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NYPD Scraps Direct Purchase of Israeli Surveillance Tech Amid Political Firestorm
New York City's police department will now select a surveillance system vendor through an open bidding process, after abandoning a direct $750,000 purchase from Israeli firm Cognyte. The decision followed criticism from Mayor Zohran Mamdani's progressive allies and a meeting with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
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What happened
- 01NYPD abandons direct $750,000 purchase of Israeli Cognyte surveillance system after political backlash.
- 02Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced criticism from progressive allies over the planned acquisition.
- 03The FalcoNet system uses AI to track cell phone locations and can be deployed on vehicles or drones.
- 04Concerns were raised about privacy and the potential for mass surveillance of innocent bystanders.
- 05Cognyte has previously faced scrutiny over its technology's use in Myanmar and human rights concerns.
- 06The NYPD states the system would not be used for eavesdropping and would require warrants for most uses.
The FalcoNet system, which uses AI to track cell phones, faced opposition due to privacy concerns and the company's ties to Israel. The NYPD maintains the system would be used for locating suspects and missing persons, not for eavesdropping, and would require warrants for most uses.
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