![[Politech logo]](http://www.politechbot.com/image/logo.gif){kind=logo}
Politech is the oldest Internet resource devoted to politics and technology. Launched in 1994 by Declan McCullagh, the mailing list has chronicled the growing intersection of culture, technology, politics, and law. Since 2000, so has the Politech web site.
Politech facecam archive (note DC is not using face recognition technology yet, but this may be relevant): http://www.politechbot.com/cgi-bin/politech.cgi?name=facecam Xeni Jardin sends along this Reuters article summarizing the WSJ story: http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=topnews&StoryID=593227 -Declan --- http://www.msnbc.com/news/706224.asp?newguid=8ED0D771033344BDB2187658775AC770&cp1=1 D.C. cops build surveillance network New system will link hundreds of public cameras By Jess Bravin THE WALL STREET JOURNAL WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- A camera mounted on the roof of police headquarters here peers down at pedestrians approaching the steps of the Capitol half a mile away. Then it zooms in on a couple who are climbing the stairs, unaware they are being watched. Inside headquarters, a huge digital image of the couple is displayed on floor-to-ceiling monitors in a darkened high-tech command center, the hub of what will soon be one of the nation's most extensive public surveillance networks. THE NEW SYSTEM will link hundreds of cameras that already monitor mass-transit stations, monuments and schools with new digital cameras that will be installed to watch over streets, shopping areas and neighborhoods. "In the context of Sept. 11, we have no choice but to accept greater use of this technology," says Stephen Gaffigan, who heads the Washington Metropolitan Police Department project. He says city officials have studied the pervasive public surveillance in Britain, where the government has placed more than two million cameras throughout the country in recent years. "We are intrigued by that model," Mr. Gaffigan says. Tuesday morning, in response to the latest terror alert issued by the Justice Department, Washington police activated the command center, which was first used on Sept. 11. Officers from a host of federal authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret Service, Capitol Police and Amtrak Police, joined city officers in monitoring key buildings around Washington. The room will stay in operation until federal officials end the terror alert, Mr. Gaffigan says. The cameras have been programmed to scan public areas automatically, and officers can take over manual control if they see something they want to examine more closely. But right now, the system has no "biometric" software that will permit an automated match between a face in the crowd and a computerized photo of a suspect. "We're looking at that technology but have made no decisions" about how or whether to use it, Mr. Gaffigan says. [...] --- Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 16:11:34 -0500 To: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com> From: Marc Rotenberg <rotenberg@mail.epic.org> Subject: EPIC FOIAs Records on DC Video Surveillance Declan, Following the news about the DC surveillance system we are pursuing a new series of FOIA requests. Details below. Regards, Marc. ----------------------------------------------------- PRESS RELEASE Wednesday, February 13, 2002 EPIC FILES FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS ON VIDEO SPY SYSTEM IN NATION's CAPITAL WASHINGTON, DC - The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) today filed a series of Freedom of Information Act requests with federal agencies and the District of Columbia to uncover details about a new system of video surveillance in the Nation's capital. Marc Rotenberg, the Executive Director of EPIC, said, "We are going to find out everything we can about this system: Who is the contractor? What is the cost? What data will be collected and who will have access to it? This system implicates the freedoms of DC residents, visitors to our nation's capital, and the words inscribed in many of our national monuments." According to the DC Convention and Tourism Corporation, the Washington, DC metropolitan area hosted 17.6 million domestic visitors and 1.6 million international visitors in 2000. FOIA requests went to the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service, and the Department of Defense. Subsequent requests may be sent to other federal and state agencies. Mr. Rotenberg said that the creation of a system of public surveillance in the city that has been the site of historic political ralles, the civil rights marches of the 1960s, Presidential addresses, and Martin Luther's King's I Have a Dream speech should not be tolerated. "Washington is a city that has welcomed public protest and debate. That should not change. The capital of the United States should not become the crucible for hi-tech surveillance," said Rotenberg. EPIC has pursued many successful requests for public records held by government agencies. In one case, EPIC obtained records that disclosed the technical capability of the Carnivore surveillance system. Another request revealed the Secret Service's involvement in the development of face recognition technology. Information about the most recent EPIC FOIA request is available at the EPIC web site - www.epic.org. -- ================================================================== Marc Rotenberg, exec director + +1 202 483 1140 (tel) Electronic Privacy Information Center + +1 202 483 1248 (fax) 1718 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 200 + rotenberg@epic.org Washington DC 20009 USA + http://www.epic.org ================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------