S.T.O.P. Welcomes NYC Public Safety Reform, Demands Passage Of Facial Recognition Ban.

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Welcomes NYC Public Safety Reform, Demands Passage Of Facial Recognition Ban   (NEW YORK, N.Y., 1/12/2021) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, welcomes the New York City Council’s introduction of significant public safety reforms. The proposed legislation includes eleven bills and one non-binding resolution, and if passed they would the NYPD Commissioner’s authority over officer discipline, eliminate qualified immunity for officers, end NYPD control of press credentials, and implement numerous other reforms. But S.T.O.P. also reiterated its call for the immediate introduction of a ban on New York City’s governmental use of facial recognition. SEE: City Council Unveils Legislative Plans to Redefine Public Safety and Strengthen Police Accountability https://council.nyc.gov/press/2021/01/29/2061/   “We’re glad to see the City Council moving forward with these long-overdue reforms,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “These measures are crucial to rolling back the NYPD’s abusive and deadly misconduct, but they’re not enough. We’ve known for years that qualified immunity and the NYPD Commissioner’s control over discipline give officers a green light to commit violence. These changes are life-saving. But we can’t wait decades longer to outlaw the new policing tools that are putting New Yorkers at risk, especially facial recognition.”   On Tuesday, the civil rights group joined with Amnesty International, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, AI For The People, The New York Civil Liberties Union, and other to launch a global facial recognition campaign: Ban the Scan. The new campaign supports local facial recognition legislation in New York and other cities, helping activists outlaw government use of facial recognition. The campaign also supports passage of Senate Bill S79, which would outlaw law enforcement facial recognition in New York State.   SEE: The Guardian – Human rights group urges New York to ban police use of facial recognition https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/25/new-york-facial-recognition-technology-police   The Verge – Amnesty International calls for a ban on facial recognition in New York City https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/25/22248849/new-york-city-facial-recognition-ban-amnesty-international-nypd   Cahn continued, “we’re grateful to state law makers for tackling the threat of facial recognition, but City officials also need to address the threat. New Yorkers are being scanned, tracked, and put at risk of wrongful arrest every day by facial recognition, and the Council’s silence has gone on too long.” 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.