Zach Campbell
@notzachcampbell.bsky.social
senior researcher, tech & human rights @hrw.org
recovering journalist: bylines @theintercept.com @theguardian.com @bloomberg.com @atavist.com
recovering journalist: bylines @theintercept.com @theguardian.com @bloomberg.com @atavist.com
Curious what other dystopian tech European Union R&D money is funding?
There's a data platform for this: opensecuritydata.eu
It's got receipts on EU funding for phone hacking tools, attempts to break encryption with quantum computing (lol), swarming border drones and, unfortunately, lots more.
There's a data platform for this: opensecuritydata.eu
It's got receipts on EU funding for phone hacking tools, attempts to break encryption with quantum computing (lol), swarming border drones and, unfortunately, lots more.
November 13, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Curious what other dystopian tech European Union R&D money is funding?
There's a data platform for this: opensecuritydata.eu
It's got receipts on EU funding for phone hacking tools, attempts to break encryption with quantum computing (lol), swarming border drones and, unfortunately, lots more.
There's a data platform for this: opensecuritydata.eu
It's got receipts on EU funding for phone hacking tools, attempts to break encryption with quantum computing (lol), swarming border drones and, unfortunately, lots more.
Reposted by Zach Campbell
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗸𝗮𝗿𝗮, 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗷𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘀?
EU research money, a Chinese firm and Turkish surveillance tech.
A company part-owned by China’s ZTE still gets EU funding – while its servers help Turkey monitor protesters.
💶 How did EU money end up funding repression? Read more:
EU research money, a Chinese firm and Turkish surveillance tech.
A company part-owned by China’s ZTE still gets EU funding – while its servers help Turkey monitor protesters.
💶 How did EU money end up funding repression? Read more:
Turkey ramps up surveillance of its citizens – with a hand from Brussels
A Turkish firm which has been backed by EU research funds is supplying facial recognition equipment to Ankara. The company’s controlling shareholder is Chinese tech giant ZTE, classified by Brussels a...
www.ftm.eu
November 13, 2025 at 6:15 AM
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗸𝗮𝗿𝗮, 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗷𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘀?
EU research money, a Chinese firm and Turkish surveillance tech.
A company part-owned by China’s ZTE still gets EU funding – while its servers help Turkey monitor protesters.
💶 How did EU money end up funding repression? Read more:
EU research money, a Chinese firm and Turkish surveillance tech.
A company part-owned by China’s ZTE still gets EU funding – while its servers help Turkey monitor protesters.
💶 How did EU money end up funding repression? Read more:
Reposted by Zach Campbell
Researchers pointed a satellite dish at the sky for 3 years and monitored what unencrypted data it picked up. The results were shocking: They obtained thousands of T-Mobile users' phone calls and texts, military and law enforcement secrets, much more: www.wired.com/story/satell... 🧵👇
Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data
With just $800 in basic equipment, researchers found a stunning variety of data—including thousands of T-Mobile users’ calls and texts and even US military communications—sent by satellites unencrypte...
www.wired.com
October 14, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Researchers pointed a satellite dish at the sky for 3 years and monitored what unencrypted data it picked up. The results were shocking: They obtained thousands of T-Mobile users' phone calls and texts, military and law enforcement secrets, much more: www.wired.com/story/satell... 🧵👇
Reposted by Zach Campbell
Microsoft should suspend business activities that are contributing to grave human rights abuses and international crimes by the Israeli military and other Israeli government bodies.
There is no time to delay.
There is no time to delay.
Israel/Palestine: Microsoft Should Avoid Contributing to Rights Abuses
Microsoft should suspend business activities that are contributing to grave human rights abuses and international crimes by the Israeli military and other Israeli government bodies, Human Rights Watch...
www.hrw.org
October 10, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Microsoft should suspend business activities that are contributing to grave human rights abuses and international crimes by the Israeli military and other Israeli government bodies.
There is no time to delay.
There is no time to delay.
Reposted by Zach Campbell
A federal agent used a local cop's password for Flock to do an immigration-related search without his knowledge. Illegal in Illinois and at the very least a Flock terms of service violation. Of course they're all just joking about it though:
www.404media.co/feds-used-lo...
www.404media.co/feds-used-lo...
Feds Used Local Cop's Password to Do Immigration Surveillance With Flock Cameras
A DEA agent used a local cop's password "for federal investigations in late January 2025 without [the cop's] knowledge of said use."
www.404media.co
August 12, 2025 at 3:06 PM
A federal agent used a local cop's password for Flock to do an immigration-related search without his knowledge. Illegal in Illinois and at the very least a Flock terms of service violation. Of course they're all just joking about it though:
www.404media.co/feds-used-lo...
www.404media.co/feds-used-lo...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
The UK gov plans to experiment with facial age estimation tech on vulnerable young people. But refugee children need care, not algorithms. This tech isn't the solution - instead, it creates new potentially life-changing risks, as @techchildrights.bsky.social and I write. www.hrw.org/news/2025/07...
UK Plans AI Experiment on Children Seeking Asylum
The United Kingdom’s announcement on July 22 that it would use AI face-scanning technology to evaluate whether an asylum seeker is under age 18 threatens to harm children seeking refuge.
www.hrw.org
July 31, 2025 at 5:17 PM
The UK gov plans to experiment with facial age estimation tech on vulnerable young people. But refugee children need care, not algorithms. This tech isn't the solution - instead, it creates new potentially life-changing risks, as @techchildrights.bsky.social and I write. www.hrw.org/news/2025/07...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
Stand by this: www.politico.com/newsletters/...
February 19, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Stand by this: www.politico.com/newsletters/...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
NEW: Spyware maker Paragon says its $2M contract with ICE is still inactive, so the company hasn’t provided its surveillance tech to the agency.
If the U.S. govt approves it, Paragon will face the dilemma of whether to work with an agency that’s very different from 2024, when contract was signed.
If the U.S. govt approves it, Paragon will face the dilemma of whether to work with an agency that’s very different from 2024, when contract was signed.
Can an ‘ethical’ spyware maker justify providing its tech to ICE? | TechCrunch
Analysis: In calling itself an ethical spyware vendor, Paragon has opened itself up to scrutiny of its government customers.
techcrunch.com
July 11, 2025 at 9:26 PM
NEW: Spyware maker Paragon says its $2M contract with ICE is still inactive, so the company hasn’t provided its surveillance tech to the agency.
If the U.S. govt approves it, Paragon will face the dilemma of whether to work with an agency that’s very different from 2024, when contract was signed.
If the U.S. govt approves it, Paragon will face the dilemma of whether to work with an agency that’s very different from 2024, when contract was signed.
Reposted by Zach Campbell
Here is how #Frontex unlawfully shared thousands of people’s personal data with #Europol
Investigation conducted by Solomon, the French newspaper Le Monde, the Spanish newspaper El País, and the German outlet Netzpolitik.
wearesolomon.com/mag/format/i...
Investigation conducted by Solomon, the French newspaper Le Monde, the Spanish newspaper El País, and the German outlet Netzpolitik.
wearesolomon.com/mag/format/i...
Frontex unlawfully shared thousands of people's personal data with Europol
Under the banner of fighting migrant smuggling, Frontex has collected, and unlawfully siphoned to Europol, personal data for years—quietly drawing thousands of migrants, as well as EU citizens aiding ...
wearesolomon.com
July 8, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Here is how #Frontex unlawfully shared thousands of people’s personal data with #Europol
Investigation conducted by Solomon, the French newspaper Le Monde, the Spanish newspaper El País, and the German outlet Netzpolitik.
wearesolomon.com/mag/format/i...
Investigation conducted by Solomon, the French newspaper Le Monde, the Spanish newspaper El País, and the German outlet Netzpolitik.
wearesolomon.com/mag/format/i...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
The CEO of Flock wrote a blog about our "recent clickbait-driven reporting and social media rumors that mischaracterize Flock’s LPR devices" then proceeded to explain how our reporting directly resulted in extensive changes to how police are allowed to use Flock
www.404media.co/flock-remove...
www.404media.co/flock-remove...
Flock Removes States From National Lookup Tool After ICE and Abortion Searches Revealed
Following 404 Media’s reporting and in light of new legislation, automatic license plate reader (ALPR) company Flock has stopped agencies reaching into cameras in California, Illinois, and Virginia.
www.404media.co
June 25, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The CEO of Flock wrote a blog about our "recent clickbait-driven reporting and social media rumors that mischaracterize Flock’s LPR devices" then proceeded to explain how our reporting directly resulted in extensive changes to how police are allowed to use Flock
www.404media.co/flock-remove...
www.404media.co/flock-remove...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
A must-read report form @dmehro.bsky.social that @wired.com made free to read because it is based on government documents (it's their policy to make FOIA-based reporting free as well). Thank you for making important journalism based on public records available to all.
At the start of the year, WIRED made a commitment to stop paywalling articles primarily based on public records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act @freedom.press. This includes this critical piece here.
The US Is storing migrant children’s DNA in a criminal database:
The US Is storing migrant children’s DNA in a criminal database:
The US Is Storing Migrant Children’s DNA in a Criminal Database
Customs and Border Protection has swabbed the DNA of migrant children as young as 4, whose genetic data is uploaded to an FBI-run database that can track them if they commit crimes in the future.
www.wired.com
May 29, 2025 at 2:53 PM
A must-read report form @dmehro.bsky.social that @wired.com made free to read because it is based on government documents (it's their policy to make FOIA-based reporting free as well). Thank you for making important journalism based on public records available to all.
