A Spymaster Sheikh Controls a $1.5 Trillion Fortune. He Wants to Use It to Dominate AI

His real name is Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al Nahyan. A bearded, wiry figure who’s almost never seen without dark sunglasses.

Tahnoun is the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser—the intelligence chief to one of the world’s wealthiest and most surveillance-happy small nations. He’s also the younger brother of the country’s hereditary, autocratic president, Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan. But perhaps most important, and most bizarrely for a spymaster, Tahnoun wields official control over much of Abu Dhabi’s vast sovereign wealth. Bloomberg News reported last year that he directly oversees a $1.5 trillion empire—more cash than just about anyone on the planet...

But in recent years, a new quest has taken up much of Sheikh Tahnoun’s attention. His onetime chess and technology obsession has morphed into something far bigger: a hundred-billion-dollar campaign to turn Abu Dhabi into an AI superpower. And the teammate he’s set out to buy this time is the United States tech industry itself. more

Security Director Alert: Latest Electronic Surveillance of Corporate Executives

What is going on at Boohoo?
• Espionage claims arise as boardroom battle continues.

• Cautionary tale.

The past few months have been turbulent for Boohoo, to say the least. Yet, last week, things seemed to come to a head when claims of espionage arose at the fast fashion giant.

According to a report by The Times, three current and former executives of Boohoo are believed to be the victims of stalking and surveillance. The alleged espionage is said to have been committed against Boohoo’s co-founder and executive chair Mahmud Kamani, chief executive Dan Finley and former CEO, John Lyttle.

The allegations were brought to light after the company informed the Information Commissioner’s Office (IOC) of a related incident taking place outside of its Manchester headquarters. The report was confirmed by the IOC in a statement to the press, which read: “We can confirm that Boohoo Group has made us aware of concerns regarding the discovery of surveillance equipment outside its head office.”

In a more recent update, the Times has now reported that police in Manchester and Kent are investigating the claims, with Greater Manchester Police stating to the media outlet that it was looking into allegations “involving serious distress”. No arrests have been made, so far. more

Spybuster Tip # 675

Prior to any attack (physical, information theft) some form of surveillance tradecraft (audio, video, data or visual surveillance) will be used. 

If you are a business executive don't ignore this. 

More tips here.

Fry Spy: What's Done in an Air Fryer Doesn't Stay in an Air Fryer

UK consumer champion Which? wants you to know that your air fryer might be spying on you and sharing your data with third parties for marketing purposes.

The perhaps not-so-surprising findings from the buyer's friend are that smart devices in general are engaged in surveillance of their owners, and that data collection often goes "well beyond" what is necessary for the functioning of the product...

Testing out products across four categories, the outfit discovered that all three air fryers it looked at wanted permission to record audio on the user's phone, for no specified reason.

One wanted to know gender and date of birth when setting up an owner account, while the Xiaomi app linked to its air fryer was found to be connected with trackers from Facebook, Pangle (the ad network of TikTok for Business), and Chinese tech giant Tencent.

Air fryers from brands Aigostar and Xiaomi both sent the owner's personal data to servers in China – although this was flagged in the privacy notice, for what it's worth. more

Surveillance News in the Digital World

• AI companies, including Google and OpenAI, are intensifying their screening of new hires due to the threat of Chinese espionage. more

• MICROSOFT ADMITS THAT MAYBE SURVEILING EVERYTHING YOU DO ON YOUR COMPUTER ISN’T A BRILLIANT IDEA... After announcing a new AI feature that records and screenshots everything you do, Microsoft is now delaying its launch after widespread objections. The company broke the news in a blog post detailing its decision not to ship the feature, dubbed Recall, on new computers so that it can continue to "leverage the expertise" of its Windows Insider Program (WIP) beta-testing community. more

• Zoom wants to make sure you’re paying attention. The company filed a patent application for “scrolling motion detection” in video calls.

