The hottest Surveillance Substack posts right now

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Pentagon confirms erasure of Project Maven-related contract records

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 712 implied HN points • 05 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. The Pentagon deleted public records of a $200 million AI surveillance contract called Project Maven, raising concerns about transparency.
  2. They justified this erasure by citing national security rules that allow withholding information from public databases.
  3. Some agencies, like the CIA, are exempt from certain federal procurement regulations, making it unclear how broadly these rules are applied.

How Trump Will Steal the Election

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 5 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. Longtermist and utilitarian tech philosophies created moral loopholes that let people justify massive fraud and harm, as seen in the Sam Bankman‑Fried case.
  2. Crypto, AI, and elite networks have combined grind culture, market incentives, and ideological certainty to produce scams, regulatory capture, and concentrated power.
  3. There is an urgent threat that Trump and allies plan to steal the midterms, risking the erosion of democracy, mass surveillance, and environmental and economic harm unless large‑scale public action stops it.

The quiet integration of 'Project Maven' and the Pentagon's cloud with 'Minotaur' maritime border surveillance

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 590 implied HN points • 06 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. Project Maven is being integrated with the Minotaur Mission System to help border surveillance. This setup is used by the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection.
  2. The Minotaur system combines different types of surveillance data, making it easier to detect illegal activities. It links sensors, cameras, and radar into one automated system.
  3. Amazon Web Services is involved in providing cloud support for Minotaur, highlighting the role of big tech in military surveillance programs.

Has Orwell’s 1984 Become Reality?

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 31 implied HN points • 16 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Surveillance
  1. Modern surveillance technologies—facial recognition, digital IDs, and CBDCs—give governments unprecedented power to monitor and control people, echoing Orwell’s telescreens.
  2. Politicians and technocrats often sell these systems as safety, convenience, or efficiency, using reassuring language that hides how much control they enable.
  3. Citizens need to stay alert and push back, because real-world examples like arrests over speech show freedoms can be eroded quickly if people accept these changes by default.

Global Elites Ram Digital IDs To Prevent Populist Victories

Public • 404 implied HN points • 01 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. Governments are considering using a single app to store all personal information, which would make it easy for citizens to access important documents. This includes everything from vaccination status to tax records.
  2. This app could also give governments the power to control people's access to public services based on their behavior online. If someone spreads misinformation or hate speech, they could lose access to certain services.
  3. Digital IDs and tracking could lead to more surveillance and privacy concerns for citizens. Many fear that this could be a way for elites to maintain control and prevent populist movements.
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What’s hiding in the AI doomers’ satchels?

Sex and the State • 27 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. People often use popular causes as cover for other goals, so fighting a big threat can be turned into an excuse for unrelated repression or power grabs.
  2. AI safety is a legitimate concern but can be treated as a ‘satchel’ for other agendas, so it’s important to check who’s promoting it and what else they want before accepting urgent policy demands.
  3. Learn the history and ask questions: understanding past misuses of popular causes and sharing what you learn helps you spot hidden motives and avoid repeating mistakes.

Sex, Lies, and the Technofeudal Panopticon

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 28 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. A corporatized surveillance technocracy is being built that would centralize Americans’ health, financial, and behavioral data and use AI to monitor and shape people’s lives. This public–private project risks replacing democratic oversight with an unaccountable system of control.
  2. AI deepfakes and unmarked synthetic media are close to making authentic content indistinguishable from fake, which will amplify confusion, propaganda, and psychological manipulation. Without regulations like digital watermarks, trust in information will collapse and make coordinated resistance much harder.
  3. The current authoritarian push is gendered and political: it attacks social protections and the ‘feminine’ while consolidating media, militarizing enforcement, and revealing Right‑wing hypocrisy about surveillance. A cultural and spiritual counter-movement that re-centers feminine values and collective care is proposed as part of the resistance.

Can the COVID Scamsters Stick the Landing?

The Corbett Report • 30 implied HN points • 30 Nov 25
🏥 Health Politics Surveillance
  1. Lockdowns and mass quarantines moved from a fringe idea to an accepted policy tool, making large-scale social control measures more thinkable in future emergencies.
  2. The pandemic accelerated digital surveillance and smartphone dependence through QR check‑ins, vaccine passports, contact‑tracing apps and cashless systems, paving the way for government-issued digital IDs.
  3. Emergency approvals fast‑tracked mRNA and DNA vaccine technologies, normalizing genetic interventions and strengthening biotech and medical-authority power in the name of biosecurity.

