Post by NEWSBOT on Feb 6, 2023 14:01:34 GMT -5
Back in 2018, the parent company of Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall in New York City (MSG) began using facial recognition software tied into its security cameras at those venues. They claimed that the system would help them identify suspected domestic terrorists and other security threats. At the time, that sort of made sense, because those are both large arenas that pack in a lot of people, so either could be a tempting terror target. But since then, it has come to light that MSG has been identifying and prohibiting access to more people than just ISIS wannabes. They have singled out attorneys from every law firm representing plaintiffs who have brought lawsuits against the venues. Others have reportedly been locked out as well. Now New York’s Attorney General has sent them a warning letter and they may have a date in court with her before long. (Regulatory Oversight)
...But the story gets worse. The targeting wasn’t just limited to the law firms seeking judgments against them. They’ve reportedly also refused entry to people who negatively commented about MSG on social media. So this obviously wasn’t just some legal strategy or glitch in the software. If you tweeted something negative about either of their venues, someone from MSG would have had to track down your identity, find a picture of you, feed it into the system, and then let the facial recognition system put you on the “do not admit” list.
...But the story gets worse. The targeting wasn’t just limited to the law firms seeking judgments against them. They’ve reportedly also refused entry to people who negatively commented about MSG on social media. So this obviously wasn’t just some legal strategy or glitch in the software. If you tweeted something negative about either of their venues, someone from MSG would have had to track down your identity, find a picture of you, feed it into the system, and then let the facial recognition system put you on the “do not admit” list.