Privacy advocates and musicians rallied outside Madison Square Garden on Friday, advocating for new legislation to ban facial-recognition technology at the venue and other public spaces in New York City. City Council member Shahana Hanif, who proposed the bill in January, criticized the venue’s CEO, James Dolan, for what she described as the “flagrant abuse” of biometric technology.
Hanif’s proposed legislation, known as the “Ban the Scan” bill, aims to prohibit public venues from utilizing biometric recognition systems like those employed at Madison Square Garden. The venue has been criticized for its extensive biometric data collection practices, which reportedly include tracking fans who express criticism of Dolan or the New York Knicks. In one notable case, security monitored a fan’s movements during a game, documenting details such as who they interacted with and where they sat.
At the rally, Hanif was joined by Brooklyn-based musician Paisley Fields and representatives from digital rights advocacy groups. The “Ban the Scan” bill has garnered 27 endorsements, representing more than half of the City Council, and discussions are ongoing with City Council Speaker Julie Menin to advance the legislation.
Madison Square Garden has also faced scrutiny for maintaining a database that assigns risk scores to around 400 celebrities and VIPs, with some records including sensitive information such as race and sexual orientation. An MSG spokesperson defended the venue’s practices, stating, “People have been recognizing each other’s faces since the beginning of time—we just do it electronically.”
Hanif, reflecting on her experiences as a Muslim in post-9/11 New York, emphasized the need for public awareness regarding the extent of surveillance at events. She expressed concern over the implications of data collection by Dolan, who has connections to former President Donald Trump, stating, “New Yorkers need to understand… these tools that are being sold to us as being for our city’s safety are actually making us less safe.”
For further details, refer to the full article by Wired.
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