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Image Recognition
In 2010, researchers revealed that honeybees identify human faces by <b>processing facial</b> ...
In 2010, researchers revealed that honeybees identify human faces by processing facial features in much the same way people do. Years later, the discovery became an inspiration for developing advanced automatic facial recognition technology Synopsis Honeybees learned to identify face-like patterns by observing feature arrangements. Researchers discovered bees focused on relative positions of eyes, nose, and mouth. This visual strategy could inspire new facial recognition technologies. The insects demonstrated this ability even with unfamiliar images. Their tiny brains achieved complex visual analysis, offering valuable insights. The findings also suggested that the visual strategy used by bees could provide ideas for developing automatic facial recognition systems. The experiment started with a simple question The research followed earlier work by Adrian Dyer of Monash University, who had trained bees to associate photographs of human faces with sugar rewards. Martin Giurfa of the Université de Toulouse wondered whether the bees were actually recognizing faces. Because the insects received sugar when they selected the photographs, Giurfa suspected they might simply be responding to the images as unusual patterns, similar to the way they respond to flowers, as per a Sciencedaily report. Giurfa teamed up with Dyer and Aurore Avargues-Weber to find out exactly what the bees were learning. Bees learned the arrangement of facial features The researchers began with simple images that barely looked like faces. Each one contained two dots for eyes, a short vertical dash for a nose and a longer horizontal line for a mouth. The bees were trained to distinguish between two versions of the image. In one, the features were close together. In the other, they were farther apart. The correct choice was rewarded with a weak sugar solution. The bees recognized faces they had never seen The researchers then tested whether the bees could apply what they had
Secret Service reveals new surveillance system amid slowdown in privacy impact assessments
Secret Service reveals new surveillance system amid slowdown in privacy impact assessments The Department of Homeland Security’s chief privacy officer has greenlit a Secret Service surveillance system that’s fueling law enforcement operations, according to a privacy impact assessment published last week. The platform, called Helix, aggregates surveillance video, facial recognition tech and license plate data coming from security cameras at protected locations and existing image repositories. The Secret Service uses the tool to monitor sensitive areas, such as the White House complex and around the Capitol, for potential threats. As required by law, federal agencies must conduct a privacy impact assessment when an agency intends to identify U.S. citizens in conjunction with other data elements, according to DHS’s website. But they also typically occur before an agency develops or procures IT systems that collect, maintain or disseminate information from or about members of the public. “HELIX uses information in identifiable form (including video of individuals, facial images and biometric templates, license plate numbers, and associated time and location metadata) from multiple source systems and applies advanced analytics to link and analyze that data in a single environment, increasing the privacy impact beyond the original collections and necessitating a detailed assessment of risks and mitigations,” the Secret Service said in its explanation of why a PIA was necessary. A Secret Service spokesperson said the system itself is not necessarily a “new” addition to the DHS unit’s portfolio, but the agency is “continually adapting, modernizing, and integrating new technology.” The agency did not respond directly to a question about when the system was first deployed. “The U.S. Secret Service uses a variety of advanced systems at our protective sites in Washington, DC, including the White House complex and in the Naval Observatory,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement to FedScoop. “We
Frederick Deese Uses Cryptology to Fight Fraud in Health Care
When Frederick Deese was tapped by the National Security Agency to become a cryptologist, he didn’t even own a computer. A kid from small-town Alabama, Deese grew up struggling with an undiagnosed learning disability that made school challenging and test-taking feel impossible. He enlisted in the Navy, assigned to deck crew members because of his low Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery scores, but he quickly stood out as a leader and was promoted to missile tech. In 2001, before his second stint in the military, Deese’s wife helped him identify his dyslexia. This time, his ASVAB results returned one of the highest scores available, earning him a spot in the Navy’s cryptology program, where he was tasked with hacking and intrusion detection for the United States government. “I had never touched a laptop,” Deese says. “I didn’t know how to type.” Working in “theater,” meaning in a conflict or war zone, taught Deese how to detect patterns. Gathering