DHS officers posed as voters to access state election records, whistleblower says

Whistleblower: DHS agents posed as voters to access state election data

An anonymous federal whistleblower says Department of Homeland Security officers illegally accessed state voter data as part of escalating elections-related probes. A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services directive led agents to misrepresent themselves as voters on state election agency websites in order to view voting records. Sen. Alex Padilla’s office warned the directive will likely produce thousands of violations of state laws. Democrats responded to the whistleblower claims by warning against what they called the latest Trump administration move to rig the election through illegal access to voter data. No court ruling or agency confirmation of the allegations has been reported.

DHS is illegally accessing state voter data, whistleblower says →

Privacy groups ask EU to fight Canada’s Bill C-22 encryption powers

Access Now and a coalition of European civil society groups published an open letter urging European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other top EU officials to intervene against Canada’s Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act. The groups warn its data retention mandates and surveillance requirements would compromise the privacy of millions globally and could let a Canadian minister secretly order a European company to weaken product security used across the EU. They argue a deliberate weakness built for one target compromises the whole system, serving as a backdoor for mass surveillance. The Canadian Senate is expected to conclude its study as early as October 2026, while Google, Signal, Apple and major VPNs have opposed the bill.

Digital rights advocates urge EU to step in and save encryption from Canada’s Bill C-22 →

LG denies smart TVs secretly record conversations

LG denies that its smart TVs secretly record or transmit users’ conversations, calling recent coverage misleading after a lengthy Gamers Nexus video alleged LG TVs capture audio while idle or offline and collect data on networked devices, IP addresses, locations and nearby Wi-Fi networks. LG draws a distinction between listening for a wake word and recording conversations: on supported TVs with hands-free voice control, the microphone can listen locally for a wake word even in standby, and audio without the wake word is discarded immediately and not sent to LG servers. Automatic Content Recognition uses audio fingerprinting rather than screenshots, is optional, requires consent and can be turned off. The dispute follows a separate flap over LG monitors installing an app installer on Windows PCs and showing McAfee ads, which Microsoft intervened on and LG agreed to disable.

LG denies secretly recording users as TV privacy concerns grow →

Court ombudsman seeks more time on Google and Micro1 bids for Spirit data

A court-appointed consumer privacy ombudsman reviewing Google’s proposed purchase of Spirit Airlines data, Lucy Thomson, said in a Sept. 8 bankruptcy court filing that she needs more time to investigate Micro1 if the court considers the startup as buyer. Google has offered to narrow the personal data in the sale as the parties negotiate safeguards for passenger information in Spirit’s operational systems, with lawyers saying de-identified data would train AI models. No sale has court approval; a hearing is set for Sept. 16. Flight attendant unions and privacy advocates object, arguing the dataset holds sensitive information on former employees and customers that may not be properly redacted. Micro1 offered additional privacy promises and a 25% price premium, saying it completed more than 50 data transactions in 45 days.

Google wants Spirit Airlines’ data. Micro1 wants to pay more. →

EU Digital Identity Wallet moves toward 2026 rollout

The EU Digital Identity Wallet is a personal digital platform for citizens and businesses to store private data in one place without relying on third parties or a patchwork of national systems. Europeans currently use national systems or private apps such as Apple or Google Wallet for boarding passes or social security benefits, and the EU aims to simplify administrative tasks with a cross-border digital space. Users can store and share diplomas, rental history, driving licences and medical prescriptions, access public and private services such as social security or bank loans, and sign documents digitally. A selective disclosure feature lets users decide what information to share, and documents and transactions remain private. Two large-scale pilots are testing the Wallet; member states will build national versions sharing the same technical standards, with downloads required on personal mobile devices by the end of 2026.

Could one app soon replace your entire wallet? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot →