police

The problem is that there are police officers using it to harass their exes.

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The US authorities have a powerful tool that reads license plates and allows them to reconstruct the movements of any vehicle. This technology, called Flock, has been key in solving hundreds of crimes, but it is also being used by some police officers to monitor and control their partners and ex-partners. what has happened. They count in 404media the case of an agent from Orange City, California, who during the summer of 2024 consulted his ex-partner’s license plate 69 times in the system. In addition, he searched for his mother’s 24 times and his father’s 15 times. Using this data, the agent showed up where she was, but he was also harassing her with constant calls and had even put an AirTag in her wallet. He was accused of harassment and computer crimes and was sentenced to one day in prison and five years of probation. It is not an isolated case. According to an Institute for Justice studyhas not been the only case in which an agent has used license plate readers to stalk their partners or ex-partners. They speak of at least 18 known cases in recent years, these are only those that have ended in a conviction, but it is believed that there will be many more that have not been detected. They cite several cases, from controlling their partners, their ex-partners, and their new partners, to the persecution of strangers, such as a police officer who tracked down and detained a woman he had met on a shoot because he liked her. What is Flock and how does it work?. It is a “public safety technology” company that has a huge network of automatic license plate reading cameras. These cameras record all the cars that pass and a cloud platform stores them, later allowing all the movements of any vehicle to be reconstructed over time. The system also detects matches for warrants, missing persons, and stolen vehicles and issues alerts if a match is found. Very effective, but. As we said, Flock has been key to solving many cases. According to the company itself, up to 700,000 crimes every year they are solved using their technology and defend that crimes that used to go unpunished, such as hit-and-runs, are now investigated and end in arrests. The problem is that A court order is not required to use the system.simply a username and password that any police officer has. Many agents document their searches with vague or false reasons to cover up improper use. What Flock says. In statements to 404media, the company defends itself against the accusations by saying that it is aware of these cases, that they are a minority and that they came to light “thanks to the built-in transparency and accountability functions.” It is true that the audit functions have been useful in detecting some cases, as it is also true that there have been situations of harassment that have continued for years until they have been detected. Furthermore, it is very difficult to audit because the volume of searches is gigantic, so much so that they do not even fit in a single Excel (more than 1 million). Have I been Flocked? That’s what it’s called independent website which was born as a response to this problem. Here citizens can enter their license plate and check if it has been searched on the platform by comparing it with leaked internal records. Flock has pushed for closure this platform, arguing that it allows doxxing to police and could put investigations at risk, but it has not succeeded. Image | Jonathan Lim in Unsplash In Xataka | The 2026 World Cup starts today and brings more than just football: the largest surveillance device at a sporting event

See if the Police, DGT, Treasury or other organizations have done it

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Let’s tell you how you can know if any organization has investigated your personal dataand the information that the public administration has about you. It may have been the public administration, such as the DGT, the Police or the Treasury, or it may have come from somewhere else, such as a notary or similar. Because you have in your hand a tool that allows you to know every time your data as a citizen is accessed. It is about My Citizen Folderwith an option that is a little hidden among its many possibilities. And we’re going to tell you how you can watch it. Find out who has looked at your data The first thing you have to do is enter the application My Citizen Folderavailable on Google Play for Android and in the App Store of your iPhone. You can also enter through its official website. Inside, access mode Staffand log in through Cl@ve, electronic DNI, PIN code and Permanent code. Once you are inside My Citizen Folderyou have to click on the section My Folder that you have in the lower bar. This will take you to a menu where you have to click on the option Transparency what you will see in the tab My Data. On the screen Transparency you have to click on the option My exchanges between administrationsand once you do choose the option Between Organizations to be able to see which entities have accessed your data. This will take you to the screen Consultations between Agencieswhere you will see who has accessed your official personal data and the information that the public administration has about you. If necessary, you have a button Filters to be able to consult the reviews that have been made in specific periods of time. In Xataka Basics | News about My Citizen Folder: everything new you can do after its March 2026 update

Japan has had enough of tourists littering the streets. So he has started to control them with police and fines

