|
S.T.O.P., Ban The Scan Coalition Applaud Mamdani Endorsement of City Council Bill Banning Facial Rec. In Public Accommodations
(New York, NY, 11/5/2026) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) and fellow advocate members of the Ban The Scan coalition applaud Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement of Intro 0213, a City Council bill sponsored by Councilmember Shahana Hanif banning the use of facial recognition and other biometric surveillance in sports arenas, grocery stores, and all other public accommodations in New York City. In an interview with WIRED, Mamdani condemned MSG Entertainment CEO James Dolan’s use of facial recognition in Madison Square Garden and other venues, citing Intro 0213 as an “important response to this kind of issue.” S.T.O.P. and the Ban The Scan coalition renewed their call for the City Council to ban the use of facial recognition in both public accommodations and residential buildings.
SEE: WIRED - ‘Our Risk, Their Reward’: Zohran Mamdani on AI and Data Centers
https://www.wired.com/story/the-big-interview-podcast-nyc-mayor-zohran-mamdani/
Campaign – Ban The Scan
https://banthescan.org/
“New Yorkers are fed up with facial recognition, including Mayor Mamdani,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Advocacy & Community Engagement Manager Corinne Worthington. “From the Progressive Caucus to Gracie Mansion, the momentum is on our side for New York to finally catch up with other cities that have already banned the scan. But the problem extends far beyond the Garden, with facial recognition tracking many of the most vulnerable New Yorkers at home. The City Council must pass Intro 0213 and go further by passing Intro 0428 to prevent landlords from using this technology to surveil their tenants.”
"New Yorkers continue to be subjected to invasive facial recognition technology when they shop, attend events, and just attempt to live their lives," said The Legal Aid Society's Digital Forensics Director Jerome D. Greco. "We welcome Mayor Mamdani's support of Intro 0213, a ban on the use of facial recognition in places of public accommodation, and we urge the City Council to pass the bill immediately. We also encourage the Council to pass Intro 0428 to prohibit landlords from using facial recognition to surveil their tenants. Restore some of people's privacy in a world that continually deprives them of it."
“Mayor Mamdani is right: New Yorkers don’t want highly invasive surveillance cameras watching and tracking their every move,” said Medha Raman, Policy Counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union. “Whether it’s buying groceries, watching a game at MSG, or even just walking out your front door, right now, New York City lets corporations and government entities use surveillance technology to track, store, and sell your personal information. It’s past time that the City Council protect New Yorkers’ constitutional rights, and ban biometric surveillance in public accommodations, residential buildings, and across law enforcement.”
“Madison Square Garden has shown us exactly what happens when corporations are allowed to deploy facial recognition without meaningful limits: they use it to track, profile, and blacklist people they don't like,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “Your face should never be a tool corporations can use to punish you for exercising your rights. I’m thrilled that Mayor Zohran Mamdani has joined our broad coalition supporting Ban the Scan. With his support, we have an opportunity to stop this abuse and protect New Yorkers. It’s time for the City Council to pass Ban the Scan.”
“The likes of James Dolan and Donald Trump have shown the world just how dangerous mass surveillance systems can be. With Mayor Mamdani joining a majority of the city council in supporting a biometric surveillance ban in places of public accommodation, the city is poised to end private surveillance empires like Dolan’s. We urge the city council to pass Intro 0213 to protect the civil rights of all New Yorkers.” -Jibran Ludwig, Policy Strategist at Fight for the Future
“We are facing an unprecedented expansion of mass surveillance of New Yorkers, with companies collecting detailed data on New Yorkers' lives, including where people and their loved ones live, work, and commute. This data can end up in the hands of law enforcement agencies like ICE, putting our immigrant neighbors and activists at significant risk. Because biometric data collection has no boundary and information can be repurposed beyond its original intent, guardrails on its distribution or sale are not enough to give New Yorkers the clear data protections they need. We must stop collection altogether. We celebrate the mayor’s support for Intro 0213, and we call on the New York City Council to pass the full Ban the Scan package, which includes a ban on police and government use of facial recognition here in NYC.” - Martina Crane, NYC-DSA Immigrant Justice Working Group & Shruthi Velidi, NYC-DSA Tech Action Working Group
In August, the Ban The Scan coalition, Councilmember Hanif, artists and organizers held a press conference and rally outside Madison Square Garden after the City Council’s Progressive Caucus endorsement of Intro 0213.
SEE: Press Release - COUNCIL MEMBER SHAHANA HANIF, ADVOCATES RALLY AT MSG TO DEMAND BAN ON FACIAL RECOGNITION TECH
https://www.stopspying.org/content-input/council-member-shahana-hanif-advocates-rally-at-msg-to-demand-ban-on-facial-recognition-tech
WIRED - New York City Lawmakers Push to ‘Ban the Scan’ at MSG
https://www.wired.com/story/new-york-city-lawmakers-push-to-ban-the-scan-at-msg/
New York City Council Progressive Caucus - Legislative Priorities '26
https://nycprogressives.com/about/legislative-priorities-26/
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.
|
