Inside the Memphis Chamber of Commerce’s push for Elon Musk’s xAI data center
In the face of intense public opposition, the city’s Chamber of Commerce has gone to unusual lengths to promote Musk’s xAI facility: sending out a mailer, for the first time in recent memory, that includes misleading facts.
Inside the Memphis Chamber of Commerce’s push for Elon Musk’s xAI data center
Photo illustration by Shoshana Gordon/ProPublica. Source images: Andrea Morales/MLK50, screenshot by MLK50, U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley viaWendi C. Thomas (MLK50: Justice Through Journalism)
Lithuanian Regulator Clashes With Data Firm Over "Misleading" Piracy Stats
Lithuania's broadcasting regulator (LRTK) challenges the accuracy of data reported by piracy tracking firm MUSO, which is the main input for key EUIPO reports. Citing flaws such as the inclusion of legal sites and an inability to track VPN or IPTV use, LRTK argues that its country is being unfairly portrayed as a piracy leader. In response, MUSO says the LRTK's statements are themselves misleading and the company demands a correction.
Lithuanian Regulator Clashes With Data Firm Over "Misleading" Piracy Stats * TorrentFreak
Lithuania challenges the accuracy of data reported by piracy tracking firm MUSO, which are the main input for key EUIPO reports.Ernesto Van der Sar (TF Publishing)
Friday, August 22, 2025
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
Olga (L) and Zabit (R), Ukrainian citizens of Azerbaijani origin who fled Soviet crackdowns during Azerbaijan’s independence uprising in 1990, harvest potatoes in their garden plot on Aug. 21, in Sloviansk, Ukraine. Sloviansk is the city where the war began in 2014, marked by its occupation by Russian militias led by Igor Strelkov, also known as Girkin. The town is located in Donetsk Oblast, a Ukrainian region cited in peace-talk discussions involving U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin over a potential front-line freeze and territorial exchanges. (Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
Going around in circles — Trump sets new deadline for peace in Ukraine, Graham again threatens with tough legislation. We will know in within two weeks whether there will be peace in Ukraine. After that we will have to maybe take a different tact,” U.S. President Donald Trump told conservative commentator Todd Starnes.
Russia would take 4 years to fully occupy Donbas, Zelensky says. “I explained to (U.S. President Donald Trump) that the talks about them (Russia) occupying our Donbas by the end of (2025) are all just chatter,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine regains control of most of Tovste in Donetsk Oblast, military says. Tovste is a front-line village southwest of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk and near the key town of Vuhledar.
Russian attack hits US electronics plant in western Ukraine. “This was an ordinary civilian facility with American investment. They produced everyday household items, such as coffee machines,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.
Video shows aftermath of Ukrainian drone strikes on oil pumping station in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast. Ukrainian drones struck the Unecha oil pumping station in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast on Aug. 21, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, announced in a video published to social media.
Ukraine to mass produce long-range Flamingo missile in winter, Zelensky says. President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Flamingo had undergone successful tests, describing it as “the most successful” missile Ukraine currently has.
Russia opposes European troops in Ukraine under Trump-backed security guarantees, Lavrov says. Sending European troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees would amount to “foreign military intervention,” which Moscow won’t support, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Aug. 21.
Zelensky urges ‘strong response‘ from US if Putin rejects talks with Ukraine.
“We are ready for the bilateral meeting. If the Russians are not, then we would like to see a strong response from the United States,” Zelensky said, adding that he asked Trump to impose additional sanctions on Moscow if it rejects talks with Ukraine.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine regains control of most of Tovste in Donetsk Oblast
The 5th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade pushed Russian troops from the settlement through coordinated operations involving infantry, drone units, and artillery, according to the military.
Photo: Pierre Crom / Getty Images
Learn more
Where is Crimea? And other things you (and US presidents) should know
U.S. President Donald Trump referred to Crimea as a piece of land “right in the ocean” that is “the size of Texas” while talking on the Mark Levin Show, a right-wing talk radio program, on Aug. 20.
Photo: Olga Maltseva / AFP via Getty Images
From Crimea to Donbas, Russia’s “peace” has always meant more war. We’re here in Ukraine to give the world a reality check. Support independent journalism in this critical moment.
