Private Networks and Live AI: NOPD Accused of Bypassing Law to Conduct Real-Time Citizen Tracking in New Orleans
Project N.O.L.A., a privately run camera network, allegedly deployed real-time facial recognition in New Orleans, linking it to the New Orleans Police Department. This system reportedly allowed police to identify individuals as they moved through the city, directly resulting in police pinging officers' phones upon a match and facilitating arrests.
Sources point to a clear pattern of procedural overreach. The ACLU characterized the NOPD's use of live facial recognition at scale as a "radical and dangerous escalation" of surveillance power, citing it as the "first known widespread effort by police in a major US city to use AI to identify people in live camera feeds for the purpose of making immediate arrests." Authorities allegedly sidestepped a 2022 ordinance requiring oversight from at least two trained examiners before such actions could lead to an arrest.
The weight of the evidence points to unauthorized, large-scale surveillance. The key concern is the privatization of policing power through these networks. The established pattern shows police allegedly used private infrastructure to bypass explicit local ordinance safeguards for immediate arrests.
Key Points
#1Live facial recognition used via private infrastructure
Project N.O.L.A., a private network, is implicated in deploying real-time identification technology used by the NOPD.
#2Violation of local oversight protocols
The NOPD allegedly ignored a 2022 ordinance that demanded two trained examiners verify matches before making an arrest.
#3Immediate, real-time police action
The technology reportedly allowed immediate identification, enabling the NOPD to auto-ping officers' phones when a match occurred, leading to dozens of arrests.
#4Escalation of surveillance power
The ACLU stated the technology represents a 'radical and dangerous escalation' in police surveillance capabilities.
#5Privatization of surveillance systems
The focus repeatedly lands on the use of private entities, like Project N.O.L.A., to execute state-level surveillance functions.
Source Discussions (4)
This report was synthesized from the following Lemmy discussions, ranked by community score.