S.T.O.P. Condemns So. Cal. Police’s Launch Of ‘self-flying’ Drones

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns So. Cal. Police’s Launch Of ‘self-flying’ Drones   (NEW YORK, NY, 12/7/2020) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, condemns two Southern California police departments’ launch of “self-flying” drone surveillance. The statement comes after the New York Times reported Saturday that the Chula Vista and Redondo Beach police departments were using semi-autonomous drones to respond to 911 calls. These drones use artificial intelligence and computer vision to operate with minimal human oversight. SEE: N.Y. Times – Police Drones Are Starting to Think for Themselves https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/05/technology/police-drones.html “These self-flying drones are a terrifying expansion of the surveillance state,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “This is yet another step down a very slippery surveillance slope. By making it cheaper to surveil cities from the skies, we make it easier police to track communities of color without cause. While all police drones are a danger to civil rights, self-flying drones are a particularly potent threat. These drones allow police to put more cameras in the skies than ever before. Even worse, these systems rely on facial detection and other biometric technology that may be biased against communities of color.”   The civil rights group has championed legislation to ban police use of drones. One New York measure, S6435/A9931, would largely outlaw police drones across the state.   SEE: S6435/A9931 Bill text: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s6435 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 – Copyright © 2019 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.