spying

When investigators discovered the hack on Microsoft Exchange servers in January, they thought it was about stealing emails. Now they believe China vacuumed up reams of information in a bid to develop better artificial intelligence, or AI.

China's Microsoft Hack May Have Had A Bigger Purpose Than Just Spying

Dina Temple-Raston

China broke into tens of thousands of email accounts in January. Now officials fear the breach wasn't just about spying. It was to build the next generation of artificial intelligence.

The federal courthouse in Washington D.C. that houses the secret court overseeing U.S. surveillance. A scathing report has sparked discussion about potential reform.

Scathing Report Puts Secret FISA Court Into The Spotlight. Will Congress Act?

Ryan Lucas

Critics inside and outside officialdom are calling for, at very least, the FBI to validate its practices in requesting surveillance. Will congressional action follow?

A DJI Technology drone flies during a demonstration in Shenzhen, China, in 2014. DJI sells the majority of Chinese-made drones bought in the United States.

'We're Not Being Paranoid': U.S. Warns Of Spy Dangers Of Chinese-Made Drones

Brian Naylor

The Department of Homeland Security is warning about the dangers of using Chinese-made drones, while some lawmakers want to prevent transit systems from buying Chinese-made subway cars.

CIA Director Gina Haspel, speaking at the University of Louisville in September, says she wants to send more undercover officers overseas. Many in the intelligence world says this has become more challenging in an era of universal surveillance.

CIA Chief Pushes For More Spies Abroad; Surveillance Makes That Harder

Greg Myre

CIA Director Gina Haspel wants more undercover officers overseas. But in an age of universal surveillance, instant online searches and social media profiles, staying below the radar is a challenge.

The Department of Homeland Security detected "anomalous activity" consistent with cellular site simulators such as the StingRay II.

Feds Say They've Detected Apparent Rogue Spy Devices In D.C.

Merrit Kennedy

This is believed to be the first time the U.S. government has publicly acknowledged the apparent devices in the capital. The agency warned that they could be used by hackers, criminals and spies.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley gives a statement on Wednesday in Salisbury, England. Sergei Skripal, who was granted refuge in the U.K. following a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia in 2010, and his daughter remain critically ill after being exposed to an unknown substance now believed to have been a nerve agent.

British Police Say Nerve Agent Was Used To Poison Russian Ex-Spy Sergei Skripal

Scott Neuman

Skripal and his daughter suddenly collapsed over the weekend near a shopping mall in southern England. Police have now confirmed that the illness resulted from exposure to a nerve agent.

Germany has banned the My Friend Cayla dolls, which are also the subject of a complaint by privacy groups in the U.S. who say the toys spy on children.

Banned In Germany: Kids' Doll Is Labeled An Espionage Device

Bill Chappell

The doll Cayla looks like an everyday toy and gives no notice that it collects and transmits everything it hears, German regulators say.

Radio

Government Surveillance, Corporate Power and Public Resistance

Joseph Cooper

09/09/13 - Monday’s Topical Currents is with Heidi Boghosian, the Executive Director of the National Lawyers Guild, a progressive Bar Association…