S.T.O.P. Welcomes Axon Decision To Pause Drone Tasers, Calls For Full Ban

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Welcomes Axon Decision To Pause Drone Tasers, Calls For Full Ban (New York, NY, 6/2/2022) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, welcomes a decision from Axon Enterprise, Inc. to pause development of drones with TASER weapon capabilities and called for a full ban on the project. Axon halted the early-stage concept, originally proposed for use in schools, after public pushback against the potentially lethal weapons and the disproportionate use of force against BIPOC students in schools. SEE: Axon – Axon committed to listening and learning so that we can fulfill our mission to protect life, together https://www.axon.com/news/technology/axon-committed-to-listening-and-learning NPR - A firm proposes using Taser-armed drones to stop school shootings https://www.npr.org/2022/06/04/1103066205/taser-armed-drones-school-shootings “I’m glad they’re grounding this proposal for now, but I’m disturbed it ever got off the ground,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “These dystopian drones were more than a flight of fancy, they could have been a deadly mistake. Only someone who’s completely lost touch with reality would think that the American people would want these knock-off Terminators in our schools. Just yesterday, we saw another painful reminder of just how deadly tasers can be. But I also question how anyone can continue to work with this company on ethics in good faith.” SEE: The Guardian - Man dies after being shot with Taser by police and rescued from Thames https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/05/man-rescued-from-thames-after-being-shot-with-taser-by-police-dies 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.