S.T.O.P.—Surveillance Technology Oversight Project

Cities Start Going Flockless, NYPD Cameras Lawsuit, CSAM & the Private Search Doctrine, OSINT Intro for Witness Social Media & More Vol. 6, Issue 11

New Decrypting a Defense Newsletter issue. Jon explains the growing backlash to Flock ALPR. Joel discusses a recent lawsuit brought by @stopspyingny.bsky.social against the NYPD. I review two court decisions about CSAM investigations. Allison answers a question about finding a witness' social media.

How ICE is ramping up its surveillance Al Jazeera's Linh Nguyen looks at how ICE is expanding its surveillance network.

"If they have this much money, this much ability to peer into everyone’s private lives, it raises some fundamental questions about where American democracy is going." @foxcahn.bsky.social #ICE

www.aljazeera.com/video/digita...

ICE quiere desarrollar 24/7 vigilancia digital a través de las redes sociales. Estas medidas violan nuestros derechos constitucionales y apuntan a los inmigrantes. El Director de Comunicaciones de STOP, Will Owen, explica los peligros aquí: radiobilingue.org/es/blog/sin-...

The NYPD is unconstitutionally surveilling New Yorkers, new suit claims — Queens Daily Eagle The NYPD’s wide-reaching surveillance apparatus is unconstitutionally spying on New Yorkers, a new federal suit alleges.

"No other police department in the country has ever amassed this much data...It is basically a living Orwellian nightmare." @foxcahn.bsky.social #NYPD #DomainAwarenessSystem

queenseagle.com/all/2025/10/...

AI systems are being developed faster than our laws can catch up. Take less than 5 minutes today to support the RAISE Act here! Together, we can ensure #AI is safe and accountable for ALL New Yorkers:
www.nyforsafeai.com

Marathons — S.T.O.P. - The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Sign up to run for Team S.T.O.P. for any of the listed half and full marathons!

When you haven't finished the marathon, but are already planning the next one.and the one after that. 😂

If you didn't get in off the #SydneyMarathon lottery, join me in raising money for @stopspyingny.bsky.social down under next summer and this spring en Paris!

www.stopspying.org/marathons

Dragnet City — S.T.O.P. - The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project In this report, S.T.O.P. details the NYPD Domain Awareness System’s unparalleled invasion of New Yorkers’ privacy rights.

The lawsuit coincides with S.T.O.P.’s release of Dragnet City: NYPD's Omnipresent Domain Awareness System, which details the DAS’s unparalleled invasion of New Yorkers’ privacy rights. Read here:
www.stopspying.org/dragnet-city

ECBAWM, S.T.O.P. Sue NYPD For ‘Domain Awareness’ Surveillance System — S.T.O.P. - The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project

Read the press release here!
www.stopspying.org/latest-news/...

“The NYPD’s mass surveillance isn’t just unconstitutional, it’s anti-democratic. This sort of tracking endangers New Yorkers, empowers federal agencies, and violates our promises to undocumented New Yorkers. We can’t both be a sanctuary city and a surveillance state.” @foxcahn.bsky.social

"Protecting safety should never come at the expense of our constitutional rights and the basic expectation that our private lives remain private." @ecbawm.com

“Pervasive, AI-super-charged surveillance is a threat to every New Yorker’s privacy. The NYPD should be required to obtain a warrant before deploying these powerful tools against the public, which have essentially turned every street, stoop, and window into a site of [gov] monitoring." @ecbawm.com

"We fear that the NYPD's notorious abuse of power, especially in low-income neighborhoods, will be exacerbated by the invasion of privacy these cameras represent,” said plaintiff Robert Suave.

“Far too often, we overlook what we give up in terms of privacy and freedom under the guise of safety and convenience,” said plaintiff Robert Sauve. “The installation of two cameras just outside my window, with the ability to look directly into our home, shook me to my core."

“I feel constantly watched by a state-sanctioned peeping Tom, able to look into our bedroom and living room windows at any time,” said plaintiff Pamela Wridt. “Countless other New Yorkers live this nightmare, with tens of thousands of cameras across our city, particularly in communities of color.”

BREAKING: ECBAWM, S.T.O.P. Sue NYPD For ‘Domain Awareness’ Surveillance System

The landmark lawsuit alleges that the Department’s intelligence nerve center illegally aggregates surveillance data on every New Yorker. @ecbawm.com

An NYPD Camera Points Directly Into Their Bedroom. They’re Suing the City Over It. The NYPD’s little-noted citywide surveillance system draws on a vast network of public and private cameras.

