Jake Laperruque
@jakelaperruque.bsky.social
Center for Democracy & Technology Deputy Director on Surveillance, privacy and 4th Amendment expert
Focused on tech, privacy, and surveillance: AI, FISA, facial recognition, location tracking, drones (Also cooking, movies, and baseball)
Focused on tech, privacy, and surveillance: AI, FISA, facial recognition, location tracking, drones (Also cooking, movies, and baseball)
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
Breaking WSJ:
The highly classified whistleblower complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is related to a conversation intercepted last spring in which two foreign nationals discussed Jared Kushner, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
The highly classified whistleblower complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is related to a conversation intercepted last spring in which two foreign nationals discussed Jared Kushner, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
Gabbard Whistleblower Complaint Based on Intercepted Conversation About Jared Kushner
The substance of the conversation, which covered in part issues related to Iran, isn’t known.
www.wsj.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Breaking WSJ:
The highly classified whistleblower complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is related to a conversation intercepted last spring in which two foreign nationals discussed Jared Kushner, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
The highly classified whistleblower complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is related to a conversation intercepted last spring in which two foreign nationals discussed Jared Kushner, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
BREAKING: Judge blocks Hegseth effort to punish Sen. Kelly.
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees."
Background: www.lawdork.com/p/breaking-k...
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees."
Background: www.lawdork.com/p/breaking-k...
![UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MARK KELLY,
Plaintiff,
Civil Case No. 26-81 (RJL)
V.
PETE HEGSETH, et al.,
Defendants.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
February 12, 2026 [Dkt. #2]
United States Senator Mark Kelly, a retired naval officer, has been censured by
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for voicing certain opinions on military actions and
policy. In addition, he has been subjected to proceedings to possibly reduce his retirement
rank and pay and threatened with criminal prosecution if he continues to speak out on these
issues.
Secretary Hegseth relies on the well-established doctrine that military
servicemembers enjoy less vigorous First Amendment protections given the fundamental
obligation for obedience and discipline in the armed forces. Unfortunately for Secretary
Hegseth, no court has ever extended those principles to retired servicemembers, much less a retired servicemember serving in Congress and exercising oversight responsibility over
the military. This Court will not be the first to do so!](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreiclbgaenrhgnor6zvmnfql4d3olwzqp7zikm3maum5ylc4m6epys4@jpeg)
February 12, 2026 at 5:41 PM
BREAKING: Judge blocks Hegseth effort to punish Sen. Kelly.
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees."
Background: www.lawdork.com/p/breaking-k...
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees."
Background: www.lawdork.com/p/breaking-k...
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
They're tracking lawmakers' Epstein searches
Pam Bondi and the Justice Department have been monitoring the search histories of members of Congress who looked at the Epstein files. Why is the Trump administration being so guarded about these documents? What are they trying to hide?
Pam Bondi and the Justice Department have been monitoring the search histories of members of Congress who looked at the Epstein files. Why is the Trump administration being so guarded about these documents? What are they trying to hide?
February 12, 2026 at 5:12 PM
They're tracking lawmakers' Epstein searches
Pam Bondi and the Justice Department have been monitoring the search histories of members of Congress who looked at the Epstein files. Why is the Trump administration being so guarded about these documents? What are they trying to hide?
Pam Bondi and the Justice Department have been monitoring the search histories of members of Congress who looked at the Epstein files. Why is the Trump administration being so guarded about these documents? What are they trying to hide?
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
Lyons’ claim that 60% of people in detention have a pending or final criminal charge is false. The number is exactly backwards. Approximately 60% of people in ICE custody have NO conviction or even a pending charge. And only 5% have a conviction for a violent crime.
February 10, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Lyons’ claim that 60% of people in detention have a pending or final criminal charge is false. The number is exactly backwards. Approximately 60% of people in ICE custody have NO conviction or even a pending charge. And only 5% have a conviction for a violent crime.
The IRS illgally shared THOUSANDS of taxpayers private data with ICE
As CDT's Tom Bowman notes, the scandalous and reckless data sharing between IRS and ICE shows "precisely why strict legal firewalls exist and have — until now — been treated as an important guardrail.”
apnews.com/article/trea...
As CDT's Tom Bowman notes, the scandalous and reckless data sharing between IRS and ICE shows "precisely why strict legal firewalls exist and have — until now — been treated as an important guardrail.”
apnews.com/article/trea...
