Copgadget company Axon offers an AI service that transcribes bodycam audio and turns it into an automatic police report, which officers can edit and sign off on. There are two big problems with it: first, it doesn’t show who wrote what, and second, it doesn’t keep a version/edit history. An Axon executive admitted this is by design, to help police with their “disclosure headaches.” The EFF raises the alarm about Draft One’s killer feature: avoiding transparency.

“So we don’t store the original draft and that’s by design and that’s really because the last thing we want to do is create more disclosure headaches for our customers and our attorney’s offices—so basically the officer generates that draft, they make their edits, if they submit it into our Axon records system then that’s the only place we store it, if they copy and paste it into their third-party RMS [records management system] system as soon as they’re done with that and close their browser tab, it’s gone. It’s actually never stored in the cloud at all so you don’t have to worry about extra copies floating around.”

To reiterate: Axon deliberately does not store the original draft written by the Gen AI, because “the last thing” they want is for cops to have to provide that data to anyone (say, a judge, defense attorney or civil liberties non-profit). 

One of Axon’s first customers was Frederick Police Department in Colorado. Here’s what Krisy O’ Hayre, Executive Administrator at Frederick Police Department, had to say about it: “We love having new toys until the public gets wind of them.”

As the EFF puts it: “There is no meaningful way to audit Draft One usage, whether you’re a police chief or an independent researcher, because Axon designed it that way. “

You can read our full report, which details what we found in those documents, how we filed those public records requests, and how you can file your own, here. 

Previously:
• Axon makes false statements to town that bought its police bodycams, threatens to tase their credit-rating if they cancel the contract
• Juvenile criminal defense attorneys forced to agree to Taser’s terms of service to see the state’s evidence
• TJ Maxx and Marshalls workers wearing bodycams

As crypto adoption continues to accelerate globally, Kraken is evolving to better serve our loyal clients and future investors. We recently revamped the Kraken app into an intuitive, streamlined wealth-building platform. Now, we’re leveling up even further by launching Kraken+. Our new, powerful opt-in subscription powers up your investing experience to maximize your returns.

Kraken+: A smarter way to trade

Kraken is (and will always be) free to download and use. But we know most investors seek every advantage to maximize their investment strategy while navigating crypto. That’s where Kraken+ comes in, delivering unmatched trading benefits at an affordable price point. 

Available to Kraken clients worldwide – and for the price of a single cup of coffee (just $4.99 per month)¹ – Kraken+ unlocks premium perks, such as:

• Trade up to $10,000 per month without incurring trading fees for instant transactions on the consumer app (instant buy, sell, convert, custom order or recurring buy)
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Kraken+ is perfect for both dedicated traders and casual investors who want to simplify trading and maximize their returns. We’re offering a 30 day free trial of Kraken+ to let everyone explore this new offering for themselves^.3

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We’re redefining our rewards program today to help clients maximize effortless earnings. At the core of this rewards experience is Global Dollar (USDG), a token developed for Ethereum and Solana blockchains and issued by Paxos, in partnership with Kraken, Robinhood and Anchorage.

Unlike other stablecoins, USDG is fully backed by cash and cash equivalents in segregated accounts which are audited monthly. Paxos is also regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, one of the world’s top financial authorities.

Increase your earnings with free USD-to-USDG conversions

Simply by holding USDG in Kraken accounts, Kraken+ subscribers earn up to 4% APR on USDG balances automatically. This compares to non-subscribing Kraken clients who earn 2% APR. No extra steps; Kraken+ automatically provides boosted weekly payouts with no lockup periods.

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The no-hassle, bank-to-Bitcoin solution 

We’re also breaking down small but significant barriers to simplify investing, ensuring we’re consistently bringing value to our clients and saving them time. 

U.S. clients can now set recurring orders directly from their bank account, enabling them to automatically dollar-cost average (DCA) into their favorite assets without manually funding their accounts or to transact at all. Better yet, clients can seamlessly DCA from their bank account without incurring deposit or processing fees.  

We’re exploring how to expand this feature globally so everyone can steadily grow their portfolio over time and enjoy a simplified investing experience. 

Welcome to Kraken+, there’s more to come!

We’re just getting started, and we’re committed to ensuring our clients can invest their way – anytime, anywhere, however they prefer. 

Stay tuned for even more powerful product features, integrations and updates in the weeks ahead. 

Kraken+ is an automatically renewing subscription requiring recurring payments. Cancel at any time by going to your IOS/Google settings. Price is inclusive of applicable taxes (i.e., VAT) where required. In other regions, the price shown does not include taxes, which will be added at the time of purchase where applicable. Subscription benefits vary by region and may be modified by Kraken at any time upon notice. Zero-fee trading is subject to monthly trading-volume limits, which can be viewed in your account settings. Spread and payment processing fees still apply. Excludes Kraken Pro. See our Terms of Service for more info.

¹ Or local currency equivalent, based on location and app store.

² Boosted USDG Rewards, including the Rewards rate, is determined and paid out by Kraken in its sole discretion, is subject to change and is not available in all regions. See our Terms of Service for more info. Due to its partnership with Global Dollar Network, Kraken receives an economic benefit with respect to amounts of USDG minted, held on platform and received in onchain transfers.

³ Only one free trial available per user After the free trial, your subscription will renew automatically at $4.99/month unless canceled.