If you want to understand how surveillance technology is shaping power, politics, and people’s lives around the world, watch the May 20 ‘How I Did It’ panel featuring the Associated Press team behind the series “Made in America, Watched Worldwide.” The series won the OPC’s 2026 Malcolm Forbes and Morton Frank Award and a Pulitzer Prize. The team share how they uncovered the global reach of surveillance systems: from Xinjiang to Gaza and even the United States itself. The discussion was moderated by Mary Rajkumar, AP’s global investigations editor and OPC governor.
Dake Kang walks through how the investigation began with firsthand reporting on Xinjiang and led to documents that exposed IBM’s role and the broader involvement of U.S. companies in China’s surveillance infrastructure.
Byron Tau and Garance Burke then explain how the team traced the same technologies into the U.S., including Border Patrol’s use of surveillance tools on immigrants and even U.S. citizens far from the border. They also describe the reporting methods behind the story: court records, policy documents, interviews, and technical verification.
One of the most interesting parts of the discussion is hearing how the team worked through the challenges of source protection, especially in sensitive environments like China, and how they used AI carefully as a reporting aid rather than a shortcut.
The panel also explores the bigger picture: how American companies, U.S. policy, and global surveillance markets are still evolving today, making this story not just about the past but about what is happening now.
If you care about investigative journalism, technology, human rights, or the future of surveillance, watch the panel below.