A New York couple is suing the city over a police camera that points directly into their bedroom window, sparking concerns about the NYPD's massive surveillance system.
The footage from tens of thousands of security cameras, including those mounted on drones and helicopters, as well as stationary cameras like the one just outside Pamela Wridt and Robert Sauve’s bedroom and living room - is fed into a little-publicized tool called the city's Domain Awareness System. The system holds one of the world's biggest networks of security cameras.
The couple's lawsuit, filed Monday against the city of New York, alleges that their First and Fourth Amendment rights to free association, expression, and privacy have been violated by the camera's presence. They claim that they can no longer enjoy their home in peace due to the constant feeling of being watched.
Attorneys representing Wridt and Sauve say that state and local police departments are effectively being co-opted, with data being used and abused by other government agencies. The couple argues that the surveillance system is a "voyeuristic policing platform" that unifies various technologies into one centralized network.
The NYPD's surveillance system is built around the Domain Awareness System, which combines information from public and private sources to create digital profiles of millions of people living in or entering the city. This data can include identity details, location, banking information, social media activity, and friend groups.
The couple’s lawsuit seeks damages and an injunction against the NYPD's surveillance system, arguing that it is a threat to every New Yorker's privacy. Their attorneys claim that aggregating data enables the NYPD to uncover constitutionally protected activities, such as political expression or religious practice, that would be unknowable from any single source.
Critics say that the police department's expansive surveillance network is a model for other departments across the country, with the NYPD using its technology to build profiles of people and associate them with various groups. The use of private companies like Microsoft, Clearview AI, Patternizr, and Dataminr in bolstering the system has raised concerns about data sharing.
The couple's experience highlights how widespread surveillance can be an issue even if there is no crime involved. They said their neighborhood was not a hot spot for crime but still felt affected by the cameras.
The footage from tens of thousands of security cameras, including those mounted on drones and helicopters, as well as stationary cameras like the one just outside Pamela Wridt and Robert Sauve’s bedroom and living room - is fed into a little-publicized tool called the city's Domain Awareness System. The system holds one of the world's biggest networks of security cameras.
The couple's lawsuit, filed Monday against the city of New York, alleges that their First and Fourth Amendment rights to free association, expression, and privacy have been violated by the camera's presence. They claim that they can no longer enjoy their home in peace due to the constant feeling of being watched.
Attorneys representing Wridt and Sauve say that state and local police departments are effectively being co-opted, with data being used and abused by other government agencies. The couple argues that the surveillance system is a "voyeuristic policing platform" that unifies various technologies into one centralized network.
The NYPD's surveillance system is built around the Domain Awareness System, which combines information from public and private sources to create digital profiles of millions of people living in or entering the city. This data can include identity details, location, banking information, social media activity, and friend groups.
The couple’s lawsuit seeks damages and an injunction against the NYPD's surveillance system, arguing that it is a threat to every New Yorker's privacy. Their attorneys claim that aggregating data enables the NYPD to uncover constitutionally protected activities, such as political expression or religious practice, that would be unknowable from any single source.
Critics say that the police department's expansive surveillance network is a model for other departments across the country, with the NYPD using its technology to build profiles of people and associate them with various groups. The use of private companies like Microsoft, Clearview AI, Patternizr, and Dataminr in bolstering the system has raised concerns about data sharing.
The couple's experience highlights how widespread surveillance can be an issue even if there is no crime involved. They said their neighborhood was not a hot spot for crime but still felt affected by the cameras.
and I'm still reeling from the vibes. Like, have you ever noticed how the colors of the sunset are literally the same as the colors of a ripe mango? 
It's like Mother Nature is just one big palette of oranges and pinks.
Just a thought...
The fact that they can collect all that info on one centralized network is just insane mind blown 
and what's up with the police department using private companies like Microsoft to help them out? It sounds like they're getting a little too big for their britches 
I mean, I get it, safety is important but come on NYC you gotta draw the line somewhere 
it's like, yeah i get it, we wanna keep our streets safe but do we REALLY need to be watched 24/7?!?!
they're building these digital profiles of us and associating us with groups and stuff... it's like, what even is that?!?! and don't even get me started on the fact that private companies are getting involved in this... it's just too much, you know?!
it's insane! and what really gets me is that they're saying it's not just the police, but also other gov't agencies using this data to basically stalk us... 
I feel so much safer when I think about my own neighborhood 
we need to take a stand against this kind of surveillance, trust me!
I mean, who wants to live in a world where they feel like they're being watched 24/7? The fact that there are tens of thousands of security cameras feeding into one little-publicized tool is just crazy. And what's up with the NYPD using private companies to build profiles of people and associate them with groups? It sounds like something out of a dystopian movie 
This is so messed up! I mean, I get that safety is important, but come on! The idea of having tens of thousands of security cameras, including drones and helicopters, watching you 24/7? It's like living in a sci-fi movie 
. And it's not just the cameras themselves, it's what they're doing with all that data - creating these digital profiles of people... it's creepy 
.
. This is a clear example of how surveillance can be taken too far and start infringing on people's basic rights to privacy... we need to talk about this more 
.