A privacy breach at the IRS: Taxpayer data wrongly shared with DHS, court filing says
The IRS has erroneously shared the taxpayer information of thousands of people with the Department of Homeland Security, according to a new court filing.
apnews.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:39 PM
The IRS illgally shared THOUSANDS of taxpayers private data with ICE
As CDT's Tom Bowman notes, the scandalous and reckless data sharing between IRS and ICE shows "precisely why strict legal firewalls exist and have — until now — been treated as an important guardrail.”
apnews.com/article/trea...
As CDT's Tom Bowman notes, the scandalous and reckless data sharing between IRS and ICE shows "precisely why strict legal firewalls exist and have — until now — been treated as an important guardrail.”
apnews.com/article/trea...
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
Something I learned writing this: More than a quarter of US homes have doorbell cameras now. If the backlash is real this time, it comes as the devices are firmly entrenched across the country.
One nation, on camera: Internet-connected doorbells promise security but raise privacy alarms
Nancy Guthrie's Nest camera and a controversial Amazon Ring Super Bowl Commercial have resurfaced concerns about large-scale surveillance.
www.nbcnews.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Something I learned writing this: More than a quarter of US homes have doorbell cameras now. If the backlash is real this time, it comes as the devices are firmly entrenched across the country.
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
New from 404 Media: we've confirmed cops are buying access to GeoSpy, an AI that can geolocate photos in seconds. Doesn't use metadata, but clues in the photo like soil, architecture, to pinpoint where social media photos taken. Being used in investigations www.404media.co/cops-are-buy...
Cops Are Buying ‘GeoSpy’, an AI That Geolocates Photos in Seconds
404 Media has obtained a cache of internal police emails showing at least two agencies have bought access to GeoSpy, an AI tool that analyzes architecture, soil, and other features to near instantly g...
www.404media.co
February 12, 2026 at 2:17 PM
New from 404 Media: we've confirmed cops are buying access to GeoSpy, an AI that can geolocate photos in seconds. Doesn't use metadata, but clues in the photo like soil, architecture, to pinpoint where social media photos taken. Being used in investigations www.404media.co/cops-are-buy...
My guess is that sooner or later it’s going to become common for places of public accommodation and for social gatherings (bars, gyms, shops) to ban wearables that record
We all need to take a lesson from the treatment of Glassholes.
A Creepy New Device Is Spreading Across School Campuses. Students Are Being Harassed. Teachers Are Sounding the Alarm.
“Everyone has accepted the reality that the second you step outside, you waive your right to privacy.”
slate.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:06 PM
My guess is that sooner or later it’s going to become common for places of public accommodation and for social gatherings (bars, gyms, shops) to ban wearables that record
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
“By comparison to the millennials, Gen Z are far more quiet and reserved because they have a strange fear of being cringe or judged as cringe,” Cohen said. “From both observation and asking them, I know they feel paranoid when they’re answering a question, aware that someone may record them.”
We all need to take a lesson from the treatment of Glassholes.
A Creepy New Device Is Spreading Across School Campuses. Students Are Being Harassed. Teachers Are Sounding the Alarm.
“Everyone has accepted the reality that the second you step outside, you waive your right to privacy.”
slate.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:51 PM
“By comparison to the millennials, Gen Z are far more quiet and reserved because they have a strange fear of being cringe or judged as cringe,” Cohen said. “From both observation and asking them, I know they feel paranoid when they’re answering a question, aware that someone may record them.”
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
CNN confirms what MSNBC reported live a few hours ago: DOJ is surveilling Dem lawmakers when they go to the DOJ to search unredacted Epstein files.
CNN: "Another photograph - these are notes AG Bondi brought to the hearing today. This shows a list of Rep. Jayapal's search history. Lawmakers are allowed to go to a DOJ facility to search unredacted files. We learned from this photo that the searches are apparently being tracked & read by the DOJ"
February 11, 2026 at 9:36 PM
CNN confirms what MSNBC reported live a few hours ago: DOJ is surveilling Dem lawmakers when they go to the DOJ to search unredacted Epstein files.
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
NEW: ICE is crashing the US court system in Minnesota. Thanks to Trump's push to detain an unprecedented number of people, and its attempt to kill bond hearings, petitions to secure people's release from custody have skyrocketed. @regret.bsky.social w/ the scoop: www.wired.com/story/ice-cr...
February 11, 2026 at 9:26 PM
NEW: ICE is crashing the US court system in Minnesota. Thanks to Trump's push to detain an unprecedented number of people, and its attempt to kill bond hearings, petitions to secure people's release from custody have skyrocketed. @regret.bsky.social w/ the scoop: www.wired.com/story/ice-cr...
Some surveillance news to keep an eye on:
A bipartisan group of Senators are preparing to introduce a FISA 702 reform bill. The law is set to expire in 2 months...
www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...
