Surveillance Was Never Going to Protect the Capitol

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Friend, Today is the anniversary of one of the darkest days in the history of American democracy, when rampaging insurrectionists attacked our Capitol. In the year after, we’ve seen growing calls to expand invasive surveillance tech like facial recognition and license plate readers. We’ve always known these tactics would never work, only rewarding the police who lacked the willpower to find these perpetrators. But now we have the data to prove it. This morning, S.T.O.P. released a review of the guilty pleas stemming from the insurrection, finding the vast majority were identified through tips from the public and other low-tech methods. Out of 146 guilty pleas, only 3 were found using facial recognition. Meanwhile, federal agencies have used facial recognition far more brazenly in targeting Black Lives Matter protesters. The U.S. has a long history of repressing activists and communities of color while granting leniency toward white right-wing extremists, and the limited consequences for January 6th reflect this racist legacy. We must hold the insurrectionists who sought to destroy our democratic process accountable - but our outrage never justifies the expansion of surveillance that threatens democracy itself. In solidarity, Will Owen Communications Manager Share Tweet Forward Copyright © 2022 S.T.O.P., All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 40 Rector Street 9th Floor New York, NY 10006 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.