The New York Times reports on the increased use by local law enforcement agencies of Big Data surveillance technology and the corresponding privacy concerns. Particularly, the city of Oakland, CA, recently received $7 million in federal funding to help fight terrorism at its major port. The money, according to the report, is being used for a police initiative including the purchase of gunshot-detection sensors in East Oakland and license plate scanners in police cars. Federal money is also supporting similar initiatives within the New York Police Department, including a system that links more than 3,000 surveillance cameras with license plate readers, radiation sensors, criminal databases and terror suspect lists. Oakland City Councillor Libby Schaaf said “it’s our responsibility to take advantage of new tools that become available,” but added that the system could “paint a pretty detailed picture of someone’s personal life, someone who may be innocent.” (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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