Ethical Hacking News
US Border Patrol Is Spying on Millions of American Drivers
The US has a surveillance program monitoring millions of American drivers, known as "Operation Endgame," which uses license-plate readers and feeds data into an algorithm to flag suspicious routes. The program involves police departments and local law enforcement agencies being alerted by the Border Patrol's system, leading to traffic stops for minor infractions. The implications of this program are far-reaching and raise concerns about the erosion of civil liberties in an era where the Fourth Amendment has been under siege. The FBI has been implicated in a surveillance scandal, accessing messages from private groups and labeling activists as "anarchist violent extremist actors." There have also been reports of vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure to cyber threats, including a record-breaking DDoS attack on Microsoft's Azure endpoint. A long-running case against SolarWinds has been dropped, vindicating the company's argument that its disclosures and conduct were appropriate. Researchers have discovered a new way to extract phone numbers from WhatsApp using a similar technique, raising concerns about user data security.
The United States has become a nation under threat, where the ever-present specter of surveillance looms large over every aspect of American life. The latest revelations from the Associated Press have shed light on a program that has been operating in secret for years, monitoring millions of American drivers far beyond the border. This predictive-intelligence program, code-named "Operation Endgame," is a complex web of covert license-plate readers, hidden inside traffic cones, barrels, and roadside equipment, feeding data into an algorithm that flags "suspicious" routes, quick turnarounds, and travel to and from border regions.
At the heart of this surveillance state is a network of police departments and local law enforcement agencies, who are being alerted by the Border Patrol's system, resulting in traffic stops for minor infractions like window-tint violations, air fresheners, or marginal speeding. The AP has obtained internal group chats that reveal Border Patrol agents and Texas deputies sharing hotel records, rental car status, home addresses, and social media details of US citizens in real time while coordinating what officers call "whisper stops" to obscure federal involvement.
The implications of this program are far-reaching and raise serious concerns about the erosion of civil liberties. In an era where the Fourth Amendment has been under siege for years, with courts increasingly allowing law enforcement agencies to collect data without warrants or probable cause, Operation Endgame represents a new low in the surveillance state's relentless pursuit of power.
The FBI has also been implicated in this surveillance scandal, as documents obtained by the Guardian reveal that the agency accessed messages from a private Signal group used by New York immigration court-watch activists, labeling them "anarchist violent extremist actors" and circulating an assessment nationwide. This brazen overreach highlights the FBI's willingness to use its vast resources to monitor and intimidate peaceful protesters, further eroding trust in law enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has thwarted a record-breaking DDoS attack on one of its Azure endpoints, which was launched by a group of compromised home routers, cameras, and other consumer devices. This highlights the vulnerability of our digital infrastructure to cyber threats and underscores the need for greater security measures to protect online services from these types of attacks.
In another development, the Securities and Exchange Commission has dropped its remaining claims against SolarWinds, ending a long-running case over the company's 2020 supply-chain hack. This marks a vindication of SolarWinds' argument that its disclosures and conduct were appropriate, and it hopes the outcome eases concerns among CISOs about the potential chilling effect of this type of attack.
Finally, researchers have uncovered a new way to extract phone numbers from WhatsApp using a similar technique that was first identified eight years ago. This raises serious questions about the company's security measures and its ability to protect user data.
In conclusion, the surveillance state is expanding rapidly, with law enforcement agencies and government agencies working together to collect vast amounts of data on American citizens. As we move forward, it is essential that we take a closer look at these programs and ensure that they are being used for their intended purpose, rather than eroding our civil liberties.
US Border Patrol Is Spying on Millions of American Drivers
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Surveillance-State-Expands-A-Nation-Under-Threat-ehn.shtml
https://www.wired.com/story/security-news-this-week-us-border-patrol-is-spying-on-millions-of-american-drivers/
Published: Sat Nov 22 06:11:07 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
