For Immediate Release
S.T.O.P. Condemns MSG Entertainment For Compiling Dossier On Facial Rec. Activists
(New York, NY, 6/23/2026) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, condemns Madison Square Garden Entertainment for compiling a dossier on activists who have publicly criticized the company's use of facial recognition technology. According to reporting by 404 Media, a document titled "Facial Recognition Activists.docx, stored in a folder named "Activists" on an MSG internal SharePoint accessible to multiple people inside the company, compiled background information, contact details, social media handles, and statements from three prominent digital rights advocates, including S.T.O.P. founder Albert Fox Cahn. The document was discovered in a 45GB cache of data stolen by hackers and published online this month.
SEE: 404 Media — Madison Square Garden Made Dossier on Activists Who Opposed Facial Recognition https://www.404media.co/madison-square-garden-made-dossier-on-activists-who-opposed-facial-recognition/
"It's equally creepy and unsurprising that MSG has S.T.O.P. on a list," said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Michelle Dahl. "This company continues to double down on its invasive surveillance practices, and we're pushing back. If James Dolan weren't mad at us, we wouldn't be doing our job. No one should be tracked by a company or excluded from a venue for exercising their right to free speech. The whole world is watching the Garden this summer, and the time is now for the City Council to ban biometric surveillance in arenas and other public accommodations."
In April, S.T.O.P. condemned MSG after a WIRED investigation revealed that security staff were ordered to embed in nearby pro-Palestine protests and that company leadership reviewed social media for negative commentary about the Knicks, Rangers, and James Dolan. Last year, S.T.O.P. condemned MSG's alleged use of facial recognition to bar a transgender woman from Knicks games.
SEE: Press Release — S.T.O.P. Condemns MSG Entertainment Surveillance of Protesters, Sports Fans On Social Media
https://www.stopspying.org/content-input/stop-condemns-msg-entertainment-surveillance-of-protesters-sports-fans-on-social-media
Press Release — S.T.O.P. Condemns MSG Entertainment Use of Facial Rec. To Bar Transgender Woman From Knicks Games
https://www.stopspying.org/content-input/stop-condemns-msg-entertainment-use-of-facial-rec-to-bar-transgender-woman-from-knicks-games
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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