16th October 2024

Deeper Studying

How US police use counterterrorism cash to purchase spy tech

Grant cash meant to assist cities put together for terror assaults is being spent on “huge purchases of surveillance know-how” for US police departments, a brand new report by the advocacy organizations Motion Heart on Race and Financial system (ACRE), LittleSis, MediaJustice, and the Immigrant Protection Venture reveals. 

Purchasing for AI-powered spytech: For instance, the Los Angeles Police Division used funding supposed for counterterrorism to purchase automated license plate readers value not less than $1.27 million, radio gear value upwards of $24 million, Palantir knowledge fusion platforms (typically used for AI-powered predictive policing), and social media surveillance software program. 

Why this issues: For varied causes, a number of problematic tech results in high-stake sectors reminiscent of policing with little to no oversight. For instance, the facial recognition firm Clearview AI gives “free trials” of its tech to police departments, which permits them to make use of it with out a buying settlement or price range approval. Federal grants for counterterrorism do not require as a lot public transparency and oversight. The report’s findings are yet one more instance of a rising sample wherein residents are more and more stored in the dead of night about police tech procurement. Learn extra from Tate Ryan-Mosley right here.

Bits and Bytes

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