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No matter which guide you use, surely if you are looking for the iconic places in Japan, Shibuya, one of the districts, will be among them. more dynamic from Tokyo. The neighborhood is known for its neon lights, its skyline and (above all) its famous intersection. Shibuya sukuranburu kōsatenthrough which thousands of tourists pass every day. If you search on TikTok for #sibuyacrossing you will find more than 70,000 videosthe majority of foreigners. Local authorities have grown tired of these crowds leaving their streets. full of garbage and has decided cut to the chase. As? With special patrols and sanctions. What has happened? That the government of the Shibuya district, in Tokyo, wants to get rid of people who throw garbage in its streets. And he has decided to do it the most effective way (and emphatically) possible: using the police and with sanctions that will be imposed on the spot and offenders must pay either in cash, with a credit card or by means of a QR code. It is not a more or less diffuse idea or a political proposal that still needs to be debated and processed. The measure has already been introduced as an amendment in the ordinance for the ‘Joint Creation of a Clean Shibuya’, a rule from 1997. Now, and after a grace period that began in April, the authorities have begun to issue fines. They have even promoted a campaign with a name that leaves little room for interpretation: “If you throw garbage, you lose money”. Proof of how seriously the police take it is that only on their first day did they process a dozen of sanctions. What fines and how are they applied? The fines amount to 2,000 yenabout 10.7 euros, and will be applied immediately so that offenders can pay them in cash or by pulling a card. As if the threat of sanctions were not enough, the district has decided to mobilize a patrol of several dozen agents (up to 50) who will be in charge of exploring the area in search of offenders. As the objective is to eliminate dirt, the focus has not only been placed on pedestrians. The same rule contemplates fines of 50,000 yen (270 euros) for positions takeaway or vending machines that do not install trash cans nearby. Is the problem so serious? No data has been released on the amount of garbage that is collected every day on the streets of Shibuya, but there are several characteristics in the area that explain why the government has decided to resort to fines. The first is that public containers are not plentiful. In 2013 the authorities they withdrew bins and encouraged people to manage their waste responsibly. The idea was not only to avoid collapsed bins, but, as remember the BBCimprove security. In general, in the country it is not strange to find areas in which containers are scarce for fear that they will be used in terrorist attacks. This lack of buckets has not gone unnoticed by the millions of tourists who visit the country each year. In 2025 the issue appeared in a government survey on the problems faced by foreign tourists. He was cited by 20% of the respondents. Is it the only explanation? No. Shibuya is an important (and above all busy) tourist hub. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), during peak hours between 1,000 and 2,500 People cross its famous intersection every two minutes. “It is one of the most emblematic places in Tokyo,” the agency points out before remembering that just with the number of people who accumulate there, including residents and visitors, a stadium could be filled in a short time. Although slightly less than 250,000 peoplethis avalanche of passers-by is much better understood if we take into account that Japan has been experiencing an authentic tourist boom. It is estimated that only last year they visited the country 42.7 million of foreigners, a relevant figure for three reasons: it represents a year-on-year increase of almost 16%, it is the first time that the figure exceeds 40 million and, above all, it marks a historical record. Fines only for tourists? No. Fines for littering the ground apply to both visitors and local people, although it is not unreasonable to think that the measure has been adopted largely with foreigners in mind. And not only because it is centered on a tourist hub. The sanctions are immediate, they can be paid with a card or a QR and the agents in charge of enforcing the rule will speak several languagesincluding English, Chinese and Korean. “Shibuya is an international area visited by many Japanese and people from all over the world. We ask all visitors, regardless of nationality, to respect the city’s rules,” underlines Ken Hasebe, district leader. The authorities conduct a survey, carried out last year, which shows that 52% of the people hunted for littering were foreigners. Does it only happen there? No. Shibuya is not the only point in Japan where the tourist avalanche has generated tensions with the local population. In fact, you don’t have to go back very far in time to find two other towns that also decided to adopt measures to avoid the overcrowding, dirt and traffic problems generated by tourism. One is Fujikawaguchiko, which in 2024 installed a barrier to cover your views of Mount Fuji. The reason? The hordes of tourists seeking selfie perfect. The other is Fujiyoshida, who recently canceled their festival of the cherry blossom to save the neighbors the inconvenience caused by the thousands of foreigners that the event attracts. The country even has decided to charge for the ascent of Fuji to prevent it from becoming a huge public landfill. Images |Timo Volz (Unsplash) and Jezael Melgoza (Unsplash) In Xataka | Antarctica was practically the last corner of the Earth immune to touristification. That’s ending