disparate data from satellites, moving vehicles and a target’s text messages, voice recordings and behaviors, Deese became an expert at anomaly identification and pattern recognition. One year into the cryptology program, he was named a senior solutions architect for U.S. Cyber Command within the NSA. Deese continued to hone his ability to design algorithms and data-based frameworks, holding a Top Secret Sensitive Compartmentalized Information security clearance—the highest security clearance for classified national security information. In 2004, he exited his military career in favor of the government contracting space and found Visual Connections, an information technology consulting firm. Integrity in Technology The very skills that helped Deese detect threats to national security now help him prevent fraud, waste and abuse. Applying his ability to develop analytic models that identify anomalies within datasets, Deese now leads complex commercial and government IT projects for the
Why deepfake detection is becoming trust infrastructure | Biometric Update
Why deepfake detection is becoming trust infrastructure For many, the word “deepfake” still has a twinge of novelty about it – a hint of science fiction. But the cute era of generative AI is over, as criminals leverage it to create fake identities that are flooding the online world, causing major headaches for institutions and enterprises, and driving the market for deepfake detection. It’s hard to know what’s real anymore The continuing digitization of society has created a huge target range for fraudsters, and the emergence of cheap, easily accessible generative AI tools into the general populace has given them a weapon more potent than any they’ve had before. Any screen is a potential attack surface; phone calls are becoming archaic technology ruined by fraud and voice scams. Tactics target the whole range of the citizenry, from elderly people in care homes to high-powered CEOs. Hiring pipelines are under siege from fake candidates, executives are being impersonated, and the images we once trusted can no longer be taken at face value. According to a recent UN report, “generative artificial intelligence has dramatically reduced the technical barriers and workforce requirements for conducting sophisticated fraud, enabling criminal operators to generate convincing phishing content, deploy real-time deepfake video and voice during live calls, and target victims across dozens of languages simultaneously.” AI-assisted fraud is a global mega-industry Nor is the realism of deepfakes the only problem. Generative AI has also increased efficiency, enabling fraud at industrial scale. Fraud-as-a-service has emerged as a model, selling fake identities and fraud support on a subscription basis. The recently published report from Biometric Update and Goode Intelligence, Deepfake Fraud Detection Market 2026: Securing Identity in the AI Era, points to an emerging truth: deepfake detection is becoming a key part of overall trust architecture. Businesses in industries
AI Headshots and Biometric Privacy: What Your Legal Team Will Ask
If you make a purchase after clicking on links within this article, Conley Media may earn a commission. The news and editorial departments had no role in the creation of this content. The short version AI headshot tools sit near a body of law written for fingerprint scanners and facial recognition, and the fit is imperfect. Illinois, Texas, Washington, Colorado and the EU all regulate biometric data, but define and enforce it differently, and none were drafted with generative models in mind. Whether generating a new image from a selfie involves a "scan of face geometry" is genuinely unsettled. Some rulings suggest data derived from photographs can qualify; others dismissed claims where the plaintiff could not show the system identified anyone. | Question legal will ask | Why it matters | What you need ready | | Does this collect biometric identifiers? | Determines whether BIPA-style consent rules apply | A technical description of what the vendor stores | | How do we get consent, and is it valid? | Employer-employee consent is scrutinized, especially in the EU | A consent flow and a documented opt-out | | Where is data processed, and by whom? | Drives GDPR transfer analysis and subprocessor review | Vendor DPA, subprocessor list, hosting regions | | Are our people's likenesses training your models? | The most common blocker in security review | A contractual "no training on customer data" commitment | | What happens when someone leaves? | Retention and likeness rights outlive employment | A deletion SLA and an offboarding policy | The one thing to know: the answer is not to avoid the category, but to arrive with documented answers. Teams stall in legal review not because the tool was unusable, but because nobody could answer the fourth question above. This is
Can Your Clothes Really Break AI Surveillance? How Hackers Are Outsmarting <b>Facial Recognition</b>