Human cost of Russia’s war
Massive Russian drone, missile attack kills 1, injures 26 in Ukrainian cities far from front line despite peace talks. The attack caused fires at a large electronics plant in Mukachevo, with damage also reported in other cities, including Lviv.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,029,660 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.
The number includes 830 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
The ground drone revolution in Ukraine
International response
Switzerland, Austria ready to give Putin immunity for peace talks. Switzerland is prepared to grant Russian President Vladimir Putin immunity from arrest if he travels to Geneva for peace negotiations, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said in an interview on Aug. 19.
Lithuania closes airspace near Belarus ahead of joint Russian-Belarusian military drills. The closure comes ahead of the “Zapad-2025” military drills, scheduled to take place in Belarus from Sept. 12 to 16. Minsk said the joint exercises with Russia are intended to test both countries’ ability to ensure security and repel possible aggression.
Ukrainian detained in Italy for alleged Nord Stream sabotage, media report. Italian police have arrested a Ukrainian national under a European arrest warrant in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, German prosecutors announced on Aug. 21.
Kim Jong Un reportedly awards troops who fought for Russia. At a ceremony in Pyongyang, Kim Jong Un praised the overseas troops and said their participation demonstrated “the power of the heroic (North Korean) army.”
Trump’s intelligence chief ordered halt to intelligence sharing on Russia-Ukraine peace talks among ‘Five Eye’ allies, CBS reports. U.S. intelligence sources told CBS News that Gabbard signed a directive barring the sharing of information with the Five Eye alliance, which includes the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.
In other news
Trump administration escalates purge of senior US intelligence officials, Economist reports. The officer, who served as the CIA’s top Russia and Eurasia analyst during the 2016 election and helped produce the report detailing Moscow’s interference on behalf of Donald Trump, was among the most senior career officials targeted.
Ex-defense official charged with abuse of power after awarding himself bonuses, extra payments. A former acting director general of a state-owned defense enterprise has been charged under suspicion that the official abuse his power in awarding himself 700,000 UAH ($17,000) in bonuses and extra payment during his service, the city of Kyiv’s Prosecutor’s Office announced on Aug. 21.
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Ex-defense official charged with abuse of power after awarding himself bonuses, extra payments
A former acting director general of a state-owned defense enterprise has been charged under suspicion that the official abuse his power in awarding himself 700,000 UAH ($17,000) in bonuses and extra payment during his service, the city of Kyiv's Pros…Dmytro Basmat (The Kyiv Independent)
FTC Warns Companies(Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Discord, Meta, Microsoft, Signal, Snap, X and more) Against Censoring or Weakening the Data Security of Americans at the Behest of Foreign Powers
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/36118899
Republished here under Public Domain.Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson sent letters today to more than a dozen prominent technology companies reminding them of their obligations to protect the privacy and data security of American consumers despite pressure from foreign governments to weaken such protections. He also warned them that censoring Americans at the behest of foreign powers might violate the law.
The letters were sent to companies that provide cloud computing, data security, social media, messaging apps and other services and include: Akamai, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Cloudflare, Discord, GoDaddy, Meta, Microsoft, Signal, Snap, Slack and X.
The letters noted that companies might feel pressured to censor and weaken data security protections for Americans in response to the laws, demands, or expected demands of foreign powers. These laws include the European Union’s Digital Services Act and the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act, which incentivize tech companies to censor worldwide speech, and the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act, which can require companies to weaken their encryption measures to enable UK law enforcement to access data stored by users.
“I am concerned that these actions by foreign powers to impose censorship and weaken end-to-end encryption will erode Americans’ freedoms and subject them to myriad harms, such as surveillance by foreign governments and an increased risk of identity theft and fraud,” Chairman Ferguson wrote.
The letter noted that as companies consider how to comply with foreign laws and demands, they are still required to comply with the FTC Act’s prohibition against unfair and deceptive practices in the marketplace. For example, if a company promises consumers that it encrypts or secures online communications but then adopts weaker security in response to demands from a foreign government, such an action could be considered a deceptive practice under the FTC Act, the letter noted.
The FTC has brought dozens of cases over the past two decades against companies that have failed to keep their promises to consumers to deploy reasonable safeguards to protect consumer data.
like this
reminding them of their obligations to protect the privacy and data security of American consumers despite pressure from foreign governments to weaken such protections
Yeah, but that mostly goes the other way around. If it comes to privacy, Europe isn't the best but the US is a laughing stock.
