Mogen family attorney speaks after Kohberger pleads guilty to Idaho murders
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Gizmodo
43 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
‘We Live in a Surveillance State': Reddit Users Explode Over Reports of ICE's New Face and Fingerprint Scanning App
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is reportedly using a new tool called Mobile Fortify, a smartphone-based facial recognition and fingerprint scanning app that allows agents to identify people in real time using only a phone camera. The tool taps into the same biometric system used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at ports of entry. But ICE is now using it inside the U.S., in field operations across the country. According to internal ICE emails reviewed by 404 Media, the app is being deployed by Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the branch of ICE tasked with arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants. The app, reportedly called 'Mobile Fortify,' gives federal agents the power to use their phones to identify people in the field via facial recognition, a development that many online see as a horrifying leap forward for the surveillance state. The 404 Media report has ignited outrage on Reddit, where users are voicing deep concern about how far this technology could go and what it says about the direction of American governance. 'Surveillance state in full effect,' one user posted bluntly. 'The next step is to label anyone who opposes them a terrorist or criminal, strip you of any rights and probably use unconstitutional surveillance to find any dirt on you,' warned another. Others drew a straight line between mass surveillance and the erosion of civil liberties. 'We live in a surveillance state and anyone who believes otherwise reads too much Fox News,' said one user. 'Everyone mask up like it's COVID! We have already witnessed an attempted arrest and then release,' another user added. Some users offered practical resistance strategies—or at least suggestions for anonymity. 'I wonder if facial ID blocking glasses, like Reflectacles, would work on this. Apparently they block iPhone facial recognition,' said one commenter. 'Definitely wear a mask (preferably ones that hide your whole head, i.e. UV Blocking Balaclava), wear sunglasses and bring an umbrella. Also bring a flashlight, headlamp, flashlight with strobing capabilities,' wrote another. A few users expressed bitter disillusionment with the political divide over surveillance. 'Mass surveillance was something right-wingers always said they would fight against. Now that it's happening they aren't doing shit,' one user said. 'They are doing shit… they are doing the mass surveillance,' another replied, 'which is entirely made of shit.' 'They always figured that when authoritarianism came to the U.S., it would be left-wing. But since it's right-wing, they are fine with it,' added another. The most chilling posts reflected the loss of faith in institutional leadership altogether. 'Creepy. I remember noticing this at the airport a few years ago and how it felt Orwellian. I was right.' 'Wondering how long into the police state our remaining leaders will allow the country to slip before everything burns down,' wrote one user. 'We have been wholly betrayed by everyone who vowed to serve the public besides educators and emergency service workers. I have learned nothing this year that leads me to believe anyone of means gives enough fucks to stop any of this.' The growing backlash taps into long-standing fears that technologies built for border enforcement or national security are now being turned inward, aimed not just at suspects but potentially at anyone. Civil liberties groups have warned for years that biometric surveillance tools, especially those powered by AI and facial recognition, lack proper oversight and accountability and risk targeting marginalized communities. Gizmodo has reached out to ICE for comment on whether Mobile Fortify is currently in use and how the agency justifies deploying such tools in domestic operations. So far, no comment. For now, Reddit is sounding the alarm.
Black America Web
43 minutes ago
- Black America Web
Diddy Denied Bail Just Hours After Supporters Celebrate RICO Acquittal With Baby Oil
Source: Jason Koerner / Getty Diddy has been denied bail and will sit in jail until sentencing. Judge Arun Subramanian says he denied Diddy bail three times already ahead of the trial and sees no reason to change that now. He also suggested a sentencing date of October 3, but at the defense's request, it could be moved up. This morning's verdict found him not guilty of RICO and sex trafficking, but guilty on two counts of transportation for prostitution, which was primarily seen as a victory for Combs and a disappointment for those hoping he'd see a lengthy sentence for his crimes. Those inside the courtroom say Diddy fell to his knees and prayed on the seat of his chair while the verdict was read. 'I'm coming home, baby!' he said, and later thanked the jury. The block surrounding the courthouse has been littered with supporters for weeks, and they celebrated the RICO acquittal by dancing around and pouring baby oil on each other. One woman even removed her wig while a man squirted her with the oil. If he'd received bail, he could've been released from custody and back home as soon as tonight. Cassie, one of Diddy's victims and the prosecution's first witness, believes that he should be kept behind bars while he awaits sentencing, fearing he'll try to exact revenge against those who were against him. 'We write as counsel for Casandra Ventura ('Ms. Ventura') to respectfully request that the Court deny Mr. Combs to be released pending his sentencing on his two convictions…' h er lawyer Douglas H. Wigdor said in a statement, recalling that the ' Bail Reform Act' states that 'detention is mandatory post-conviction on these charges, and Ms. Ventura believes that Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community.' Her sentiments were echoed by the prosecutors, who say that the charges for which he was found guilty require him to be in custody until sentencing. According to NBC News , they also attached a letter from a witness, celebrity stylist Deonte Nash, who writes that Diddy 'is a serious and immediate threat to victims, witnesses, and the broader community' and his release on bail would 'send a dangerous message: that wealth and influence can shield someone indefinitely from accountability.' Diddy's defense team, however, is fighting for his release, stating that he's not a flight risk. Attorney Alexandra Shapiro says, 'He needs and wants to be with —and remain with— his family.' He now faces 20 years in jail. See the reactions below. Diddy Denied Bail Just Hours After Supporters Celebrate RICO Acquittal With Baby Oil was originally published on
Black America Web
43 minutes ago
- Black America Web
10 Famous Figures Who Beat RICO Charges — Including Diddy
Source: Getty / Sean 'P Diddy' Combs Sean 'Diddy' Combs just dodged the biggest legal bullet of his life. In a ruling that dropped today, he was cleared of federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges tied to a sweeping RICO case. He was convicted on lesser counts, but the racketeering charge was the headline. And now, he joins a very exclusive group: public figures who've managed to beat the feds on RICO. If that sounds rare, it is. The RICO Act was designed to dismantle organized crime and criminal enterprises. Once the government charges you under RICO, they've usually spent years building the case. That's why beating it is such a tall order—and why it's national news when someone walks. Diddy's not the first, though. Murder Inc. co-founder Irv Gotti beat federal money-laundering and RICO charges tied to drug money. So did John Gotti, the so-called 'Teflon Don,' who beat multiple RICO trials before his eventual conviction. You've also got names like Jackie DiNorscio, a mob figure who famously represented himself in court—and won. And in the world of hip-hop, 6ix9ine avoided full conviction by flipping, taking a plea deal, and testifying. Whether it's music, mob ties, or viral trials, RICO cases make headlines because they're built to stick. But these 10 figures all found ways—some clean, some controversial—to walk away. And yes, Diddy's name now sits on that list. Diddy Verdict: Not Guilty On 3 Counts; Guilty On 2 Suge Knight Addresses Diddy's Sex Trafficking Trial: 'Tell The Real Truth, And Bring Everybody Accountable' Here Are Some Notable Moments Of Black Culture In 2025 10 Famous Figures Who Beat RICO Charges — Including Diddy was originally published on DJ Drama and Don Cannon were hit with RICO charges in 2007 after an Atlanta raid seized over 80,000 mixtapes. But remarkably, they beat the charges and never served prison time. Partially cleared: acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, convicted on lesser prostitution counts in 2025.