LAS VEGAS—Once upon a time, we gave away our faces and fingerprints for quicker, more secure access to our devices, and now, in 2026, we live in a surveillance-heavy society where license plate cameras on every corner can identify you using facial recognition technology. These cameras not only know who you are but can also track your emotions, wardrobe, and daily habits. The companies behind these cameras collect and store massive amounts of data, prompting some law enforcement officers to use those cameras to look for just about anything or anyone for virtually any reason. We can’t claw back our data now, so we should try the next best plan: Break facial recognition methods by any means necessary. At the Black Hat security conference, one researcher demonstrated a way to fool current facial recognition models with a little help from the fashion world. It turns out, a scarf or a shirt could become your ticket to reclaiming some anonymity in public. Beating Facial Recognition Tech: No Electronics or Curious Stares Required Currently, defeating facial recognition technology requires an elaborate disguise in the form of a Batman-esque mask, elaborate makeup, infrared LEDs, or active electronics, all of which could invite unwanted attention. Bill Swearington, a self-described hacker and founder of the SecKC cybersecurity community in Kansas City, developed an algorithm that creates adversarial patterns that, in the future, could be printed on fabric to cause facial recognition models to fail if you're wearing it. As Swearington noted during his presentation, anti-facial recognition systems are not a new concept. In 2010, privacy artist and researcher Adam Harvey developed a system to counter burgeoning facial recognition technology, using adversarial makeup and hair-styling techniques. After Swearington noticed hundreds of facial recognition cameras in his hometown of Kansas City, he decided to try to defeat
The end of anonymous protest — How <b>facial recognition</b> puts democracy at risk
The end of anonymous protest — How facial recognition puts democracy at risk Digital rights campaigners warn public surveillance is slipping into dangerous new territory Imagine attending a peaceful demonstration, only to have hidden cameras scan your face, match your identity, and log your details into a police database within seconds. This scenario is at the heart of a debate that reignited in Italy last week, highlighting a high-stakes clash between public safety and personal privacy. Although Italian lawmakers passed the bill on Tuesday with added safeguards, the decision reflects Europe’s expanding appetite for biometric monitoring. A practice Europeans once watched unfold with dread in authoritarian states is now quietly taking root at home. From London and Paris to Amsterdam and Berlin, police forces across democratic Europe are increasingly piloting AI-powered face-scanning in public spaces and at political demonstrations. While European leaders frame the technology as a necessary tool to combat crime, privacy advocates warn that facial recognition creates a chilling effect on the right to peaceful assembly and free expression. And the long-term risk may be even more troubling: once facial recognition is normalized, expanding its reach may be the next natural step. How police in Europe use facial recognition at protests Facial recognition technology (FRT) is a biometric tool that uses AI to identify individuals by analyzing their facial geometry — such as the distance between the eyes or the contour of the jawline — against a database. This software creates a unique digital signature, often called a "faceprint," which can be integrated directly into CCTV networks, drones, apps, and mobile police units. Law enforcement deploys FRT in several ways, with Live Facial Recognition (LFR) being the most controversial. LFR scans real-time video feeds to cross-reference passersby against police watchlists almost instantaneously. Despite significant legal pushback — including
Commissioner says human oversight central to Rock's digital border
Commissioner says human oversight central to Rock’s digital border A network of live facial recognition and CCTV cameras deployed at the border, Main Street and other locations in Gibraltar provides the Royal Gibraltar Police with a powerful tool to combat crime, but at the heart of its effectiveness is human oversight, police Commissioner Owain Richards said. The cameras are controlled by the RGP and their use must always be proportionate and relevant to a policing purpose, he told the Chronicle in an interview. The way fixed facial recognition cameras have been deployed on the Rock is a departure from how they have been used in the past in the UK and the EU, where such technology is normally restricted to temporary deployments and sensitive locations. But even that is starting to change. Conscious of their value as tool to tackle crime, static cameras are set to be deployed in the West End and Soho by the end of the year, albeit not without controversy. The cameras were deployed in Gibraltar after immigration controls were removed at the land border. Facial recognition is hosted on the National Centralised Intelligence System by OSG, the contractor which operates the platform, and the RGP can upload images from its management database of people of interest. Images are selected for the live facial recognition watchlist on a case-by-case basis under an internal RGP policy, taking into account the seriousness of the offence, the relevance of the person to Gibraltar, proportionality and legality. That may include people wanted for serious crime or by the courts and individuals sought by other jurisdictions through agencies such as Interpol or the UK National Crime Agency, but only where there is a clear rationale to believe they may be in Gibraltar or the surrounding region. It also enables police to
