FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NY Legislators, S.T.O.P. Introduce Bill Banning Fake Police Social Media Accounts
State Senator Cordell Cleare, AM Zohran K. Mamdani, and S.T.O.P. highlight how police can use fake accounts to target pregnant people seeking abortion care.
(New York, NY, 6/9/2022) - Today, New York State Senator Cordell Cleare and AM Zohran K. Mamdani, in partnership with the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), introduced a New York State bill that would ban fake police social media accounts and other social media surveillance tactics. The bill, alongside a forthcoming bill in the New York City Council, would be the first in the country to ban fake police accounts on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Currently, police can use sophisticated software to operate thousands of fake accounts, tricking the public to waive their rights by accepting “friend” and “follow” requests from officers. Sponsors accelerated introduction of the legislation in anticipation of the repeal of Roe v. Wade, fearing that police will increasingly use fake accounts to target pregnant people seeking abortion care.
SEE: The New York State Senate - Senate Bill S9247
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s9247
Business Insider - Police are being trained to create fake social-media accounts using AI to generate images of people who don't exist
https://www.businessinsider.com/police-trained-create-fake-social-media-accounts-using-ai-images-2022-1
“As the proud Senate Sponsor of S.9247, I unequivocally believe that deceptive, malicious and abusive tactics undertaken by law enforcement under the guise of fake social media profiles must cease,” said New York State Senator Cordell Cleare. “Just as the Exonerated 5 were coerced and lied to in person, the very same tactics are employed today via virtual means. Communities of color and women seeking reproductive services do not need to be surveilled, they need our constructive and proactive support.”
"Real safety looks like healthcare, community support, and the ability to express yourself freely. But police have used the word "safety" as a pretext to disproportionately surveil our most vulnerable and marginalized communities," said AM Zohran K. Mamdani. "We have seen police use individual fake accounts -- plus algorithmic networks that create thousands more fake accounts -- to systematically surveil and entrap primarily Black and Muslim teenagers for being involved in Black Lives Matter, BDS, or even attending their local mosque or living in a certain neighborhood. Today, digital safety becomes even more crucial for those who may seek abortion -- trying to find resources online can lead to deceptive police surveillance and the subsequent sharing of that information across state lines. We must ban the unsafe, biased, and exploitative practice of allowing police to create fake accounts on social media to spy on our constituents."
“It’s bad enough when the courts repeal rights, but no one should be tricked into clicking away the Constitution,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “Even if abortion is legal under New York law, pregnant people will still be prosecuted for seeking care when they travel from out of state. We can’t allow police to set up accounts for fake abortion clinics and health centers, tricking pregnant people into waiving their privacy. It’s absurd that today, every fake friend request can be used against you in a court of law. And we know that fake accounts are and will be targeted most at the same BIPOC kids and young adults who are always targeted.”
Police officers deploy internet attribution software to control bot networks of thousands of fake social media accounts. As these bots access a suspect’s profile, they harvest private content for local police databases. This can also give police access to private content from other people who interact with the person tricked into accepting the request.
SEE: Verfassungsblog - On the Internet, No One Knows You’re a Cop
https://verfassungsblog.de/os6-no-one-knows/
Time - How a Digital Abortion Footprint Could Lead to Criminal Charges—And What Congress Can Do About It
https://time.com/6175194/digital-data-abortion-congress/
The bill comes as the civil rights group calls on New York lawmakers to enact a package of pregnant people privacy protections to prevent expanded surveillance of abortion seekers after the repeal of Roe. Last month, S.T.O.P. renewed calls for New York to pass the Reverse Location Search Prohibition Act banning geofence warrants, keyword warrants, and police data purchases. It also called on lawmakers to pass proposed legislation that would ban the NYPD’s massive and illegal DNA database. Last month, a New York State appeals court ruled that the NYPD’s used of DNA records to conduct familial searches was unlawful.
SEE: New York State Senate - Senate Bill S1347
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S1347
Gothamist - NY Appellate Court: Law enforcement agencies can’t use DNA database for familial searches
https://gothamist.com/news/ny-appellate-court-law-enforcement-agencies-cant-use-dna-database-for-familial-searches
Press Release - S.T.O.P. Welcomes Tech Firms’ Support For NY Geofence Warrant Ban
https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2022/5/11/stop-welcomes-tech-firms-support-for-ny-geofence-warrant-ban
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.
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CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn
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