Surveillance and the City

In the final Surveillance And The City episode of the season, hosts Albert Fox Cahn, Liz O'Sullivan, and Ali Winston  do a deep dive into all of the surveillance technologies that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. While non-Western (especially East Asian) countries have received the harshest criticism for invasive and authoritarian measures to contain the virus, how have government responses in the U.K. and here in the U.S., for instance, expanded surveillance in the name of public health? To what extent do apps, wearables, vaccine passports, and other surveillance tech measures even actually work in  stopping the spread of COVID-19? We also add to the chorus of critiques against Governor Cuomo, specifically highlighting his call for "Excelsior Pass" vaccine passports that will ultimately exacerbate medical segregation in New York. To comment, ask questions, or suggest show topics please email:pod@stopspying.orgFollow us on Twitter and Instagram: @spy_podHere's what the Spy Pod hosts are reading this week:Agency, by William Gibson Brave New World, by Aldous HuxleyThe Dispossessed, Ursula K. Le GuinThe Expanse (Series), by James S.A. Corey                

This week on Surveillance And The City, hosts Albert Fox Cahn, Liz O'Sullivan, and Ali Winston discuss NYPD's so-called "gang database" and its systematic, unconstitutional criminalization of New Yorkers of color. Driven by social media monitoring and other surveillance technology software, NYPD's "gang database" is often described as a new digital form of stop-and-frisk policing, exploiting a highly broad definition of "gang" to justify surveillance of (primarily) Black and Latinx neighborhoods. What criteria are used in identifying alleged gang members? What's the historical context of "gang databases," and how are they connected to immigration enforcement and U.S. foreign policy? We also cover the push in local NYC politics to ban the database, as well as use of similar gang surveillance tactics in other cities around the country. To comment, ask questions, or suggest show topics please email:pod@stopspying.orgFollow us on Twitter and Instagram: @spy_podThis is what the Spy Pod Hosts are Reading and Watching this week:CARLOS, directed by Olivier AssayasThe Golden Compass, by Philip PullmanHitler in Los Angeles: How Jews Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America, by Steven J. RossThe Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, by Philip K. Dick

This week on Surveillance And The City, hosts Albert Fox Cahn, Rashida Richardson, and Liz O'Sullivan discuss NYPD's use of a robotic dog in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Robotics design company, Boston Dynamics, began selling "Spot" back in June mainly to utility, energy, and construction companies, as well as healthcare workers, to reach spaces deemed too dangerous for humans. What are the implications of the robotic dog's purchase and (mis)use by NYPD? What does this mean in terms of the surveillance of Black and Brown New Yorkers? We then discuss recent predictive policing tech rebranding attempts by "Geolitica" (FKA PredPol) and other companies, as well as the release of a new report by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence calling for greater use of AI by the Department of Defense. To comment, ask questions, or suggest show topics please email:pod@stopspying.orgFollow us on Twitter and Instagram @spy_podSuggested reading and listening in this episode:Ernest Cline's Ready Player Two"Dirty Data, Bad Predictions," by Rashida Richardson, Jason M. Schultz, and Kate CrawfordHelp, by Duval TimothyUrsula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed  

This week on Surveillance And The City, we discuss the history of FBI surveillance under COINTELPRO (the Counterintelligence Program) and its legacies in "counterterrorism" and the surveillance of anti-racist movements today. How did anticommunist hysteria during the 1950s expand to include the surveillance and incarceration of Civil Rights leaders during the 1960s and 1970s, namely those part of the Black Panther Party (BPP)? What connections can we draw between COINTELPRO and the contemporary surveillance of Muslim Americans after 9/11 and so-called "Black identity extremists" throughout the Black Lives Matter movement? We then share our thoughts on Shaka King's stunning new film, Judas and the Black Messiah, which invites  exploration of these themes in depicting the life of BPP Illinois chapter chairman, Fred Hampton.To comment, ask questions, or suggest show topics please email:pod@stopspying.orgSuggested reading, listening, and watching in this episode:Joshua Yaffa's The Sputnik V Vaccine and Russia’s Race to Immunity (The New Yorker)Race, Racism, and the Liberal Arts: A Conversation with Katherine McKittrick and Nick Mitchell (Aydelotte Foundation) Fatih Akin's The Edge of Heaven

