Dave Maass 🔦
@maassive.bsky.social
Investigations at EFF, researching border and police tech. Scholar in res. at UNR Reynolds School of Journalism. I also wrote the graphic novel Death Strikes: The Emperor of Atlantis (https://a.co/d/gHsJzAa). New Insta: maassinpublic
San Diego folks: don't sleep on this talk about safely covering the border on Aug 17.
Freedom of the Press Foundation@freedom.press · 6d agoHow do journalists safely cover the U.S./Mexico land border? Join us in-person in San Diego for a look at the intersection of investigative reporting, digital security, and legal implications of border reporting. 📍California Western School of Law 🗓️ 8/17, 5 p.m. PT RSVP: freedom.press/sandiego26
New: We found 50 cops who misused Flock cameras and other license-plate readers for personal purposes, often to spy on their girlfriends or ex-wives. He "watched every single move I made. ... Who do you turn the chief of police in to?" wapo.st/3S6rTuo
She left her ex. He secretly tracked her through a network of policing cameras.
Flock’s array of license-plate cameras was built to fight crime. But at least 50 law enforcement officers were charged with or accused of misusing it and other systems.
wapo.st
"The number one group of people being surveilled by this technology are people who live at the border," EFF’s @maassive.bsky.social told @reason.com. "It's not migrants, it's not the cartels, it's people who live there."
Homeland Security is spending $1 billion on 'autonomous' border surveillance towers
The department plans to triple the number of surveillance towers along the U.S.-Mexico border over the next decade.
reason.com
EFF’s @maassive.bsky.social spoke with @cnn.com about the anti-ALPR sentiment sweeping the nation. “Once people start learning about the massive scale of the data that’s being collected and who it’s being accessed by, it starts to freak them out.”
Flock cameras are getting mobbed | CNN
From coast to coast, Americans across the political spectrum have been taking official or vigilante action against the always-on, searchable camera network.
cnn.com
By filing Freedom of Information requests, 404 Media has obtained bodycam footage and documents that uncover stories about tech that powers ICE and how cops abuse Flock. You can FOIA too! On July 30th at 1 pm ET, we will teach you how to file a FOIA request live: www.404media.co/our-new-foia...
Holy shit. Flock Safety just got booed at San Diego Comic-Con during the Watch Dogs 2 tenth anniversary panel. Must’ve been 1500-2000 people in the room.
it's true, fighting for digital rights is like playing a cyberpunk video game it's cool www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
How the Watch Dogs Video Game Series Mirrored and Predicted Real-World Digital Rights Issues
When Ubisoft's Watch Dogs 2 was released in 2016, it was a headtrip for those of us working on digital-rights issues in the Bay Area. During the day, I'd fight tech-authoritarianism from EFF's San Fra...
eff.org
We're talking about the 10th anniversary of Watch Dogs 2 at San Diego Comic-Con. Here's how the game predicted the rise of surveillance in society.
How the Watch Dogs Video Game Series Mirrored and Predicted Real-World Digital Rights Issues
When Ubisoft's Watch Dogs 2 was released in 2016, it was a headtrip for those of us working on digital-rights issues in the Bay Area. During the day, I'd fight tech-authoritarianism from EFF's San Fra...
eff.org
This dude was one of the first ever to contribute to the Atlas pilot, proving that it was a viable project.
Electronic Frontier Foundation@eff.org · 3w agoThe Atlas of Surveillance, our database mapping police surveillance tech across the U.S., turns six this week! Want to know how police are keeping tabs on you and your neighbors? Search for your town on the Atlas of Surveillance: www.atlasofsurveillance.org
The Atlas of Surveillance, our database mapping police surveillance tech across the U.S., turns six this week! Want to know how police are keeping tabs on you and your neighbors? Search for your town on the Atlas of Surveillance: www.atlasofsurveillance.org
Come see Andrew speak on our San Diego Comic-Con panel, “Comics vs. Authoritarianism!” on Saturday, July 25th 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm. Room 10
Derf Backderf@derfbackderf.bsky.social · 3w agoNice piece by Andrew & Nate on how MARCH came to be, and the void left by Congressman John Lewis'passing six years ago.
NEW: Cops around the country have used Flock cameras at least hundreds of times to search for specific people, not cars, using searches such as “person on skateboard,” and “person wearing orange vest and construction hat,” according to data reviewed by 404 Media.
How Cops Use Flock to Track People, Not Cars
Cops have used Flock's FreeForm search feature to look for people with tattoos and wearing specific sport shirts, and searches sometimes include the target's race, according to data reviewed by 404 Me...
404media.co
Come to the Black Girl Nerds-Nerd Initiative-EFF meet-up at San Diego Comic Con!
Black Girl Nerds @blackgirlnerds.bsky.social · 3w agoIt’s the perfect place to mix, mingle, network, and geek out with fellow fans across pop culture, gaming, comics, TV, film, and fandom. There will be fun giveaways and more! Be sure to RSVP to participate!