• Chinese Spy Tech Driving Junta Internet Crackdown: Justice For Myanmar... China supplied the spy technology and technicians that allowed Myanmar’s junta to intensify its internet surveillance and censorship late last month, Justice for Myanmar (JFM) said on Thursday, warning that China’s increased support for the junta will cost more lives. This support will allow the junta – which has imprisoned more than 25,000 people since the 2021 coup – to identify and jail more people who express dissent. more

• Canada - Public servants uneasy as government 'spy' robot prowls federal offices... A device federal public servants call "the little robot" began appearing in Gatineau office buildings in March. It travels through the workplace to collect data using about 20 sensors and a 360-degree camera, according to Yahya Saad, co-founder of GlobalDWS, which created the robot. "Using AI on the robot, the camera takes the picture, analyzes and counts the number of people and then discards the image," he said. more

If You Have a Smartphone, Fog Reveal Probably Has Your Number

What is Fog Reveal? A legal scholar explains the app some police forces are using to track people without a warrant...

Government agencies and private security companies in the U.S. have found a cost-effective way to engage in warrantless surveillance of individuals, groups and places: a pay-for-access web tool called Fog Reveal.

The tool enables law enforcement officers to see “patterns of life” – where and when people work and live, with whom they associate and what places they visit. The tool’s maker, Fog Data Science, claims to have billions of data points from over 250 million U.S. mobile devices.

The tool – made possible by smart device technology and that difference between data privacy and electronic surveillance law protections – allows domestic law enforcement and private entities to buy access to compiled data about most U.S. mobile phones, including location data. It enables tracking and monitoring of people on a massive scale without court oversight or public transparency. more

Kid's Jewelry - Ankle Bracelet for the Wrist

Google announced the Fitbit Ace LTE, a surveillance-forward ("Know where your wild things are") smartwatch featuring all the features youngsters love, such as having their location and habits constantly under observation by adult customers of the world's largest advertising company. 

It's about 45mm across and a little over 13mm thick, comes with 4G LTE and GPS/GNSS, allows calling and messaging up to 20 contacts, and has NFC so yer littluns can buy stuff too. 16 or more hours of battery life is promised on a charge and there's an array of sensors. more

Hikvision Takes A Hike

Chinese surveillance industry giant Hikvision has suspended operations in Russia, joining the ranks of over 1,000 companies that have scaled back business in the country since Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Hikvision's Russian website is currently offline, a development flagged by Russian security systems adviser Videoglaz on the social media platform Telegram last week. The precise date operations ceased is unclear...

Hikvision, along with its budget brand HiWatch, comprised some 30 percent of Russia's surveillance camera market in 2021, according to Russian media agency RSpectr. more

6 Ways Remote Workers Can Stop Bosses Spying on Them

1. Separate Personal Devices From Company Ones
2. Mouse Jigglers
3. Avoid Email and Social Account Monitoring
4. VPNs
5. Secure Browsers
6. Know Your Rights
Details here.

Spybusters Tip #725: How to Find an Apple AirTag Hidden in Your Car

Apple AirTags are useful devices for locating commonly misplaced items like keys and wallets, but they can also be hijacked for more sinister purposes, such as tracking your whereabouts without your knowledge or consent. 

For a rogue AirTag to reveal meaningful surveillance information to its owner, it must be traveling with you: hidden in a pocket, purse, or vehicle you drive regularly. In most cases, Apple should alert you if it detects an unknown AirTag with a notification to your iPhone (or iPad) like "AirTag Found Moving With You." - Turn on AirTag alerts / Find an AirTag in your car... more

Disney’s AI CCTV

Disney wants to know what you’re up to in the “Happiest Place on Earth.”

The company wants to patent a system for “predicting need for guest assistance,” which would track guests’ behavior at Disney properties using machine learning analysis of video data. Disney’s filing lays out an AI-based system which determines whether or not a guest’s behavior is normal, and uses that to predict if they need something. 

Disney’s system would work in tandem with CCTV systems collecting a constant stream of video data. That data is fed to a deep learning model to determine if a guest’s actions differ from a predetermined set of “normal guest behaviors.”

If a guest’s behavior is deemed abnormal, the system will alert the operator that they may need some kind of assistance.