Smart glasses for police seemed like science fiction. Some Chinese agents have already started using them

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The image is powerful because it is easy to visualize: a police officer walks down a street in Tianjin, looks around, and connected glasses return useful information in real time. What until not so long ago could have sounded like science fiction is beginning to have much more earthly applications, from ordering traffic to helping locate a lost person. In this city in northern China, according to China Dailytechnology is already part of some police tasks. And that’s the interesting thing: we are not just talking about a futuristic promise, but about a use that is beginning to hit the streets. Smart glasses for police. The key is that we are not just talking about glasses placed on an agent’s face, but about a system designed to be integrated into police routine. They are officially presented as a development of the local public security system, with national software and hardware, and places them in three areas of use: traffic, patrols and urban management. It is a very immediate effectiveness-oriented approach. An invisible screen for the agent. The device works as a layer of information added to police work. It can recognize text, interpret voice commands and provide responses from a connected platform, with the camera as an entry point to identify elements of the environment. In practice, this allows identity checks to be carried out or information associated with a person to be searched without leaving the scene. The source presents it as a responsive improvement, although such a tool also opens up obvious questions about surveillance and privacy. The glasses on the ground. Zhao Baoxin, an officer at the Jiefang Road police station in Heping district, told the aforementioned media that during a patrol they found an elderly man at an intersection who could not express himself clearly or indicate his name or address. According to his version, the glasses made it possible to quickly identify him and, in about 20 minutes, contact his family so he could return home. Traffic as a daily test. Another of the uses described brings the technology down to a very recognizable scene: the entrance and exit of a school. In that case, parents can pre-register their license plates through a mini-program developed with the participation of the public security system, and that information is linked to the platform consulted by the glasses. Thus, agents identify authorized vehicles, order short stops and divert other cars during peak congestion hours. It is efficient on paper, but it also normalizes automated license plate reading. What the numbers say. Sun Yinghua, agent in the science, technology and IT area of ​​the Municipal Public Security Bureau, places the recognition accuracy above 95% and speaks of results in milliseconds. They also explain that the design also seeks comfort: they weigh about 40 grams and offer a first-person perspective that avoids the framing changes typical of a body camera when the agent leans or turns. The autonomy, however, is 1.5 or 2 hours of continuous use. It hasn’t come out of nowhere. Police glasses with facial recognition had already appeared in China years ago. In 2018, SCMP counted that were being used at Zhengzhou East station during Chunyun, the huge Lunar New Year travel period, to locate fugitives and detect cases of identity fraud. What we see now seems less like a one-off test and more like a piece within an ecosystem: China Daily cites uses in different areas of the country, coordination with drones in large operations and plans to connect the glasses with robotic dogs, intelligent police vehicles, humanoid robots and other terminals. Efficiency gains ground, but so do questions about surveillance. Images | Xataka with Nano Banana In Xataka | The metaverse wasn’t dead, it was on a spree. And Meta wants it to flood Instagram and Facebook

When the police investigated the crime of the founder of Mango, a motive had disappeared. Then they looked at their son’s car.

