S.T.O.P. Condemns MTA AI Gate Pilot Tracking Alleged Fare Evasion

S.T.O.P. condemns an MTA pilot program testing AI-driven subway gates that track alleged fare evasion.

View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns MTA AI Gate Pilot Tracking Alleged Fare Evasion (New York, NY, 2/5/2026) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, condemns an MTA pilot program testing AI-driven subway gates that track alleged fare evasion. According to reporting by Gothamist, MTA is currently working with three firms to test new fare gates at 10 subway stations, expanding to 20 more stations in the coming weeks. Two of the firms, Cubic and Conduent, use software like AI-driven cameras and sensors to collect data on anyone suspected of evading fare. Cubic deploys cameras to record alleged fare evaders and automatically send AI-drafted physical descriptions of them to MTA, which S.T.O.P. warned will exacerbate racial profiling. SEE: Gothamist - Modern NYC subway gates tested by the MTA use AI tech to track fare evaders https://gothamist.com/news/modern-nyc-subway-gates-tested-by-the-mta-use-ai-tech-to-track-fare-evaders?sfmc_id=95759281&nypr_member=Unknown “The last thing MTA riders need is more surveillance, especially AI cameras,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Michelle Dahl. “These technologies are built on bias, and using AI to write up physical descriptions of transit riders is an invitation for more racial profiling on the subway. In one of the world’s most expensive cities, AI will never fix the unaffordability of transit. New Yorkers skip paying because of poverty, and no amount of surveillance will force people to pay for the train if they can’t afford it. It’s also alarming how MTA could store or share this data, building a perpetual log of transit riders’ sensitive information.” In 2023, the civil rights group revealed the MTA contracts with the artificial intelligence surveillance firm Awaait to monitor subway fare evasion. The previously unreported contract, which S.T.O.P. obtained under New York’s Freedom of Information Law, uses the MTA’s sprawling network of cameras and Awaait’s AI software to measure alleged fare evasion across the transit system. Press Release - S.T.O.P. Reveals MTA AI Surveillance Contract https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2023/7/20/stop-reveals-mta-ai-surveillance-contract?rq=MTA%20AI Last month, S.T.O.P. condemned the MTA’s request for information on artificial intelligence tools, including AI-driven weapon detectors, behavioral monitoring, and other invasive technologies leveraging real-time video analysis. In April, S.T.O.P. condemned the MTA’s admission it was testing behavioral surveillance AI to score how rationally riders were behaving. SEE: Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns MTA Request For Information On AI Surveillance https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2026/1/8/stop-condemns-mta-request-for-information-on-ai-surveillance?rq=MTA Statescoop - Civil rights group ‘condemns’ NYC transit authority’s pursuit of AI video analytics systems https://statescoop.com/civil-rights-group-condemns-mta-ai-video-analytics/ Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns MTA Behavioral Surveillance AI https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2025/4/29/stop-condemns-mta-behavioral-surveillance-ai?rq=MTA%20AI 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 -- Copyright © 2025 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.