We're getting screwed

Situation Normal • 102 implied HN points • 03 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. We live in a world where surveillance is everywhere, and our personal information is often sold to others. It's concerning that we willingly carry devices that track us.
  2. Power dynamics are skewed; the powerful often escape accountability while ordinary people have to follow the rules. This creates a sense of injustice in society.
  3. Even if things look bleak, there's hope. We can still take action and make changes. It's important to keep pushing back against the issues we face, just like tending to persistent weeds.

i-SOON Leak: Unanswered Questions and What Now?

Natto Thoughts • 79 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Surveillance
  1. Chinese hacker groups have historically displayed poor operations security, making mistakes and leaving evidence, despite successfully targeting critical infrastructure.
  2. The leaked i-SOON documents reveal the extensive involvement of private cyber security companies in China, indicating the government's reliance on external expertise.
  3. The effectiveness of the 'name-and-shame' strategy in compelling or deterring behavior of exposed Chinese threat actors appears limited, as seen with cases like Chengdu 404 and Goldsun.

i-SOON: Another Company in the APT41 Network

Natto Thoughts • 219 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Surveillance
  1. A lawsuit revealed potential business ties between Chengdu 404 linked to APT41 and Sichuan i-SOON, shedding light on the ecosystem of IT companies in which these hackers operate.
  2. Sichuan i-SOON has strong connections with universities, offers training programs, and possesses qualifications to work for state security, raising questions about its potential involvement in APT activities.
  3. The similarities between Sichuan i-SOON and Chengdu 404, along with i-SOON's capabilities in surveillance-related technologies, suggest a possible link to APT41 activities and other Chinese APT groups like RedHotel/Earth Lusca.

UK Online Safety Act Restricts Access to Substack Unless You "Prove Your Age"

Tessa Fights Robots • 24 implied HN points • 05 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. Substack users in the UK now need to prove their age to access certain content, like chats and comments. This is because of a new law called the UK Online Safety Act.
  2. To verify their age, people may need to submit a selfie or a government ID. Without verification, users will often see blurred content or access restrictions.
  3. While age verification is designed to protect younger audiences, it raises concerns about privacy and control. Many feel that such measures can limit free access to content online.

What we learned at Davos 2024: global aristocracy intends on 'Rebuilding Trust' through censorship and surveillance

The Dossier • 903 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Surveillance
  1. The conference theme was 'Rebuilding Trust' but no one acknowledged any wrongdoing.
  2. There was no real debate at Davos, just a gathering for the global ruling class to unite behind shared agendas.
  3. China took the spotlight at Davos, while the event faced low American representation and criticism from outside sources.

A Look at Spying by Israel in the U.S.

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 140 implied HN points • 20 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. Many former Israeli intelligence agents have high positions in major U.S. tech companies. This raises questions about how deeply Israel's influence reaches into American business.
  2. Unit 8200, an elite Israeli intelligence group, is known for serious military operations and has developed invasive surveillance methods that affect many people, including civilians.
  3. Apps and social media platforms aren't just tools for communication; they can be battlegrounds for information control, leading to concerns about privacy and data usage.

Anomaly detection firm tied to numerous former CIA officials affiliated with Beacon Global accidentally published its confidential data brokerage and persona management agreements

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 854 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. Orbis Operations, led by former CIA officials, accidentally published confidential data agreements.
  2. Anomaly detection techniques used by intelligence agencies and corporations focus on detecting anomalies and insider threats.
  3. National security data brokers like Orbis fuse various data sources for surveillance and intelligence gathering.

Project Nectar: Another Palantir Special

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 110 implied HN points • 16 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. A new AI tool called Nectar is being tested in the UK to collect sensitive data about people, including their race, political views, and personal life. This raises concerns about privacy and how this data might be used.
  2. Past actions of the National Security State show a history of abuses, which makes people wary of current technologies that could be used for surveillance.
  3. The way this program is set up suggests it could be used to control or silence dissent, rather than genuinely protect citizens, reflecting who the security services really serve.

The TOP SECRET Plan to Enslave You (REVEALED!!!)