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Tuesday May 19, Jonathan Andic is ordered to go to prison. It has been ordered by the Judge of the Courts of Instance and Investigation of Martorell who are handling the case of the death of Isak Andic, founder of Mango and one of the richest people in Spain. The order arrives after evaluating the information provided by the Mossos d’Esquadra. A report that points to the poor relationship between father and son, “the obsession that Jonathan Andic has with money”, in the words of the judge, and “the emotional manipulation to achieve his economic goals” that the son would have used against the father. But there are also indications that point beyond mere personal relationships. The researchers They assure that the footprints collected on the path of the Monserrat mountain, next to Barcelona, ​​where Isak Andic fell do not agree with a fortuitous slip. Nor are the version changes understood regarding the use that the founder of Mango would have made of his own mobile phone. And, as always, there is the matter of geolocation. But this time the Mossos d’Esquadra are not targeting the cell phone. They point to a much larger and more forceful object: one called Mercedes-AMG G63. Not just the mobile phone If the ubiquitous true crime podcasts or television series have taught us anything, it is that the mobile phone is a source of problems when it comes to murdering a person or disposing of a corpse. The persistent location of the telephone, either due to the use of the Internet or the search for antennas to connect to to access the mobile telephone network, has become one of the first threads to pull when studying one of these cases. In the case involving Isak Andic it has been no less. That is why the police report refers to the replacement of an iPhone 14 owned by the son of the founder of Mango with an iPhone 16 Pro after an alleged robbery during a lightning trip to Ecuador between March 24 and 26, 2025 when the media reported on the reopening of the investigations. The inherited content of the old phone was deleted and agents have found no evidence of such theft. However, this time it was not the location of the phone that made the agents suspicious. In their report they point out that they can prove that Jonathan went to the hiking route on up to three occasions in the days prior to the alleged murder. And for this they use their Mercedes-AMG G63. They point in three directions. The first is that the alleged visits coincide in days with the car entering and leaving the city of Barcelona, ​​comparing the license plate with the surveillance system of the low emissions zone. Also because the traffic cameras of Collbató, the municipality where the natural enclave is located, also recorded the passage of the vehicle. And, also, by the IMEI of the car. What is the IMEI of our car? Connections to mobile networks on a data plan have their own serial number. Each phone has its own and information on when and where it connects to the Internet or telephone networks can be tracked by police officers. But not only phones are identified with a IMEI. Modern cars also have one if they are connected to the mobile networksince they have the modem that guarantees said connection. Nowadays it is common for a new car to come with a data plan and a SIM card with a duration stipulated by contract. The duration is usually years and, after the stipulated time, the client decides whether or not to renew the plan. This data plan is what allows, for example, to use the car navigator with real-time traffic directions. And it is also the one that in an electric car allows us to know the occupancy rate of the chargers or manage certain functions of the car, such as air conditioning or opening doors, from a mobile application. Just like a mobile phone, these recurring connections made by a car with an active SIM leave a digital trail. And that digital trace is associated with the IMEI with which each vehicle is identified. The result is clear: the police only need the operation of a car equipped with this service to detect where the vehicle moved and at what time. This system should not be confused with the eCall security service of our cars. Since 2018all new cars are required to be sold with the eCall system, a service that allows the driver contact emergency services in the event of an accident. This is activated automatically if a collision is detected but can also be started by the driver himself. At that moment, an attempt is made to establish a call but, whether there is coverage or not, the car also launches a geolocation signal using the European Galileo system so that the emergency services can have a clear idea of ​​the location in the shortest possible time. This system, obviously, has its own IMEI but it is only activated when the system is started, either with automatic activation when the accident is detected or manual activation. Meanwhile, the system is inactive and therefore the car cannot be tracked. Besides, the European Union makes clear that the data saved is done so temporarily because the memory “will only be allowed to retain the last three locations of the vehicle to the extent strictly necessary to determine the current location of the vehicle and the direction of travel at the time of the event.” The regulations also make it clear that the information can only be delivered to third parties with the prior consent of the interested party and that no company can have access to the data if no emergency call occurs. Therefore, the IMEI referred to by the Mossos d’Esquadra refers to the car’s modem but they would not be able to access it if the car did not have … Read more

When do they have to notify the police?