FutureWatch - What the Well-Dressed Spy Will be Wearing

 ...SMART e-PANTS

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is throwing $22 million in taxpayer money at developing clothing that records audio, video, and location data.

THE FUTURE OF wearable technology, beyond now-standard accessories like smartwatches and fitness tracking rings, is ePANTS, according to the intelligence community.

The federal government has shelled out at least $22 million in an effort to develop “smart” clothing that spies on the wearer and its surroundings. Similar to previous moonshot projects funded by military and intelligence agencies, the inspiration may have come from science fiction and superpowers, but the basic applications are on brand for the government: surveillance and data collection.

Billed as the “largest single investment to develop Active Smart Textiles,” the SMART ePANTS — Smart Electrically Powered and Networked Textile Systems — program aims to develop clothing capable of recording audio, video, and geolocation data, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence announced in an August 22 press release. Garments slated for production include shirts, pants, socks, and underwear, all of which are intended to be washable. more

Next up... Stylish wear by Faraday.

Baby Monitors & Smart Speakers Enabling Abuse, say MPs

Fitness trackers, home security systems and baby monitors are among the devices that MPs warn are enabling the growing issue of tech-enabled domestic abuse.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee says there are on average nine such "smart" products in UK homes. It found they were being used to "monitor, harass, coerce and control" victims by collecting recordings and images.

The MPs say the government must tackle the situation. (hear! hear!) more

"Wireman" by Pat Spatfore (book)

“Wireman,” from Newman Springs Publishing author Pat Spatafore, invites readers to look through the lens and become part of a profession that connects them to electronic surveillance, presidential assassins, counterintelligence, and criminal investigations.

The former president and chief executive officer of Secure Communications Service Inc., has completed his new book, “Wireman”: a revealing memoir that gives readers an inside look into a career in law enforcement.

Author Pat Spatafore served in the U.S. Navy as a communications technician and has been a sworn member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. His specialties include electronic surveillance, criminal investigations, and security administration.

Mr. Spatafore worked for a District Attorney’s Office located in New York State and served as a criminal investigator, a senior criminal investigator, and director of the district attorney’s Narcotics Initiative Task Force, retiring at the rank of deputy chief criminal investigator. He was responsible for electronic surveillance and criminal investigations. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master’s degree. more

Spy History: Evolution of Aerial Spying Over the Past 200 Years

Last month, the US government shot down a Chinese spy balloon floating near a South Carolina beach. 

The Pentagon said it was there gathering intelligence. China said it was doing civilian research. Regardless, it was nothing new.

Governments have been spying on each other for hundreds of years...Here's how surveillance from the sky has developed over the years...

The first record of aerial surveillance happened toward the end of the 18th century. During the Revolutionary War, the French successfully used hot air balloons to monitor combat during the Battle of Fleurus against Britain, Germany, and Holland. more

NLRB vs. Employer Surveillance of Employees

A significant concern for managers of remote workers is the ability to engage, manage and monitor performance and productivity – and some healthcare employers have turned to technologies like tracking employee keystrokes, capturing screenshots, and on-camera requirements for employees during work hours.

This has caught the attention of the National Labor Relations Board’s General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, who recently issued a memorandum seeking to broaden of the National Labor Relations Act (the “Act”) and limit the electronic surveillance of employees...

Under well-established law, an employer can be found to violate Section 8(a)(1) of the Act if it implements new monitoring technologies in response to union and other protected activity, uses existing technologies to discover such protected activity, including by reviewing security-camera footage or employees’ social-media accounts; or creates the impression that it is doing such things. more

Workers Foil Bosses’ Surveillance Attempts

Companies tracking employees’ productivity run up against inventive workarounds.

Lisa Crawford... is wary of her computer falling asleep when she gets up to throw in a load of laundry...Her solution? Sloth TV, a live-cam of a Costa Rican wildlife rescue ranch...Ms. Crawford pulls up the stream on a second monitor. Her computer stays awake...

Mr. Dewan had learned that his computer wouldn’t go to sleep or mark him as “idle” during a presentation...

