US surveillance, election cybersecurity -- and why Tulsi Gabbard's name just keeps on cropping up
cybernews.com

... Earlier this week, a US senator publicly warned about the expanding use of personal data by federal authorities while separately sending a brief, private letter to the director of the CIA.

In a video posted on Instagram, and intended to reach a wide audience, Ross Wyden pointed to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practice of using surveillance technologies and data sources in enforcement activity.

"ICE is using apps to collect biometric data on protesters," he warned. "That means that they can track your location, where you go, what you do, and especially who you talk to."

Wyden also said the agency is purchasing location information from commercial data brokers and using motor-vehicle records obtained from state governments.

"My investigators have found that ICE is using government data they collect from state Departments of Motor Vehicles," Wyden said. "They are refusing to answer any questions of ours about how this data is being used." ...

Wyden claims that ICE is collecting vehicle data from government sources ...

Often referred to as "Trump's spy chief," Gabbard's role officially centers on national security and foreign intelligence.

However, her recent actions have heavily involved domestic, politically charged investigations.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that a team working for Gabbard last year investigated electronic voting machines in Puerto Rico with assistance from the FBI.

The probe examined possible cyber vulnerabilities and claims of foreign interference but did not find clear evidence that Venezuela or other actors had hacked the system.

Gabbard's office said the seizure of machines and data was part of standard forensic analysis and warned of cybersecurity risks to election infrastructure. ...