In the skies over Chula Vista, Calif., where the police department operates a drone program 10 hours a day, seven days a week, it’s not uncommon to see an unmanned aerial vehicle speeding across the sky.
Chula Vista is one of a dozen U.S. departments that operate so-called drone-as-first-responder programs, where drones are dispatched by pilots who listen to live 911 calls and are often the first to arrive at the scene of accidents. emergencies and crimes, cameras in tow.
But many argue that police are starting to use drones too soon. The use of drones as surveillance tools and first responders is a fundamental shift in policing, without a well-informed public debate about regulations, tactics, and privacy limitations. There is also little evidence of its effectiveness, with scant evidence that drones reduce crime.
Chula Vista is now being sued to release drone footage that illustrates how privacy and civil liberties groups are increasingly concerned that the technology will dramatically expand surveillance and lead to even greater police interaction with historically disadvantaged demographics. from excessive policing. Read the story in its entirety.
— Patrick Sisson
Four ways the Supreme Court could change the web
All eyes were on the US Supreme Court last week as it weighed arguments in two cases involving recommendation algorithms and content moderation, which are core parts of how the Internet works. While we won’t get a ruling on either case for a few months, when we do, it could be a very serious case.