HackerNoon Projects of the Week: <b>Image</b> to Photo, Granary, and Nexio
Welcome back to Projects of the Week, our weekly look at some of the most interesting products coming out of the The bar is pretty simple: build something people actually find useful. Every project featured here tackles a real problem, whether that's through better infrastructure, smarter automation, or a fresh take on an old workflow. This week, three more projects made the cut. From photo restoration and multi-agent orchestration to framework-free frontend components, each one tackles a problem people run into all the time - and offers a practical way to fix it. ⏰ The Clock Is Ticking: 3 Days Left to Enter The Proof of Usefulness Hackathon closes on August 10 — just 3 days from now. If you've got something built, this is your last call to get a Proof of Usefulness score, land a spot in a feature like this one, and compete for the prize pool before submissions close for good. Don't wait until the deadline to find out your project was ready all along. Meet the Projects of the Week Image to Photo Image to Photo is an online tool that effortlessly enhances and restores old or damaged photographs. Using advanced algorithms to sharpen detail, correct color, and rebuild texture, it helps people turn faded, damaged memories back into something worth sharing. It's built on Next.js for a fast, SEO-friendly experience, and its early users span families restoring heirloom photos, photographers polishing portfolios, historians digitizing archives, and artists reviving old work. At around 500 users so far, the project is still in its early, foundation-laying stage — but the use case is timeless: everyone has a box of old photos they wish looked the way they remember them. Proof of Usefulness score: +28 / 1000 Granary Granary is an open-source CLI built to solve one
Concerns grow over misuse of Flock camera system
ATLANTA — Local law enforcement and civil rights groups are weighing in as reports of misuse involving Flock Safety cameras continue to rise around metro Atlanta. The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia says communities should have a voice before video cameras and license plate readers are installed. “I think the abuses that have been done by certain police officers has really raised the ire of what’s happening,” ACLU Executive Director Christopher Bruce said. Bruce says local leaders and residents should have input on the use of the surveillance technology. “Let the community know how they are being surveilled,” Bruce said. The Georgia Fraternal Order of Police says officers are now required to provide both a case number and a reason before accessing images through the Flock system. “You can’t just run people just because you want to run them. It has to be a legitimate law enforcement reason,” Georgia Fraternal Order of Police representative Steve Gaynor said. Gaynor also says Flock cameras do not use facial recognition technology. “It doesn’t know anything about the driver or that car. It only knows this car with this tag number passed this location at this particular time,” Gaynor said. Bruce says misidentifying suspects can have serious consequences and continues to call for community input before cameras and license plate readers are installed. In Polk County, GBI officials say 51-year old Tracey Royston was accused of misusing license plate readers. Officials say Royston worked for the Polk County Police Department and was previously part of the Northwest Georgia Drug Task Force, which is managed by the GBI. Officials say preliminary information indicates Royston accessed the Cedartown Police Department’s Flock Safety System multiple times between 2024 and 2025 for non-law enforcement purposes. She faces four misdemeanor charges. WSB Radio’s MaryRyan Howarth contributed to this
PERSONA Campus Online evolves to meet changing higher ed access control needs
Updated platform expands integration options while preserving a practical entry point for residence hall security For nearly 25 years, PERSONA Campus™ Online has helped colleges and universities take a practical first step into electronic access control – especially in residence halls, where security needs are unique and credentials change frequently. Historically, the security industry focused on the main campus to the exclusion of residence halls, says Patrick Hill, Director of Campus Electronic Access Control for ASSA ABLOY. “Residence halls present unique access control challenges due to the constant turnover of students, frequent lost credentials, and the need to issue and manage access permissions each semester,” he explains. “We developed this solution to simplify these processes.” The result is an access management platform that helps housing teams assign, update, and revoke access quickly, while supporting the secure, convenient experience students expect. A new rollout planned for the latter part of 2026 will build on that foundation. With