So proud of my colleagues at @stopspyingny.bsky.social, our partners at @ecbawm.com, and our amazing clients!!!! This sort of lawsuit is the reason I founded STOP, and the culmination of so many years of work.
theintercept.com/2025/10/28/n...

"This is an assault on our democracy and right to free speech, powered by the algorithm and paid for with our tax dollars.” - Owen #ICE #SocialMediaSurveillance

“ICE is a lawless agency that will use AI-driven social media monitoring not only to terrorize immigrant families, but also to target activists fighting back against their abuses." - Owen #ICE #SocialMediaSurveillance

ICE is building a social media panopticon ICE is ramping up efforts to monitor people online.

“With billions of dollars to spend on spyware, it’s extremely alarming to think how far ICE will go in surveilling social media." - STOP Communications Director Will Owen #ICE #SocialMediaSurveillance
www.theverge.com/policy/80642...

Opinion: Fixing Flaws in New York’s Freedom of Information Law  - City Limits "It is time for New York City to pave the way to a modern, functioning FOIL landscape. The public is unable to understand, debate, and challenge government practices if it is kept in the dark about wh...

Great piece from @legalaidnyc.bsky.social! Now more than ever, we must demand transparency from our government. Waiting over four years for a response to a public records request is unacceptable and undermines our city's democracy.
citylimits.org/opinion-fixi...

✊New Yorkers take to the streets around 26 Federal Plaza to protest ICE’s violent raids, arrests & detentions of immigrant communities.

We will not back down while our neighbors are being cruelly targeted by this administration.

Hands of NYC with graphic of Statue of Liberty.HANDS OFF NVG IS SUPPORTED BY OVER 100 UNIONS, FAITH LEADERS, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, STANDING TOGETHER IN NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE. JUST AS PEOPLE IN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE STOOD UP TO THESE ATTACKS, WE WILL TOO.

📆 Saturday, 10.25.25
📍725 5th Ave, NYC
⏰ 12 – 1:00pm

Unions, faith leaders, community groups & activists come together to say Hands Off NYC to Trump’s attacks on American cities. Join us in nonviolent resistance, as we stand in solidarity against military occupation.

#HandsOffNYC
handsoffnyc.com

Hasan Piker and the Future No One Is Ready For The backlash that Piker is facing shows the consequences of a world where everyone is constantly being recorded and our internet is built to reward outrage and controversy.

"We are always given the same lie that somehow video is objective. But...there’s so much power in how it’s interpreted and edited. Even the most trivial form of tracking, even someone’s own Twitch stream, can turn into this weapon against them." @foxcahn.bsky.social
www.usermag.co/p/hasan-pike...

Black and white headshot of new STOP Executive Director Michelle Dahl on black background with red and white text and STOP logo

🎊 BIG NEWS 🎊 We are so thrilled to welcome our new Executive Director, Michelle Dahl! Read her welcome message and learn more about what's next at S.T.O.P. here:
www.stopspying.org/latest-news/...

How the world's simplest sport became so tech-obsessed I fell in love with running. Then the Instagram ads started flooding in.

Read STOP's @foxcahn.bsky.social's latest op-ed with Business Insider. Cahn dives into his love of running and how the commercialization of the running industry undermines the power of consistent training, recovery, and community.
www.businessinsider.com/rise-running...

How the world's simplest sport became so tech-obsessed I fell in love with running. Then the Instagram ads started flooding in.

My latest piece! I explore the crazy world of #running products and all of the unproven inventions that are inundating my digital life. www.businessinsider.com/rise-running...

GANGS Coalition Responds to NYPD-IG Gang Policing Report NYPD-IG report confirms the NYPD's Gang Database targets Black and Latino youth perpetuate racial profiling, lack transparency, and operates without oversight or accountability.

The NYPD’s gang database doesn’t protect us—it profiles us. Even after “reforms,” 98% of people listed are Black or Latino. Real safety means investment, not surveillance. Pass Intro 798 #EraseTheDatabase #Intro798 @legalaidnyc.bsky.social @stopspyingny.bsky.social

www.naacpldf.org/press-releas...

After GOP Pressure, EPA Says It Could Test Wastewater for Abortion Meds Since 2007, Jezebel has been the Internet's most treasured source for everything celebrities, sex, and politics...with teeth.

“It’s terrifying to see this administration abandon public health, but it’s outright Orwellian to aim these tools against abortion."
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​Read about the Trump Administration's use of surveillance against reproductive freedom—and STOP executive director Albert Cahn's response—here:

You have a right to privacy! 🛑✊ Join us Wednesday, October 29 for our Privacy and Surveillance political education session—in-person and on Zoom: actionnetwork.org/events/techa...