This week on Surveillance And The City, we briefly chat about Facebook's tech war with Australia before diving deep into New York’s growing effort to ban facial recognition. How close are we to a historic win, who’s standing in the way, and how can you help? Hosts Albert Fox Cahn, Liz O'Sullivan, and Ali Winston unpack the issues. To find out more about the effort to ban facial recognition in NYC or "Ban the Scan," go to:https://www.stopspying.org/ban-the-scanTo comment, ask questions, or suggest show topics please email:pod@stopspying.orgSuggested reading in this episode:Neil Gaiman's Smoke & Mirrors  Zepher Teachout's Break 'Em Up: Recovering Our Freedom from Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big MoneyInside the Making of Facebook’s Supreme Court 

This week on Surveillance and the City: will Minneapolis be the latest city to ban facial recognition? Then, we take a deep dive into the latest reporting on how algorithmic decision making and tech giants are making even more of a mess of the vaccine roll-out. I’m your host, Albert Fox Cahn. With me today is journalist Ali Winston. For a bit of reading on today's subject we looked at Where do Vaccine Doses Go, and Who Gets Them? The Algorithms Decide by Natasha Singer.  

This week on Surveillance and the City, we look at the long-awaited release of the POST Act, last year’s groundbreaking NYPD surveillance oversight law. Will this be a new day for law enforcement transparency, or just the latest NYPD effort to ignore the law. Then, we’re joined by The Economist’s US Digital editor, Jon Fasman, for a dive into his new book: We See It All: Liberty and Justice in an Age of Perpetual Surveillance. On Stranger Than Science Fiction we all talk about a piece of popular culture that caught our attention this week. Your hosts this week are: Albert Fox Cahn of S.T.O.P., AI activist Liz O’Sullivan, and Professor Rashida Richardson. 

This week on Surveillance and the City, we look at the ominous threat of expanded “domestic terrorism” laws in the aftermath of this month’s attack on the Capitol. Will lawmakers learn from the mistakes of the USA PATRIOT Act and other rushed legislation, or are we about the repeat the same mistake all over again? Albert Fox Cahn, AI activist Liz O’Sullivan and journalist Ali Winston unpack the dense history of domestic terrorism, violent extremism, and white paramilitarism, as well as the issues with the law enforcement  combating it. Then for 'Stranger Than Science Fiction' we chat about the movies, books, and TV shows that  inspire  and terrify us, from 1940s Science Fiction  stories to 1990s TV to in depth docu-series. If you are interested in some background reading on the subject we have put together a few links for you to  start with. Danger of Expanded Domestic Terrorism Powers in the aftermath of the Capitol By Diala Shamas and Tarek Z. Ismail.  Washington PostWe Should Be Very Worried About Joe Biden’s “Domestic Terrorism” Bill  By Luke Savage. Jacobin MagazineThe Capitol Attack Doesn’t Justify Expanding Surveillance By Albert Fox Cahn. WiredDon’t Let Cops Use the Insurrection to Justify Surveillance   By Albert Fox Cahn &Evan Selinger. The Daily BeastWe’ve Had a White Supremacist Coup Before. History Buried It.  By Edwin Rios. MotherJonesGlobal Right-Wing Extremism Networks Are Growing. The U.S. Is Just Now Catching Up. By Sebastian Rotella. ProPublica 

This week on Surveillance and the City, we start by going through incoming President Biden's nominations and appointments, specifically focusing on the Office of Science and Technology, and attempting to divine what we can expect from the new administration.  Next, we examine the consequences of Microsoft's entry into the law enforcement and prison 'markets', Iron Cage, profiled in this piece by Michael Kwet in Al Jazeera.  For 'Stranger Than Science Fiction', we revisit 1981's 'Escape From New York'. 

This week on Surveillance and the City, we look at the smoldering wreckage of last week’s attack on the capitol, as police boosters use the attack as an excuse to further-expand surveillance.Then we take a hard look at Leticia James and the NYPD oversight inquiry. Finally, for Stranger Than Science Fiction, we examine 'It Can't Happen Here,' the 1935 novel by Sinclair Lewis, a dystopia in which fascism is able to prevail in America.