Yeah, europe yet again is trying to get this law to break encryption but don't act as if the US hasn't been trying the same since forever
like this
Microsoft says U.S. law takes precedence over Canadian data sovereignty - Digital Journal
Microsoft representative says US CLOUD Act comes before other country's sovereignty.Alexander Rudolph (Digital Journal Inc)
Kremlin-Backed Messaging App Max to Come Pre-Installed on Devices Starting Next Month
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/36118716
::: spoiler Context
Wikipedia.
Max (stylized in all uppercase; Russian: Макс, [ˈmaks] MAKS) is a Russian messenger released by VK in 2025. As of July 2025, it is in beta-testing stage. By analogy with the Chinese platform WeChat, a universal mobile application ("superapp") is being developed on the basis of Max, which allows, in addition to using the functions of the messenger, to also receive electronic Gosuslugi, verify identity through a digital ID, use a strengthened electronic signature, and also make payments.
:::Russia’s new state-backed messaging app Max will come pre-installed on all devices sold in the country starting on Sept. 1, the government announced Thursday.
French streamers' broadcasted death prompts outcry while authorities investigate possible abuse
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/36118454
Raphael Graven, 46, died on Monday during a days-long broadcast on the streaming platform Kick
like this
Burner Phone 101
Burner Phone 101 Workshop Presentation Slides.
Hosted by the Brooklyn Public Library, this Burner Phone 101 workshop introduced participants to phone-related risk modeling, privacy-protective smartphone practices, the full spectrum of burner phone options, and when to leave phones behind entirely.
Burner Phone 101
Hosted by the Brooklyn Public Library, this Burner Phone 101 workshop introduced participants to phone-related risk modeling, privacy-protective smartphone practices, the full spectrum of burner phone options, and when to leave phones behind entirely…Rebecca Williams
Microsoft AI chief says it’s ‘dangerous’ to study AI consciousness: People will start to believe in the AIs as conscious entities that they’ll advocate for AI rights, model welfare and AI citizenship
We must build AI for people; not to be a person
Personal site of Mustafa Suleyman, AI pioneer and author.mustafa-suleyman.ai
Raoul Duke likes this.
is it possible to pirate Microsoft Flight Simulator? (PLEASE read before commenting)
like this
x-plane.com/
Flight Simulator | X-Plane 12: Flight Simulation Done Right
The world's most advanced flight simulator is ready for you. Try our free demo for Windows, macOS, & Linux today.X-Plane
Japan city drafts ordinance to cap smartphone use at 2 hours per day
A central Japan city said Thursday it will seek to pass an ordinance recommending all residents limit smartphone use to two hours a day outside of work and school amid concerns over the impact of excessive technology exposure, though there will be no penalties proposed.The ordinance drafted by the city of Toyoake in Aichi Prefecture is likely to be the first such municipal regulation in Japan that targets a limit on the use of smartphones and other electronic devices, according to the city. If passed by the local assembly, the ordinance will come into effect on Oct. 1.
Japan city drafts ordinance to cap smartphone use at 2 hours per day
A central Japan city said Thursday it will seek to pass an ordinance recommending all residents limit smartphone use to two hours a day outside of work and school amid concerns over the impact of excessive technology exposure, though there will be no…KYODO NEWS (Japan Wire by KYODO NEWS)
FTC Warns Companies(Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Discord, Meta, Microsoft, Signal, Snap, X and more) Against Censoring or Weakening the Data Security of Americans at the Behest of Foreign Powers
Republished here under Public Domain.
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson sent letters today to more than a dozen prominent technology companies reminding them of their obligations to protect the privacy and data security of American consumers despite pressure from foreign governments to weaken such protections. He also warned them that censoring Americans at the behest of foreign powers might violate the law.
The letters were sent to companies that provide cloud computing, data security, social media, messaging apps and other services and include: Akamai, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Cloudflare, Discord, GoDaddy, Meta, Microsoft, Signal, Snap, Slack and X.
The letters noted that companies might feel pressured to censor and weaken data security protections for Americans in response to the laws, demands, or expected demands of foreign powers. These laws include the European Union’s Digital Services Act and the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act, which incentivize tech companies to censor worldwide speech, and the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act, which can require companies to weaken their encryption measures to enable UK law enforcement to access data stored by users.
