New York City Police Department's Surveillance System Under Fire in Landmark Lawsuit
In a shocking turn of events, two Brooklyn residents are suing the city of New York over its expansive surveillance system. Pamela Wridt and Robert Sauve claim that cameras owned by the NYPD point directly at their bedroom window, invading their right to privacy.
The surveillance system, known as the Domain Awareness System (DAS), is a massive network of cameras and sensors that collect data on millions of people in New York City every day. It's also available to private companies, which feed it into the city's broader surveillance apparatus.
The couple claims that they were unaware of the camera outside their home until they learned about it from The Intercept. Now, they say that their lives have changed dramatically, with their windows needing "mirror tint" to prevent being exposed by the camera.
In a bold move, Wridt and Sauve are taking on the NYPD in a federal lawsuit, alleging that the city's surveillance system violates their First and Fourth Amendment rights. This is the first case of its kind targeting the NYPD's surveillance machine.
Attorney Albert Cahn of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project says that there are at least one case where data collected by the DAS was eventually shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The suit claims that this information could be used to construct profiles of people's activities, associations, and even thoughts and beliefs.
"This is a model for the nearly 18,000 state and local police departments across the country," Cahn warned. "American policing runs on data."
The couple also highlights how surveillance has negatively impacted their mental health and well-being, with some neighbors being uncomfortable with the cameras and spending less time outside.
The NYPD's commissioner, Jessica Tisch, is an architect of the surveillance apparatus. While the city denies any wrongdoing, the lawsuit aims to shed light on other private companies and federal agencies that have access to data collected by the NYPD.
"This system is a voyeuristic policing platform," Wridt said in her complaint. "It unifies into one centralized network more than a dozen technologies — public and private — including video camera systems, tracking technologies, biometric tools, data and financial aggregation analytics, and digital communications monitors."
Widening concern over the lack of public knowledge about the DAS has raised fears that authorities will entrench it further. Sauve worries that complacency breeds an environment where surveillance becomes normalized.
The lawsuit seeks to take on the broader constitutional harm of the NYPD's surveillance machine, which is said to be greater than the sum of its parts.
In a shocking turn of events, two Brooklyn residents are suing the city of New York over its expansive surveillance system. Pamela Wridt and Robert Sauve claim that cameras owned by the NYPD point directly at their bedroom window, invading their right to privacy.
The surveillance system, known as the Domain Awareness System (DAS), is a massive network of cameras and sensors that collect data on millions of people in New York City every day. It's also available to private companies, which feed it into the city's broader surveillance apparatus.
The couple claims that they were unaware of the camera outside their home until they learned about it from The Intercept. Now, they say that their lives have changed dramatically, with their windows needing "mirror tint" to prevent being exposed by the camera.
In a bold move, Wridt and Sauve are taking on the NYPD in a federal lawsuit, alleging that the city's surveillance system violates their First and Fourth Amendment rights. This is the first case of its kind targeting the NYPD's surveillance machine.
Attorney Albert Cahn of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project says that there are at least one case where data collected by the DAS was eventually shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The suit claims that this information could be used to construct profiles of people's activities, associations, and even thoughts and beliefs.
"This is a model for the nearly 18,000 state and local police departments across the country," Cahn warned. "American policing runs on data."
The couple also highlights how surveillance has negatively impacted their mental health and well-being, with some neighbors being uncomfortable with the cameras and spending less time outside.
The NYPD's commissioner, Jessica Tisch, is an architect of the surveillance apparatus. While the city denies any wrongdoing, the lawsuit aims to shed light on other private companies and federal agencies that have access to data collected by the NYPD.
"This system is a voyeuristic policing platform," Wridt said in her complaint. "It unifies into one centralized network more than a dozen technologies — public and private — including video camera systems, tracking technologies, biometric tools, data and financial aggregation analytics, and digital communications monitors."
Widening concern over the lack of public knowledge about the DAS has raised fears that authorities will entrench it further. Sauve worries that complacency breeds an environment where surveillance becomes normalized.
The lawsuit seeks to take on the broader constitutional harm of the NYPD's surveillance machine, which is said to be greater than the sum of its parts.
the whole thing feels like a huge invasion of privacy to me... like they're literally watching you 24/7 and sharing that info with whoever they want. 
it's crazy that these cameras can even point at someone's bedroom window without anyone knowing, no wonder people are freaking out about their mental health 
. and now the city is just brushing it off saying "oh but we're just trying to keep people safe"? 
safety? come on... if I wanted to be monitored 24/7 I'd move to a surveillance state 
, not my home 
.
. The city is just trying to keep its citizens safe, and if it means sacrificing a little privacy, so be it. Let the courts decide if it's an invasion of rights or not, but I think this lawsuit is just a bunch of hooey 
they're talking about a massive network that collects data on millions of people every day and it's like whoa...the impact on mental health and well-being is huge too 
i think this lawsuit needs to shed more light on how private companies and federal agencies are getting access to all this data 
it's crazy alr...
where everyone's life is being monitored and judged. newsflash: just because it's legal doesn't make it right 
and now these two Brooklyn residents are fighting back against the NYPD, saying their rights have been violated. about time someone spoke up for those of us who don't want to live in a world where our every move is being tracked.
. i guess only time will tell if these two guys can make a difference, but for now, i'm just gonna keep on being skeptical about all this... 
. And what's next? They gonna start monitoring our every move online too? Like, no thanks 
It's like they're watching your every move! This Domain Awareness System in NYC is getting out of hand. They just say it's for safety and security, but what about our right to privacy? 
I remember when I was younger and we could actually have a conversation without being recorded on some camera somewhere.
What's next? Our whole lives will be on one big surveillance platform. 
The fact that the commissioner of the NYPD designed this system makes it even more disturbing. 
. the idea that our govt can just set up these all-seeing eyes everywhere and we're supposed to be cool with it is straight outta science fiction 
that's just creepy.
. It's like, I get it, we all want to stay safe, but at what cost? Their windows are literally needing special tint just because of a camera outside their home 
how some ppl can just set up these cameras without even checking if theyre actually needed 
but at the same time, it's also kinda scary that private companies can get access to this data too 
and people are getting really paranoid about their privacy 
so yeah, I think this lawsuit is a good idea 
because who knows what kinda profiles are being made of us with all these cameras watching