections - which have sometimes been followed by unauthorized searches of Americans' communications - have been extensively documented by government oversight bodies in recent years. The findings fueled reforms adopted when Congress last renewed the authority in April 2024.
As you know, Section 215 authorities are not interpreted in the same way that grand jury subpoena authorities are, and we are concerned that when Justice Department officials suggest that the two authorities are 'analogous' they provide the public with a false understanding of how surveillance is interpreted in practice.
Google provided a major breakthrough in the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie when it surfaced video of an apparent intruder entering her home. The 84-year-old mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie has been missing since February 1st. The Nest camera at her front door was removed, and because investigators said she didn't pay for a premium subscription, the footage was presumed lost.
"Don't play Russian roulette with [this man's] life," Jon told lead DHS prosecutor, Joseph Dernbach, in the email. "Err on the side of caution. There's a reason the US government along with many other governments don't recognise the Taliban. Apply principles of common sense and decency." Five hours later, per WaPo, Jon received a response - not from Dernbach or the DHS, but from Google.
