Internal Documents Show Why the NYPD Tries to Be 'Funny' Online
Documents obtained by Motherboard show that NYPD social media officers are explicitly instructed to “be funny” in order to “build trust” on official social media channels.
FaceApp Isn’t Creepy Because It’s Russian, It's Creepy Because It’s Capitalist
FaceApp’s privacy policy is bad. Its policy isn’t uniquely bad because it’s a Russian company.
Oakland Becomes Third U.S. City to Ban Facial Recognition
Oakland just joined San Francisco, CA and Somerville, MA in banning the use of facial recognition.
Amazon Is Using Prime Day to Lock People into a Giant Surveillance Network
Amazon is offering 30 to 40 percent discounts on Ring surveillance products for Prime Day. Think carefully about these products before going through with a purchase.
We Talked to People Who Are Boycotting Amazon Prime Day
People are claiming that they plan on boycotting Amazon Prime Day. Motherboard spoke with four of these people and asked why they’re boycotting.
Amazon Says Prime Day Is Exploited by Unions
An Amazon spokesperson said in an email to Motherboard that Prime Day is unfairly exploited by “critics” and “unions.”
Revealed: This Is Palantir’s Top-Secret User Manual for Cops
Motherboard obtained a Palantir user manual through a public records request, and it gives unprecedented insight into how the company logs and tracks individuals.
300 Californian Cities Secretly Have Access to Palantir
Company contracts with a fusion center reveal that nearly 8 million people in northern California are subject to Palantir surveillance tools, a Motherboard investigation finds.
Rogue Cyclists Create Bike Lane Barriers With Toilet Plungers
The ‘Transformation Dept.’ installed toilet plungers as DIY bike lane barriers in New York City.
Amazon Provided Police with 'Heat Maps' of Package Theft for Sting Operation
Amazon created package loss data heat maps and performed “data analysis” that helped a police department plan and carry out a package theft sting operation.
There’s No Evidence Fireworks Kill Baby Animals
Every Fourth of July, an internet rumor claims that panicked animal parents abandon their young after fireworks displays. There’s no evidence to back this up.
How Amazon and the Cops Set Up an Elaborate Sting Operation That Accomplished Nothing
Behind-the-scenes emails show how Amazon and Ring worked with police in Aurora, Colorado to make people scared of each other.