A People's Handbook of Surveillance

A People’s Handbook of Surveillance

Friend,

In the algorithmic age, urban planners cannot ignore the threat surveillance technology poses to city residents, from location tracking on mass transit to cameras on every corner. That’s why S.T.O.P. and researchers from the Morgan State University School of Architecture and Planning recently released A People’s Handbook of Surveillance, developed with funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council.

While focused on New York, our handbook offers a strong anti-surveillance framework for urban planners everywhere who are committed to building truly just cities. We detail the growing threat of facial recognition, drones, doorbell cameras, automated license plate readers, and other “smart city” spyware across the five boroughs. These dystopian technologies don’t target all New Yorkers equally, disproportionately harming people of color, immigrants, activists, New Yorkers impacted by the criminal justice system, public housing residents, abortion and/or gender-affirming healthcare seekers, and other marginalized groups.

Beyond surveillance by public agencies like the NYPD, private actors running spaces like Hudson Yards and the High Line continue to mine data from our smartphones and sell it for profit. This unfettered growth in surveillance has gone on for far too long, in both the public and private spheres. “A People’s Handbook” is a call to action for urban planners and development professionals to fight back and champion development that protects New Yorkers’ safety and civil liberties. Read and share here.