more than a dozen enhancements, it is designed to give campuses greater flexibility, visibility, and integration options. The updated version is designed as a cloud-first platform while continuing to support on-premises capabilities. It will remain compatible with ASSA ABLOY IP-enabled locks, Aperio® locks, integrated wired locks, and traditional door hardware already in use across many campuses. One of the most significant updates is expanded panel options. PERSONA Campus Online will now support Mercury Security panels and controllers. Key enhancements include tools that can help campus teams simplify daily management, reduce friction for users, and connect PERSONA Campus with more of the systems they already rely on. These include: One of the most significant updates is expanded panel support. In addition to VertX and Aero panels from HID, PERSONA Campus Online will now support Mercury Security panels and controllers. Hill says Mercury support is especially
Meta's Ray-Bans are getting banned from UK pubs, and the EU is circling
Meta’s smart glasses are the company’s surprise success, fashionable and selling in the millions. They are also, more and more, unwelcome. A run of British venues has started telling guests to take them off, and Europe’s privacy regulators are circling. The London restaurateur Jeremy King told The Guardian that diners should not wear the recording glasses inside his venues. Soho House says its filming ban now covers them, so it may ask members to take them off. Wetherspoons has drawn a narrower line, barring customers from recording staff or other drinkers without consent. ATG Theatres will ask audiences to remove them during shows. The glasshole era, again Anyone who lived through Google Glass will find this familiar. Seattle restaurants started turning away Google’s headset in 2013. The fear was the same: that a stranger might be filming you. A decade on, the objection has not changed, only the product. This time the backlash is landing on a device people actually bought. Meta has tried to answer it in hardware. The glasses flash a capture light when they record. The camera now shuts off if someone covers or tampers with the indicator. It has not been enough. People still report being filmed unawares, sometimes with the clips posted online. Instagram now pulls smart-glasses videos that harass the people in them. Now the regulators are circling Bans were already creeping in around the edges. US courts in New York and other states bar them. The DEF CON hacker conference turns them away, and South Korea keeps them out of exam halls to stop cheating. What is new is that national regulators are getting involved. The European Data Protection Board is writing a report on smart glasses, due within months. Some members are not waiting for it. Germany’s data-protection commissioner says camera glasses
Samurai Spotlight: TSgt Caleb Hager [<b>Image</b> 1 of 6]
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Caleb Hager, Pacific Air Forces Air Postal Squadron section chief, poses for a photo with his family and team during a Samurai Spotlight at Yokota Air Base, Japan, August 7, 2026. Hager was appointed to lead in an E-7 role and led mail transportation for a 34-member joint-national team, identifying a critical vehicle contract shortfall, saving $10K in overhead costs. He spotlighted his team through five immersions, hosting Joint Military Postal Agency Command Chief, PACAF A1 Director, 374th Airlift Wing, 374th Mission Support Group and 374th Force Support Squadron leaders showcasing 363-day operation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Carissa McSwain) | Date Taken: | 08.06.2026 | | Date Posted: | 08.07.2026 03:47 | | Photo ID: | 9855707 | | VIRIN: | 260807-F-YL411-1037 | | Resolution: | 4654x2618 | | Size: | 1.91 MB | | Location: | YOKOTA AIR BASE, TOKYO, JP | | Web Views: | 8 | | Downloads: | 0 | This work, Samurai Spotlight: TSgt Caleb Hager [Image 6 of 6], by Amn Carissa McSwain, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
NEC, UrbanChain launch pilot of AI-enabled next-generation parking service in Japan
2 hours ago Description (AWP Alliance News) - NEC will jointly run a pilot with UrbanChain from September 2026 to test a next-generation surface parking service aimed at accelerating the digital transformation of parking operations. The trial will combine UrbanChain's automated payment platform, Parking OS, with NEC's AI image recognition to detect when occupants exit vehicles, shifting the start of parking time measurement to that moment. The companies will assess commercial viability and technical performance at surface parking lots in Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture over about one month, including results compilation. They also plan to pursue data-driven services for commercial facilities, including occupant exit counts and visitor trend analysis, with an eye to expanding beyond surface lots into mechanical parking systems. https://www.publicnow.com/view/19E8D2896ACFD0DC49FE02431902404E1E94FEB1… Disclaimer: This news brief was created using generative artificial intelligence. NEC Corporation published the original content used to generate this news brief on August 07, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.
