France has approved a new bill to allow the police to spy on people through mobile phones and laptops. Critics say this will infringe on the fundamental rights of citizens. Is France trying to create a 'surveillance state'? Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: France allows its police to spy on people through electronic devices

In what appears to be a major plot point of George Orwell's critically acclaimed "1984" novel, the French government has passed a law that allows police to spy on people through their phones.

Orwell's 1984: France passes law allowing police to remotely activate phone cameras, microphones to spy

Apple and Google are working in collaboration to stop unwanted tracking through AirTags and similar gadgets. Both companies submitted a proposal to establish guidelines to deter secret surveillance on the Bluetooth devices that were created to help people find lost keys, keep tabs on luggage or locate or find other items that are prone to get misplaced.

Google, Apple submit plan to combat AirTag stalking, deter secret surveillance

US and China tensions are already exacerbated by two fresh controversies around Russia's war on Ukraine and COVID-19 origins. Amid this, another one played out on Tuesday when China struck back at US for stepping up its attempts to ban the Chinese video-sharing network TikTok from work phones of its federal employees.

China says US 'overreacting' by banning TikTok on federal devices

According to reports, despite an ostensible ban on accepting bids from Israel, Bangladesh purchased at least four separate advanced surveillance equipment by Israeli firms.

Report: Bangladesh bought spyware tools from Israeli firm

The tweets, re-tweets and discussions on Twitter around the protests, that shook China last month and challenged the authority of Xi Jinping since the leader came to power, had a focal point on the micro-blogging site - a Chinese account with a cat avatar.

Twitter account with cat avatar takes centre stage for info and updates on China protests

Reportedly, the US has scaled down its surveillance in the South China sea. According to a Bejing-based think tank, 46 US sorties in August decreased by around 28 sorties in September.

Report: US reduces military surveillance in South China Sea

Chinese officials are collecting DNA samples across Tibet. They are building the "regional level" DNA database. China said that DNA database is a "crime-fighting tool".

WION Fineprint| Report: Chinese authorities gathering DNA samples across Tibet

For the first time in India’s history, five women officers of the Indian Navy’s INAS 314 completed a maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission onboard a Dornier 228 aircraft in the North Arabian Sea.

In a first, Indian Navy’s all-women aircrew conducts surveillance mission over Arabian Sea

WeChat has become China's beloved surveillance tool after authorities are using the app to justify arrests and issue veiled threats.

WeChat becomes a powerful surveillance tool in China

A Chinese fighter aircraft dangerously intercepted an Australian military surveillance plane in the South China Sea region in May, Australia`s defence department said on Sunday.

Australia says Chinese fighter jet intercepted surveillance craft in May

Dozens of Chinese firms have built software that uses artificial intelligence to sort data collected on residents, amid high demand from authorities seeking to upgrade their surveillance tools, a Reuters review of government documents shows.

China uses AI software to improve its surveillance capabilities

Nokia said this month that it would stop its sales in Russia and denounced the invasion of Ukraine. But the Finnish company didn’t mention what it was leaving behind: equipment and software connecting the government’s most powerful tool for digital surveillance to the nation’s largest telecommunications network.

When Nokia pulled out of Russia, a vast surveillance system remained

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, banned an array of "cyber mercenary" groups on Thursday, alerting 50,000 users who may have been targeted by firms that spy on activists, dissidents, and journalists.

Meta bans array of 'cyber mercenary' groups, warns 50,000 people that were targeted

Huawei technologies for a long time has dismissed questions pertaining to its role in China’s state surveillance. While the company claims that it is selling general-purpose networking gear, a report by The Washington Post suggests that the company has had a bigger role than what has been told.

This is how Huawei is associated with China’s state surveillance

The security forces in Kashmir will put an "aerial surveillance cover" over the areas where the minority community lives. There would be a cover over Srinagar’s main city centre Lal Chowk too.

Kashmir: Aerial surveillance over areas where minority community lives

Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Pande on Tuesday said the Chinese Army's activities have increased marginally in-depth areas across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) which is under tight surveillance of the Indian Army.

LAC under constant surveillance amid increased activities of Chinese Army: Eastern Army commander

In China, it’s just not the government that is constantly tracking its citizens. Technology companies in the region are also using rigorous tactics to keep a watchful gaze on their employees. Watch the story for more details.

Chinese tech firms keep employees under extreme surveillance

On Feb. 6, 2018, Apple received a grand jury subpoena for the names and phone records connected to 109 email addresses and phone numbers. It was one of the more than 250 data requests that the company received on average from US law enforcement each week at the time.

Tech giants are plunged into political firestorm

The US government said on Saturday it would stop secretly obtaining reporters' phone and email records during investigations into political leaks, ending a practice that was often criticised as undermining press freedom.

US says it will no longer seize reporters' records in leak probes

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of six Boeing-made P-8I patrol aircraft and related equipment to India for an estimated cost of $2,420,000, the Pentagon said on Friday.

US State Department OKs potential sale of P-8 surveillance planes to India: Pentagon 

Germany has flagged its largest opposition party AFD as an extremist group. Germany's domestic intelligence service formerly placed the far-right party under surveillance.

Germany: Far-right AFD party flagged as suspected extremist group

Twitter has reacted to the recent media reports and cleared the air regarding the service that monitors tweets for police. The service in question is Dataminr, which is a customer of Twitter's API that taps into the public tweets to alert the police about any possible danger to the lives of people.

Twitter claims monitoring service not for 'surveillance purposes'; no personal data collected

Wion's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay In An Exclusive Conversation With Israel's Ambassador To India Ron Malka

WION Exclusive: Israel's Ambassador to India on Surveillance, Terrorism and Bilateral Ties

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