“I am concerned that these actions by foreign powers to impose censorship and weaken end-to-end encryption will erode Americans’ freedoms and subject them to myriad harms, such as surveillance by foreign governments and an increased risk of identity theft and fraud,” Chairman Ferguson wrote.
The letter noted that as companies consider how to comply with foreign laws and demands, they are still required to comply with the FTC Act’s prohibition against unfair and deceptive practices in the marketplace. For example, if a company promises consumers that it encrypts or secures online communications but then adopts weaker security in response to demands from a foreign government, such an action could be considered a deceptive practice under the FTC Act, the letter noted.
The FTC has brought dozens of cases over the past two decades against companies that have failed to keep their promises to consumers to deploy reasonable safeguards to protect consumer data.
Raoul Duke likes this.
Kremlin-Backed Messaging App Max to Come Pre-Installed on Devices Starting Next Month
::: spoiler Context
Wikipedia.
Max (stylized in all uppercase; Russian: Макс, [ˈmaks] MAKS) is a Russian messenger released by VK in 2025. As of July 2025, it is in beta-testing stage. By analogy with the Chinese platform WeChat, a universal mobile application ("superapp") is being developed on the basis of Max, which allows, in addition to using the functions of the messenger, to also receive electronic Gosuslugi, verify identity through a digital ID, use a strengthened electronic signature, and also make payments.
:::Russia’s new state-backed messaging app Max will come pre-installed on all devices sold in the country starting on Sept. 1, the government announced Thursday.
Правительство включит новые цифровые продукты в перечень программ для обязательной предустановки
Распоряжения от 19 августа 2025 года №2240-р и №2241-рgovernment.ru
French streamers' broadcasted death prompts outcry while authorities investigate possible abuse
Raphael Graven, 46, died on Monday during a days-long broadcast on the streaming platform Kick
Top 50 news websites in the US in July: BBC drops five places as paywall introduced; Most report traffic declines.
Biggest websites for news US: Top 50 updated each month
Press Gazette lists the top 50 biggest websites for news in the US. Monthly updated top 50 listing based on data from Similarweb.Press Gazette
dflemstr likes this.
Chinese National Who Deployed "Kill Switch" Code on Employer's Network Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
Chinese National Who Deployed "Kill Switch" Code on Employer's Network Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
A Chinese national was sentenced today to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for writing and deploying malicious code on his then-employer’s network.www.justice.gov
Wired, Business Insider, Index on Censorship magazine and more outlets got tricked into publishing AI-Generated, fabricated articles that feature people who do not seem to exist.
Wired and Business Insider remove 'AI-written' freelance articles - Press Gazette
Wired and Business Insider have removed freelance articles over concerns they were written by AI under a fake name.Charlotte Tobitt (Press Gazette)
Raoul Duke likes this.
Are you being watched by your local police?
Are you being watched by your local police?
The “Atlas of Surveillance” has the info – or at least, some of it.Forward Kentucky
Esegesi del falso banano: la soluzione di mangiare tutto l'albero lasciando il frutto dov'era - Il blog di Jacopo Ranieri
Esegesi del falso banano: la soluzione di mangiare tutto l'albero lasciando il frutto dov'era - Il blog di Jacopo Ranieri
Tra le molte raffigurazioni ritrovate in Egitto della dea Iside, l’importante figura del pantheon egiziano compare talvolta seduta in meditazione, tra le grandi e inconfondibili fronde di quello che poteva essere soltanto un albero di banano.Jacopo (Il blog di Jacopo Ranieri)
No phone passcode privacy expectation in police station, New Jersey appeals court rules
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/36109840
Photo by Sora Shimazakiby Nikita Biryukov, New Jersey Monitor
August 19, 2025Police did not act improperly when an officer gained access to the phone of an individual detained for kidnapping, sex assault, and other serious charges after watching the man enter his cellphone passcode and committing it to memory, a New Jersey appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Tyrone Ellison, who was arrested and convicted after kidnapping a minor with substance abuse issues from a Newark hospital, had no reasonable expectation of privacy when he unlocked his phone while in police custody and under the supervision of a detective, the court ruled.