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There are people who talk to ChatGPT as if it were your friendhis psychologist and even your partner. OpenAI has faced numerous criticism for the risks it poses to mental healthespecially in cases that have led to in psychosis and even suicides. Now, they face an even more serious problem: there are people using ChatGPT to plan murders and OpenAI’s responsibility in all this is beginning to be questioned. The Florida University shooting. He April 17, 2025, Phoenix Ikner, a student at the University of Florida, He shot dead two people and wounded seven more. They count in the Wall Street Journal that, four minutes before the attack, Ikner asked ChatGPT how many teammates he had to kill to become famous. The chatbot responded that “normally 3 or more deaths, 5 or 6 victims in total, makes it reach the national media.” He also uploaded an image of the Glock pistol with which he committed the attack and asked him if it had any type of safety that he had to deactivate. “If there’s a bullet in the chamber and you pull the trigger? It will fire,” ChatGPT responded. He hasn’t been the only one. This is not the first time we know that a criminal turns to AI to plan an attack. It also happened in Tumbler Ridge shooting, Canadawhich has led to a class action lawsuit against OpenAI by victims’ families. And there is more: the author of the Foiled bomb attack at a hotel in Las Vegas In 2025 he had also turned to AI to plan his attack. The question that arises is obvious: When should they notify the authorities? What OpenAI says. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, an OpenAI spokesperson defends that the company collaborated with authorities by sharing Ikner’s conversations, that ChatGPT is not responsible for its actions and that they continue to improve their security measures. Among these measures, he says that they are strengthening the evaluation of possible violent actions and have a team of security experts who alert when messages pose a credible risk. However, according to internal company sources, the internal debate focuses on where the line should be drawn between user privacy and security. OpenAI was able to stop it. This is what the families of the victims of the Tumbler Ridge shooting denounce. OpenAI’s system identified problematic messages eight months before the shooting and the case was reviewed by company employees. Some employees were in favor of alerting the authorities because they thought the messages could lead to real violence, but after internal discussion it was decided to suspend the account without giving notice. In the case of the Florida shooter, the messages we have described were sent minutes before the attack, but they were not the only ones. OpenAI shared the history with authorities, who discovered that he was sharing suicidal thoughts with the chatbot the night before. Authorities are investigating the role the chatbot played in carrying out the attack since, according to the Florida attorney general, “If it were a person on the other side of the screen, we would charge them with murder.” lto IA as a confessional. What we used to consult with Google searches, we now ask AI. However, with Google we do much more concrete and impersonal searches, while a chatbot makes the interaction much deeper, more intimate. AI has become our confidant and companion; one we ask love advice and emotional support. As it becomes integrated into our lives, it was a matter of time before cases like these also arose. Image | Xataka In Xataka | Solving the great mystery of serial killers: why they disappeared from the 80s onwards without a trace

from manufacturing cars to 1,000 police robots that are, really, a seed of the future

