S.T.O.P. Launches 2021 NYC Surveillance Census, Identifies 16k Cameras

View this email in your browser For Immediate Release   S.T.O.P. Launches 2021 NYC Surveillance Census, Identifies 16k Cameras (New York, NY 12/20/21) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, launches its 2021 New York City Camera Census, identifying the location of 16,692 internet-enabled Hikvision cameras in the five boroughs. Many companies hide the location of their surveillance equipment, but Hikvision allows their devices to be tracked using the internet search tool Shodan. SEE: S.T.O.P. Report - 2021 NYC Hikvision Camera Census https://www.stopspying.org/2021-hikvision Interactive Hikvision Reporting Map https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=12-p7Al4lR9Ltff85tN--7-y60pUNJnou Shodan Search Engine https://www.shodan.io/ "Hikvision cameras are deployed all over New York City under the guise of 'security,' but what they really do is harm New Yorkers' privacy while also stifling our freedoms of assembly and speech," said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Technology Director Jackie Singh. "Many more cameras exist than can be observed with the naked eye. These were identified by looking at New York City's computer networks. While this map is shocking, the real scandal is that we only covered one brand of surveillance cameras across New York City. The true number is exponentially higher." “Our city is saturated with surveillance, and it puts us all at risk,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “Combined with facial recognition, these cameras are able to track our every movement, putting BIPOC New Yorkers at risk of wrongful arrest because of racist algorithms. While we can only map out one brand of camera, it tells us a lot about the biased patterns in how surveillance is used in New York.” Since Shodan can only locate Hikvision cameras, there are likely dozens or hundreds of additional cameras for each one that is mapped. The census found that Brooklyn had the highest number of cameras installed, with a total of 16,154 devices, while Staten Island had the least with 1,411 cameras. According to the report, the most surveilled zip codes in New York are: 10020 – 1,972 CAMERAS Rockefeller Center, Manhattan 11229 - 398 CAMERAS Sheepshead Bay / Marine Park, Brooklyn 10312- 306 CAMERAS South Shore, Staten Island 11230 - 305 CAMERAS Midwood, Brooklyn 11226 - 305 CAMERAS Flatbush / Prospect Park South, Brooklyn Alarmingly, all of the Hikvision cameras that the report identified could be used in conjunction with facial recognition software. Earlier this year, the New York civil rights group joined Amnesty International in launching a global facial recognition campaign: Ban the Scan. Earlier this year, Amnesty International also mapped 15,000 additional NYPD cameras using Google Street View. 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 Amnesty International - Surveillance city: NYPD can use more than 15,000 cameras to track people using facial recognition in Manhattan, Bronx and Brooklyn https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/06/scale-new-york-police-facial-recognition-revealed/ 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. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.