Zero Hedge / 2016-10-02 10:36
Submitted by Jake Anderson via TheAntiMedia.org,
Last week, the California ACLU released an alarming report about California law enforcement agencies' covert use of social media surveillance software. The report compiles records requested of 63 police departments, sheriffs, and district attorneys across the state. The ACLU found over 40% are using the software without any transparency or public disclosure. They also reported law enforcement officers may be using the social media surveillance software in a way that specifically targets activists of color.
The three primary pieces of software cited in the ACLU report are MediaSonar, X1 Social Discovery, and Geofeedia. These tools are marketed to law enforcement agencies as ways to keep track of protesters, particularly protesters and activists of color.
In one email from a Geofeedia representative to the San Diego Sheriff, the software is praised for its ability to aggregate "social media posts from the scene of Ferguson, Missouri."
Promotional emails sent after the non-indictment of Officer Darren Wilson and the killing of Freddie Gray in Baltimore urged law enforcement to take advantage of the tool to "curate" social media posts related to #BlackLivesMatter. Another email urges Los Angeles District Attorney to "join the Baltimore County Police Department" and "stay one step ahead of the rioters."
Another document obtained from Geofeedia refers to unions and activists as "overt threats."
The ACLU argues their research makes clear that law enforcement agencies view protesters exercising their constitutional rights as "enemies."
"The racist implications of social media surveillance technology are not surprising," writes Nicole Ozer, Technology & Civil Liberties Policy Director for the ACLU of Northern California.
"We know that when law enforcement gets to conceal the use of surveillance technology, they also get to conceal its misuse. Discriminatory policing that targets communities of color is unacceptable — and secretive, sophisticated surveillance technologies
No comments:
Post a Comment