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Today has been a completely different day from the others. Because frankly, the last thing I expected to see at a car show was a nearly three-hour presentation on a humanoid police robotbut here we are. The robot, however, is the least important thing, as we will see later. The clues that the robot would play a leading role were there, to be honest. After all, this same humanoid robot was on display at the Chery stand during the Beijing Motor Showbut of course, from seeing a robot displayed on a stand to understanding its purpose there is one step. Anyway, let’s go in parts. Just a few days ago, on April 17, Chery Group announced an agreement with AiMOGA Robotics to turn robotics into its new avenue for growth. The idea is simple: AiMOGA puts the expertise in robotics and Chery puts the manufacturing capacity, its experience with cars and the savoir faire in the international arena. The AiMOGA robot in the Chery showroom | Image: Xataka In April of last year, AiMOGA managed to ship the first 220 robots to more than 30 countries. These robots have their own name, by the way: Mornine M1. Today we have witnessed the signing of a commitment by different Chinese cities to deploy 1,000, which says a lot about how clear the government (which was present) is that there is a new field to dominate here. These robots are, let’s say, oriented to specific scenarios. Mornine is not a robot designed to make us a French omelet on a Tuesday night, but to control traffic, help with health care, etc. For now, at least. Detail of Mornine’s face | Image: Xataka The robot from behind | Image: Xataka If anyone is interested, they can buy their own Morine M1 robot at JD, the Chinese Amazon. Its price is 285,800 yuan, around 40,000 euros. If that seems like a lot of money to you, another option is his companion, the Argos robotic dog, which costs 15,800 yuan (around 2,000 euros at the exchange rate). Image | Xataka What is the robot like? It is a humanoid that is found at the most extreme point of the uncanny valley. The robot, feminine in appearance, is 1.67 cm tall, weighs 70 kilos, is capable of walking at one meter per second, pivoting 40 degrees and carrying up to 1.5 kilos of weight. It talks, sees (LiDAR, cameras and ultrasonic radar), moves its arms and has a goal: work. Mornine, as I said, has been developed with specific scenarios in mind. The most obvious is that of assistant and we have the clearest proof of it in the train stations and shopping centers of Wuhu, where it is already officially present. Today Chery has gone a step further, signing a commitment with several Chinese cities to deploy 1,000 robots on the roads. Robots dressed as police | Image: Xataka Because yes, Mornine is going to work as a traffic officer. As explained by Chery, Mornine will be able to detect violations, apply and explain the lawmanage vehicle flows, interact with drivers, etc. In fact, in a presentation they have suggested that it could be integrated with government systems to, for example, record violations as soon as they are detected. On paper and in the sample videos it sounds great, but honestly, I would like to see this robot in the middle of one of the main arteries of Beijing talking and interacting with the helmetless motorcyclists, the drivers who cross paths and the general chaos that prevails on Chinese roads. Beyond warning, the robot has no punitive capacity (or does not seem to have it), so it will be necessary to see if its practical application goes beyond the anecdotal. Ah, the irony | Image: Xataka In any case, there is something poetic about seeing human police officers stand next to these robots, which are dressed alike and mounted on a mobile base. Chery maintains that they seek to offer an alternative to professions for which there are no candidates, such as the aforementioned traffic agents, but what I see is different. It’s a robot taking a first step that, in 20 or 30 years, we will remember as the germ of something bigger. Because in this robot, whose movements are orthopedic and depend on a human operator to control them, I see something else. I see a China preparing for the future. I see a country that already anticipated the electric car and is now doing so with robotics. It also plays, yes | Image: Xataka A country with 5,000 years of history has all the patience in the world. Domestic robots will not reach society today, tomorrow or the next day. They probably won’t do it in this decade, but they will. Sooner or later, and being aware that this is a very techno-optimistic thought, domestic robotics will be a reality, and when it is, While the rest of the world takes its first steps, China will already know how to run. Literally. Xpeng is another local brand that has made its first steps in robotics, like Unitree or AgiBot. Tesla, with his Optimus, too. In fact, Chery has put Elon Musk and his goals with Optimus as an example to follow and beat. Hyundai, Honda have robotics projects. But China has something that the others don’t: total and absolute control of the supply chain. China is winning the electric car racethat is no secret, and it is sowing the seeds of victory for robotics. Today they are crude, somewhat clumsy designs, but a country that was able to invest 2,000 years and several dynasties in building a wall is in no hurry. They have all the time in the world to improve their robots, and not only that, but they are fast at iterating. Image | Xataka They are very patient, but they also react in the moment. They are slow and fast at the same time. That is something that … Read more

The Hong Kong police may ask you for your mobile and computer passwords: refusing can cost you prison