Arrest after <b>facial recognition</b> used in Eastleigh
The use of live facial recognition technology led to an arrest in a recent police operation. Hampshire police deployed the technology in Eastleigh's town centre, where it was used to help identify suspects. The deployment, which took place on Market Street and Wells Place, resulted in four positive recognitions, with one person arrested and another given a community resolution for an outstanding offence. The technology was used in partnership with the specialist team, between 10am and 3pm on July 22. The system is designed to help identify suspects connected to high-risk and priority offences and to assist in locating vulnerable missing persons A police spokesperson said: "As you already know, our Live Facial Recognition (LFR) vans were recently in the town centre, helping us target criminals and keep our communities safe. They added: "Facial recognition can scan crowds to identify suspects at a rate and with a level of accuracy that cannot be replicated by officers on the ground. "A unique watchlist is created for each deployment, ensuring that each operation targets those high-risk and high-harm crimes affecting that community and any wanted offenders with links to that area." Hampshire police stressed that individuals not on the watchlist would not be matched or recorded, as the system does not capture or store images of passers-by. Instead, the technology generates a biometric facial template from live footage and compares it to those on the watchlist. Templates that do not trigger an alert are deleted within seconds. Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said: "This technology is ground-breaking. Read more "It's helping lead to the faster detention of suspects, which is freeing up police time to fight crime, patrol our streets, and respond to emergencies. "This is a forward-thinking approach for modern policing and is
Why Are Gay Bars Building Databases Of Their Patrons?
Why Are Gay Bars Building Databases Of Their Patrons? from the surveillance-society dept Recent reports have raised alarm about the use of PatronScan, an ID-checking and face-scanning system, at multiple LGBTQ+ bars in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood. Much of the attention has focused on reports that the system photographs patrons as they enter venues and questions about whether those images are used for facial recognition. A broader privacy concern also deserves scrutiny. For years, PatronScan has marketed itself not just as an ID-verification tool, but as a system that allows bars and clubs to identify patrons, keep records about them, and share information across venues. As one news article published in 2019 documented, PatronScan built a network that allowed participating bars to flag patrons and share information about them with other establishments. And in California, it’s not at all clear how PatronScan’s business model of scanning IDs and sharing the information from those scans with other bars comports with the law. California’s ID privacy law, which was amended in 2018 to add ID “scans,” states that no businesses shall “retain or use” any information from a scanned ID card except for limited purposes such as to verify age, comply with a legal requirement, or prevent fraud. Californians should be deeply concerned about businesses that collect information from government-issued IDs and use it to build databases about where people go, whom they associate with, and whether they should be allowed into other public gathering places. That concern is especially strong in LGBTQ+ spaces, which have long served as refuges for people to go without being tracked, monitored, or put on lists. We reached out to Patronscan with questions regarding their practices and their views on California ID law. They referred us to their published FAQ question “Is Patronscan privacy compliant in
iOS 27 hints at all-new Home product launching soon
iOS 27 includes hints about the new iPhone Ultra, but it also points to an all-new Apple Home product likely launching soon: a security camera. Apple rumored to launch new home security camera product, and iOS 27 has features designed for it We’re just a few weeks away from Apple kicking off a busy fall launch season, with 15+ new products rumored to debut. Among those launches, we’re expecting a big Apple Home overhaul with new Apple TV 4K, HomePods, all-new ‘HomePad,’ and more. One brand new product rumored is a home security camera. Per Mark Gurman: The device has facial recognition and infrared sensors to determine who is in a room. Apple believes users will place cameras throughout their home to help with automation. That could mean turning lights off when someone leaves a room or automatically playing music liked by a particular family member. The device has long been rumored for 2026, and new features in iOS 27 serve as a strong indicator that it’s launching soon. iOS 27 gives Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video feature four new upgrades: - 4K video support - Generated video descriptions - Search in clips - Noteworthy clips HomeKit Secure Video has been around since 2019, and Apple has done little to improve it since then. That’s likely because it’s only used by third-party accessory makers—not Apple itself. But iOS 27 makes the feature far better than before. 4K support has been on users’ wish lists for years, and the AI features that power video descriptions and new search features are excellent additions. Apple clearly prioritized these upgrades in iOS 27 for a reason. And I doubt it was because they suddenly wanted to make third-party cameras better. The far more likely reason is that Apple’s own home security camera is almost ready
KuCoin Pay Launches Enterprise Gift Cards That Let Businesses Send USDT and USDC ...
The most effective crypto onboarding tool ever built may turn out to be one the industry did not invent, because the gift card has been quietly teaching the world to accept digital value for twenty years. An iTunes card taught a generation to load stored credit into an app store, a Steam card did the same for gaming, and the format now moves so much money that the digital segment alone is worth roughly $680 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach $1.25 trillion by the end of the decade, growing 17 per cent a year. The corporate side is growing faster still, with the business and institutional segment compounding at nearly 20 per cent annually as companies standardize gift cards into trackable instruments for rewards, incentives and loyalty, and the preference data explains why: 54 per cent of employees would rather receive a gift card than a physical gift, and digital issuance now outpaces physical by two and a half to one. The format is familiar, the procurement workflows already exist, and nobody needs a tutorial to understand what a gift card is. KuCoin Pay is now loading that familiar format with a very different asset. The payments arm of the KuCoin exchange has launched KuCoin Gift Card, an enterprise solution that lets businesses distribute USDT and USDC globally through digital gift cards, with bulk issuance and API integration designed for customer rewards, promotional campaigns, employee incentives and community engagement. Recipients redeem the cards through KuCoin and receive the underlying assets, and from there the value stays live: it can be held, transferred, or spent across supported scenarios in the ecosystem, including through KuCoin Pay's merchant network, which supports more than 50 cryptocurrencies across online and in-store checkout. Alicia Kao, KuCoin's managing director, framed the launch around a
The Resistance Against Flock Surveillance Cameras
By Michael Hernandez You probably know there are programs out there intercepting electronic data to harvest global emails, chats, and browsing histories. And there are governments and agencies collecting our metadata for information including the durations of our calls, communication time stamps, and precise geolocation records. There are facial recognition networks scanning anyone and everyone in public spaces, transit hubs, and protests to match faces against immense biometric databases. In our world — one that is increasingly resembling the totalitarian superstate of Oceania in George Orwell’s 1984 — these are just a few of the tools being used in the modern day to spy on everyday Americans. Among them in the mass-surveillance toolbox are Automatic License Plate Readers, or ALPRs. ALPRs are cameras set up along roadways, traffic lights, or mounted on police cars that capture images of license plates in real-time, convert them into text and run the images against vehicle databases to find a match. One of the major providers of ALPR technology is Flock Safety, an American public safety tech and private-police surveillance company. Founded in 2017 by three alumni from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a stated mission of “shaping the future of safety”, Flock began as a side-project which saw the three co-founders build their first video surveillance cameras by hand around one of the trio’s dining room tables. The trio allegedly began to focus on the project after a Dekalb County detective told one of them their product had assisted police in solving a home break-in. Then that member supposedly called the other two co-founders and told them it was time to quit their jobs. As of 2026 Flock Safety ALPRs are reportedly being used by over 5,000 law enforcement agencies in 6,000 communities across the U.S. It is estimated flock safety cameras