In light of yesterday’s attack on the US Capitol, we’ve decided to throw out the usual format and focus our show on what we just witnessed. This is one of the most consequential days in recent American history, and we’re here to ask: what the hell just happened? From law enforcement culpability (and endorsement) to the role of social media,  we delve into the factors that created our new political normal. Next week, we’ll be back with the NYPD shenanigans and dystopian tech you know and love.

On this episode, Albert, Liz, and Ali talk about the best and worst things that happened in the world of privacy, data, and surveillance tech in 2020. The GoodPOST Act, Santa Cruz  banning predictive policing, Additional Facial recognition bans (NY Schools, Boston, Etc.), Bipartisan Congressional attention to facial recognition, Anti-trust suits against Google & FB, Widespread adoption of Signal during BLM demos, Additional BIPA litigation including against Clearview AI, and the Chicago Geofence warrant decisionThe BadClearview story broke in January and revelations of alt right connection, NYPD's robotic dog, Revelations about Baltimore surveillance planes, CBP drone over BLM protests, Solarwinds, White house AI regulation that doesn't do anything and requires "economic impact statements", Elon Musk debuts Neuralink that can write to brains.And for 'Stranger than Science Fiction,' we talk about the strange series called 'Years and Years,' set just after Trump's fictionalized second term. 

Part 1: Solar Winds Hack Part 2: Autonomous Drones Part 3: Stranger than Science Fiction - Terminator 3 Credits:Our Production team is: Producers Alex Brook Lynn of Racket Media and Fabian Rogers of STOPSound Engineering by Adam Chimera Research Assistant: Carrie MaGee  Video production support from Alexia Hall

Part 1: NYPD statistics and Stop, Question, and Frisk  Part 2: The Lockport NY School Facial Recognition Part 3: Stranger than Science Fiction: Steven Spielberg's Minority Report OUTROAs a reminder, make sure to share our episode with your friends and leave a rating on your podcatcher of choice.We are brought to you by STOP, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project and The Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy at NYU Law. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike 4.0 International License.Our Production team is: Producers Alex Brook Lynn of Racket Media and Fabian Rogers of STOPSound Engineering by Adam Chimera Research Assistant: Carrie MaGee  Video production support from Alexia Hall Additional Reference Materials:Stefanie Coyle & Rashida Richardson's report on Lockport - https://ainowinstitute.org/regulatingbiometrics-coyle-richardson.pdfAli Winston's report on private donors funding the cops - https://www.propublica.org/article/private-donors-supply-spy-gear-to-cops

Part 1: Biden’s appointment of Pro-tech/surveillance cabinet members Transition list is 500+ long including employees from big business companiesMany groups from Public Citizen has been calling on Biden to close the Big Tech Revolving DoorPart 2: The recent French proposal for a broader domestic security lawBill proposal would ‘criminalize the broadcasting of “the face or any other identifying element” of on-duty police officers if the goal is to “physically or mentally harm” them’Also contains a provision that authorizes the use of drones to film citizens in public and allows footage from body cameras worn by police to be live-streamed to authorities.Fear of significant impact on those of immigrant origin in neighborhoods that have historically tense relationships with policePenalty: face up to a year in jail and a 45,000-euro ($53,000) fine.Part 3: Stranger Than Science Fiction - Sidney Lumet's 'Network'The movie and its implications on modern tv media and advertisingCredits:Our Production team is: Producers Alex Brook Lynn of Racket Media and Fabian Rogers of STOPSound Engineering by Adam ChimeraResearch Assistant: Carrie MageeVideo production support from Alexia Hall

