privacy Archives

FBI officials say AI is bolstering adversaries, emphasizing need to focus on cyber basics, patching

The remarks, to both CyberScoop and at the Billington CyberSecurity Summit, dovetail with the release of a new bureau cyber strategy.

5 days ago By Tim Starks

Andrzej Rostek, iStock/Getty Images Plus

European parliament members call for slowdown of Serbia’s EU entry over spyware use

The letter follows revelations about Serbian student activists being infected with Pegasus and NoviSpy, and coincides with other pressures on Belgrade.

Sep 4, 2026 By Tim Starks

This aerial photograph shows demonstrators and students as they gather in front of Serbia’s Constitutional Court building during a protest to demand accountability for the Novi Sad railway station tragedy, in Belgrade, on January 12, 2025. Thousands of Serbians protested in the capital Belgrade on January 12, 2025, against corruption and demanding justice for those killed in a train station roof collapse. The demonstrations have been ongoing for two months since a roof in a train station in the northern city of Novi Sad, which had recently undergone restoration work, collapsed on November 1, 2024, and killed 15 people. (Photo by TADIJA ANASTASIJEVIC / AFP via Getty Images)

Pegasus, NoviSpy variant spyware found on devices of Serbian activists

It’s the first Pegasus infection of 2026 that Citizen Lab is forensically confirming, and the SHARE Foundation said it’s the biggest wave of spyware surveillance in Serbia…

Sep 2, 2026 By Tim Starks

Retail theft bill spurs ‘very large and very dangerous’ surveillance fears

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act has won a big House vote and could be on the fast track in the Senate — and supporters say it…

Aug 20, 2026 By Tim Starks

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 03: (L-R) Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ranking member Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) arrive for a hearing with the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on December 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., wants hearings to force AT&T and Verizon to disclose how they’ve responded to the hacks to protect telecom networks. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Senate set to debate package of bills on privacy, AI and kids safety

Headlined by the Kids Online Safety Act, a key committee will look to clear major legislation governing how minors interact with the internet.

Aug 4, 2026 By Derek B. Johnson

\A light rain falls outside of the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of the release of new opinions on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Supreme Court delivers ‘major win’ for tech privacy in Chatrie ruling

Dissenting justices who criticized the ruling said it would have “seismic” implications for the Fourth Amendment.

Jun 29, 2026 By Tim Starks

In an email, an ATF spokesperson confirmed to CyberScoop that the contract had been canceled, describing it as a limited pilot project for capabilities the agency was no longer seeking. (Image Source: Getty Images)

ATF cancels controversial commercial geolocation contract

The agency told CyberScoop the tool was a pilot that didn’t meet their needs. Members of Congress say it was accessed for hundreds of active cases.

Jun 26, 2026 By Derek B. Johnson

In this photo illustration, the Cellebrite logo is displayed on the screen of a tablet. (Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Russia uses Cellebrite to break into human rights activist’s phone, even after cancellation of contract

The phone-cracking firm broke off from its deal with Russia, but Citizen Lab said that didn’t stop authorities from surveilling Andrey Pivovarov.

Jun 25, 2026 By Tim Starks

Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., arrives to the U.S. Capitol for the last votes of the week on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

One House Democrat is pressing Commerce on the government’s spyware use

Rep. Summer Lee’s letter, first reported by CyberScoop, follows ICE confirmation of using spyware and news of a Trump ally becoming NSO Group’s executive chairman.

May 7, 2026 By Tim Starks

A college student is suing a dating app that allegedly used her TikTok videos to target men in her dormitory

The woman’s lawyer told CyberScoop they believe the company edited her video to suggest she was a “friend with benefits” and intentionally geofenced it to men around…

May 4, 2026 By Derek B. Johnson