“There was no violation of defendant’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination where defendant voluntarily requested his cell phone, was not compelled to provide the passcode and voluntarily entered the passcode in the officer’s presence,” the judges wrote.
Police could not leave Ellison unattended with his phone without risking him deleting evidence, the ruling adds.
The judges said prior case law that found an arrestee maintained a reasonable expectation of privacy when making a call from a police station without being told that call may be monitored or recorded does not apply to Ellison’s case.
Ellison, the judges wrote, was aware of the detective’s presence when entering his passcode, did not attempt to conceal his password, and was not stopped from concealing his passcode from police.
“There was no deception or trickery used to obtain defendant’s passcode. Nor did the police orchestrate the situation to induce defendant to reveal the passcode,” the court wrote.
In effect, Ellison’s expectation of privacy vanished when he chose to unlock his phone in the presence of police, the court found.
A divided New Jersey Supreme Court in 2020 ruled in Andrews v. New Jersey that while the Fifth Amendment presumptively protects individuals’ passcodes, they can be compelled to reveal them under the foregone conclusion exception to the amendment. That exception allows the compelled disclosure of documents and passcodes as long as authorities know they exist and the individual subject to the warrant knows and possesses them.
Tuesday’s ruling says another doctrine that allows authorities to use improperly obtained information if it would have inevitably come into their possession through proper channels would have allowed police to use the passcode even if it was initially obtained improperly.
Police obtained a communications data warrant to search the phone and could have obtained an order to compel Ellison to disclose his passcode, the judges wrote.
“Once the passcode was compelled, law enforcement would have been able to access the contents of the phone,” the judges wrote.
The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender represented Ellison. Alison Perrone, deputy of the office’s appellate section, called the ruling concerning and said her office will ask the New Jersey Supreme Court to review the case.
“The ability of law enforcement to observe and later use a person’s private phone passcode while in custody presents serious questions about constitutional rights in the digital era,” Perrone said in a statement.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.SUBSCRIBE
New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com.
No phone passcode privacy expectation in police station, New Jersey appeals court rules
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/36109840
Photo by Sora Shimazakiby Nikita Biryukov, New Jersey Monitor
August 19, 2025Police did not act improperly when an officer gained access to the phone of an individual detained for kidnapping, sex assault, and other serious charges after watching the man enter his cellphone passcode and committing it to memory, a New Jersey appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Tyrone Ellison, who was arrested and convicted after kidnapping a minor with substance abuse issues from a Newark hospital, had no reasonable expectation of privacy when he unlocked his phone while in police custody and under the supervision of a detective, the court ruled.
“There was no violation of defendant’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination where defendant voluntarily requested his cell phone, was not compelled to provide the passcode and voluntarily entered the passcode in the officer’s presence,” the judges wrote.
Police could not leave Ellison unattended with his phone without risking him deleting evidence, the ruling adds.
The judges said prior case law that found an arrestee maintained a reasonable expectation of privacy when making a call from a police station without being told that call may be monitored or recorded does not apply to Ellison’s case.
Ellison, the judges wrote, was aware of the detective’s presence when entering his passcode, did not attempt to conceal his password, and was not stopped from concealing his passcode from police.
“There was no deception or trickery used to obtain defendant’s passcode. Nor did the police orchestrate the situation to induce defendant to reveal the passcode,” the court wrote.
In effect, Ellison’s expectation of privacy vanished when he chose to unlock his phone in the presence of police, the court found.
A divided New Jersey Supreme Court in 2020 ruled in Andrews v. New Jersey that while the Fifth Amendment presumptively protects individuals’ passcodes, they can be compelled to reveal them under the foregone conclusion exception to the amendment. That exception allows the compelled disclosure of documents and passcodes as long as authorities know they exist and the individual subject to the warrant knows and possesses them.
Tuesday’s ruling says another doctrine that allows authorities to use improperly obtained information if it would have inevitably come into their possession through proper channels would have allowed police to use the passcode even if it was initially obtained improperly.
Police obtained a communications data warrant to search the phone and could have obtained an order to compel Ellison to disclose his passcode, the judges wrote.
“Once the passcode was compelled, law enforcement would have been able to access the contents of the phone,” the judges wrote.
The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender represented Ellison. Alison Perrone, deputy of the office’s appellate section, called the ruling concerning and said her office will ask the New Jersey Supreme Court to review the case.
