The governors of Texas and Florida have taken steps to curtail the use of license-plate readers, even as the police say they help with solving crime.

© Desiree Rios for The New York Times

A Florida man was charged over the vandalism of a decoy version of the automated license plate readers, the authorities said.

© Brian Snyder/Reuters

Samuel Tunick, who faces a felony charge for deleting his phone’s data during an airport customs search, called the government’s peering into people’s private lives “creepy.”

© Samuel Tunick

Azad, a popular online debate program, has tackled topics that push the limits of Iran’s authoritarian system. Some question how it has remained on air.