Jake Laperruque
@jakelaperruque.bsky.social
Center for Democracy & Technology Deputy Director on Surveillance. I talk about tech, privacy, and surveillance policy: AI, FISA, facial recognition, location tracking, reproductive health privacy (Also cats, movies, cooking and baseball)
Axon wants police to push a button and let AI write police reports and create the formal written record of officer encounters and use of force incidents.
Does this make you feel safe?
Does this make you feel safe?
November 7, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Axon wants police to push a button and let AI write police reports and create the formal written record of officer encounters and use of force incidents.
Does this make you feel safe?
Does this make you feel safe?
This bit from Ars Trchnica seems to be the most important takeaway: The trillion dollar possibility will get lots of attention, but it’s also based on bold long term goals. Musk can be a replacement level CEO and still reap obscene rewards.
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
November 6, 2025 at 10:21 PM
This bit from Ars Trchnica seems to be the most important takeaway: The trillion dollar possibility will get lots of attention, but it’s also based on bold long term goals. Musk can be a replacement level CEO and still reap obscene rewards.
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Closing slide of a tech policy presentation from literally two hours ago. The Butlarian Jihad art/merch must flow!
November 6, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Closing slide of a tech policy presentation from literally two hours ago. The Butlarian Jihad art/merch must flow!
Smart takedown by @emanuelmaiberg.bsky.social on Meta claim that it's smart glasses are no different than a phone:
It's not just that recording with these glasses is (obviously) more inconspicuous, Meta's made central design and selling point that they're inconspicuous!
Have cake, eat it too.
It's not just that recording with these glasses is (obviously) more inconspicuous, Meta's made central design and selling point that they're inconspicuous!
Have cake, eat it too.
November 5, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Smart takedown by @emanuelmaiberg.bsky.social on Meta claim that it's smart glasses are no different than a phone:
It's not just that recording with these glasses is (obviously) more inconspicuous, Meta's made central design and selling point that they're inconspicuous!
Have cake, eat it too.
It's not just that recording with these glasses is (obviously) more inconspicuous, Meta's made central design and selling point that they're inconspicuous!
Have cake, eat it too.
November 4, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Guillotin was lucky he didn't get guillotin-ed
November 3, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Guillotin was lucky he didn't get guillotin-ed
Treating facial recognition as a definitive ID is at odds with virtually every law enforcement agency in America that has policies & procedures for using the tech.
Don't treat a match as a defintive ID is perhaps the most basic rule of the tech, including by DHS. These actions violate agency rules:
Don't treat a match as a defintive ID is perhaps the most basic rule of the tech, including by DHS. These actions violate agency rules:
October 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Treating facial recognition as a definitive ID is at odds with virtually every law enforcement agency in America that has policies & procedures for using the tech.
Don't treat a match as a defintive ID is perhaps the most basic rule of the tech, including by DHS. These actions violate agency rules:
Don't treat a match as a defintive ID is perhaps the most basic rule of the tech, including by DHS. These actions violate agency rules:
"Nearly half of ICE recruits failing open book written exam on constitutional and legal requirements for conducting stops, searches, and seizures:
www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...
October 27, 2025 at 4:38 PM
"Nearly half of ICE recruits failing open book written exam on constitutional and legal requirements for conducting stops, searches, and seizures:
www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...
![Article text:
How do you feel about becoming a political lightning rod?
People occasionally just flip [me] off or whatever, but nobody's come up to me and tried to make a statement about anything. Personally, it's kind of dumb. It's just a vehicle. So it's ironic that it would even become a political statement, but nonetheless it is. [Editor’s note: Taylor was arrested and plead guilty to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. He was later pardoned by President Trump.]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:l5sbumoynt7yzpjipsfsgczg/bafkreidj7szm7qky5j54bxon5vmaqhwme76vpk6enfz5v62drorcygzsbi@jpeg)
An interesting (and frustrating) contrast: Even as California continues to be an ever-active national leader on consumer privacy, it's fallen behind other states on surveillance issues such as facial recognition:
www.techpolicy.press/status-of-st...
www.techpolicy.press/status-of-st...
October 10, 2025 at 7:53 PM
An interesting (and frustrating) contrast: Even as California continues to be an ever-active national leader on consumer privacy, it's fallen behind other states on surveillance issues such as facial recognition:
www.techpolicy.press/status-of-st...
www.techpolicy.press/status-of-st...
Rules for warrantless border searches of electronic devices have become complex and convoluted - you can @cdt.org analysis if you want to see the full legal landscape of what rules apply at each airport across the country:
cdt.org/insights/no-...
cdt.org/insights/no-...
