Security News This Week: ICE Can Now Spy on Every Phone in Your Neighborhood

Minneapolis: A federal agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good on Wednesday. Reports from WIRED revealed that the shooter, Jonathan Ross, testified in a federal court in December. He described himself as a firearms trainer who had “hundreds” of interactions with drivers in enforcement actions.

Meanwhile, an AI chatbot called Grok, created by Elon Musk’s xAI, has been in the news. It now offers digital “undressing” features that let users create nude images of people. A WIRED review showed Grok is making graphic content, including disturbing images and videos. Critics have asked why Grok and the platform X, where these images are shared, are still in app stores. On Friday, X tried to limit the feature to people who pay for verification, but many users still make sexualized images.

Do you use WhatsApp? If so, there are new tips for keeping your messages more private. Even though spyware isn’t seen everywhere, it is still a problem, so we have guides on how to keep your smartphone safe.

New information from 404 Media explains how tools by a company named Penlink let ICE agents track phones. These tools can watch neighborhoods for mobile phones, following their locations over time. This means they could find out where people live, work, and go. Penlink buys lots of commercial location data to make this tracking even wider.

Nathan Freed Wessler from the ACLU warns that this is a scary tool for ICE. It could show detailed information about where people go and who they meet.

In Iran, thousands have been protesting against their government for better living conditions. The leaders have reacted by threatening harsh punishments. They turned off the internet, causing people to lose contact with family and use banks. This isn’t the first time Iran has done this to stop protests and news from spreading.

In October, U.S. and U.K. officials sanctioned Chen Zhi and his company for running forced labor scams in Cambodia. This week, he was taken to China, appearing on TV in handcuffs. It is unclear what he is charged with in China, which is part of a larger crackdown on scams.

Lastly, hackers from the group Salt Typhoon reportedly accessed email accounts of U.S. congressional staff. They targeted several committees to gain information. This event shows the risks of breaches in both public and private areas that give insights into U.S. government dealings.

Stay safe and informed as we monitor these ongoing issues.