The Corbett Report • 26 implied HN points • 23 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. A ten-point blueprint aims to centralize land, wealth, credit, communication, transport, production, labor, and education under strong state control.
  2. Many modern policies—like progressive taxes, centralized banking, eminent domain, public schooling, and regulatory control—reflect pieces of that blueprint and are already in place.
  3. Concentrating those powers can be used to control and disenfranchise people, so recognizing these trends means deciding how to respond or resist.

What about the Uyghurs?

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 4 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Surveillance
  1. Millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples have been subjected to mass detention, forced sterilization, removal of children, and systematic biometric and DNA collection that many human rights groups call genocidal.
  2. East Turkistan has a long history of independence movements and was occupied; exiled leaders say the region was turned into a testing ground for digital authoritarianism.
  3. Western tech companies helped build and refine AI-powered surveillance and biometric systems that were trialed on Uyghurs, and those same technologies are now reappearing in other countries.

Project Stargate: What Is it?

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 10 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Surveillance
  1. Project Stargate would build massive computing and genomic infrastructure that could digitize and analyze millions of human genomes, enabling AI-driven prediction and widespread genomic surveillance.
  2. Big tech, foreign partners, and government interests are combining health records and routine-consent DNA samples into centralized systems, outsourcing surveillance and making it hard for regulators to control access or use.
  3. Existing laws don’t clearly stop use of AI-derived polygenic risk scores, so insurers, employers, or state actors could use genetic predictions to discriminate or restrict people, creating lasting, heritable inequalities.

Hello and an Update

Zero Day • 1283 implied HN points • 06 Apr 23
📰 News Surveillance
  1. Kim Zetter is working on various projects that are taking longer than expected.
  2. She is co-teaching a course about government surveillance and classified leaks at Johns Hopkins SAIS.
  3. Students in the course show a deep understanding of surveillance nuances and the importance of balancing security with civil liberties.

CEO of Gig-work Surveillance Firm Resigns

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 752 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
💼 Business Surveillance
  1. CEO of Gig-work Surveillance Firm, Maury Blackman, resigned after years of court battles and exposure of clandestine surveillance.
  2. Premise Data, an analogue of Uber for data-gathering, faced revenue stagnation despite investments and high-profile board members.
  3. Blackman's resignation led to Matt McNabb taking over as CEO, revealing a history of controversial events and legal issues within Premise.

Fort Meade's new contract monitoring Twitter

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 854 implied HN points • 22 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. Defense Information Systems Agency has a new $2.5 million social media surveillance contract with Dataminr.
  2. Dataminr, associated with Twitter, has been careful to avoid the 'surveillance' label and instead presents itself as an 'alerting' platform.
  3. Despite past commitments, Dataminr continues to provide access to social media data for surveillance purposes.

Balloon Trials

Wars Of Future Past • 137 implied HN points • 24 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Surveillance
  1. Spy balloons have a long history of surveilling humans dating back to 1794.
  2. Biden addressed the recent surge in UFO sightings and balloon shoot-downs.
  3. The increased frequency of sightings and shoot-downs raises questions about object detection capabilities.

🎧 Technically Optimistic Podcast: Season Two

Technically Optimistic • 19 implied HN points • 08 Jun 24
🎙 Podcasts Surveillance
  1. Season Two of Technically Optimistic Podcast dives into the topic of data privacy and control.
  2. Episodes discuss how our behavior online is used as a valuable resource, the impact of digital surveillance on reproductive rights, and the use of data in influencing voters.
  3. The podcast explores the concerns around online tracking of children, the evolving data economy in South Asia, and the implications of facial recognition technology in law enforcement.

Germany announces wide-ranging plans to restrict the speech, travel and economic activity of political dissidents, in order to better control the "thought and speech patterns" of its own people

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 493 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Surveillance
  1. Germany is implementing wide-ranging measures to restrict speech, travel, and economic activity of political dissidents to control the thought patterns of its people.
  2. The political establishment in Germany is using strategies to maintain power, including targeting opposition groups like Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).
  3. The government in Germany is expanding its control over dissent by planning to use various tools like financial investigations, travel restrictions, and internet censorship to combat right-wing extremism.

The Monster AI, Security, and Wars That Come Home

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 80 implied HN points • 06 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. AI is not just a technological advancement; it's driven by greed and will harm our political health and the environment. People are using AI without realizing the damage it causes.
  2. The security state in the U.S. is expanding its control under the guise of safety, which affects everyone. The focus is shifting towards monitoring thoughts and speech to prevent crime.
  3. The conflict abroad, especially in places like Gaza, can lead to violence and unrest at home. Understanding this connection is crucial as it shows the consequences of current U.S. policies.

