Israeli Firm Cognite Faces Scrutiny in NYC Over Surveillance Deal

By מני הרץ

Translated & summarized from Ice by baba

BusinessCharged tone

Hebrew · 11 newsrooms covering

New York City's police department is shifting to a competitive bidding process for a $750,500 surveillance system contract with Israeli firm Cognite, following political opposition. The deal, initially proposed without a bid, faced criticism from progressive council members and activists concerned about surveillance and Israeli ties. Mayor Adams, who supports BDS, is also involved in the controversy. Cognite, a growing company with significant revenues, remains a contender despite past human rights concerns and the shift to a competitive tender.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

NYPD shifts to competitive bidding for $750,500 surveillance system contract with Israeli firm Cognite.
Political opposition from progressive allies and activists targeted the no-bid deal and Israeli ties.
Mayor Adams supports BDS and has previously criticized NYPD's connections with Israel.
Cognite faces scrutiny over past human rights concerns and a Myanmar technology sale.
The company remains a contender for the NYPD contract despite the controversy.

Israeli Firm Cognite Faces Scrutiny in NYC Over Surveillance Deal — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

New York City's police department (NYPD) has been forced to reconsider a no-bid contract with Israeli technology firm Cognite for its FalcoNet surveillance system, following significant political backlash. The proposed three-year contract, valued at $750,500, included hardware, software, training, and support for the NYPD's technology unit. The deal, which began its trajectory under former Mayor Eric Adams in December 2025, faced immediate opposition from progressive allies of current Mayor Eric Adams, who are critical of surveillance technology and the city's ties to Israel. Mayor Adams himself supports the BDS movement and has previously criticized NYPD's connections with Israel. The controversy has placed Cognite, a company expecting annual revenues of approximately $448 million, in a difficult position. While the $750,500 sum is minor for Cognite, the potential client, the NYPD, represents a strategic target for the company, which specializes in selling technologies to government, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies. Cognite's business has been growing, with revenues reaching $400.041 million in the fiscal year ending January 2026 and a recent $5 million contract with a large state law enforcement agency. The company also faces scrutiny from its own past, with Norway's sovereign wealth fund having divested from Cognite due to concerns over potential human rights violations. Reuters reported in 2023 that Cognite had secured a tender to sell interception technology to a state-owned telecom operator in Myanmar before its military coup. Despite the political storm, Cognite remains in contention for the NYPD contract, as the department has shifted to a competitive bidding process. The outcome of this tender could signal broader challenges for the company's expansion in the U.S. market.