Privacy ATF cancels contract for ad-surveillance technology after privacy concerns June 26, 2026 Share By SC Staff Privitar on Wednesday reported that 60% of data leaders it surveyed are unable to use more than 40% of their data because of privacy concerns. (Photo credit: Owen Moore and Home Water Softener Reviews via Wikimedia Commons) As outlined in CyberScoop, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has canceled a contract with Penlink that utilized ad-surveillance technologies to track Americans' locations. This decision follows revelations that the agency was purchasing geolocation data through a contract described as an "ad-tech type thing." The ATF's contract with Penlink for its Webloc commercial location surveillance tool was canceled after ATF Director Robert Cekada acknowledged its existence in a congressional hearing. While Cekada stated the system had not been used in a criminal case due to a lack of established policies, his office later indicated the agency had conducted over 340 searches using the system, with more than 222 tied to active ATF case numbers. Penlink's platform offers real-time data collection and AI-driven analysis. Senator Ron Wyden, who received a briefing on the matter, called the cancellation a victory for constitutional rights but urged Congress to pass legislation to close the data broker loophole. Wyden's office noted that the purchase of such data is illegal in some states and has been deemed a deceptive practice by the FTC. The use of ad-tech for surveillance is a growing concern, with potential for misuse by malicious actors. Source: CyberScoop SC Staff Related Privacy London police to expand live facial recognition use SC Staff June 24, 2026 Static LFR involves temporarily mounting cameras on infrastructure like lampposts, with remote monitoring and officers on the ground identifying individuals matched against a watchlist. Privacy Federal court rules Trump administration’s voter database illegal SC Staff June 23, 2026 The court vacated the SAVE modified system and related notices, deeming them unlawful and arbitrary. Privacy Apple to change Hide My Email domain, potentially impacting anonymous sign-ups SC Staff June 17, 2026 The change, announced to developers, will move anonymously generated email addresses to a new domain, @private.icloud.com. Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe Related Terms Anonymization Authenticity Basic Authentication Biometrics Certificate-Based Authentication Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) Digest Authentication Digital Certificate Discretionary Access Control (DAC) Geolocation You can skip this ad in 5 seconds