Google Broke Its Promise to Me. Now ICE Has My Data.

In September 2024, Amandla Thomas-Johnson was a Ph.D. candidate studying in the U.S. on a student visa when he briefly attended a pro-Palestinian protest. In April 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent Google an administrative subpoena requesting his data. The next month, Google gave Thomas-Johnson’s information to ICE without giving him the chance to challenge the subpoena, breaking a nearly decade-long promise to notify users before handing […]

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Could dark matter be made of black holes from a different universe?

A simulation of the ‘cosmic web’, the vast network of threads and filaments that extends throughout the Universe. Dark matter density is represented by the blue-purple colours on the left. Gas density is represented by the orange-red colours on the right. Esa New research suggests that relic black holes from before the big bang may […]

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UK start-ups to power a new wave of quantum innovation – UKRI

The start-ups have joined the DeepTech Catalyst Quantum incubator programme (DTC Quantum), where they will use quantum technologies to develop and commercialise new products designed to deliver practical, real-world benefits. DTC Quantum is led by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) in collaboration with the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) National Quantum Computing Centre […]

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The Dangers of California’s Legislation to Censor 3D Printing

California’s bill, A.B. 2047, will not only mandate censorware — software which exists to bluntly block your speech as a user — on all 3D printers; it will also criminalize the use of open-source alternatives. Repeating the mistakes of Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies won’t make anyone safer. What it will do is hurt innovation […]

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Hot Off the Press: EFF's Updated Guide to Tech at the US-Mexico Border

When people see Customs & Border Protection’s giant, tethered surveillance blimp flying 20 miles outside of Marfa, Texas, lots of them confuse it with an art installation. Elsewhere along the U.S.-Mexico border, surveillance towers get mistaken for cell-phone towers. And that traffic barrel? It’s actually a camera. That piece of rusted litter? That’s a camera […]

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What is the chance of a message in a bottle being found?

Jenny Sturm/Shutterstock Recently, a cheerful 100-year-old message in a bottle was found on the south-west coast of Australia. In it, a world war one soldier proclaimed to be “as happy as Larry”. If you’re a betting person, you probably wouldn’t expect great odds of this happening. A bottle cast into the ocean could end up […]

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Electric minibus taxis: the challenges and gains facing Cape Town’s transition

The minibus taxi is ubiquitous in southern Africa. These vehicles are the backbone of the urban economy, providing affordable mobility for millions. In Cape Town, South Africa’s second most populous city, they are central to the transport landscape. Around two-thirds of the city’s public transport users rely on paratransit services (which respond flexibly to demand), […]

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It’s right under your nose – why some people can’t find things in plain sight

Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com Many households will recognise this familiar exchange. One person insists an object simply isn’t there: impossible to find despite what they describe as a thorough and highly competent search. Another walks in, glances briefly at the same spot and points to it almost immediately. “It’s right under your nose!” This frustrating (for both sides) […]

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