‘inside the NYPD’s surveillance machine’ reveals new yorkers’ strong exposure to frt surveillance

 

‘inside the NYPD’s surveillance machine’ is an interactive data visualization platform revealing the shocking reach of facial recognition technology in the city of new york. designed by superposition at the request of amnesty international, the experience allows users to plot a walking route through new york and discover how much of this route might be exposed to surveillance through facial recognition.

inside the nypds surveillance machine 1
inside the NYPD’s surveillance machine | all images © superposition

 

 

facial recognition technologies (FRT) for identification violate the right to privacy and threaten the rights to freedom of assembly, equality, and non-discrimination. the mass surveillance technology used at black lives matter protest sites in 2020 went on to identify, track and harass people simply exercising their human rights. 

 

amnesty international’s latest research into the technology, as part of the global campaign’ ban the scan’ shows that facial recognition for mass surveillance is an enabler for racist policing. they firmly believe the new york city council must therefore move towards a comprehensive ban of its use. 

 

 

 

 

plotting FRT exposure from black lives matter protest sites in new york city

 

in light of its research, amnesty reached out to superposition (see more here) to visualize the findings through an interactive digital experience that details exposure to invasive FRT technology. the experience needed to convey the urgency of amnesty’s disturbing data, make it relatable to any user and urge them to take action against FRT technology.

 

‘inside NYPD’s surveillance machine’ thus allows users to plot a walking route through new york city and discover how much of this route might be exposed to surveillance through facial recognition. the actual data is presented to users as it exists in their environment without it becoming overwhelming. superposition says: ‘different report cards encourage them to form opinions on the topic. after that, users are encouraged to send a letter of protest to their council members and sign the global petition. the experience thereby helps spread awareness of the issue and advance amnesty international’s goal of achieving a ban.’

inside the nypds surveillance machine 3
three different story cards to experience and discover exposure to surveillance through FRT

 

 

designing a mobile-first, reactive web app based on data collected from 7,000+ volunteers

 

design wise, the studio translated that online experience into a mobile-first, reactive web app that accommodates as broad an audience as possible. depending on the user’s preference or location, they can access the app from a desktop at home or a phone during a hike. by using custom vector-based map tiles and the WebGL-based rendering technology, superposition keeps the bundle size low and offers optimal performance. for geolocation and routing, it uses a GDPR-compliant service to protect visitors’ privacy.

with the help of more than 7,000 volunteers from around the world, between april and june, 2020, amnesty international analyzed google street view panoramas of every traffic intersection in new york city, excluding expressways. in total, volunteers checked more than 43,000 intersections and identified more than 25,500 public and private cameras across traffic intersections. amnesty worked with data scientists to evaluate the reliability of the crowdsourced camera locations.

inside the nypds surveillance machine 4
public cameras on a possible route leading to a BLM protest site on june 10, 2020

 

 

inside the nypds surveillance machine 8
route card results

inside the NYPD's surveillance machine: the shocking reach of facial recognition technology
take action cards

inside the NYPD's surveillance machine: the shocking reach of facial recognition technology
visualization card

 

 

 

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public cameras on a possible route leading to a BLM protest site on june 10, 2020
public cameras on a possible route leading to a BLM protest site on june 10, 2020
public cameras on a possible route leading to a BLM protest site on june 10, 2020
public cameras on a possible route leading to a BLM protest site on june 10, 2020
map visualizing 25,500+ public and private cameras across traffic intersections in NYC
map visualizing 25,500+ public and private cameras across traffic intersections in NYC
story card
story card

project info:

 

name: inside the NYPD’s surveillance machine

design: superposition
research: amnesty international

 

 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom