S.T.O.P. Condemns Adams For Testing AI Surveillance On Migrants

S.T.O.P. condemns the Adams administration for testing controversial AI surveillance software on cameras in migrant shelters...

View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns Adams For Testing AI Surveillance On Migrants (New York, NY, 9/30/2024) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, condemns the Adams administration for testing controversial AI surveillance software on cameras in migrant shelters as part of a growing corruption investigation. Reporting from Politico showed Remark Holdings, a Chinese fire and police surveillance firm, installed the cameras as part of broader effort to lobby Mayor Adams. Top Adams advisor Timothy Pearson reportedly pressured FDNY officials to adopt the technology, who refused, before Pearson helped install the technology at the city-run shelter. SEE: Politico - Adams aide — and a close personal friend — pushed city officials to hire tech firm https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/29/adams-tech-ai-china-00181559 The New York Times - Security Firm Linked to Top Adams Aide Won Millions in N.Y.C. Business https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/20/nyregion/fbi-phil-banks-contracts.html#:~:text=The%20firm%2C%20City,contract%2C%20records%20show. “When it comes to corruption in the Adams administration, where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “This technology is just another example of politically connected tech firms pushing pricy and invasive technologies at City Hall. AI appears costlier and more error prone than traditional smoke detectors. This sort of mass AI surveillance would be dangerous anywhere in New York, but it’s hard to think of a riskier place to put it than a migrant shelter. We can’t be a sanctuary city and a surveillance state at the same time.” Last week, Adams was charged with accepting $10 million in illegal campaign contributions and bribes from the Turkish government. Among the charges, Adams was bribed to coerce the New York City Fire Department into opening an apartment building near the Turkish Consulate even though the FDNY found over 60 defects preventing its fire safety approval. SEE: ABC News - New York City Mayor Eric Adams charged with fraud, accepting $10 million in improper campaign contributions https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/new-york-city-mayor-eric-adams-charged-accepting/story?id=114182253 Newsweek - How Eric Adams' Alleged Turkish Deal Put New Yorkers At Risk https://www.newsweek.com/new-york-mayor-eric-adams-turkish-bribery-indictment-consulate-fire-department-1960253 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.