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Traveling with your cell phone in your pocket and your laptop in your backpack is part of the routine of many travelers. In places like Hong Kong, however, that normality has just taken on a different nuance. Recently, refusing to comply with a police request to facilitate access to these devices in certain investigations is no longer just an uncomfortable decision, but can lead to criminal consequences. What could previously be interpreted as a privacy issue now falls squarely within the scope of the law. The change. The Hong Kong Government amended on March 23, 2026 the application rules linked to the national security lawintroducing new powers for security forces in this type of investigation. According to the Consulate General of the United States in the cityfrom then on refusing to provide passwords or decryption assistance may constitute a criminal offense. The obligation is not limited to delivering a code, but includes decryption methods and the assistance necessary to access the information contained on mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices in investigations related to national security. Scope of measurement. This is not an issue reserved for residents of US origin or especially exposed profiles. The change affects anyone in the city, including foreign citizens, as well as those arriving at or simply transiting through the international airport. At the same time, the information collected by Euronews specifies that the measure operates in investigations connected to the national security law and that it affects not only the owner of the device, but also anyone who controls it, is authorized to access it or knows the keys necessary to unlock it. Legal consequences. Refusal to collaborate does not remain an administrative clash, but can lead to specific criminal sanctions. Refusing to provide passwords or required assistance can lead to up to one year in prison and a fine of up to HK$100,000 (about €11,000). The scenario becomes even tougher if the person provides false or misleading information, since in that case the penalties can reach up to three years in prison and fines of up to 500,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 55,000 euros). Beyond the password. The scope of the reform is not limited to specific access to a device. Authorities now have greater ability to seize and retain mobile phones, computers or other personal equipment as evidence if they allege they are linked to national security crimes. Added to this is another relevant element collected by the aforementioned medium: the obligation to collaborate can be imposed even when there is a duty of confidentiality or other restrictions on the disclosure of information, as in the case of journalists, doctors or lawyers. Context. Hong Kong authorities maintain that these tools are necessary to prevent, suppress and punish activities that put national security at risk, and defend that the rules respect the Basic Law and human rights protections. Faced with that position, Reuters picks up criticism from jurist Urania Chiuresearcher and law professor in the United Kingdom, who considers it disproportionate to grant such broad powers to security forces without judicial authorization. That is where this reform stops being a simple procedural change and begins to reopen the debate on privacy, communications and freedoms. Images | Jiachen Lin | Nick Low In Xataka | A woman spent six months in prison because an AI made a mistake. The terrible thing is that no one checked it

Catching an offender on a scooter on foot is impossible. So the Valencia police are going to chase them on scooters

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Yes, electric scooter users have to respect traffic rules. In fact, in recent years specific regulations have been created for them. But there is a problem: “catching” an offender on a scooter is almost impossible. And that is why in Valencia they have gotten to work creating a new unit. One who rides a scooter. on scooter. “We are convinced that this unit is going to be a success and will be a benchmark. There are already town councils from all over Spain that have asked us and want to know how it works,” The words are from María José Catalámayor of Valencia, at the presentation of the city’s new municipal police unit. The objective will be to ensure that users of scooters and other personal mobility vehicles circulate in compliance with traffic regulations on the city’s bike lanes. Their powers range from fining those who circulate incorrectly to those who do so with tricked out scooters or under the influence of alcohol. The scooter in Valencia. The information presented by the Valencia City Council specifies that the city has 200 kilometers of bicycle lanes and that between 2019 and 2023 the use of this means of transport skyrocketed, growing by 186% in those years. Creating a specific group with 12 officers to control traffic while patrolling on scooters is the latest decision by a city that is trying to bring non-compliant users into line. In 2024 they already presented their own machine to control which scooters complied or did not comply with the regulations in a kind of mobile MOT. According to data from the City Council collected by elDiario.esaccidents involving scooters have skyrocketed. In 2019, 346 incidents were recorded where they were present but in 2025 they will already reach 1,192. That is, at least three incidents daily throughout the year. Escapism. The press release that the Valencia City Council has published to confirm this information makes it clear what one of the problems they are facing in the city is: The use of the VMP allows a patrol integrated into the urban mobility network, with greater capacity for direct observation and precise detection of infractions such as inappropriate speed, improper circulation or dangerous maneuvers. Its small size and great maneuverability facilitate rapid approach to conflict points and inspection of the state of the lane, signage and safety elements. In interventions with offending users, VMPs offer the necessary agility to safely reach and detain those who try to evade police action. This unit efficiently and sustainably reinforces the police presence in spaces where traditional citizen security vehicles show operational limitations. And the agility and speed with which an electric scooter moves makes it very difficult for an agent to stop it unless, at that very moment, it is riding a bicycle. Even by car, a patrol can have problems if, for example, an offender steps onto a sidewalk or travels on a segregated bike lane. good money. It must be taken into account that, although you do not need a driving license of any kind as is the case with a bicycle, using an electric scooter requires compliance with basic traffic rules. For example: The user must wear a helmet Only one person can circulate per scooter Driving on sidewalks and pedestrian crossings is prohibited. Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is prohibited Mobile phone use prohibited It is prohibited to wear headphones It must be taken into account that some of the above infractions are classified as serious or very serious within the Traffic Law and, therefore, a user who drives under the influence of alcohol cannot have points removed from his or her driving license but can be fined 500 euros. More watched. In recent years we have seen how electric scooter users are beginning to be more vigilant. It must be taken into account that we are talking about a device that, almost by default, can circulate at a maximum speed of 25 km/h, which is obliged to move on asphalt and bike lanes but which on many occasions we find them on the sidewalk. This has led the DGT to create a record of all scooters soldwith a type of license plate that must be present on the chassis of the vehicle to demonstrate that it complies with the legal technical characteristics. In addition, users will have to have civil liability insurance for their use. Photo | Valencia City Council In Xataka | Arrested for driving an electric scooter capable of going 111 km/h: more than four times the permitted speed

