Police requests for Google data that pinpoints anyone near the scene of a crime increased by more than 500% last year — Around 5 p.m. on May 20, 2019, a teller at the Call Federal Credit Union in Chesterfield, Virginia, got ready to help her next customer. He gave her a handwritten note: “I’ve been watching you for sometime now. I got your family as hostage and I know where you live,”…

Machine learning technology is opening up new strategies to find and prosecute the men who profit from the worst of the illegal sex trade — “Hey there. You available?” “Yes I am… how long did you want company for?” “Was hoping for an hour, maybe half. Depends.” “Half. 125 hour. 200 donation.” “Gotcha. Can you stay for half hour then?” “You’re not a cop or affiliated with any law enforcement, right?”