A bipartisan group of Senators are preparing to introduce a FISA 702 reform bill. The law is set to expire in 2 months...
www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...
Senators to revive reform effort for controversial spying law
The proposed changes to Section 702 of FISA would mandate warrants for searches of U.S. person communications and revisit a 2024 provision that critics say widened the government’s surveillance reach.
www.nextgov.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:01 PM
Some surveillance news to keep an eye on:
A bipartisan group of Senators are preparing to introduce a FISA 702 reform bill. The law is set to expire in 2 months...
www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...
A bipartisan group of Senators are preparing to introduce a FISA 702 reform bill. The law is set to expire in 2 months...
www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
Typically, the humiliation of a no-bill is that prosecutors could not persuade a *majority* of grand jurors to indict on a relatively low burden of proof.
Every single grand juror knew this case was a disgrace, per this reporting. 🔽
Every single grand juror knew this case was a disgrace, per this reporting. 🔽
No grand jurors found the Trump DOJ met low probable cause threshold in failed indictment of Democratic lawmakers
www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
No grand jurors found the Trump DOJ met low probable cause threshold in failed indictment of Democratic lawmakers
None of the D.C. grand jurors who heard the Trump administration’s pitch on why they should indict Democratic lawmakers over a video urging members of the
www.nbcnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 9:43 PM
Typically, the humiliation of a no-bill is that prosecutors could not persuade a *majority* of grand jurors to indict on a relatively low burden of proof.
Every single grand juror knew this case was a disgrace, per this reporting. 🔽
Every single grand juror knew this case was a disgrace, per this reporting. 🔽
New reporting indicated El Paso airport closure was due to use of counter-drone technology
Congress has for years been kicking the can on updating counter-drone authorities and enacting stronger oversight and accountability measures CDT, EFF, EPIC, and ACLU have called for
Congress has for years been kicking the can on updating counter-drone authorities and enacting stronger oversight and accountability measures CDT, EFF, EPIC, and ACLU have called for
Military’s Use of Anti-Drone Technology Said to Cause El Paso Airspace Closure
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 9:07 PM
New reporting indicated El Paso airport closure was due to use of counter-drone technology
Congress has for years been kicking the can on updating counter-drone authorities and enacting stronger oversight and accountability measures CDT, EFF, EPIC, and ACLU have called for
Congress has for years been kicking the can on updating counter-drone authorities and enacting stronger oversight and accountability measures CDT, EFF, EPIC, and ACLU have called for
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
Here's the history of what Clearview AI is:
February 11, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Here's the history of what Clearview AI is:
Excited to have my first piece out as a @techpolicypress.bsky.social Fellow:
Outlining the vast surveillance powers ICE can use to monitor protesters, and how you can fight back to change the law, build new safeguards, and protect your privacy
Outlining the vast surveillance powers ICE can use to monitor protesters, and how you can fight back to change the law, build new safeguards, and protect your privacy
How ICE Will Spy On Protesters, And How You Can Protect Your Privacy
Jake Laperruque explains how ICE’s expanding surveillance tools can track protesters through phones, faces, and vehicles.
www.techpolicy.press
February 11, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Excited to have my first piece out as a @techpolicypress.bsky.social Fellow:
Outlining the vast surveillance powers ICE can use to monitor protesters, and how you can fight back to change the law, build new safeguards, and protect your privacy
Outlining the vast surveillance powers ICE can use to monitor protesters, and how you can fight back to change the law, build new safeguards, and protect your privacy
Setting aside that you don't show your ID to get on a train ...
ICE stated policy is that it can use a (unreliable) facial recognition scan as the sole basis to ID someone for detainment, and can even have that facial recognition scan override documents you have indicating citizenship/lawful status
ICE stated policy is that it can use a (unreliable) facial recognition scan as the sole basis to ID someone for detainment, and can even have that facial recognition scan override documents you have indicating citizenship/lawful status
Markwayne Mullin defends "show me your papers": "If you're here legally, there's nothing to hide. Most people already are walking around with a government-issued ID, meaning your Real ID or your driver's license. If you go board a train here, you gotta show your ID."
February 11, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Setting aside that you don't show your ID to get on a train ...
ICE stated policy is that it can use a (unreliable) facial recognition scan as the sole basis to ID someone for detainment, and can even have that facial recognition scan override documents you have indicating citizenship/lawful status
ICE stated policy is that it can use a (unreliable) facial recognition scan as the sole basis to ID someone for detainment, and can even have that facial recognition scan override documents you have indicating citizenship/lawful status
A huge and alarming expansion of DHS use of facial recognition, and one that seems ripe for abuse to go after protesters and dissent
NEW: CBP signs a new deal with Clearview AI to access its scraped image database for "tactical targeting," including efforts to “disrupt, degrade, and dismantle” networks of people labeled security threats.
