Previously, S.T.O.P. criticized the MTA's plans to install surveillance cameras in every subway car, calling it wasteful "surveillance theater." The group's Executive Director, Albert Fox Cahn, expressed concerns about the affordability of transit and the potential misuse of AI for aggressive policing. He also questioned how the MTA is tracking New Yorkers and the storage of this data.
Key takeaways:
- The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) has revealed a previously unreported contract between the MTA and AI surveillance firm Awaait to monitor subway fare evasion.
- The contract uses the MTA’s network of cameras and Awaait’s AI software to measure alleged fare evasion, raising privacy and bias concerns.
- Executive Director of S.T.O.P., Albert Fox Cahn, criticized the use of AI for this purpose, stating it could lead to increased policing of stations and raised concerns about how the MTA is tracking New Yorkers and where that data is kept.
- S.T.O.P. had previously criticized the MTA’s plans to spend millions of dollars to install surveillance cameras in every subway car, calling it wasteful "surveillance theater."