Jake Hurfurt

Looking to speak to anyone in the know about the technical side of how data clean rooms work...DMs open if you're up for a chat. #gdpr

How access to information can help us understand AI decision making If you were one of the 100+ people who joined us for today's webinar, you'll already know it was hugely informative and timely. We packed three fascinating speakers into the course of one hour-long s...

Today's session? Unmissable. But if you did miss it, you're in luck - here's the video:
www.mysociety.org/2025/08/19/h...

With @jhurfurt.bsky.social ky.social of @bigbrotherwatch.bsky.social, Gabriel Geiger of Lighthouse Reports, and Dr Morgan Currie, all offering amazing insights into #FOI & AI.

On Sunday I'm speaking on 'Surveillance States' the Bradford Literary Festival, discussing the explosion of AI-powered policing, facial recognition and the risks this tech poses to our privacy and to civil liberties. @bradfordlitfest.bsky.social

www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk/event/survei...

The order was signed off by Alan Johnson, the last New Labour Home Secretary - but was only made public for the first time this year. #FOIA #FOI

Facial recognition cameras secretly spy on airport passengers Home Office fought against having to reveal its orders that airports carry out biometric face scanning of those boarding domestic flights

UK airports have been quietly using facial recognition to monitor passengers in departure lounges for 15 years, authorised by a secret new Labour era Home Office order I got hold of - after a year long FOI battle with officials.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03...

YouTube video by Big Brother Watch What no one is saying about the first city-wide facial recognition zone

I spent last Saturday in Cardiff investigating the UK's first city-wide live facial recognition deployment.

The city was turned into a mass surveillance zone. South Wales Police scanned 175k faces, made 0 arrests & put everyone's privacy at risk.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLrX...

Facial Recognition Company Clearview Attempted to Buy Social Security Numbers and Mugshots for its Database Clearview AI spent nearly a million dollars in a bid to purchase “690 million arrest records and 390 million arrest photos” from all 50 states, court records reveal.

Facial recognition company Clearview attempted to buy Social Security numbers and mugshots for its database.

🔗 www.404media.co/facial-recog...

U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts Secret order requires blanket access to protected cloud backups around the world, which if implemented would undermine Apple’s privacy pledge to its users.

Wow, the Home Office are demanding Apple lets the UK government and spooks spy on 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿.

This is an unprecedented invasion of privacy on a scale we've never seen before. It must be resisted.

www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

Tony Blair: Bring in digital IDs to get tough on populism The former Labour prime minister, who backs identity technology systems and facial recognition, believes the public will gladly sacrifice privacy for efficiency

Blair proposing an authoritarian hellscape as a solution to all life's problems, who knew? FFS

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Tougher checks on knife sales fast-tracked after Southport attack Online buyers will be asked to submit an ID document and record a live video to prove their age under government plans.

This is lazy, knee-jerk policy. Do we really think the killer wouldn’t have been able to acquire a knife from a kitchen?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Stop the Government from spying on all of our bank accounts Sir Keir Starmer is pushing plans we defeated under the Conservative Government - to spy on all of our bank accounts on the premise of dealing with welfare fraud and error. It will force banks to fla...

Please SIGN + SHARE our petition to #StopBankSpying

you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/st...

I've spent years investigating surveillance at the heart of the digital welfare state, every time those who need support lose out.

It's time for the DWP to stop treating everyone as a suspect in the machine, and stop operating in the shadows. Dignity must be at the heart of the welfare state.

Privacy & fair treatment are not the preserve of the wealthy - and state support must not be conditional on submitting to outrageous intrusions.

These powers will harm the vulnerable much more than they stop committed fraudsters.

Once again some of the most marginalised in society will bear the brunt of the surveillance state - turning benefits into a digital nightmare will put people off claiming the support they need & deserve.

Tax-dodging millionaires and Covid PPE scammers should be top of the list, not people on UC.

We all want proper crooks to be held accountable, but the DWP lumps genuine error in alongside fraud - meaning everyone is risk from these draconian powers, for a genuine mistake.

If the DWP's current 'high-tech' anti-fraud tools are anything to go by, this will go wrong with dire consequences.

Powers include revoking driving licences as punishment for debt & spying on bank accounts 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 suspicion.

The DWP already profiles UC applicants en-masse with AI tools it fights to keep secret & orders Housing Benefit reviews with a dodgy algorithm.

New powers will only make surveillance worse.

🚨 In a 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 busy newsweek a Labour(!!!) government trying to grab outrageous powers to turn the welfare system into a digital surveillance state - under the guise of a crackdown on "benefits cheats". The social security system will become a tool for unprecedented state intrusion...

FOI response from Northamptonshire Police, just 540 days late. Outcome? "No information held"...🤦‍♂️

Humphrey’s world: how the Samuel Smith beer baron built Britain’s strangest pub chain Since the 1970s, Humphrey Smith has acquired scores of pubs and historic properties around the UK. But time after time, he has left the buildings empty. Why has he allowed his empire to moulder?

brilliant long read on Humphrey Smith, patriarch of the Samuel Smiths pubs www.theguardian.com/news/2024/de...

She Was a Russian Socialite and Influencer. Cops Say She’s a Crypto Laundering Kingpin Western authorities say they’ve identified a network that found a new way to clean drug gangs’ dirty cash. WIRED gained exclusive access to the investigation.

Cash stuffed into bags. Russian espionage. Ransomware gangs. Drugs payments. Kremlin propaganda. Sanctions evasion.

My deep dive, reported over the last couple of months, on the two multi billion Russian money laundering networks disrupted by law enforcement yesterday

I feel your pain on this, 6 months (and counting) for my FTT judgement to be handed down - and 961 days since the request came in. Incredibly frustrating there's not much that can be done to hurry it along, Cliche of "access delayed is access denied” rings very true.