As the Knicks and the Spurs Face Off at MSG, a Reminder of our Privacy Rights | #aclu #shorts | ACLU
The short version: ACLU's short on MSG's facial recognition ban-list is a reminder that biometric surveillance and license plate tracking share the same 'trust us' playbook.
Our Take
Credit to the ACLU for keeping the spotlight on Madison Square Garden's facial recognition dragnet, which has been used to flag and eject lawyers, journalists, and other MSG critics the moment they walk through the door. A private company deciding who gets to watch a basketball game based on a biometric scan should alarm anyone who cares about due process, not just Knicks fans.
This isn't really a story about sports. It's a story about how quietly surveillance infrastructure gets normalized once it's marketed as 'security.' The same logic that justifies scanning your face to buy a hot dog at MSG is the logic that justifies a network of license plate readers logging your movements block by block, town by town, with zero court order and zero accountability. Flock Safety cameras and MSG's face-scanners are cousins in the same family: quiet, automated, and built on the assumption that you've forgotten you have a right to move through public life unmonitored.
If a private venue can build a watchlist off your face, don't be surprised that your local police department can build one off your plate. Check our camera map to see what's already watching your commute, and visit take-action for ways to push back before this becomes just another thing we're told to accept.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of ACLU, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.