privacy rights — Online Journal — Columbia Undergraduate Law Review

Surveillance Beyond Borders: How Courts Can Check the Power of AI Within the Immigration System

With the development of artificial intelligence (AI), what once was a technology of the obscure and distant future has now become part of our daily lives. From digital assistants and chatbots to social media platforms and search algorithms, AI has expanded into our reality. It has been implemented in fields ranging from healthcare and banking to analytics. Now, it is increasingly being implemented within the immigration system. Within the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), AI algorithms are used to analyze facial expressions, inspect fingerprints and faces, and survey remote border crossings. Its usage has transformed how countries like the United States are managing their inflow of migrants and asylum seekers. Yet, the quickness with which AI has been applied within the immigration system, both within the United States and internationally, dangerously threatens the privacy rights of citizens and non-citizens alike.

Ella HummelAugust 17, 2025immigration, artificial intelligence, human rights, privacy rights

New York University’s Data Breach Exposes The SHIELD Act and FERPA’s Illusion of Protection

On the morning of Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, New York University’s (NYU) homepage was compromised. Hackers cruised through the confidential admissions data for two hours, taking control of data from over three million applicants, all available at the touch of their fingertips. Amongst this data lay test scores, financial aid records, zip codes, and academic credentials, which the hackers worked to make accessible to the public. Students received a brief letter from NYU confirming that their personal data had been exposed, offering them a one-year subscription to an identity protection service. Further restitution was minimal, the explanations were insufficient, and the opportunity for redress was entirely obsolete.

Iqra WaheedAugust 17, 2025NYU data breach, SHIELD Act, FERPA, privacy rights