NYCLU Statement on Governor Hochul’s Subway Camera Expansion 

NEW YORK – Today Governor Hochul announced the MTA has received funding for the installation of surveillance cameras in every subway car. In response, the New York Civil Liberties Union issued the following statement from privacy and technology strategist Daniel Schwarz:

“New York City is already home to tens of thousands of surveillance cameras and there’s no evidence this massive expansion of subway cameras will improve safety.

“Governor Hochul’s announcement is even more worrying given that the MTA has been completely secretive and has not disclosed any information, policies, or audits about its camera and software systems: the scope of information that is collected and analyzed, how long it is retained for, how law enforcement uses the information, who the information is shared with, and whether any of the deployed technologies show discriminatory impact or threaten people’s fundamental rights.

“Living in a sweeping surveillance state shouldn’t be the price we pay to be safe. Real public safety comes from investing in our communities, not from omnipresent government surveillance.”