Byron Tau

I'm an investigative reporter for the AP. I am currently writing about DOGE and what it is doing with its vast access to federal computer systems and databases. If you are a current or former federal employee or contractor with insight, I am best reached on Signal at byrontau.01, or btau@ap.org or byron.tau@protonmail.com.

#introduction

Hello, I'm Byron. I'm a Wall Street Journal reporter based in Washington. I write about: law and courts, national security, law enforcement, technology and cybersecurity — and often the ways in which those topics interact and intersect.

I'm also writing a book on commercial data and national security. Pub date TBD.

Outside of work, I'm an avid reader. I'm interested in urbanism and cities. I'm an aggressively amateur chess and poker player. And I like to run, hike and cycle.

Two Texas counties have purchased a technology that tracks people through their Bluetooth and WiFi signals. It can track you through your wireless earbuds or the infotainment system in your car. The product is called Trafficatch and it's integrated into license plate reader systems sold by Jenoptik. But it mirrors the kind of classified signal collection system that militaries and intelligence agencies once used abroad.
https://www.notus.org/technology/war-zone-surveillance-border-us

Proud to announce my book "Means of Control" will be on sale 2.27.2024. It explores the growing phenomenon of governments buying bulk corporate data for surveillance — and growing threat this poses to our civil liberties and privacy. Pre-order here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/706321/means-of-control-by-byron-tau/

Just got the proofs for my book! After years of working on it in Scrivener, Word, and PDF, it's a somewhat surreal experience to finally hold it in my hands. March 5, 2024 feels like it's far off, but if you're interested, you can now preorder it here: http://bit.ly/preordertaubook

Frontiers of 4th Amendment law: Michigan will decide if a small town can warrantless use a drone to surveil private property from the air. Expect more of these cases. https://www.404media.co/town-surveilled-mans-yard-without-a-warrant/

@masto@masto.masto.com @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social It's not that the sign up process is arduous — it's more that even trying to identify a server that fits for you and what you want to do and is admitting members takes a lot of time. I am still not sure I choose right.

@xavier34@mastodon.social Thank you so much for buying it — I hope you enjoy the rest!