S.T.O.P. Report Highlights Risk From Artificial Intelligence Surveillance In NY Prisons

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Report Highlights Risk From Artificial Intelligence Surveillance In NY Prisons Warns that the invasive use of artificial intelligence to monitor inmates’ phone calls may automate racial profiling. (NEW YORK, NY, 09/15/2020) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, released its whitepaper Listening Beyond the Bars, detailing the risks posed by the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s (DOCCS) use of artificial intelligence surveillance in New York State prisons. The report highlights the state’s purchase of A.I. analytics software from Securus Technologies’, which uses voice recognition and speech analytics tools that are invasive, error-prone, and potentially biased. SEE: Report - Listening Beyond the Bars www.stopspying.org/listening-beyond-the-bars WNYC - New Report Details A.I. Surveillance of NY Prisoners https://youtu.be/WggzUecGtyc “This software isn’t just a threat to prisoners, but to their friends, family, children, and communities,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “This is just the latest example of New York investing in wasteful and invasive surveillance instead of evidence-based safety measures. Any person who speaks to an inmate is at risk of falling into this dystopian surveillance web, having every syllable of our conversation analyzed to predict if we pose a risk of committing a crime in the future. This Minority Report style policing is not just unconstitutional, but it may suffer from the same sorts of bias as facial recognition and other biometric tracking tools.” The report warns that DOCCS’s audio surveillance of inmates, former inmates, pretrial detainees, and bystanders constituted an unconstitutional invasion of privacy. The report also flagged potential security flaws in Securus’s platform, leaving New Yorkers’ information vulnerable to hackers. 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 – CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn; 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.