“The ability of law enforcement to observe and later use a person’s private phone passcode while in custody presents serious questions about constitutional rights in the digital era,” Perrone said in a statement.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.SUBSCRIBE
New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com.
No phone passcode privacy expectation in police station, New Jersey appeals court rules
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/36109840
Photo by Sora Shimazakiby Nikita Biryukov, New Jersey Monitor
August 19, 2025Police did not act improperly when an officer gained access to the phone of an individual detained for kidnapping, sex assault, and other serious charges after watching the man enter his cellphone passcode and committing it to memory, a New Jersey appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Tyrone Ellison, who was arrested and convicted after kidnapping a minor with substance abuse issues from a Newark hospital, had no reasonable expectation of privacy when he unlocked his phone while in police custody and under the supervision of a detective, the court ruled.
“There was no violation of defendant’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination where defendant voluntarily requested his cell phone, was not compelled to provide the passcode and voluntarily entered the passcode in the officer’s presence,” the judges wrote.
Police could not leave Ellison unattended with his phone without risking him deleting evidence, the ruling adds.
The judges said prior case law that found an arrestee maintained a reasonable expectation of privacy when making a call from a police station without being told that call may be monitored or recorded does not apply to Ellison’s case.
Ellison, the judges wrote, was aware of the detective’s presence when entering his passcode, did not attempt to conceal his password, and was not stopped from concealing his passcode from police.
“There was no deception or trickery used to obtain defendant’s passcode. Nor did the police orchestrate the situation to induce defendant to reveal the passcode,” the court wrote.
In effect, Ellison’s expectation of privacy vanished when he chose to unlock his phone in the presence of police, the court found.
A divided New Jersey Supreme Court in 2020 ruled in Andrews v. New Jersey that while the Fifth Amendment presumptively protects individuals’ passcodes, they can be compelled to reveal them under the foregone conclusion exception to the amendment. That exception allows the compelled disclosure of documents and passcodes as long as authorities know they exist and the individual subject to the warrant knows and possesses them.
Tuesday’s ruling says another doctrine that allows authorities to use improperly obtained information if it would have inevitably come into their possession through proper channels would have allowed police to use the passcode even if it was initially obtained improperly.
Police obtained a communications data warrant to search the phone and could have obtained an order to compel Ellison to disclose his passcode, the judges wrote.
“Once the passcode was compelled, law enforcement would have been able to access the contents of the phone,” the judges wrote.
The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender represented Ellison. Alison Perrone, deputy of the office’s appellate section, called the ruling concerning and said her office will ask the New Jersey Supreme Court to review the case.
“The ability of law enforcement to observe and later use a person’s private phone passcode while in custody presents serious questions about constitutional rights in the digital era,” Perrone said in a statement.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.SUBSCRIBE
New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com.
Raoul Duke likes this.
No phone passcode privacy expectation in police station, New Jersey appeals court rules
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/36109840
Photo by Sora Shimazakiby Nikita Biryukov, New Jersey Monitor
August 19, 2025Police did not act improperly when an officer gained access to the phone of an individual detained for kidnapping, sex assault, and other serious charges after watching the man enter his cellphone passcode and committing it to memory, a New Jersey appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Tyrone Ellison, who was arrested and convicted after kidnapping a minor with substance abuse issues from a Newark hospital, had no reasonable expectation of privacy when he unlocked his phone while in police custody and under the supervision of a detective, the court ruled.
“There was no violation of defendant’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination where defendant voluntarily requested his cell phone, was not compelled to provide the passcode and voluntarily entered the passcode in the officer’s presence,” the judges wrote.
Police could not leave Ellison unattended with his phone without risking him deleting evidence, the ruling adds.
The judges said prior case law that found an arrestee maintained a reasonable expectation of privacy when making a call from a police station without being told that call may be monitored or recorded does not apply to Ellison’s case.
Ellison, the judges wrote, was aware of the detective’s presence when entering his passcode, did not attempt to conceal his password, and was not stopped from concealing his passcode from police.
“There was no deception or trickery used to obtain defendant’s passcode. Nor did the police orchestrate the situation to induce defendant to reveal the passcode,” the court wrote.
In effect, Ellison’s expectation of privacy vanished when he chose to unlock his phone in the presence of police, the court found.