Mr. Abbas wrapped the cord of his computer mouse around a rotating desk fan. Its motion kept the mouse moving and prevented his computer from shutting down. “I logged on, went to the gym,” he says.

For workers who aren’t as handy, mouse jigglers are for sale on Amazon. “Push the button when you’re getting up from your desk and the cursor travels randomly around the screen—for hours, if needed!” says one review. more

Students Analyze, Hack, Remove Under-Desk Surveillance Devices

Northeastern University - In October, the university quietly introduced heat sensors under desk without notifying students or seeking their consent. Students removed the devices, hacked them, and were able to force the university to stop its surveillance.

Early in October, Senior Vice Provost David Luzzi installed motion sensors under all the desks at the school's Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Complex (ISEC), a facility used by graduate students and home to the "Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute" which studies surveillance. These sensors were installed at night—without student knowledge or consent—and when pressed for an explanation, students were told this was part of a study on “desk usage," according to a blog post by Max von Hippel, a Privacy Institute PhD candidate who wrote about the situation for the Tech Workers Coalition’s newsletter.

More sensors were removed afterwards and put into a "public art piece" in the building lobby spelling out NO! more

PI Surveillance of Hand Injury Plaintiff Becomes 30.1 Billion Lawsuit

Cheap surveillance devices get expensive...

$11M settlement sparks $13.1B suit against American Family Insurance
A new lawsuit seeking billions of dollars in punitive damages claims AmFam and other parties illegally surveilled the plaintiff and her family...

It said that the lawyers hired the PI firm, at AmFam’s behest, to install surveillance devices around Mezqutal’s property and on family vehicles throughout the month of October 2019, or thereabouts.

“The AmFam defendants’ directions to the Martinelli Investigations Defendants included the mandate to have the investigators do whatever they needed to do to get surveillance of the plaintiff,” it said. “This direction was passed on to the Martinelli Investigations defendants by the Baker Donelson defendants.”

The PI defendants “unlawfully entered” Mezquitals’ property and “placed various electronic devices” on her property and two vehicles “to unlawfully record the activities of Plaintiff and her minor children. The electronic devices included at least one hidden video camera and multiple GPS tracking devices.”

The complaint said the PI team strapped a Spypoint Link-Dark “trail cam” digital camera, which is to a tree positioned to “capture plaintiff’s house, vehicles, and a portion of Plaintiff’s driveway. “The view provided by the Spypoint Link-Dark camera is not possible to obtain from a public road or from any other public property, it said. The “unlawful recordings were made without the consent of all persons observed and included photographs, videos, and electronic recordings of the activities of plaintiff and her minor children in a private place that was out of public view.”

The complaint includes claims for invasion of privacy, trespass to realty, trespass to personality, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and punitive damages and seeks joint and several liability for all the defendants. more  (Spypoint camera sales video)

Tiny State Buys $60 Million Surveillance System

(Kogi is a small state in Nigeria.)

Kogi governor acquires $60 million Chinese surveillance to eavesdrop on people. “We are putting the whole state on the map, real-time, virtual, audio and visual, so as you enter Kogi state from anywhere, we will see you. I won’t go into too much detail.”

Abdulkareem Siyaka, Kogi State Investment Promotion and Public Private Partnership Agency CEO, disclosed that the project would create 685,000 jobs and attract over N591 billion in investment yearly while encouraging migration to Kogi’s rural areas. more

Retail Employee Says Company Installed Illegal Audio-Recording Cameras at Work

In the U.S., most surveillance laws are dictated at the state level. While the majority of workplaces allow companies to install video cameras that capture visuals of whatever is going on in the store, including interactions of customers and employees, recording audio of their conversations is strictly prohibited in many states.

One of those states is New York, which has implemented anti-eavesdropping statutes that protect employees' conversations from being recorded while at work.

TikToker Ethan Carlson, who posts under the handle @therealethancarlson, recently uploaded a video about his workplace's audio-enabled cameras, prompting many viewers to urge him to report his employer.

In a now viral clip, Ethan says to the camera, "This is not a f--king drill, my place of work has installed these cameras."

He then points his camera lens and zooms in to show security devices installed up high in his store. more