For Immediate Release
S.T.O.P., Morgan State University Release ‘People’s Handbook’ of NYC Surveillance
(New York, NY, 7/31/25) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) and researchers from the Morgan State University School of Architecture and Planning, with funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council, released A People’s Handbook of Surveillance. The handbook details the growing threat of facial recognition, drones, doorbell cameras, automated license plate readers, and numerous other “smart city” surveillance technologies in New York City. The handbook calls on urban planners and development professionals to champion development that protects New Yorkers’ safety and civil liberties, specifically in overpoliced communities.
SEE: A People’s Handbook of Surveillance
https://www.stopspying.org/ peoples-handbook
“We’re calling on urban planners to make smart decisions when it comes to so-called smart cities,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Research Director Eleni Manis. “In the algorithmic age, you simply cannot ignore the growing threat that surveillance technology poses to city residents, from location tracking on mass transit to cameras on every corner. This handbook offers a strong anti-surveillance framework for all urban planners hoping to build truly just cities and to protect the privacy rights and civil liberties of all residents.”
“New Yorkers can’t walk down the block without being filmed by numerous cameras, many with facial recognition,” said Morgan State University Associate Professor of Architecture and Planning Lisa Berglund. “As planners, it’s our duty to fight back against this unfettered abuse of surveillance technology and the dangers it poses to the communities we serve. Our handbook is a guide for planners everywhere who are serious about advocating for just cities instead of the surveillance state.”
Key Findings Include:
- City agencies—particularly the NYPD and the mayor’s office—are investing more in surveillance technology and excluding people deemed disorderly or unwanted from public space;
- Simultaneously, private actors running spaces like Hudson Yards and the High Line have used surveillance technology to mine data from smartphones and other devices, selling or using it for profit;
- Government and private actors’ unfettered ability to collect locational, visual, and personal data is an unconstitutional invasion of privacy, posing a serious threat to New Yorkers’ civil liberties;
- Surveillance disproportionately targets people of color, New Yorkers with criminal justice involvement, immigrants, public housing residents, activists, abortion and/or gender-affirming healthcare seekers, and other marginalized groups;
- In considering the use of surveillance technologies, planners and development professionals need to consider the broader implications of their use and the threats they present to communities and individuals.
In 2022, S.T.O.P. launched Just Cities, an education campaign detailing the dangers and responses to smart city technology. Produced in partnership with advocates, community members, and policymakers, the website offers best practices for advancing equity in civic tech and opposing growing surveillance.
SEE: S.T.O.P. – Just Cities Tech: A Beginner’s Guide to the All-Too Dumb World of Smart Cities Technology
https://www.justcities.tech/
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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