They Are Watching You

Stove Top • 117 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🕹 Technology Surveillance
  1. Surveillance technology is advancing rapidly, posing a threat to privacy
  2. Ron DeSantis is struggling to expand his political base, especially among Asian voters
  3. AI technology is disrupting the writing industry, leading to job losses for writers

Cold War 2023

Stove Top • 117 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Surveillance
  1. Huawei is accused of being a piece of Chinese spyware with ties to government and espionage.
  2. France is taking extreme measures against encryption, raising concerns about privacy and government surveillance.
  3. Consuming true crime content raises complex questions on its impact on mental health and society, with discussions on privacy and ethical concerns.

OSD 334: Drone terrorism is here, it’s just the government doing it

Open Source Defense • 56 implied HN points • 15 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. Drones make it easier for governments to carry out acts of violence without much public reaction. This means they can target individuals without raising alarms.
  2. Even though drones seem to give more power to potential attackers, really, the main thing that stops people from committing violence is their own choices. Most people don’t want to hurt others.
  3. Drone usage is changing the way governments can enforce control. While they can help individuals, they can also give the state a lot more power if only governments have access to them.

CNN and NY Times help US gov’t lie about spying on Americans

Geopolitical Economy Report • 318 implied HN points • 04 May 22
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. CNN and the New York Times aided the US government in spreading false information about not monitoring American citizens despite documented evidence of surveillance on journalists and protesters.
  2. Top media outlets like CNN and the New York Times amplified lies from the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, regarding the creation of a 'Disinformation Governance Board' intended for censoring supposed threats to national security.
  3. Despite factual reports revealing years of surveillance on American citizens by the DHS, major media sources did not challenge the false claims made by DHS officials, contributing to the dissemination of misleading information.

Admist uncertain merger with Woz's Privateer Space, Orbital Insight CEO Kevin O'Brien bails to cryptocurrency surveillance firm Chainalysis

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 366 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
💼 Business Surveillance
  1. Orbital Insight CEO Kevin O'Brien moved to the cryptocurrency surveillance firm Chainalysis, leaving behind the collapse and financial struggles of Orbital.
  2. Orbital Insight faced challenges leading to financial decline, including defaulting on rent, a nonfunctional main phone line, and failed attempts at a merger with Privateer Space.
  3. Despite substantial funding and strategic partnerships, Orbital's downfall was partially attributed to market changes, such as Apple's privacy measures affecting their commercial data analysis business.

Israel, the NSA, Plastic Brains and the Pathologically Rich

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 65 implied HN points • 30 May 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. The NSA shares raw intelligence data with Israel, including personal information about American citizens, without removing their details first. This reveals serious privacy concerns about how intelligence is handled.
  2. Israel is known to actively spy on the U.S., raising questions about trust between allied nations. Reports suggest that Israel has even engaged in espionage against the U.S.
  3. A small group of extremely wealthy people, labeled 'superbillionaires', has amassed a staggering combined wealth of $3.3 trillion. This highlights the growing wealth gap in the world.

Whatever the Spook State Wants...

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 115 implied HN points • 15 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Surveillance
  1. There's a concern about how the government can collect data from everyday Americans without a warrant. This is done through something called 'incidental collection,' which means they can gather information without specifically targeting someone.
  2. Politicians like Speaker Mike Johnson seem to change their views on surveillance after receiving private briefings. It raises questions about accountability and whether they truly represent the people's concerns after such meetings.
  3. Tulsi Gabbard, once an opponent of domestic surveillance, has shifted her stance. There are hints that lobbying from the GOP influenced her change, calling into question how much power lobbyists have over our leaders' decisions.

Life is imperfect

imperfect offerings • 79 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Surveillance
  1. Life is imperfect - The message shared is about life's imperfections and how it plays out in different settings, emphasizing the need to navigate through challenges.
  2. Criticism in edtech - Discussion on the critique of ed tech companies' practices, highlighting the need for addressing power imbalances and engaging with critical voices.
  3. Generative AI impact - Insights into how generative AI is affecting graduate employment, the restructuring of labor, and the broader impact on work routines and value.