S.T.O.P. Condemns NY Public Library’s Face Surveillance, Thermal Imaging

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns NY Public Library’s Face Surveillance, Thermal Imaging   (NEW YORK, NY, 12/15/2020) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, condemns the New York Public Library’s (NYPL’s) installation of face surveillance and thermal imaging technology. The statement came as part of a public letter to NYPL President Anthony W. Marx, raising questions about the privacy impact and potential bias of thermal imaging kiosks at the Harry Belafonte 115th Street Library.   SEE: Text of Letter https://www.stopspying.org/nypl-letter     “Face surveillance is alarming in the hands of the NYPD, let alone the NYPL,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “At their best, our libraries are inclusive spaces for all New Yorkers, but this sort of tracking runs completely counter to that mission. Pseudo-scientific surveillance like thermal imaging kiosks does nothing to keep New Yorkers safe from COVID-19. But this flawed technology can automate bias, just as with facial recognition and other biometric technology.”   The letter noted that thermal imaging kiosks that rely on face detection software can be biased against New Yorkers of color. Commercially available facial detection software is frequently more error-prone for people of color, women, non-binary individuals, and those over 65.   SEE: Washington Post – The Technology 202: Tech to contain coronavirus on college campuses sparks fresh privacy concerns https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-technology-202/2020/07/10/the-technology-202-tech-to-contain-coronavirus-on-college-campuses-spark-fresh-privacy-concerns/5f077b4a88e0fa7b44f716e8/   Daily Dot - Why facial recognition thermometers are raising privacy concerns during the pandemic https://www.dailydot.com/debug/facial-recognition-thermometers/   Cahn continued, “For decades, librarians have been some of our nation’s most vocal privacy advocates. NYPL staff have stood up to government censorship, opposed invasive surveillance laws, and spoken out in defense of the indispensable role of free inquiry in a democratic society. We ask you to reevaluate thermal imaging kiosks in light of your commitment to these values and to block any similarly invasive or biased surveillance in the future.”   The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider hosted by the Urban Justice Center. 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 –