CBP Signs Clearview AI Deal to Use Face Recognition for ‘Tactical Targeting’
US Border Patrol intelligence units will gain access to a face recognition tool built on billions of images scraped from the internet.
www.wired.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:24 PM
A huge and alarming expansion of DHS use of facial recognition, and one that seems ripe for abuse to go after protesters and dissent
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
the statute that Jeanine Pirro reportedly tried to indict congressional Dems under, 18 USC 2387, was originally passed as part of the 1947 Smith Act, a notorious law used to clamp down on free speech during the Red Scare
They tried to prosecute members of Congress under the Smith Act. Absolute scenes
February 11, 2026 at 2:37 AM
the statute that Jeanine Pirro reportedly tried to indict congressional Dems under, 18 USC 2387, was originally passed as part of the 1947 Smith Act, a notorious law used to clamp down on free speech during the Red Scare
Oh fun it's that terrifying Synthetic CDO scene from Big Short but now everyone can do it
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxr_...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxr_...
February 10, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Oh fun it's that terrifying Synthetic CDO scene from Big Short but now everyone can do it
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxr_...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxr_...
Wait, Are We The Baddies™
February 10, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Wait, Are We The Baddies™
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
NEW: ICE has a plan to lease offices across the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign.
Today, @wired.com is publishing dozens of those locations. Many are near schools, medical offices, and places of worship.
Vital work from @leahfeiger.bsky.social that I'm proud to publish.
Today, @wired.com is publishing dozens of those locations. Many are near schools, medical offices, and places of worship.
Vital work from @leahfeiger.bsky.social that I'm proud to publish.
ICE Is Expanding Across the US at Breakneck Speed. Here’s Where It’s Going Next
ICE plans to lease offices throughout the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign. WIRED is publishing dozens of these locations.
www.wired.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:13 PM
NEW: ICE has a plan to lease offices across the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign.
Today, @wired.com is publishing dozens of those locations. Many are near schools, medical offices, and places of worship.
Vital work from @leahfeiger.bsky.social that I'm proud to publish.
Today, @wired.com is publishing dozens of those locations. Many are near schools, medical offices, and places of worship.
Vital work from @leahfeiger.bsky.social that I'm proud to publish.
The vagueness and contradictions on surveillance is part of the point.
The idea of The Panopticon isn't actually an all-seeing surveillance system, it's that the government can control people by making them constantly feel watched and spied on, even when they don't have capacity to do that.
The idea of The Panopticon isn't actually an all-seeing surveillance system, it's that the government can control people by making them constantly feel watched and spied on, even when they don't have capacity to do that.
REP. CORREA: One of your officers in Maine said to a protester, "We're gonna put your face in a little database." Do you?
ICE DIRECTOR: No sir, we don't.
CORREA: Then why do you think your ICE agent said those statements?
ICE DIRECTOR: I can't speak for that individual.
ICE DIRECTOR: No sir, we don't.
CORREA: Then why do you think your ICE agent said those statements?
ICE DIRECTOR: I can't speak for that individual.
February 10, 2026 at 6:52 PM
The vagueness and contradictions on surveillance is part of the point.
The idea of The Panopticon isn't actually an all-seeing surveillance system, it's that the government can control people by making them constantly feel watched and spied on, even when they don't have capacity to do that.
The idea of The Panopticon isn't actually an all-seeing surveillance system, it's that the government can control people by making them constantly feel watched and spied on, even when they don't have capacity to do that.
Reposted by Jake Laperruque
REP. CORREA: One of your officers in Maine said to a protester, "We're gonna put your face in a little database." Do you?
ICE DIRECTOR: No sir, we don't.
CORREA: Then why do you think your ICE agent said those statements?
ICE DIRECTOR: I can't speak for that individual.
ICE DIRECTOR: No sir, we don't.
CORREA: Then why do you think your ICE agent said those statements?
ICE DIRECTOR: I can't speak for that individual.
February 10, 2026 at 6:41 PM
REP. CORREA: One of your officers in Maine said to a protester, "We're gonna put your face in a little database." Do you?
ICE DIRECTOR: No sir, we don't.
CORREA: Then why do you think your ICE agent said those statements?
ICE DIRECTOR: I can't speak for that individual.
ICE DIRECTOR: No sir, we don't.
CORREA: Then why do you think your ICE agent said those statements?
ICE DIRECTOR: I can't speak for that individual.