Reposted by Zach Campbell
New from 404 Media: ICE is tapping into a nationwide AI camera network, data we got shows. Flock's automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) in thousands of communities. Data shows "ICE", "immigration" as reasons for use. Local cops doing lookups for ICE, no warrant www.404media.co/ice-taps-int...
ICE Taps into Nationwide AI-Enabled Camera Network, Data Shows
Flock's automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras are in more than 5,000 communities around the U.S. Local police are doing lookups in the nationwide system for ICE.
www.404media.co
May 27, 2025 at 1:40 PM
New from 404 Media: ICE is tapping into a nationwide AI camera network, data we got shows. Flock's automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) in thousands of communities. Data shows "ICE", "immigration" as reasons for use. Local cops doing lookups for ICE, no warrant www.404media.co/ice-taps-int...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
This week, news emerged that UK police have been issued guidance on investigating unexpected pregnancy loss that includes seizing digital devices, checking internet searches and health apps, such as menstrual cycle and fertility trackers.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
May 23, 2025 at 9:20 AM
This week, news emerged that UK police have been issued guidance on investigating unexpected pregnancy loss that includes seizing digital devices, checking internet searches and health apps, such as menstrual cycle and fertility trackers.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
My latest on the clean OPSEC saga: TeleMessage customers include DC Police, Andreesen Horowitz, JP Morgan, and hundreds more micahflee.com/telemessage-...
TeleMessage customers include DC Police, Andreesen Horowitz, JP Morgan, and hundreds more
I've been digging through the 410 GB of Java heap dumps from TeleMessage's archive server, provided by DDoSecrets. Here's a description of the dataset, some of my initial findings, details about an up...
micahflee.com
May 22, 2025 at 3:09 AM
My latest on the clean OPSEC saga: TeleMessage customers include DC Police, Andreesen Horowitz, JP Morgan, and hundreds more micahflee.com/telemessage-...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
SCOOP: In Feb, federal agencies "lost" many #FOIA requests but you probably had no idea. It turns out that the FOIAs disappeared due to an "insider threat attack" by 2 employees at a software company who were previously convicted of hacking into the State Dept
🧵
🎁 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
🧵
🎁 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Probe Found Security Lapses Led to US Contractor’s Data Breach
Failures in cybersecurity practices at a software company that helps federal agencies manage investigations and FOIA requests allowed two convicted hackers to delete databases, according to internal d...
www.bloomberg.com
May 21, 2025 at 1:17 PM
SCOOP: In Feb, federal agencies "lost" many #FOIA requests but you probably had no idea. It turns out that the FOIAs disappeared due to an "insider threat attack" by 2 employees at a software company who were previously convicted of hacking into the State Dept
🧵
🎁 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
🧵
🎁 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
The Trump administration’s first 100 days in office have been a relentless barrage of actions that violate, threaten, or undermine human rights.
To illustrate the breadth and depth of damage, HRW has compiled 100 harmful actions during these 100 days ⤵️
To illustrate the breadth and depth of damage, HRW has compiled 100 harmful actions during these 100 days ⤵️
US: Trump’s First 100 Days an Assault on Rights
The Trump administration’s first 100 days in office have been a relentless barrage of actions that violate, threaten, or undermine the human rights of people in the United States and abroad.
www.hrw.org
April 24, 2025 at 11:45 AM
The Trump administration’s first 100 days in office have been a relentless barrage of actions that violate, threaten, or undermine human rights.
To illustrate the breadth and depth of damage, HRW has compiled 100 harmful actions during these 100 days ⤵️
To illustrate the breadth and depth of damage, HRW has compiled 100 harmful actions during these 100 days ⤵️
Reposted by Zach Campbell
My latest for @justsecurity.org on what Trump's call to eliminate “information silos” within government means for human rights. This dangerous and dystopian move underscores the desperate need for comprehensive privacy and data protection laws in the US @hrw.org
www.justsecurity.org/110133/what-...
www.justsecurity.org/110133/what-...
DOGE's Growing Reach into Personal Data: What it Means for Human Rights
Congress should update the Privacy Act to prevent DOGE from violating U.S. international rights obligations by creating a massive database.
www.justsecurity.org
April 16, 2025 at 7:12 PM
My latest for @justsecurity.org on what Trump's call to eliminate “information silos” within government means for human rights. This dangerous and dystopian move underscores the desperate need for comprehensive privacy and data protection laws in the US @hrw.org
www.justsecurity.org/110133/what-...
www.justsecurity.org/110133/what-...
The UK should drop its order to Apple demanding access to encrypted user data. Strong encryption should be the norm, and this order threatens the rights of users worldwide
www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...
www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...