INTRO:Welcome to Surveillance And The City, your glimpse at the technology tracking us all. I’m your host, Albert Fox Cahn. With me today A.I. activist Liz O’Sullivan, and journalist Ali Winston.This week, we look at the impact that policing and surveillance had on the recent election. Then, we look at the ways that technology impacted the vote. How did Americans navigate record levels of misinformation, disinformation, and the all-too-real threat of electronic election meddling?  And for Stranger Than Science Fiction, we look back at the Robert Heinlein classic: starship troopers. What does a futuristic tale of battling bugs in outer space have to do with democracy, you’ll have to stay tuned to find out. Part 1 - Policing as an election issue:How did BLM protests impact the outcome?90% of voters said it was a factor.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/us/black-lives-matter-protests.html“Among those who cited the protests as a factor, 53 percent voted for Mr. Biden, and 46 percent for Mr. Trump”Do mass demonstrations move the needle on election day, are we too partisan for it to have an impact?Does that even matter, or is that besides the point of mass demonstrations? Ad break:We don’t pay for targeted ads or sketchy ad tech, we rely on you to help grow our audience. Please take just 3 minutes to share us on your sketchy social media platform of choice. And if you really want to help, leave a 5-star rating and review to help train the podcast AI that we’re awesome. Part 2 - Election Technology:The real risk of cyber attacksWhat went wrongnothing it seemswhat could have gone wrongvoter registrationDDOSvoting machineshttps://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/04/initial-signs-point-to-surprisingly-hack-free-election-but-risks-remain-434094Imagined claims of voter fraud and other disinformationHow is this impacting the legitimacy of the outcomehow have media outlets handled itFox NewsTwitter / FacebookLive video platformsHow do we improve this in the future? Stranger Than Science Fiction - Starship Troopers:With trump trying to litigate “election fraud” claims against “out of state voters” who were actually allowed to vote because of the military, it's an interesting time to think back to the premise of Starship Troopers, a world where only veterans were allowed to vote.At a time of fracturing civil society, does some sort of national service campaign make sense?Should we allow military votes to be received later than others? OUTRO:As a reminder, make sure to share our episode with your friends and leave a rating on your podcatcher of choice.We are brought to you by STOP, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, and The Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy at NYU Law. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike 4.0 International License.Our Production team is: Producers Alex Brook Lynn of Racket Media and Fabian Rogers of STOPSound Engineering by Adam ChimeraResearch Assistant: Carrie MageeVideo production support from Alexia Hall Additional Reference Materials:Starship Troopers - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers_(film)LA Times Article on Signature Verification - https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-28/2020-election-voter-signature-verification

