Civil rights fears spark new effort to stop NYC from using AI-driven cellphone trackers

NEW YORK — Despite backing away from a controversial contract for an AI-enhanced cellphone tracking device, Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing increasing pushback over his administration’s surveillance approach. In a letter Thursday, 45 nonprofit and civil rights organizations called for the Mamdani administration to stop pursuing the technology, arguing it could carry both privacy risks and “the potential for human and civil rights violations.” The technology mimics a cell tower, forcing nearby phones to connect to it and allowing cops to track suspects nearby. kAm“p=E9@F89 E96 r:EJ 92D D:?46 H2=<65 324< E96 ?@\3:5 4@?EC24E 27E6C AF3=:4 @FE4CJ[ r@8?JE6 2?5 @E96C G6?5@CD DE:== 92G6 E96 23:=:EJ E@ 3:5 @? 2 4@?EC24E 7@C A@CE23=6 px\6BF:AA65 46==\D:E6 D:>F=2E@CD[ E96 =6EE6C[ D:8?65 3J @C82?:K2E:@?D :?4=F5:?8 yFDE:46 r@>>:EE66[ E96 {682= p:5 $@4:6EJ 2?5 |2<6 E96 #@25]k^Am kAm“#682C5=6DD @7 E96 G6?5@C[ 2?@E96C >2DD DFCG6:==2?46 E@@= :? E96 92?5D @7 E96 }*!s H:== ?@E >2<6 }6H *@C<6CD D276C]”k^Am kAmp7E6C 2 s2:=J }6HD C6A@CE :? ~4E@36C] E96 }*!s 324<65 2H2J 7C@> Sfd_[___ ?@\3:5 4@?EC24E H:E9 E96 xDC26:: E649 4@>A2?J r@8?JE6[ H9:49 92D 366? 244FD65 @7 :?7C:?8:?8 @? A6@A=6’D 4:G:= C:89ED H:E9 :ED E649?@=@8J[ p DA@<6DA6CD@? D2:5 2E E96 E:>6 E96 56A2CE>6?E H2D >@G:?8 E@ 2? @A6? AC@4FC6>6?E AC@46DD 7@C E96 E649?@=@8J]k^Am kAm%96 4:EJ 92D 7@C J62CD FD65 E96 D@\42==65 DE:?8C2J 56G:46D E@ EC24< DFDA64ED’ H96C623@FED — 3FE 25G@42E6D 92G6 =@?8 C2:D65 4@?46C?D 23@FE E96 E649?@=@8J[ H9:49 :? a_`f E96 }*!s H2D 7@F?5 E@ 92G6 FD65 >@C6 E92? `[___ E:>6D H:E9@FE 92G:?8 2 HC:EE6? A@=:4J 2?5 H:E9@FE @3E2:?:?8 2 H2CC2?E[ H9:49 :D C6BF:C65 3J =2H]k^Am kAmp5G@42E6D HC@E6 :? E96 =6EE6C E92E E96:C 4@?46C?D 92G6 @?=J 8C@H? ?@H E92E E96 E649?@=@8J 92D 6G@=G65 E@ FD6 px]k^Am kAm%96 @C82?:K2E:@?D :? E96 =6EE6C 2D<65 E96 >2J@C E@ 3=@4< E96 AC@4FC6>6?E @7 E96 px\6?92?465 46== D:E6 D:>F=2E@CD[ AC6G6?E E96 4:EJ 7C@> H@C<:?8 H:E9 r@8?JE6 :? E96 7FEFC6 2?5 AC@9:3:E 7FCE96C AC@4FC6>6?E @C FD6 @7 5:8:E2= DFCG6:==2?46 >@C6 3C@25=J]k^Am kAm$:>@?6 v2>3=6[ 2 >6>36C @7 yFDE:46 r@>>:EE66 D2:5 :? 2? :?E6CG:6H E96 @C82?:K2E:@?’D 3:886DE 4@?46C?D “:D E96 724E }6H *@C<6CD 56D6CG6 2 C:89E E@ D276EJ 2?5 AC:G24J[ 2?5 2 46==\D:E6 D:>F=2E@C 5@6D?’E 8C2?E FD E92E]”k^Am kAm“xE’D @?=J 8@:?8 E@ 2>A=:7J E96 FD6 @7 E9:D DFCG6:==2?46 H:E9@FE H2CC2?ED[” v2>3=6 D2:5] “$@ :E 5@6D?’E >2<6 2?J @7 FD D276] xE ;FDE >2<6D FD >@C6 DFCG6:==65]”k^Am kAm\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\k^Am