A divided New Jersey Supreme Court in 2020 ruled in Andrews v. New Jersey that while the Fifth Amendment presumptively protects individuals’ passcodes, they can be compelled to reveal them under the foregone conclusion exception to the amendment. That exception allows the compelled disclosure of documents and passcodes as long as authorities know they exist and the individual subject to the warrant knows and possesses them.
Tuesday’s ruling says another doctrine that allows authorities to use improperly obtained information if it would have inevitably come into their possession through proper channels would have allowed police to use the passcode even if it was initially obtained improperly.
Police obtained a communications data warrant to search the phone and could have obtained an order to compel Ellison to disclose his passcode, the judges wrote.
“Once the passcode was compelled, law enforcement would have been able to access the contents of the phone,” the judges wrote.
The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender represented Ellison. Alison Perrone, deputy of the office’s appellate section, called the ruling concerning and said her office will ask the New Jersey Supreme Court to review the case.
“The ability of law enforcement to observe and later use a person’s private phone passcode while in custody presents serious questions about constitutional rights in the digital era,” Perrone said in a statement.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.SUBSCRIBE
New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com.
No phone passcode privacy expectation in police station, New Jersey appeals court rules
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/36109840
Photo by Sora Shimazakiby Nikita Biryukov, New Jersey Monitor
August 19, 2025Police did not act improperly when an officer gained access to the phone of an individual detained for kidnapping, sex assault, and other serious charges after watching the man enter his cellphone passcode and committing it to memory, a New Jersey appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Tyrone Ellison, who was arrested and convicted after kidnapping a minor with substance abuse issues from a Newark hospital, had no reasonable expectation of privacy when he unlocked his phone while in police custody and under the supervision of a detective, the court ruled.
“There was no violation of defendant’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination where defendant voluntarily requested his cell phone, was not compelled to provide the passcode and voluntarily entered the passcode in the officer’s presence,” the judges wrote.
Police could not leave Ellison unattended with his phone without risking him deleting evidence, the ruling adds.
The judges said prior case law that found an arrestee maintained a reasonable expectation of privacy when making a call from a police station without being told that call may be monitored or recorded does not apply to Ellison’s case.
Ellison, the judges wrote, was aware of the detective’s presence when entering his passcode, did not attempt to conceal his password, and was not stopped from concealing his passcode from police.
“There was no deception or trickery used to obtain defendant’s passcode. Nor did the police orchestrate the situation to induce defendant to reveal the passcode,” the court wrote.
In effect, Ellison’s expectation of privacy vanished when he chose to unlock his phone in the presence of police, the court found.
A divided New Jersey Supreme Court in 2020 ruled in Andrews v. New Jersey that while the Fifth Amendment presumptively protects individuals’ passcodes, they can be compelled to reveal them under the foregone conclusion exception to the amendment. That exception allows the compelled disclosure of documents and passcodes as long as authorities know they exist and the individual subject to the warrant knows and possesses them.
Tuesday’s ruling says another doctrine that allows authorities to use improperly obtained information if it would have inevitably come into their possession through proper channels would have allowed police to use the passcode even if it was initially obtained improperly.
Police obtained a communications data warrant to search the phone and could have obtained an order to compel Ellison to disclose his passcode, the judges wrote.
“Once the passcode was compelled, law enforcement would have been able to access the contents of the phone,” the judges wrote.
The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender represented Ellison. Alison Perrone, deputy of the office’s appellate section, called the ruling concerning and said her office will ask the New Jersey Supreme Court to review the case.
“The ability of law enforcement to observe and later use a person’s private phone passcode while in custody presents serious questions about constitutional rights in the digital era,” Perrone said in a statement.
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New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com.
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Hey ScoffingLizard
I think it is already here:
The anti-immigrant right wing fascists have been out in force in my area.
They have been having get togethers in my local high street. Big muscles, shaven heads, tattoos, anabolic steroid body building users, standing with their legs apart to intimidate those walking past them, wankers. They have serious male identity issues.
I went out for a drive this morning down to my local river for a long walk.
All the mini roundabouts in my local area, there are about 10 of them on the way to the river, have been painted red with the George Cross.
I remember the skinheads from the Mid 70's. Gangs of short haired boys, with Doc marten boots and Ben Sherman shirts, travelling around in cars, beating up anyone with a black or brown skin.