INTRO:Welcome to Surveillance And The City, your glimpse at the technology tracking us all. I’m your host, Albert Fox Cahn. With me today A.I. activist Liz O’Sullivan, and in her podcast debut, Professor Rashida Richardson of Rutgers Law School.This week, we pick apart the charred remains of this week’s election, discussing what it means for potential privacy laws in DC and at the state level. And for Stranger Than Science Fiction, we look back at Franchise, the Isaac Asimov story that asks if in the world of computers we would even need elections. Part 1 - FederalJUSTICE IN FORENSIC ALGORITHMS ACTBillSummary: would require that source code be made available to criminal defendants in all cases in which such algorithms are used (Harvard Data Science Review)Introduced by Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA-41) who won reelection on Tuesday with 64% of the votePart of the Vision for Black Lives policy platformTakano talks about reaching out to Republicans but does not reference actually having any; this piece of legislation was considered to be something that might have come to more prominence if the Senate had gone blue, which was at least a possibility to occur on Tuesday night (but didn’t). Given the gridlock in Washington inherent with a Republican Senate and a Democratic House and President, this is now considered less likely.FACIAL RECOGNITION LEGISLATIONBill: would ban the use of facial recognition technology unless a federal law existed laying out standards for the use, access and retention of the data collected from biometric surveillance systems; standards for accuracy rates by gender, skin color and age; rigorous protections for due process, privacy, free speech, and racial, gender and religious equity; and mechanisms to ensure compliance with the act.Would demand state/local gov’ts also comply or risk federal funding for police training and equipmentSenators Markey and Merkley introduced the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act in June (NBC)Merkley held onto his seat by a healthy margin on Tuesday, up against a Republican Qanon believer, Jo Rae PerkinsSimilar to Forensic Algorithms Act, it may have done better in a Democratic senate, which would have a smoother legislative path forward. It will need at least some Republican support to leave the Senate, and so far its only supporters are Democrats and Senator Bernie Sanders, who is registered as Independent.The bill has languished before the Senate Judiciary since June.WaPo’s Editorial Board endorsed it in JulyThough there re no Republican sponsors of this specific bill, there is Republican support for restricting the use of facial recognition:Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH-4) (who won handily against Democratic challenger Shannon Freshour Tuesday night despite ongoing accusations of covering up sexual abuse at Ohio State University): “Seems to me it’s time for a timeout,” he said. “Doesn’t matter what side of the political spectrum you’re on, this should concern us all.”Then there are the local bills that could become a template; they’re already spreadingSF to other citiesWA State bill by Microsoft touted by Brad Smith as template for federal legislation during the BLM FRT backlash Ad breakWe don’t pay for targeted ads or sketchy ad tech, we rely on you to help grow our audience. Please take just 3 minutes to share us on your sketchy social media platform of choice. And if you really want to help, leave a 5-star rating and review to help train the podcast AI that we’re awesome. Part 2 – State LegislationCALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 24Status – As of 11/4/2020 at 3:07pm ET, with 99% of precincts reporting:6,347,485 (56.09%) in favor4,969,444 (43.91%) againstSource - https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_24,_Consumer_Personal_Information_Law_and_Agency_Initiative_(2020)ProvisionsCCPA cutoff goes from 50,000 people’s data to 100,000.limits CCPA to businesses that earn most revenue from selling consumer dataCops can order data held for 180 days in anticipation of court orderAllows personal information to be shared with the government if a person is at risk of danger of death or serious physical injury, with certain limitsAdditionally requires businesses to:Upon a consumer’s request, not share the consumer’s personal information;Provide consumers with an opt-out option for having their sensitive personal information used or disclosed for advertising or marketing;Obtain permission from a parent or guardian before collecting data from consumers younger than 13; andUpon a consumer’s request, correct the consumer’s inaccurate personal information.Eliminates the 30-day period for businesses to fix CCPA violationsEstablishes California Privacy Protection Agency to implement and enforceMICHIGAN PROPOSAL 2Status: As of 11/4/20 at 12:23pm ET, with 69% of precincts reporting:1,890,107 (88.80%) votes in favor.238,303 (11.20%) votes against.Source: https://ballotpedia.org/Michigan_Proposal_2,_Search_Warrant_for_Electronic_Data_Amendment_(2020)Provisions: The Michigan Constitution is amended to:Prohibit unreasonable searches or seizures of a person’s electronic data and electronic communications; andRequire a search warrant to access a person’s electronic data or electronic communications. Part 3 -  Stranger than science fiction OUTRO:As a reminder, make sure to share our episode with your friends and leave a rating on your podcatcher of choice.We are brought to you by STOP, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, and The Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy at NYU Law.This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike 4.0 International License.Our Production team is: Producers Alex Brook Lynn of Racket Media and Fabian Rogers of STOPSound Engineering by Adam Chimera Research Assistant: Carrie MageeVideo production support from Alexia Hall Additional Notes:The Domain Awareness System:https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2019/9/26/domain-awareness-systemThe Surveillance Assemblage: https://www.uio.no/studier/emner/matnat/ifi/INF3700/v17/bakgrunnsnotat/the_surveillant_assemblage.pdfFranchise by Isaac Asimov:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franchise_(short_story)Know Your Rights Video Series:https://youtu.be/EBNH7S-1pMs

Part 1 - NYPD Tomfuckery Intro summary - Albert76th Precinct seizure of PPE: https://twitter.com/NYCCouncil38/status/1320060282174119941Trump 2020 officer: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nypd-investigating-videos-officer-who-said-trump-2020-over-patrol-n1244693?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_maPBA/SBA Trump endorsements, stickers on RMPs, disparate treatment of BLM/Blue Lives Matters demosPolice at polling placesPart 2 - Election surveillanceIntro summary - AliSecurity Threatshacked voter registration siteshttps://www.evesun.com/news/stories/2020-10-23/33851/Cyber+attack+leaves+half+of+Chenango+County%27s+computers+held+by+ransomwareSuppression threatsTrump Surveillance of dropoff boxesbut MA arson attack shows need for securityBad AISignature matchingSoftware to remove people from voter rollsDisinformationrumors of ballot tracking Follow directions exactlydon’t believe rumors about changes to voting rules

This week, we take a deep dive into remote proctoring, the increasingly pervasive technology that’s tracking children and adults at home, even in the privacy of their bedrooms. Then, for Stranger Than Science, we take a break from this gloomy technology to look back at Snow Crash, one of the greatest scifi novels ever written. Author Neal Stephenson. Our guest today is Dr. Chris Gilliard. He is a writer, professor and speaker. His scholarship concentrates on digital privacy, and the intersections of race, class, and technology. He is an advocate for critical and equity-focused approaches to tech in education. His work has been featured in The Chronicle of Higher Ed, EDUCAUSE Review, Fast Company, Vice, and Real Life Magazine. You can read Dr. Gilliard's work on his website: hypervisible.com or find him on twitter @hypervisible 

