Primer on Bitcoin, NFTs and the ‘Blockchain Revolution’

Over 14 years ago in 2008, an anonymous computer programmer(s) writing under the presumed alias of “Satoshi Nakamoto” developed a groundbreaking new form of digitized currency known as “Bitcoin.” This new currency uses electronic cryptography to generate random numbers, which represent the currency in digital…

Despite Widespread Mistrust, Minneapolis PD to Fly Surveillance Drones

Minneapolis, MN – The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) “has decided to use drones,” explained a representative of the Department at a Public Health and Safety Committee hearing on August 10th. This decision was sprung on Minneapolitans and their representatives at City Council without notice nor…

Website Business Named for George Floyd Spurs Controversy

Minneapolis, MN – Twitter was on fire this past weekend after digging into the background of Suzanne Medes, the owner of the website GeorgeFloyd.com. Twin Cities activists first flagged Medes for queerphobic comments, accused her of attempting to profit from George Floyd’s death, and more. …

Target Supremacy: What You Should Know About the 2013 Security Breach

Since Target Corporation’s massive hack in 2013, some significant information has come to light, like the fact that Target was extracting extremely sensitive information from millions of its own customers before it was compromised. Additionally, Target has invested heavily in mass surveillance technologies and policing,…

Activists Target Target’s Cop Collaboration

Minneapolis, MN – Following the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin, activists began blowing the whistle on Target Corporation’s unprecedented partnership with police, laying blame with the retail giant for Floyd’s death after years of funding racialized surveillance and draconian law enforcement. 

“George Floyd…

Aerial Surveillance in Twin Cities Frustrates, Alarms Residents

When protests broke out several weeks ago in a Minneapolis, Minnesota suburb over the police killing of Daunte Wright, tensions were already high thanks to the trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer found guilty of murdering George Floyd. State and local authorities were ready…

Minneapolis’ Downtown Dark Alliance

Minneapolis, MN – Multinational retail giant Target Corporation has weaponized its public-private partnerships with nonprofits, law enforcement, the offices of the Hennepin County prosecutor and the Minneapolis city attorney to criminalize and incarcerate the lowest level offenders in downtown. This policy targeted predominantly Black homeless…

Minneapolis Faces Facial Recognition

Minneapolis, MN – The new ordinance approved by Minneapolis City Council on February 12, limiting government use of facial recognition technology (FRT), does virtually nothing to protect people from law enforcement who are entrenched with corporations like Target, activists said.* Without including private entities in…

Exclusive: State Patrol Spy Plane Over Protest (Video)

Saint Paul, MN – Footage obtained by Unicorn Riot provides a never-before-seen view of the powerful surveillance capabilities police spy planes possess. Nearly two full hours of video was released by the Minnesota State Patrol following public records requests for footage and data collected by…

image: ten-second long exposure shot of the night sky facing North, in the northern hemisphere at midsummer. Both the dust tail as well as the ion gas tail of comet NEOWISE are visible, pointing upwards perpendicular to the horizon.

New Comet Visible Across Northern Skies

Stillwater, MN – Comet NEOWISE has been appearing to stargazers on planet Earth over the past several weeks. It was discovered in March ~300 million kilometers away from the Sun, closer than the asteroid belt, though its orbit is tilted slightly from that of the…

Locating Missing Persons Using Open-Source Intelligence at DEFCON 27

Las Vegas, NV – At DEFCON 27 in Las Vegas, Unicorn Riot spoke with the organizers of an event where participants were asked to find information on real missing people in a competition called Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Missing Persons Capture The Flag (CTF).

Many people…

Hacking LIDAR: Changing What Autonomous Vehicles See

Las Vegas, NV – In the near future, automobile manufacturers are expected to begin rolling out autonomous driving vehicles that use Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) lasers to see objects, roads, and people.

These driver-less vehicles will soon be cruising down every major city street,…

FBI Considered Espionage Act Charges Against WikiLeaks Over Declassified Files

In late 2011 and early 2012, the FBI considered Espionage Act charges on an alleged “WikiLeaks breach” in which “classified information may have been downloaded” according to a newly released document under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The FBI “discovered”  that this “may…

OmniaTV, Grassroots Independent Media in Greece

Athens, Greece – Operating voluntarily and organized horizontally, the grassroots independent media collective OmniaTV, has functioned out of necessity since 2011. Striving to bring out truths misrepresented in Greek media and covering under-reported stories, OmniaTV stands out as a viable alternative non-profit media source as…

Gab Woes Continue: Subpoena from Pennsylvania Attorney General

Harrisburg, PA – The controversial social network Gab, closely linked with white supremacist and fascist organizers since its launch, has drawn public scrutiny and had hosting difficulties since Robert Bowers, a prolific Gab user, shot and killed 11 people worshipping at a Jewish synagogue in…