I knew quite a few of them and I always thought they were wankers, Absolutely useless on a "one on one" fist fight, but in gang they would attack any single male. Brave bastards they were.
The most frustrating thing of all is that they considered themselves pure bloods. Pure blood english. There is no such thing. simple minded wankers.
They have not even thought about our history, with everyone in Europe invading and occupying us at one time or other. The Romans, The Vikings, The Normans, the Jutes and Anglo-Saxons etc etc, they were not english. Pure bloods they say.
This Reminds me of your ICE teams over there.
You can see the similarities in Nineteen Eighty-Four:
Each state is self-supporting and self-enclosed: emigration and immigration are forbidden, as are international trade and the learning of foreign languages
Sounds familiar doesnt it.
No phone passcode privacy expectation in police station, New Jersey appeals court rules
by Nikita Biryukov, New Jersey Monitor
August 19, 2025
Police did not act improperly when an officer gained access to the phone of an individual detained for kidnapping, sex assault, and other serious charges after watching the man enter his cellphone passcode and committing it to memory, a New Jersey appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Tyrone Ellison, who was arrested and convicted after kidnapping a minor with substance abuse issues from a Newark hospital, had no reasonable expectation of privacy when he unlocked his phone while in police custody and under the supervision of a detective, the court ruled.
“There was no violation of defendant’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination where defendant voluntarily requested his cell phone, was not compelled to provide the passcode and voluntarily entered the passcode in the officer’s presence,” the judges wrote.
Police could not leave Ellison unattended with his phone without risking him deleting evidence, the ruling adds.
The judges said prior case law that found an arrestee maintained a reasonable expectation of privacy when making a call from a police station without being told that call may be monitored or recorded does not apply to Ellison’s case.
Ellison, the judges wrote, was aware of the detective’s presence when entering his passcode, did not attempt to conceal his password, and was not stopped from concealing his passcode from police.
“There was no deception or trickery used to obtain defendant’s passcode. Nor did the police orchestrate the situation to induce defendant to reveal the passcode,” the court wrote.
In effect, Ellison’s expectation of privacy vanished when he chose to unlock his phone in the presence of police, the court found.
A divided New Jersey Supreme Court in 2020 ruled in Andrews v. New Jersey that while the Fifth Amendment presumptively protects individuals’ passcodes, they can be compelled to reveal them under the foregone conclusion exception to the amendment. That exception allows the compelled disclosure of documents and passcodes as long as authorities know they exist and the individual subject to the warrant knows and possesses them.
Tuesday’s ruling says another doctrine that allows authorities to use improperly obtained information if it would have inevitably come into their possession through proper channels would have allowed police to use the passcode even if it was initially obtained improperly.
Police obtained a communications data warrant to search the phone and could have obtained an order to compel Ellison to disclose his passcode, the judges wrote.
“Once the passcode was compelled, law enforcement would have been able to access the contents of the phone,” the judges wrote.
The New Jersey Office of the Public Defender represented Ellison. Alison Perrone, deputy of the office’s appellate section, called the ruling concerning and said her office will ask the New Jersey Supreme Court to review the case.
“The ability of law enforcement to observe and later use a person’s private phone passcode while in custody presents serious questions about constitutional rights in the digital era,” Perrone said in a statement.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.SUBSCRIBE
New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com.
Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
New Jersey v. Andrews
The target of a State narcotics investigation, Quincy Lowery, advised detectives that defendant Robert Andrews, a former Essex County, New Jersey Sheriff’s Officer, had provided him with information about the investigation and advice to avoid crimina…Justia Law
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A new diamond- based magnetic field sensor could be used to better find tumours through tracing magnetic fluid injected in the body.
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/36069490
The diamond sensor works by detecting magnetic tracer fluid (iron oxide nanoparticles) that is introduced into the patient during or before breast cancer surgery. The tracer fluid is injected into the tumour and then travels to the lymph nodes alongside metastasized cancer cells. A magnetic field sensor based on a diamond can then locate the tracer fluid and pinpoint the lymph nodes to be surgically removed to stop the cancer spread.Its compact design is achieved by using a tiny diamond (0.5 mm3) and a small permanent magnet that is attached to the probe head. This eliminates the need for bulky electronics allowing for a handheld versatile tool.
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Pro
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