Cities across the nation are re-evaluating whether to allow mass surveillance by Flock ALPR cameras. Want to find out whether your local police are using Flock to scan for immigrants targeted by ICE? EFF tells you how. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Are Your Local Police Using Flock Safety ALPRs to Scan for Immigrants?
When a car passes an automated license plate reader (ALPR), its plate is captured and instantly compared against a list of vehicles that police are actively looking for or that police have identified
eff.org
Alas, it's time to finally have a public instagram account. If you're feeling generous with the follows on the other platform: www.instagram.com/maassinpublic
Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.
instagram.com
This book is everything you want in a sci-fi heist novel.
Eddie Robson@eddierobson.bsky.social · last mo.My latest is out in paperback this month, it's an SF crime novel set in a collapsing capitalist hellscape, as a group of corporate-owned clones have a chance at freedom if they carry out a heist: torpublishinggroup.com/the-heist-of...
The explosion of surveillance technology has made the U.S.-Mexico border area “a hostile environment” for locals and would-be migrants, EFF’s @maassive.bsky.social told @apnews.com.
Trump administration’s $46 billion 'smart wall' races ahead on the US-Mexico border
The United States is rapidly building what it calls a “smart wall” on the Mexico border, combining tall steel fencing with advanced technology like sensors and cameras.
apnews.com
The Prairieland cartoonist/zinester who got 30 years for making a zine. Still short of the goal for funding his fight against this total travesty of justice. A gullible rural jury brainwashed by rightwing media, and the most fascist judge in the country. Donate & push this over the finish line.
Donate to Help Artist Des Revol and His Family, organized by Jonathan Rochkind
Our friend, Daniel "Des Revol" Sanchez Estrada, has been wrongly arrested and c… Jonathan Rochkind needs your support for Help Artist Des Revol and His Family
gofundme.com
“Dave Maass, director of investigations for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on civil liberties related to digital technology, said the technology has made the border area ‘a hostile environment’ for locals and would-be migrants.”
Trump administration’s $46 billion 'smart wall' races ahead on the US-Mexico border
The United States is rapidly building what it calls a “smart wall” on the Mexico border, combining tall steel fencing with advanced technology like sensors and cameras.
apnews.com
Kelly Davis, intrepid reporter who exposed death and despair in San Diego County jails and gave voice to the downtrodden, dies at 53
Kelly Davis, intrepid reporter who exposed death and despair in San Diego County jails and gave voice to the downtrodden, dies at 53
sandiegouniontribune.com
Kelly Davis was truly the best of the best. Her reporting was fearless, and always grounded in compassion and humanity. She did so much to foster community among San Diego journalists. Thank you, @byjeffmcdonald.bsky.social, for honoring her memory. www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/07/01/k...
Kelly Davis, intrepid reporter who exposed death and despair in San Diego County jails and gave voice to the downtrodden, dies at 53
The 2023 San Diego journalist of the year beat cancer for more than a decade before being diagnosed with a new tumor earlier this year; she leaves a lasting legacy in her adopted hometown.
sandiegouniontribune.com
When a license plate is captured by an automated license plate reader (ALPR), it’s instantly compared against a list of vehicles that the police are actively looking for, known as a “hotlist.” EFF has learned that one of these hotlists targets immigrants on behalf of ICE. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Are Your Local Police Using Flock Safety ALPRs to Scan for Immigrants?
When a car passes an automated license plate reader (ALPR), its plate is captured and instantly compared against a list of vehicles that police are actively looking for or that police have identified
eff.org
Some local cops are using Flock Safety ALPRs to scan for vehicles on ICE's "Immigration Violator" list. I wrote this guide to learn if it's happening in your community.
Are Your Local Police Using Flock Safety ALPRs to Scan for Immigrants?
When a car passes an automated license plate reader (ALPR), its plate is captured and instantly compared against a list of vehicles that police are actively looking for or that police have identified ...
eff.org
You know, @theonion.com, I actually would like to see the Pentagon’s (and CBP’s) declassified aerostat files.
Hey Charlottesville! Pick up this week's free C-VILLE Weekly to read The Foilies, EFF and MuckRock's annual tongue-in-cheek report on government transparency. issuu.com/cvilleweekl...
C-VILLE Weekly | May 27 - June 2, 2026
issuu.com
An EFF analysis reveals a troubling pattern of mission creep with ALPRs. Without a warrant requirement, law enforcement agencies are shifting from using the technology for specific criminal investigations to using these surveillance networks for minor personal whims. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
More License Plate Reader Mission Creep: School Residency
An EFF analysis of millions of searches of Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) data by police has uncovered a troubling pattern: in the absence of a warrant requirement to search ALPR
eff.org
We dug through Flock Safety records and found some ridiculous use cases: noise complaints, school eligibility, and employment background checks. www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
More License Plate Reader Mission Creep: School Residency Verification, Background Checks, and Noise Complaints
An EFF analysis of millions of searches of Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) data by police has uncovered a troubling pattern: in the absence of a warrant requirement to search ALPR d...
eff.org