Part 1 - FBI’s Fly Team in Portland:If you were in Portland in the second weekend in July – around July 11th or 12th – then you might have been subject to surveillance by the Fly Team. What is this Fly Team? It’s the FBI’s crème de la crème of counterterror. Records from the FBI – obtained through public records requests and published by the New York Review of Books – indicate that their mission once on the ground was to – quote, unquote - carry out the “initial exploitation of phones, or other communication devices.”Part 2 - Search Term History Use by Law Enforcement:Ever Googled something just because you were curious? Ever clear your browser history and think you were safe from prying eyes? Google did not clear your browser history, and what you searched can now haunt you. In a case oddly related to accused sex offender R. Kelly, a man named Michael Williams – related to R. Kelly’s publicist – is accused of setting fire to the car of a witness in the R. Kelly case. Evidence against him included his IP address – which Google had a record of searching the victim’s address, and gave to law enforcement.  

This week, we explore the latest ways that robots are coming for us all, looking at just how unintelligent A.I. can be, in Housing, the Trump Administration, and Emotion Detection software.  Albert, Ali, and Liz talk about Trump Administration’s decision to greenlight algorithmic redlining. Then, we talk about the intrusive deployment of biometric surveillance tech in housing with special guest and community advocate, Fabian Rogers.  Next, we delve into the racist pseudoscience of emotional detection software.  And lastly, we take a look back at a single episode of the 90's quantum-leap ripoff, "Sliders" in this week’s stranger than science fiction.

This week Albert, Liz, and Ali talk with Terri Rosenblatt, the Supervising Attorney of the DNA Unit at Legal Aid in NYC, about the ways in which law enforcement has collected DNA and how it can be used to surveil us.  Later, we talk all about the 1997 movie all about DNA, Gattaca for our segment called Stranger Than Science Fiction.

This week on Surveillance And The City, we talk about the rush to invest in the money-losing surveillance firm Palantir. Our guest Alfred Ng, senior reporter at CNET, joins us to dig into the latest revelations about geofence warrants, including revealing new internal documents from Google. READ Alfred's latest article on Google & Geofence Warrants HEREAlso we talk about how Lord of the Rings is a metaphor for our current data-industrial-complex woes.  Special Thanks to Patrick Arnold.  

This week we talk Tik Tok. In recent weeks there has been a lot of fear around this app owned by Chinese company Bytedance, as President Donald Trump declared that he was considering a nation-wide ban on the popular platform. Our guest for this episode is Shoshana Wodinsky, tech reporter for Gizmodo who writes extensively on social media platforms and privacy. For our segment 'Stranger Than Science Fiction,' we look at the Black Mirror episode, 'Nosedive.' The premise is that at some point in the future we will live in a world where your credibility hinges on the prominence of your social media. Liz O'Sullivan walks us through how we are already starting to live that reality.   Read more about Tik Tok and Data collection  from Shoshana Wodinsky on Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/your-phone-is-a-goldmine-of-hidden-data-for-cops-heres-1843817740  

This week on Surveillance And The City, we talk about Mayor Bill de Blasio’s controversial COVID-19 checkpoints, the NYPD’s arrest of activist Nikki Stone, and the scary world of geofence warrants which give cops a blank check to track nearly anyone at any time. To round things out we look back at the Graphic Novel turned generation defining movie, V for Vendetta, and talk about how eerily similar our dystopia is.

This week Albert Fox Cahn, Liz O'Sullivan, and Ali Winston discuss the dangers of contact tracing, the erosion of medical privacy, law enforcement hacking techniques, and for 'Stranger Than Science Fiction' the gang discusses the great 90's movie 'Sneakers.'

Albert, Liz, and Ali outline the horrifying ways in which law enforcement has been spying on protesters and political dissidents throughout history and, most recently, the George Floyd protests in New York City. Plus, RoboCop holds up, but in more ways than you think.---The Hosts: Albert Fox Cahn (@FoxCahn)Liz O'Sullivan (@lizjosullivan)Ali Winston (@aliwinston)Surveillance And The City is brought to you by the Engelberg Center for Innovation, Law & Policy at NYU School of Law, and STOP (Surveillance and Technology Oversight Project).