that short people cannot be police officers

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For much of the 20th century, height requirements in Spanish police forces were inherited from models designed for parades, controlling public order on horseback, and an intimidating physical image as a symbol of authority. Those scales were set at a time when police work was much less technical and professionalized than today, and they were barely revised for decades. Requirements of the past. Yes, they were times when the police forces in Spain and in much of Europe dragged access criteria born in a context very different from the current one, when authority was associated with presence and police models drew directly from military structures of the 20th century. The minimum height was then consolidated as an automatic filter that was barely revised over time, even when the police function evolved towards increasingly technical, legal and citizen-friendly tasks. Starting in the 1990s and, above all, in the last two decades, this requirement began to be questioned in courts, parliaments and administrative reforms due to its discriminatory nature and its poor relationship with the actual performance of police work, which led to its progressive elimination in many European countries and, more recently, in Spanish state bodies. Andalusia now reaches that turning point after many years of delay. End of a legacy filter. Thus, as of February 22, Andalusia will leave behind one of the most discussed requirements for access to the Local Police: the minimum height. The new decree that regulates entry, promotion, mobility and training eliminates a physical bar that for decades excluded fully qualified applicants, aligning the Andalusian local police with European practice and with other State bodies that had already abandoned that criterion. The decision is based on a clear premise: prioritizing talent, preparation and vocation over a fixed body condition that says little about the actual performance of police work. Real equality. The standard is not limited to deleting a requirement, but rather introduces conciliation measures for applicants in a maternity situation, avoiding disadvantages during the selection process and reinforcing the principle of equal opportunities. The message it’s explicit: access must evaluate capabilities and merits, not penalize personal circumstances or perpetuate barriers that are not directly related to the police function. The reinforced model. The decree redefines initial training and places it under the leadership of the Institute of Emergencies and Public Security of Andalusia, together with accredited municipal schools and the possibility of approving courses from other entities. The entry course is strictly linked to the training phase, with a minimum charge of 650 hourswhile staff internships are separated and developed under municipal supervision. In addition, the way is opened for trainee personnel to carry regulatory weapons, once again equating them to other state bodies. Unified calls. Plus: one of the keys to change is the possibility of unified callsthrough an agreement with the city councils, to centralize and streamline selective processes. The grading system “is reorganized into modules that require balanced excellence, age groups are eliminated in physical tests and an agility circuit is incorporated, already present in other models.” The syllabi are updated and the psychotechnics are divided into two phases, one during the opposition and another in the admission course, with professional endorsement. That the short ones can too. On the whole, the reform corrects a grievance that had gone on for too long: preventing access by a question of height when the profession requires judgment, preparation, endurance and commitment to public service. With this decree, Andalusia not only modernizes its Local Police, but also sends a symbolic and practical signal to thousands of applicants: the uniform will no longer depend on how tall you are, but on what you know and how you are prepared to serve. Image | Preopol In Xataka | We have the most armored and encrypted DNI in our history. The problem is that we are using it wrong. In Xataka | We have the most armored and encrypted DNI in our history. The problem is that we are using it wrong.

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