UK Encryption Order Threatens Global Privacy Rights
The United Kingdom government’s order to Apple to allow access to encrypted cloud data harms the privacy rights of users in the UK and worldwide.
www.hrw.org
February 14, 2025 at 10:52 AM
The UK should drop its order to Apple demanding access to encrypted user data. Strong encryption should be the norm, and this order threatens the rights of users worldwide
www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...
www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; „… without #encryption tools, lives may be endangered. In the worst cases, a Government’s ability to break into its citizens’ phones may lead to the persecution of individuals who are simply exercising their fundamental human rights.” t.co/AWG89rXGkD
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=17138
t.co
February 7, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; „… without #encryption tools, lives may be endangered. In the worst cases, a Government’s ability to break into its citizens’ phones may lead to the persecution of individuals who are simply exercising their fundamental human rights.” t.co/AWG89rXGkD
Reposted by Zach Campbell
Last year my @hrw.org colleague @joeyshea.bsky.social & I attended the #UN Internet Governance Forum in Riyadh. We organized a session w/the Saudi human rights org ALQST. @linaalhathloul.bsky.social spoke remotely.
The UN censored the session & retaliated against us 👇
www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...
The UN censored the session & retaliated against us 👇
www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...
UN Censors Criticism of Saudi Arabia at Internet Conference
United Nations officials removed criticisms of the Saudi government from the official record of a UN-organized internet governance conference in Riyadh in December 2024, and retaliated against civil s...
www.hrw.org
February 6, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Last year my @hrw.org colleague @joeyshea.bsky.social & I attended the #UN Internet Governance Forum in Riyadh. We organized a session w/the Saudi human rights org ALQST. @linaalhathloul.bsky.social spoke remotely.
The UN censored the session & retaliated against us 👇
www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...
The UN censored the session & retaliated against us 👇
www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
Google announced significant changes to its artificial intelligence policy this week.
This pivot from refusing to build AI for weapons to stating an intent to create AI that supports national security ventures is stark, and it sparks serious human rights concerns.
Read more: bit.ly/4gwYBeL
This pivot from refusing to build AI for weapons to stating an intent to create AI that supports national security ventures is stark, and it sparks serious human rights concerns.
Read more: bit.ly/4gwYBeL
February 6, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Google announced significant changes to its artificial intelligence policy this week.
This pivot from refusing to build AI for weapons to stating an intent to create AI that supports national security ventures is stark, and it sparks serious human rights concerns.
Read more: bit.ly/4gwYBeL
This pivot from refusing to build AI for weapons to stating an intent to create AI that supports national security ventures is stark, and it sparks serious human rights concerns.
Read more: bit.ly/4gwYBeL
Reposted by Zach Campbell
Paragon spyware used to target citizens across Europe, says Italian government
Paragon spyware used to target citizens across Europe, says Italian government
WhatsApp said users in several European countries were targeted with Paragon spyware, according to the Italian government.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
tcrn.ch
February 5, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Paragon spyware used to target citizens across Europe, says Italian government
Reposted by Zach Campbell
Italy’s security bill threatens fundamental rights
It criminalizes peaceful protest, with harsh penalties for activists, detainees, and migrants
Human rights bodies warn of serious risks - the Senate should listen
❌Repression is not security❌
hrw.org/news/2025/02...
It criminalizes peaceful protest, with harsh penalties for activists, detainees, and migrants
Human rights bodies warn of serious risks - the Senate should listen
❌Repression is not security❌
hrw.org/news/2025/02...
February 5, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Italy’s security bill threatens fundamental rights
It criminalizes peaceful protest, with harsh penalties for activists, detainees, and migrants
Human rights bodies warn of serious risks - the Senate should listen
❌Repression is not security❌
hrw.org/news/2025/02...
It criminalizes peaceful protest, with harsh penalties for activists, detainees, and migrants
Human rights bodies warn of serious risks - the Senate should listen
❌Repression is not security❌
hrw.org/news/2025/02...
Reposted by Zach Campbell
Google has amended its responsible AI guidelines, including removing the red line in its AI Principles that the company won't design or deploy AI for "[w]eapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people."
Google has removed its Responsible AI Principles.
This is actually a pretty big deal.
This is actually a pretty big deal.
Um, Google's AI Principles are gone.
I spent 5 years working every single day to align our work with the AI Principles as originally written. They were critically important to everything we did, including what we *didn't* do.
#ResponsibleAI #EthicalAI
ai.google/responsibili...
I spent 5 years working every single day to align our work with the AI Principles as originally written. They were critically important to everything we did, including what we *didn't* do.
#ResponsibleAI #EthicalAI
ai.google/responsibili...
February 4, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Google has amended its responsible AI guidelines, including removing the red line in its AI Principles that the company won't design or deploy AI for "[w]eapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people."