October 9, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Rules for warrantless border searches of electronic devices have become complex and convoluted - you can @cdt.org analysis if you want to see the full legal landscape of what rules apply at each airport across the country:
cdt.org/insights/no-...
cdt.org/insights/no-...
Section 230 is a liability shield for hosting third party content online - there's potentially an argument AI chatbots are covered, but I think it would be very tough, common view (even from Altman) is that the company's chatbot is speech from the company
www.semafor.com/article/08/2...
www.semafor.com/article/08/2...
October 9, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Section 230 is a liability shield for hosting third party content online - there's potentially an argument AI chatbots are covered, but I think it would be very tough, common view (even from Altman) is that the company's chatbot is speech from the company
www.semafor.com/article/08/2...
www.semafor.com/article/08/2...
"New lists! New lists!"
October 8, 2025 at 11:58 PM
"New lists! New lists!"
COMMUNISM WAS JUST A RED HERRING!
October 3, 2025 at 11:41 PM
COMMUNISM WAS JUST A RED HERRING!
The full written rules for use of body cameras by DHS personnel is available here:
www.dhs.gov/sites/defaul...
Meta's glasses squarely within the policy definition of body cameras
www.dhs.gov/sites/defaul...
Meta's glasses squarely within the policy definition of body cameras
September 24, 2025 at 1:31 PM
The full written rules for use of body cameras by DHS personnel is available here:
www.dhs.gov/sites/defaul...
Meta's glasses squarely within the policy definition of body cameras
www.dhs.gov/sites/defaul...
Meta's glasses squarely within the policy definition of body cameras
Is it surprising that the focus group designed to exclusively be dissatisfied Trump voters included lots of dissatisfied Trump voters?
September 17, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Is it surprising that the focus group designed to exclusively be dissatisfied Trump voters included lots of dissatisfied Trump voters?
Couple months ago this guy did an interview containing one of the more wild and self-revealing things I've heard from the set of rich AI-utopian tech bros:
www.wired.com/story/big-in...
www.wired.com/story/big-in...
September 17, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Couple months ago this guy did an interview containing one of the more wild and self-revealing things I've heard from the set of rich AI-utopian tech bros:
www.wired.com/story/big-in...
www.wired.com/story/big-in...
Also, interestingly it seems like this set of rules isn't followed for some of the most famous instances of murder that didn't result in a conviction:
September 11, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Also, interestingly it seems like this set of rules isn't followed for some of the most famous instances of murder that didn't result in a conviction:
Compare the blaze claim from Kavanaugh in the SCOTUS decision rubber stamping broad ICE stops and racial profiling with the reality individuals are facing
September 10, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Compare the blaze claim from Kavanaugh in the SCOTUS decision rubber stamping broad ICE stops and racial profiling with the reality individuals are facing
If we don't treat Comey's cellphone location data as content and instead go with a pen register standard, government would only need the data to be "relevant" to an investigation for court approval, which is feasible
But legally it still needs a genuine emergency threat, which clearly did not exist
But legally it still needs a genuine emergency threat, which clearly did not exist
July 10, 2025 at 5:03 PM
If we don't treat Comey's cellphone location data as content and instead go with a pen register standard, government would only need the data to be "relevant" to an investigation for court approval, which is feasible
But legally it still needs a genuine emergency threat, which clearly did not exist
But legally it still needs a genuine emergency threat, which clearly did not exist
Some further details on this: Exigent circumstances still legally requires
1) an authentic emergency, AND
2) that the demand would meet court approval requirements if they could be asked in time
If using the wiretap probable cause standard, Secret Service's actions clearly fail on both counts
1) an authentic emergency, AND
2) that the demand would meet court approval requirements if they could be asked in time
If using the wiretap probable cause standard, Secret Service's actions clearly fail on both counts
July 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Some further details on this: Exigent circumstances still legally requires
1) an authentic emergency, AND
2) that the demand would meet court approval requirements if they could be asked in time
If using the wiretap probable cause standard, Secret Service's actions clearly fail on both counts
1) an authentic emergency, AND
2) that the demand would meet court approval requirements if they could be asked in time
If using the wiretap probable cause standard, Secret Service's actions clearly fail on both counts
Important clarifier: methods above *generally* require court approval but there are exceptions. One is exigent circumstances, which it seems Secret Service invoked here.
But this case seems far off from the type of genuine emergency requiring rapid response for that exception to be properly invoked
But this case seems far off from the type of genuine emergency requiring rapid response for that exception to be properly invoked
July 10, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Important clarifier: methods above *generally* require court approval but there are exceptions. One is exigent circumstances, which it seems Secret Service invoked here.
But this case seems far off from the type of genuine emergency requiring rapid response for that exception to be properly invoked
But this case seems far off from the type of genuine emergency requiring rapid response for that exception to be properly invoked