S.T.O.P. Report Shows Surveillance Firms’ Widespread Deceptive Advertising

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For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Report Shows Surveillance Firms’ Widespread Deceptive Advertising (New York, NY 5/6/24) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, released Selling Surveillance: Fact vs. Ad Fiction, a report detailing the deceptive advertising practices of leading American surveillance firms. Every year these largely unregulated entities sell billions of dollars worth of invasive surveillance technologies to consumers, companies, and the police, often marketing unproven or disproven technologies with outlandish claims. Almost none of the most popular surveillance tools sold in the United States are supported by peer-reviewed evidence that they are effective in preventing crime, despite frequent claims from vendors. The privacy watchdog renewed its calls on Federal Trade Commission and state regulators to take action to hold surveillance companies accountable for deceptive claims. SEE: S.T.O.P. Report - Selling Surveillance: Fact vs. Ad Fiction https://www.stopspying.org/selling-surveillance “The FTC wouldn’t let a car without seatbelts be advertised as safe, so it makes no sense that they don’t apply the same standards to surveillance tech,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Research Director Eleni Manis. “Spyware companies have almost free reign to sell exceedingly dumb weapon detectors as smart, biased facial recognition as accurate, and deadly stun guns as non-lethal. The FTC has the authority and infrastructure to stop this sales circus, and must step in to ensure cities stop wasting billions on surveillance tech that we know doesn’t work as advertised.” Key Findings Include: Almost none of the most popular surveillance tools sold in the United States are supported by peer-reviewed evidence that they are effective in preventing crime, despite frequent claims from vendors. Vendors make false, deceptive, and/or unsubstantiated claims to boost sales of everything from license plate readers to AI-based weapon detectors, facial recognition, “non-lethal” weapons, predictive policing software, and police robots. Rather than scrutinizing whether these products work, many police departments work with vendors to boost public support for these systems, repeating false, deceptive, or unsubstantiated claims. Ineffective systems frequently compound discrimination and increase policing of BIPOC communities. While some vendors already face scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission and other vendors, many of the most egregious vendors have avoided any accountability. Last month, S.T.O.P. condemned Mayor Eric Adams for proposing deployment of the scandal-plagued gun technology vendor Evolv in the New York City Subway. Evolv has faced growing scrutiny and litigation in recent months, including investigations from the Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and a New York student who claims he was injured by an attacker whose weapon went undetected by an Evolv scanner. SEE: Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns Adams For Proposing Scandal-Plagued Gun Tech Vendor In Subway https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2024/3/28/stop-condemns-adams-for-proposing-scandal-plagued-gun-tech-vendor-in-subway City & State - Company behind gun detection tech previewed in subway faces multiple lawsuits and federal investigations https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2024/04/company-behind-gun-detection-tech-previewed-subway-faces-multiple-lawsuits-and-federal-investigations/395394/ The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. --END-- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. Copyright © 2021 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved.